Discover Wellington

Experience the endless creativity, delicious food and natural attractions of New Zealand’s stylish little capital.

Every Kiwi needs to get acquainted with New Zealand’s with-it capital city. There’s a very social vibe to this compact metropolis, with countless restaurants, cafés and bars offering superb casual dining experiences. Catch a show, visit museums and galleries, get out on the harbour, wander the waterfront or raise your heart rate on a nature walk close to the city with spectacular harbour views from the hills.

Air NZ flights to Wellington

Air New Zealand operates non-stop flights to Wellington from Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Dunedin and regional ports around New Zealand. With all our New Zealand domestic airfares you can choose seat, seat+bag, flexichange or flexirefund fare types. Flexichange gives you the flexibility to change your flight with no change fees while flexirefund is fully refundable. Find out more about our New Zealand domestic seat options.

From the top of the Cable Car you can wander through the Botanic Garden, then catch a free shuttle bus to Zealandia, Wellington’s must-visit wildlife eco-sanctuary.

Wellington cable car

Where to go and what to do in Wellington

To experience the buzz of Wellington, simply hit the CBD streets or head to the waterfront promenade. Everything’s within easy walking distance and there’s always something new going on. You’ll soon discover why Wellington is such a popular destination for a refreshing short break or weekend away.

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Get StartedEnjoy creative arts and culture

Enjoy creative arts and culture

A walk down bohemian Cuba Street will connect you with Wellington’s creative roots. You’ll see art galleries, boutique shops, vintage clothing stores, one-of-a-kind cafes, street performers and the famous Bucket Fountain. The city is also sprinkled with street art and a great collection of public art – to view 17 of the most significant works, follow the city sculpture walk.

Our national museum, Te Papa, is one of Wellington’s top attractions and an absolute must-do for any Kiwi. Immerse yourself in Māori and Pacific culture, New Zealand history, natural wonders, contemporary art and more.

Another must-see is Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War, featuring larger-than-life Weta Workshop figurines. Discover the tragedies and triumphs of the Gallipoli campaign, as told through the eyes and words of the ordinary New Zealanders who were there through this hugely moving (and hugely popular) exhibition.

Te Taiao Nature, Te Papa’s ground-breaking new nature zone, is a bold and immersive journey through the natural world of Aotearoa New Zealand, combining cutting-edge science with mātauranga Māori. The exhibition has someone for all ages and features the return of some of Te Papa’s favourite exhibits including a revamped Earthquake House and the famous colossal squid.

Te Taiao Nature & Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Continue your Weta experience with a Weta Cave Workshop Tour, where you’ll go behind-the-scenes to learn the secrets of movies like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Avatar, Thunderbirds are Go and many more. You’ll get to see artists at work, as well as miniatures, props, armour, weapons, vehicles, creatures and models.

Live theatre is a big part of the Wellington lifestyle and there are always several great shows on offer. When you’re planning a trip to Wellington, check ahead on WellingtonNZ.com to see what will be on when you visit and book early to avoid a sell-out.

Discover delicious flavours

The creativity of Wellington continues in its innovative restaurant kitchens and craft beer brew bars. Eating out in Wellington is pure pleasure. From award-winning breakfast cafés and harbour-side seafood lunches to fine dining establishments and night food markets, you’re never far from a delectable eating experience. For inside tips, sign up for one of the popular walking food tours of Wellington.

If you like coffee, you’ll love visiting Wellington. CNN Travel included Wellington in its top eight international coffee destinations. There are around 20 coffee roasteries in the Wellington region and a café on almost every corner. Craft beer is another celebrated beverage. Keep an eye out for inner-city brew bars, dedicated craft beer bars, beer tours and restaurants that specialise in matching each dish to the perfect brew.

Lamason Brew Bar, Lombard Lane & Havana Bar, Wigan Street

Get active in nature

Wellington’s green belt of wooded hills provides great opportunities to raise your heart rate and enjoy spectacular views. A local favourite with walkers, runners and mountain bikers is the Mount Victoria loop track – it takes about two and a half hours to complete if you’re walking.

