Wellington

New Zealand

New Zealand Travel Guide

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book

Why visit Wellington

On a sunny, windless day, Wellington is up there with the best of them. For starters it’s lovely to look at, sitting on a hook-shaped harbour ringed with ranges that wear a cloak of snow in winter. Victorian timber architecture laces the bushy hillsides above the harbour, which resonate with native birdsong.

Lonely planet’s trusted travel insurance provider

Dreaming of Wellington? Protect your trip

Travel with confidence. Protect your trip and your wallet.

LEARN MORE

We don’t represent World Nomads, we receive a fee from quotes using this link. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Take your New Zealand trip with Lonely Planet Journeys

Pick one of our ready-to-book trips or fully customize your own with help from our local experts.

bookable trip

Ultimate New Zealand: Cross-Country Adventure in 13 Days

13 days / 12 nights

highlights

  1. 1 Soaring over Rotorua's thermal lakes and geothermal gems on an electrifying floatplane
  2. 2 Whale watching and fur seal-spotting from up above on a Kaikōura sightseeing flight
  3. 3 Inhabiting the fantastical fiction of Middle Earth with a Hobbiton set visit
from $5,940

per person

book this trip see trip details

Explore more trips

  • New Zealand's North Island: 11 Days in Auckland and Rotorua
    New Zealand

    11 days / 10 nights

    New Zealand's North Island: 11 Days in Auckland and Rotorua

    FROM $6,500

    per person

    See Trip Details
  • New Zealand: 11 Days in Stargazing in Wairarapa
    New Zealand

    11 days / 10 nights

    New Zealand: 11 Days in Stargazing in Wairarapa

    FROM $6,500

    per person

    See Trip Details
Want our experts to design a custom trip for you?
start planning

Top places to visit in Wellington

Discover the best attractions in Wellington from must-see sights to unexpected hidden gems.

Explore all

Travel Guides

Wellington travel tips from Lonely Planet experts

Find practical guidance from our team of contributors around the world who bring their decades of first-hand travel experience to your next trip.

Best Things to Do

Explore arts, heritage and much more in Wellington, New Zealand's capital, with this guide to the city's top experiences.

Read full article

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

Explore all books

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Wellington