Te Papa, . The national museum. Particularly good if you have children to entertain on a rainy day. Free (except for the occasional special presentation).
Museum of Wellington City & Sea, Queens Wharf, . Daily, 10AM-5PM, closed 25 Dec. A well-presented museum of the history of Wellington, including its maritime history. Free.
City Gallery, Civic Square. Lacks a permanent collection but runs a consistently avant-garde set of exhibits. It also has the excellent cafe Nikau attached to it.
The Wellington Cable Car, from Lambton Quay (next to the McDonald's), 04 472 2199, . Daily until 10PM. The easiest way to get a nice view of the city and harbor, the Cable Car runs on rails from Lambton Quay to the Botanic Garden in Kelburn every ten minutes. $2.50 one way, $4.50 return (Concession prices are available for children, students and senior citizens over 65)
Frank Kitts Park. A great place to wander around, with walls to climb, inline skates, and jet ski rental.
Lookout points - Wellington City is surrounded by hills, so there are a number of good vantage points:
Mount Victoria. (196 metres) The best lookout in Wellington. The full 360-degree view is a great place to see the the airport, the harbor, the CBD and the Town Belt with just a turn of the head. It takes about an hour to walk up from Courtenay Place. Many tourist buses go there but also a lot of the locals, especially at night to 'watch the view'.
Mount Kaukau. (445 metres) Another great lookout point, not as close to the city as Mt Victoria .
Wrights Hill. More views, and WWII underground tunnels which are open to the public on public holidays for a small fee.
Brooklyn Windmill. Another great place to go to get an excellent view of the city, the harbour, and Cook Strait, plus experience the wind!
Massey Memorial An interesting place to go if you want to see a large memorial in the middle of nowhere, with a good view of the surrounding harbour.
Karori Cemetery is an interesting picnic spot.
Elmscourt an historic art deco apartment block on the corner of The Terrace and Abel Smith Street.
Oriental Parade. A new beach. However if you are not from somewhere really cold it is unlikely that it will be hot enough for you to be in desperate need for a swim. There is a spa pool (jacuzzi) in Freyberg Swimming pool (on Oriental Parade) which is inexpensive if you enjoy "people soup".
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (Zealandia), end of Waiapu Rd, (first left after the Karori Tunnel), . Daily 10AM-5PM (last entry 4PM), closed 25 Dec. A predator-proof fence encloses an old water catchment area, forming a mainland island that provides a natural haven for endangered native birds, tuatara, wētā, and other indigenous flora and fauna, safe from introduced predators. By far the most convenient place in the country to see rare New Zealand wildlife. $18.50, child $9, more for guided tours.
Plimmer's Ark. Under and in the Old Bank Arcade on the corner of Lambton Quay and Customhouse Quay - near Plimmer's Steps. A hundred years ago a Bank was built on top of a wrecked ship that had been used as a market. When they renovated the building they discovered the ship's timbers and preserved the remains in the building! Just take the escalator down through the bank vault doors.
Parliament Buildings, the Beehive (or Executive Wing), and the Parliamentary Library. The grounds of Parliament are open to the public. Known as the hill, Parliament grounds are at the foot of Molesworth and Bowen Streets, where they meet Lambton Quay.
National Library of New Zealand, corner of Aitken and Molesworth Streets (across the road from the Cathedral and Parliament), . The library regularly holds exhibitions.
Turnbull House, Bowen Street (just across the road from Parliament Buildings). This imposing brick mansion now seems small and out of place amongst the surrounding high-rises.
The Old Government Buildings, with the cenotaph in the foreground and NZ Post headquarters behind.
Old Government Buildings opposite Parliament at 15 Lambton Quay. This is the largest wooden building in the southern hemisphere and the second-largest in the world. It is now the home of Victoria University Law School.
Old St Paul's, (one block east of Parliament). This was the Anglican center for decades. Superseded by the new cathedral north of Parliament, this one is popular for weddings and funerals.
Statues and sculptures appear in some intriguing places around town. Famous prime ministers, memorials, and works of art have all been erected in the streets of Wellington, including:
Memorial statues to two prime ministers in the grounds of Parliament as well as a bicentennial memorial to Captain Cook's 1769 discovery of New Zealand.
The Cenotaph on the corner of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street, just outside the Parliament Grounds, is where a Dawn Memorial Service is held every ANZAC Day (25 Apr).
Behind Parliament, on the corner of Museum and Bowen Streets, is a small park with 3 sculptures in block.
On the corner of Lambton Quay and Stout Street, the fallen column has not come off the nearby building but is a work of art.
On Lambton Quay, opposite Cable Car Lane, the two stainless steel monoliths with pimples are actually a poem in braille!
Where Lambton Quay meets Featherston Street there is a wind mobile.
The Bucket Fountain in Cuba Mall - a real splash, for many years.
The Wellington City Council website provides a guide to its public art: Wellington City Council Public Art Guide .
Wellington Central Library, (in the city square, next to the information centre), . It's huge with great places to sit and read or if you bring your laptop to connect home via one of the city's paid-for wi-fi networks. Entry is free.
Matiu/Somes Island Out in the middle of the harbour, this island has its share of history. It was once a quarantine station for immigrants, and later (and more extensively) for animals. It was also an internment camp for "dangerous" individuals during both World Wars. The ferry leaves from Queen's Wharf and Day's Bay (on opposite sides of the harbour). Only at certain times will the ferry stop at the island and only upon request. The best choice is to leave Queen's Wharf at noon and return at 2:30PM or 3:25PM. $18.50.
Carter Observatory, 40 Salamanca Road, Kelbrun (2 minute walk from the top of the Cable Car), ☎ +64 4 910 3140, . 10am-5pm. Come to Wellington – Go to Space. We invite you to come visit us at the Carter Observatory, located 2 minutes walk from the top of the Cable Car. Recently re-opened, Carter offers you an extraordinary opportunity to learn about New Zealand’s Southern Skies through its state of the art planetarium show, along with multi media exhibits sharing how our early Māori, Polynesian and European settlers navigated their way to these shores. Take a look into Carter Observatorys past through our artefacts. Look up on a clear night in New Zealand and you will see Te Ikaroa, The Milky Way. You may dream of flying into space, fondly remember a special event under the stars, or simply gaze at the beautiful above, jam-packed with stars. A visit to Carter inspires you to take the time to look up and reconnect with the skies above us. $18 adults. (Coordinates 41°17′04″S 174°46′01″E / 41.28437°S 174.76697°E / -41.28437; 174.76697Coordinates: 41°17′04″S 174°46′01″E / 41.28437°S 174.76697°E / -41.28437; 174.76697,)�
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Wellington
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Wellington - updated May 2024
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Wellington Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
