15 Top Tourist Attractions in Wellington

Good things certainly do come in small packages. Take Wellington, New Zealand, for example.

Wellington may be little, but this diminutive capital city is big on funky café culture and beautiful views.

Snuggled between steep, forest-clad hills and a wide sweep of bay looking out to Cook Strait, Wellington spreads out across the slopes, and a sturdy pair of walking shoes benefits visitors who want to explore outside of the central business district.

Luckily, the main tourism highlight — the magnificent Museum of New Zealand (Te Papa) — is located near the waterfront, and the quaint Wellington Cable Car provides a scenic and extremely fun alternative to puffing up the hill to the Kelburn Lookout.

Due to the city's position, capturing the blustery conditions right on Cook Strait, it has gained the nickname of "windy Wellington." But don't let that put you off. On a blue-sky summer's day, there really is no prettier city in New Zealand.

To learn more about this exciting travel destination and all of its interesting places to visit, be sure to read our list of the best tourist attractions in Wellington.

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

New Zealand's national museum is an immersive journey into the natural forces that formed the country, the culture of the Maori people who first settled here, and the social history of both Maori and Europeans who have shaped the nation since then.

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (more commonly called "Te Papa" by locals) has a wealth of exhibits to explore, including the Earthquake House that simulates the experience of being in an earthquake.

You will also find the Te Taiao Nature exhibition hall, which focuses on New Zealand's landscapes, flora, and fauna, with plenty of interactive displays. The much more sedate Arts Te Papa collection has 11 galleries of artworks focused on New Zealand and Pacific Island artists.

The highlight of the museum, though, is the Mana Whenua exhibition, which traces the history of New Zealand's Maori with a fine collection of Maori art and treasures and a state-of-the-art multimedia displays.

The museum runs a variety of well-priced tours, ranging from a one-hour "Introducing Te Papa" tour, which gives museum visitors a good grounding in the cultures and landscapes of New Zealand, to more specialized tours that focus on Maori culture and heritage.

Cafés and a shop are also located on the premises and are especially handy if you're planning a long visit or are attending an educational seminar or lecture.

Address: 55 Cable Street, Te Aro, Wellington

Official site: www.tepapa.govt.nz/pages/home.aspx

Wellington Cable Car and the Kelburn Lookout

Wellington's historic cable car has been climbing up the hill to the Kelburn Lookout, next door to the Botanic Gardens, since 1912.

This fun five-minute journey is a scenic (and much more relaxed) alternative to puffing your way up Wellington's steep hill from Lambton Quay in the waterfront central district.

There are excellent views across the city along the way, and keen photographers will definitely want to get snap-happy with the cityscape panoramas laid out before them once at Kelburn Lookout.

The Kelburn cable car terminal is also home to the interesting Cable Car Museum, which displays the original cable car used on the tracks.

A cable car ride is also one of the top things to do at night in Wellington. Not only do you get the chance to admire the nighttime views over the city below you, but parts of the journey, including the tunnels, are lit up with colorful displays of illuminations.

There's also a good café located at the top of the cable attraction.

Address: 280 Lambton Quay, Wellington

Official site: www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz/English/Home.html

Mount Victoria

Immediately east of the city center is Mount Victoria. Topping out at 196 meters high, this peak offers fantastic views over the cityscape, although it can be extremely windy on top.

A narrow winding road, signposted "Lookout," runs up from Oriental Bay to the Byrd Memorial below the viewing platform.

From the terrace on the summit there is a magnificent panorama of the broad city, the harbor, and Cook Strait in one direction and Kelburn Park with the university buildings in the other.

The Byrd Memorial commemorates the American aviator, Richard Byrd, who in 1929 made the first flight over the South Pole from his base in New Zealand

The itinerary includes a visit to Mount Victoria's summit for panoramic views, a trip on the historic cable car up to Kelburn Lookout, and photo stops at the Beehive and St Paul's Church. Pick-up and drop-off from Wellington hotels is also included.

Location: Access off Kent Terrace, Wellington

ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary

Dedicated to exhibiting New Zealand's conservation efforts and its unique nature and wildlife, ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary is a 225-hectare urban eco-sanctuary only two kilometers from the city center.

Here, many of the country's native birds — including endangered species such as the stitchbird, saddleback, and takahe — can be heard and seen, as well as more than 100 kiwi (which can be spotted on guided night tours) and New Zealand's famed reptile, the tuatara.

