Let’s be honest here. Most people who come to New Zealand don’t do so for the cities. And those who do tend to stay in Auckland. (This makes sense since it is the international gateway and largest city by a considerable margin.) New Zealand’s other cities are seen as pass throughs, or places to be avoided.

I came to Wellington, New Zealand’s capital and third largest metro area, mainly to see family here. But I have to tell you, the city is actually pretty great. Given an opportunity to explore, I had a blast. So even if this isn’t the first place you’d pick in New Zealand to see, if you find yourself with an opportunity to come… take it. You’ll have a good time and see some cool things.

This guide will attempt to distill my thoughts of the city and some practical information into a succinct and useful introduction. Links are spread out inside of it that will take you to more detailed articles about specific aspects of the city, so please click on those if they interest you.

And if you enjoy this guide, click here to read our Ultimate Guides from all over the world!

Getting There

There are some international flights into Wellington, but not long-haul, so if you come to Wellington, you’re probably going to have to change planes in Auckland. The good news with that is that Air New Zealand flies the route a bunch of times a day for pretty cheap, and it’s less than an hour in the air.

Landing in Wellington can be a bit bumpy, as the airport sits on a narrow isthmus and winds can be bad. The views are great coming in, though! The airport is small, and oddly set up, which only really matters for departures. Note that there are basically no food options after security, which has separates line for regional, domestic medium-haul, and international gates.

There is an airport express bus that will take you directly into the city (tap on and off with a contactless card), or you can take a taxi or Uber. It’s a 20-30 minute drive, although it can be worse at rush hour.

If you come in via cruise ship or ferry (or train from Auckland, although that’s longer and just as expensive as a flight), you’ll end up right downtown to begin with.

Getting Around

Within Wellington’s waterfront center, you can – and should – easily walk. (You’ll also notice that in some areas, the green and red people on traffic signals are Maori, which is awesome.) Outside of that center, it’s another story entirely, as Wellington is incredibly hilly.

The city has no metro or tram system. There is a regional rail system to the suburbs, but that’s unlikely to be relevant to tourists. Rather, you’ll either Uber or take the city’s buses.

The buses are comfortable, regular, and easy to use. As fares are based on distance traveled (via regions, so from the center to where I was staying in Island Bay, for instance, was two regions) you’ll use your contactless credit card – or something like Apple Pay – to tap on and off, and the fare will be charged automatically. Forgetting to tap off will result in you paying the max.

What to Do

Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit. Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. That means Parliament is here, and Parliament has a rad free tour (you do need to sign up early). Pair that with the National Library across the street for a super fun look into New Zealand’s government. (Click here to read more about Parliament.)

Wellington also hosts Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. It is excellent, well worth the admission fee, especially for its Maori exhibits (click here to read about the Maori history of New Zealand) and current long-term-but-not-permanent exhibition on Gallipoli (click to read about that).

If you enjoy cool local history, the Wellington Museum is a fun visit, and also, like the two sites above, right downtown. (Click here to read about Wellington’s European history.)

Do you enjoy films like Lord of the Rings? Weta Workshop, which did all the amazing costumes and props for that and more than 100 other films is here in Wellington, and the tour was one of my single favorite activities. It is past the airport, so make your transit plans accordingly. (Click here to read about Weta.)

One should also mention just how pretty this area is, and there are so many ways to get outdoors to appreciate it. Take a ferry across the harbor, or take the city’s cable car up to the botanical gardens. Or head to Zealandia, a bird sanctuary right in the city! (Next time, I’m doing the night time tour to try to spot a kiwi.)

A note on ferries, which I didn’t use this trip. Yes, you can take a ferry to the South Island from Wellington, but at about three hours each way it’s a bit long for a day trip.

Where to Stay

I don’t have specific recommendations here since I stayed with my cousins in Island Bay and that’s probably not an option for you. (They do have an Airbnb, though, which I can vouch for.) If you don’t stay with family or at an Airbnb outside the center, stay in the center. Why? Most of what you want to see will be there, and transit will be most efficient getting to the rest.

There are several promising looking hotels for those who like chains, highlighted by an InterContinental.

What to Eat

New Zealand is not known for its food, but I’ll tell you what: I ate pretty well in Wellington. Let’s start with seafood. As you’d expect from a port city, fish is good here. I especially liked the fish and chips I had at The Junction, a pub downtown.

New Zealand is famous for lamb, although most gets exported. Head to Damascus for awesome lamb Middle Eastern dishes!

There is also a culture of savory pies. Mince and cheese is one I’ve only really seen here, so if you like that sort of a thing, it’s always worth a try.

As for drinks, there are two to mention. The coffee preference is New Zealand is the flat white. It’s similar to a latte but the milk is frothed cold. And New Zealand has a nice emerging wine industry, with a focus on whites.

Other Useful Information

I mentioned the wind above, but will do so again here. Wellington is a notoriously windy city, so temperatures can feel much different than the air temperature would suggest.

I assume this goes without saying, but all of New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so seasons are off. Summer in the US is winter here and so on.

Many names of places, streets, and such are in Maori. Like Hawaiian, it can be hard to pronounce. Locals will help. Laugh at how badly you butcher them and then try again. The standard greeting here is likewise Maori: Kia Ora, pronounced KeeAura and said as basically all one word.

Conclusion

Is Wellington the most exciting city out there? No, and I’m not pretending it is. But is it a lovely place to spend a couple days or more? It really is!

I hope this guide helps you to plan out your time in Wellington, or even inspires a totally separate visit.

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