Things to do in Wellington

264 activities, venues and outings in Wellington, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 264.

Photo: Frozen-Coke-Rocks at English Wikipedia, Public domain

DoParkCity
Frank Kitts Park
A great place to wander around, with walls to climb, inline skates, and jet ski rental.
DoCity
The Enormous Crocodile
Explore the waterfront in a crocodile-shaped quadricycle. Available in small (2 cyclists) and large (4 cyclists).
Daily 10AM-6PM · $18+
DoNature reserveCity
Otari-Wilton's Bush
100 hectare botanic garden of native forest.
visitor centre daily 8AM - 4PM, gardens dawn - dusk
DoNature reserveCity
Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
It has 50 km of bike tracks through native bush.
DoParkCity
Bolton Street Memorial Park
Watch out for the friendly black cat who haunts this hillside cemetery. If you're returning from the Botanic Gardens by foot, this is a great place to meander through and check out the epitaphs of early pioneers and historical figures. Between 1968 and 1971, over 3700 bodies were controversially exhumed to make way for motorway construction; their remains are now in an underground vault below the Early Settlers Memorial Lawn. At the Bolton Street entrance, the former mortuary chapel, reconstructed after the motorway, has information on the cemetery history and guide leaflets if you want to explore further.
DoPorirua
Battle Hill Farm Forest Park
Historic battle site and regional park. See the farm animals and feed the eels. Yep, feed eels. You can view the site of one of the "Hutt Valley Campaign" battles of 1846. Picnicking, camping, and trails. No dogs, no cell coverage.
Apr-Sep 6AM-6PM; Oct-Mar 6AM-8PM
DoCity
Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui
Wellington Central Library
Wellington's main library with free wifi and computers, printing and photocopying, and a makerspace and recording studio. On the bottom floor is the Central Ground cafe offering hot drinks and baked goods.
Weekdays 9am-7pm, Weekends 9:30am-5pm
DoCity
Wellington iSite Visitor Information Centre
Part of the New Zealand Visitor Information Network the Wellington iSite provides free information and advice to travelers and can help with booking activities and transport throughout the Wellington region
Tue to Fri 9am-5pm, Sat, Sun & Mon, 9am-3:30pm
DoCity
Basin Reserve
Established in 1868 and with a capacity of 13,000, this is New Zealand oldest cricket ground. It hosts Test matches and the Wellington Firebirds team, plus the NZ Cricket Museum.
DoUpper Hutt
Hutt Valley Clay Target Club
The best clay shooting club in greater Wellington. Novices are welcome to shoot clay targets from all types of shotguns.
DoCity
Pariwhero/Red Rocks Seal Colony
This is an interesting walk named for its distinctive red rocks (probably Jasper). The walk along this beach is pleasant but rocky and often very windy, so dress accordingly. If you walk for about an hour you'll come across a distinctive pass through the rock face. Just on the other side of this is a seal colony that is worth the walk. Please bear in mind that these are wild animals and so require a certain level of respect, so keep your distance and don't get between them and the sea, especially if you value your health! Continuing on from here, you will eventually arrive at Makara (but this is a long distance, and the seal colony is a recommended turn-around point).
DoCity
Dive the frigate Wellington (F69)
Probably the world's most accessible dive wreck. Just a few kilometres around the coast from Wellington International Airport. Sunk on 13 November 2005 in 23-26 m of water off Island Bay on Wellington's south coast. The wreck lies about 600 m southeast of Taputeranga Island (the island of Island Bay).
DoPorirua Not mapped
Adrenalin Forest
Outdoor aerial adventure park. Go in the trees up to 31m. 3 hours with plenty to try. Book ahead.
10AM–2.00PM (last entry) · $52 adults, $37 under 18 (height restriction)
DoZoo
Wellington Zoo
Wellington Zoo (Māori: Te Nukuao Tūroa o Te Whanganui a Tara) is a 13-hectare (32-acre) zoo on a hilly site in the green belt of Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington Zoo opened in 1906 and is the oldest public zoo in New Zealand. The zoo's name was officially changed to 'Te Nukuao Tūroa o Te Whanganui a Tara Wellington Zoo Trust' on 27 March 2024.
DoCity Not mapped
Art Deco Heritage Trail
Pickup a leaflet or download the guide to this walk around central Wellington looking at the outside of 30 art deco buildings. There are also quite a few other art deco buildings in the centre, so look about as you explore.
DoCity Not mapped
Hnry Stadium
aka Wellington Regional Stadium
is a multi-use facility built in 1999, with a capacity of 34,500. Its usual tenants are Wellington Lions and Hurricanes rugby teams, and internationals with the All Blacks are often played here. In 2023 it staged games in the Women's World Cup for soccer, co-hosted by NZ and Australia
DoCity Not mapped
Wellington Botanic Garden ki Paekākā
It is a nice place to go for a picnic, or just an afternoon walk (or run for a challenging fitness experience). You can take the Cable Car from Lambton Quay for a quick 5-minute trip to the top; but it is not designed to be exciting, despite being photogenic. If you're keen on walking up, take the lifts in the James Cook Arcade (or one of several others along Lambton Quay) up to The Terrace, head south uphill until you reach Salamanca Rd. Head uphill up Salamanca Rd until you reach Victoria University. A set of stairs on the opposite side of the road to the Hunter Lawn goes uphill right to the top of the Gardens. If you already shelled out for a Busabout Daypass ticket, just catch the Mairangi bus, get off at the stop after the University, and walk back along Upland Rd until you reach the Cable Car Museum. The Cable Car Museum has two of the old cars in semi-restored and fully-restored condition and some of the original Cable Car machinery from the system that was replaced in 1978. The Lookout has a great view day or night, and the large map next to the round tree usually has a few pamphlets with maps of the Gardens. The Carter Observatory is a stones throw from here. This is the perfect place to explore the Garden from, or wander back to the city.