There are 32 kilometers of walking trails throughout the reserve for visitors to explore, plus a museum that documents the natural history of the country.

Day time and twilight tours are also available, along with a fun electric boat ride.

Address: 53 Waiapu Road, Wellington

Official site: www.visitzealandia.com

The Beehive

Wellington's most iconic building is The Beehive, site of New Zealand's parliament.

Designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence and built between 1964 and 1979, the building with its distinctive shape is the city's most love-it-or-hate-it piece of architecture.

Next door is the more classical looking building of Parliament House, built in 1907 in Neoclassical Edwardian style and home to The Chamber where parliamentary debates are held.

Free one-hour tours of the parliament buildings are held daily between 10am and 4pm and trace New Zealand's parliamentary history, as well as touring through the important government rooms. They leave from the visitor center on the ground floor of The Beehive.

The parliament gardens around the buildings are open to the public and contain rose gardens and a statue of Richard John Seddon who was prime minister of New Zealand between 1893 and 1906.

Address: Molesworth Street, Wellington

Official site: www.parliament.nz

Wellington Zoo

Wellington Zoo is the oldest zoo in New Zealand. Established in 1906, it's well known for its conservation efforts.

If you have little ones in tow, this is an excellent place to see some of New Zealand's wildlife up close, especially shy animals such as the kiwi bird (the country's national emblem) and the tuatara reptile.

There are also plenty of well-maintained enclosures for animals from across the world, including the Malayan sun bear, along with giraffes, monkeys, chimpanzees, gibbons, meerkats, and big cats.

The zoo's animal hospital, known as The Nest, can be visited to see the work of the zoo's veterinarian staff.

Other fun things to do here include daily animal talks, feeding experiences, creature encounters, exploring the adventure playgrounds, and even zoo sleepovers.

Address: 200 Daniell Street, Newton, Wellington

Official site: https://wellingtonzoo.com/

Weta Cave Workshop Tour

Fans of the classic Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies won't want to miss out on Wellington's connection to Peter Jackson's successful trilogies.

Wellington is home to the director's famous Weta Workshop, where many of the props and special effects for these blockbuster movies were made.

The workshop runs a range of tours that take visitors behind-the-scenes to show how special effects are made from props; creatures and costumes were created for Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and District 9; and the huge miniature model used for Thunderbirds Are Go.

You'll also see up-close some of the models used to portray various characters and film sets, and there is a chance to watch the workshop's artists and creators at work on current projects.

There is a tour option including round-trip transportation from downtown Wellington. A great souvenir shop is located on-site.

Official site: https://tours.wetaworkshop.com/

Wellington Museum

Rated one of the top free things to do in Wellington, state-of-the-art multimedia displays help bring the city's history to life in the small but impressive Wellington Museum.

Housed in a preserved historic building that was once one of the city's early department stores, the museum features informative exhibits and film presentations that trace Wellington's maritime history and the city's evolution.

In particular, the exhibits on the 1968 Wahine disaster-the sinking of the Wahine ferry near Wellington harbor during a storm claimed 51 lives and is New Zealand's worst maritime disaster-are a sobering and thoughtful reminder of the power of nature and Wellington's connection to the sea.

There is also a very well presented gallery focused on Maori myths and legends.

Also worth a visit is the nearby Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, home to the country's national monument to those who have fallen during conflict. Of special interest is the War Memorial Carillon, a series of 74 bells that are regularly played in concerts and are well worth witnessing if you're visiting the city at the time.

Location: 3 Jervois Quay, Wellington

Official site: www.museumswellington.org.nz/wellington-museum/

Wellington Botanic Garden

Created in 1868, Wellington Botanic Garden is a lush 25-hectare oasis that sprawls for 25 hectares on the city hillside, full of blooming flower displays and native fauna.

A series of walking tracks meander through the gardens, from conifer forest areas to ferneries and seasonal flower beds.

The Lady Norwood Rose Gardens here are one of the botanic gardens' finest attractions, with 110 rose beds boasting a flurry of different varieties.

The Space Place at Carter Observatory, with its planetarium show, is sited in the eastern section of the gardens (near the Wellington Cable Car Kelburn Terminal), and the gardens are also home to Begonia House with tropical flower species displays.