From the top of the Cable Car, you can wander through the 25-hectare Botanic Garden, then catch a free shuttle bus to Zealandia, Wellington’s must-visit wildlife sanctuary. This fully-fenced predator-free eco-sanctuary covers a 225-hectare forested valley and reservoir lake. It’s home to more than 40 native bird species, as well as native reptiles and countless native plants. To get the most from your visit, book a guided tour. They operate during the day, at twilight and at night.

Getting out on the harbour to experience the city from the water is another way to approach Wellington sightseeing. You can hire kayaks or paddle boards from the wharf area or take a guided kayak tour. If you’d rather keep your feet dry, pack a picnic and catch a ferry to Matiu-Somes Island in the middle of the harbour. The island is a predator-free scientific reserve with a 40-minute loop track, 360° harbour and city views, remnants from both world wars, historic quarantine buildings and a vintage lighthouse.

Oriental Bay, Wellington

Catch one of Wellington’s best events

Wellington’s vibrant social life includes an events calendar that has something for everyone. Here are just a few fantastic excuses to visit New Zealand’s cool little capital:

• New Zealand Festival of the Arts, February – March, every two years – experience extraordinary arts experiences from around the globe
• Jim Beam Homegrown, mid-March – an epic festival of homegrown Kiwi music held across multiple stages on Wellington’s stunning waterfront
• CubaDupa, late March – this annual street festival transforms Cuba Street, Wellington’s most colourful street, into an immersive interactive playground of music, dance, circus, theatre and art.
• Beervana, November – part of Wellington On a Plate, this massive celebration of craft brewing is held at Sky Stadium. Brewers come from all over New Zealand and the world to let you taste their ales, pilsners, stouts and lagers. The food’s great too.
• Wellington On a Plate, October – the ultimate excuse for a food-oriented winter break, New Zealand’s biggest culinary festival celebrates the best talent and produce the Wellington region has to offer.
• World of WearableArt® (WOW) Awards Show

  will be back in 2021

  , September/October – an extraordinary fusion of world-class dance and theatrical performance, stirring music that takes you through a magical soundscape, visual projections and larger than life backdrops.

• Toast Martinborough, mid-November – raise a glass to Martinborough’s world renowned wines with a day of celebrating amongst the vines. 

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Keep exploring Wellington

Essential information

Best time to visit Wellington

You can feel confident about visiting Wellington in any season. Summer is surprisingly quiet in the CBD, because business travellers are fewer, but in spring the city pulses with excitement as the World of Wearable Arts Award Show (back in 2021) takes to the stage at TSB Arena. Average highs range from 20°C in summer to around 12°C in winter. The city experiences a lot of glorious weather but can be windy, so pack a rain jacket and a robust umbrella.

How much will it cost?

This will depend on your tastes and what you want to do. As a rough guide, not including air travel and hotels, you should allow about NZD $100 to $150 a day per person for food and entertainment.

Visas

If you’re visiting Wellington from overseas you might need a visa to holiday in New Zealand, depending on where you’re from and how long you’re staying. See the visa-waiver list. See the visa-waiver list.

Cheap flights to Wellington

Flight routeFlight time*Stops**DaysBookAuckland (AKL) to Wellington (WLG)1h 5mNon-stopM,T,W,T,F,S,SFind flightsChristchurch (CHC) to Wellington (WLG)50mNon-stop

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Find flightsQueenstown (ZQN) to Wellington (WLG) 1h 20m 

Non-stop

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Find flightsDunedin (DUD) to Wellington (WLG) 1h 10m 

Non-stop

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Find flights

Cheap flights to Wellington

Flight route

Auckland (AKL) to Wellington (WLG)

Flight time*

1h 5m

Stops**

Non-stop

Days

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Book

Find flights

Flight route

Christchurch (CHC) to Wellington (WLG)

Flight time*

50m

Stops**

Non-stop

Days

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Book

Find flights

Flight route

Queenstown (ZQN) to Wellington (WLG) 

Flight time*

1h 20m 

Stops**

Non-stop

Days

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Book

Find flights

Flight route

Dunedin (DUD) to Wellington (WLG) 

Flight time*

1h 10m 

Stops**

Non-stop

Days

M,T,W,T,F,S,S

Book

Find flights

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