DoTheatre
The Opera House
The Wellington Opera House is a proscenium theatre in Wellington, New Zealand, located on Manners Street opposite Te Aro Park.
Built 1914 · Wheelchair accessible
DoCity Not mapped
Oriental Bay
Oriental Parade is Wellington's most beautiful street. Wellingtonians and visitors run, walk, cycle, rollerblade and eat at the great cafes & restaurants on this strip or sunbathe at the 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".
DoSummit
Mount Victoria
Mount Victoria, also known as Matairangi and colloquially as Mt Vic, is a prominent 196-metre (643 ft) hill immediately to the east of central Wellington, New Zealand. Mount Victoria gives its name to the suburb of Mount Victoria on its west. The suburbs of Oriental Bay to the north, Roseneath and Hataitai to the east and Newtown to the south border Mount Victoria and climb its slopes.
196 m high
DoTheatre
St James Theatre
The St. James Theatre (built as His Majesty's Theatre, previously Westpac St. James Theatre 1997–2007, often known as simply "The St.
DoCinema
Embassy Theatre
The Embassy Theatre is a cinema in Wellington, New Zealand, located at the eastern end of Courtenay Place in the shadow of Mount Victoria. Originally built in 1924, the building has undergone a series of remodellings and changes in ownership. It is currently owned by the Wellington City Council and temporarily administered by the Embassy Theatre Trust.
DoCity
Skyline Walkway
A 12-km (5- to 6-hr) challenging walk.
DoCity
Karori Cemetery
An interesting picnic spot.
DoTheatre
Hannah Playhouse
The Hannah Playhouse is a theatre venue situated on the corner of Courtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace in central Wellington, New Zealand. The Hannah Playhouse was given by Sheilah Winn (first cousin of Edith Campion, mother of Jane Campion) and named after her grandfather, Robert Hannah, a very successful businessman. It was carefully designed and built to house Downstage Theatre.
Wheelchair accessible
DoPark
Newtown Park
Newtown Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, owned and managed by Wellington City Council. It is used for football (soccer) matches in winter, and track and field athletics in summer. Newtown Park is the main venue for track and field athletics in the Wellington region.
DoTheatre
BATS Theatre
BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zealand.
DoTheatre
Circa Theatre
Circa Theatre is a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that was established in 1976. They present a number of plays each year in their two auditoriums, and have a unique partnership and funding model with incoming shows underpinned with a cooperative principle.
DoPark
Waitangi Park
Waitangi Park is a remodelled recreational space in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, that was opened in 2006. It lies near Te Papa (the National Museum of New Zealand), Former Post and Telegraph Building and Courtenay Place. The facility includes a waka-launching area, a children's playground, a skateboard zone, and a large grassy space.
DoCity Not mapped
Wellington Central Police Station
In any emergency, dial 111
DoSummit
Kaukau
Mount Kaukau (Māori: [kaʉkaʉ]) is a large hill in the northern suburbs of Wellington, New Zealand near Johnsonville, Khandallah and Ngaio. The summit is 445 m (1,460 ft) above sea level and is the most visible high point in the Wellington landscape further accentuated by Wellington's main television transmitter mast, which stands 122 m (400 ft) from the summit. The city, harbour and the Remutaka and Tararua Ranges can be seen from the summit.
445 m high
DoPark
Martin Luckie Park
Martin Luckie Park, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Berhampore in Wellington, New Zealand. It is used for football matches and is the occasional home stadium of Wellington Olympic including OFC Champions League games. The fields have also been used for volleyball, ultimate frisbee and touch rugby.
DoTheatre
Michael Fowler Centre
The Michael Fowler Centre is a concert hall and convention centre in Wellington, New Zealand. It was constructed on reclaimed land next to Civic Square, and is the pre-eminent concert site in central Wellington. The building was designed by architects Warren and Mahoney, and is named after Sir Michael Fowler, who was mayor of Wellington at the time and the primary promoter of its construction.
DoSummit
Mount Crawford
Mount Crawford is the highest point of the Miramar Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand. Mount Crawford was first purchased by James Coutts Crawford. In the 1880s the peninsula was used by the military who built fortifications on Mount Crawford.
163 m high
DoArts centre
Te Auaha
The New Zealand Film and Television School was a higher education institution centred on the visual arts based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded in 2000, and acquired in 2012 by Whitireia New Zealand. In 2018 it was absorbed into Whitireia at its new campus Te Auaha.
DoSummit
Te Ahumairangi Hill
Te Ahumairangi Hill (formerly known as Tinakori Hill) is a hill running for over 100 hectares through the Town Belt of Wellington, New Zealand. It was renamed Te Ahumairangi Hill as part of the Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o te Ika) Claims Settlement Act 2009. The suburb of Wadestown lies to the north, with Wilton, and Northland to the west and south-west.
303 m high
DoPark
Oku Street Reserve
The Oku Street Reserve is an 8-hectare park in Wellington, New Zealand. It is located on a promontory between the suburbs of Island Bay and Ōwhiro Bay, and looks down over Taputeranga Marine Reserve and Ōwhiro Bay. It comprises two small hills with a ridge between them, and has a path and several benches, with two public access points.
DoSummit
Johnston Hill
Hatton St
360 m high
DoCinema
Roxy Cinema
5 Park Road, Miramar
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00+
DoCinema
Empire Cinema & Eatery
214 The Parade
Wheelchair accessible

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Wellington (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps. Some descriptions from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).