What to See in Wellington

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and the second most populated city. Several sites in Wellington were used in Lord of the Rings. Wellington is also called Windy Wellington due to the strong winds the city gets at times and Wellywood, due to the many movies that get filmed in Wellington. 

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Where to Stay

TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Wellington hotels here!

Anywhere in Central Wellington is a convenient area to stay. We opted to stay at the Travelodge Wellington. It was a decent location right by the cable car and we paid $90/night! It was a 5-10 minute walk to all of the main sites. 

Transportation

Wellington has a fabulous bus system throughout the city. Many of the main sites are within walking distance of one another, but the few that are not, it is easy to hop a bus to them. If you are going to be there for more than a day and plan on taking a few bus rides, I recommend getting a Snapper Card where you can preload money onto it. Uber is also available and I recommend using it to get to and from the airport. 

What to See

Wellington has a few sites to see. I recommend spending two days (or one full day and a half-day), in Wellington to see all of the main sites and not feel rushed. 

Cable Car Museum: The Cable Car Museum is located in the original winding house for the Cable Car. The museum contains several old cable cars as well as historical information on the Wellington Cable Car. 

Mount Victoria Lookout: The Mount Victoria Lookout offers panoramic views of Wellington. Visitors can choose to hike up the mountain or take the bus close to the lookout point. There are multiple walking paths along the mountain. Several scenes from Lord of the Rings were filmed throughout these walking trails. 

New Zealand Parliament Building: The headquarters of the New Zealand government meets at the Parliament building. The “Beehive” is where the executive branch meets, while Parliament House is where the debating chamber and the speaker’s office are located. Free tours are offered almost every hour. 

Te Papa Museum of New Zealand: Te Papa is New Zealand’s national museum. It opened in 1998 and contains exhibits on the history, animals, and the art of New Zealand. A few times daily there is also a cultural Mauri performance. This museum is free to get into.  

Wellington Botanic Garden: The Botanic Gardens feature 25 hectares worth of gardens. There is a rose garden, a children’s area, a visitor’s center, and many other areas. Sometimes, visitors can even see glow worms in the area. 

Wellington Cable Car: The Wellington Cable Car connects the shopping street of Lambton Quay and the area Kelburn. The ride takes 5 minutes and costs $7.20 round-trip with your Snapper Cards, $9 without one. The top gives you marvelous views of Wellington. The Botanical Gardens, the Cable Car Museum, and a few other sites are also in the Kelburn area. 

Wellywood Sign: Similar to the Hollywood sign in California, Wellington has a small Wellywood sign in its hills. It is located near the airport so many visitors see it on their drive to and from the airport. 

The Weta Workshop: The Weta Workshop is responsible for making many of the props for the Lord of the Rings movies as well as many other movies. Visitors can tour the workshop to see how the props are made and view some of the props from the films. 

Where to Take Your Lunch Break

Wellington had some fantastic bars to go out to and a wide genre of restaurants to eat at. We left Wellington well fed!

Crumpet: Crumpet is a craft cocktail bar in the CBD. You can choose one of their cocktails off the menu, or give choose from their rolodex the type of flavor you want and they create a drink for you! This bar is small, so get there early for a spot or go during a weekday. 

Dirty Little Secret: This rooftop bar provides lovely views of the Wellington CBD. They did not have a large assortment of cocktails but they had a fully stocked bar and multiple beer and wine choices. 

Eva Beva: Eva Beva is a gastro-pub style restaurant. They have several local brews on tap. On Wednesday nights they host a trivia night! Get there early to grab a spot. In the end, everyone wins some sort of prize. 

Forresters Lane: Forresters Lane offers craft cocktails in an intimate environment. They also offer seasonal cocktails and a few snacks options.  

Hawthorn Lounge: The Hawthorn Lounge is a speakeasy hidden on the second story of a building in the CBD. They serve a variety of craft cocktails that rotate by season. 

Munchen: Food Hall & Bier Haus: This beer hall serves traditional German food and beer. It is a great place to grab a meal or come with a large group for a drink. 

The Old Quarter: The Old Quarter is an Asian-fusion restaurant. They have a multitude of appetizers, sharing dishes, and entrees. I had the creamy chicken curry and it was delicious! 

Prefab: Prefab is a perfect place to grab some brunch. They have several fresh juices and everything we had was very fresh. 

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