If possible, try to time your visit to coincide with one of the frequent summer concerts hosted here.

For a fun day out, take the Wellington Cable Car, then walk back down to the city center after exploring the gardens.

And if there's time left in your day for a little more botanic garden-going, pay a visit to the interesting Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush Reserve, located in nearby Wilton, popular for its indigenous plant life.

Address: 101 Glenmore Street, Wellington

Official site: https://wellingtongardens.nz/our-gardens/wellington-botanic-garden/

City Gallery Wellington

Housed in the historic building of the old city library, City Gallery Wellington opened in 1980 and is one of the leading contemporary art spaces in New Zealand.

This bright, spacious gallery features a changing program of temporary exhibitions throughout the year, displaying artworks by both renowned and up-and-coming local, Pacific Island, and international artists.

Devoted to modern visual arts, exhibitions range from painting to photography to sculpture, multimedia work, and art installations.

The gallery is also one of Wellington's main cultural hubs with a series of talks, meet-the-artist events, tours, workshops, and live performances taking place throughout the year. A café is located on-site.

Also of interest to art-goers, the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, a 750-meter walk north from City Gallery, displays important paintings by New Zealanders, including artworks featuring its citizens; of particular interest is a specially commissioned portrait of the Queen.

Location: Te Ngakau Civic Square, Wellington

Official site: http://citygallery.org.nz/

Katherine Mansfield House & Garden

This small wooden house in the Wellington suburb of Thorndon was the childhood home of New Zealand's most famous author.

Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) was a short story writer whose modernist prose has been highly influential both in her home country and overseas.

Most of the writing she became famous for was completed in London, where she moved as an adult and was friends with D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf.

The house where she was born and grew up has been restored to its original condition and is now a museum housing many of Mansfield's personal belongings, as well as typical furniture and fixtures of the late 19th century.

Guided tours are available, and a gift shop is located on-site.

Address: 25 Tinakori Road, Wellington

Official site: www.katherinemansfield.com

Wellington Waterfront

Wellington's waterfront area is an attractive district right in the hub of the central city.

Both Queen's Wharf and Frank Kitts Park are surrounded by fine buildings, including the Civic Centre and the Museum of New Zealand.

From Frank Kitts Park, there is a good view of Wellington Harbour, and the park hosts a market every Saturday.

There are plenty of cafés and restaurants in this area, so it's a great place for a pit stop while strolling the central city.

Address: Jervois Quay, Wellington

Princess Bay

Nine kilometers south of central Wellington, in the Houghton Bay district, is the sandy cove of Princess Bay.

This sheltered sweep of sand with plenty of rock pools is a favorite swimming and picnicking spot for locals during weekends in the summer months.

On a clear day, the beach affords excellent views that can stretch across to the South Island.

A short coastal track above the beach runs to a lookout point with even better views and is popular strolling territory in the late afternoon.

Address: The Esplanade, Houghton Bay, Wellington

Matiu Island

For nature lovers looking for a secluded getaway close to the city, Matiu Island (also known as Somes Island) in Wellington Harbour offers up a heady dose of wild New Zealand landscapes.

During the pre-European era, Matiu Island — the largest of three northern islands in Wellington Harbour — was occupied by Maori.

During the modern era, it was used as a quarantine station, internment camp, and military installation until being turned over to New Zealand's Department of Conservation as a nature reserve.

For both day-trippers and overnighters, the island has a series of short hiking trails up to its highest point, with World War II gun emplacements, and around the its perimeter, all with excellent views across to the mainland.

Regular daily ferries depart from Queens Wharf to the island, and a campsite accommodates overnighters.

Nairn Street Cottage & The Colonial Cottage Museum

Wellington's oldest surviving original home, the Nairn Street Cottage, was built by William Wallis in the 1850s as a home for his family.

It has been painstakingly preserved with many of the family's original 19th-century furniture and fixtures in place to recreate the ambience of life in New Zealand's pioneering era, while outside is an organic heritage garden.

Entry to the house is via a guided tour (four times daily) that allows visitors a taste of colonial Wellington and details the history of the Wallis family who lived here for three generations.

The garden area is open to tourists throughout the day.

Address: 68 Nairn Street, Wellington

Official site: www.museumswellington.org.nz/nairn-street-cottage/

Map of Tourist Attractions in Wellington

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