Wellington Surrounds
3
Day Itinerary •
New Zealand
Three days in Wellington and its surrounds take you through the most extraordinary compact capital city in the world, where Te Papa the national museum, the famous Wellington Cable Car, the Cuba Street arts district and the extraordinary Zealandia wildlife sanctuary are all within walking distance of each other. Wellington punches far above its size as a cultural destination, rated one of the finest food and coffee cities in the Southern Hemisphere. This route covers the essential Wellington. The extraordinary Te Papa Museum of New Zealand with its remarkable Maori taonga collections, the Wellington Cable Car and Botanic Garden, the extraordinary Cuba Street and Courtenay Place food and arts scene, the Zealandia ecosanctuary with its remarkable tuatara and native birds, and the extraordinary Kapiti Coast north of the city.
Best Time To Visit
Year-round. Nov to Mar warmest. Wellington is windy but never cold.
Getting There
Fly from Auckland (1 hour), Christchurch (1 hour) or international.
Getting Around
Wellington is walkable. Car or bus for Kapiti Coast and surrounds.
Budget Per Day
Approx NZ$180 to NZ$360 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, mostly walking
DAY 1
WELLINGTON WATERFRONT
MORNING
WELLINGTON WATERFRONT AND FRANK KITTS PARK
Wellington's extraordinary waterfront is the finest urban waterfront in New Zealand, its remarkable promenade from Te Papa to Frank Kitts Park giving continuous views of the harbour and the Remutaka Range beyond. The extraordinary Weta Workshop and the remarkable Wellington Museum in the former Bond Store tell the story of the city and the film industry that made Wellington the film capital of New Zealand. The waterfront is entirely free and at its finest in morning light. Travel: 10 min walk
MIDDAY
TE PAPA TONGAREWA MUSEUM OF NEW ZEALAND
Te Papa is the most extraordinary museum in New Zealand, its remarkable collections of Maori taonga including the extraordinary carved meeting house Te Hono ki Hawaiki, the natural history galleries with the giant colossal squid specimen, and the remarkable Gallipoli exhibition with its extraordinary giant hyper-realistic figures giving the finest single museum experience in the country. The museum sits directly on the waterfront. Entirely free. Travel: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
CUBA STREET AND COURTENAY PLACE
Cuba Street is the most extraordinary arts and culture street in New Zealand, its remarkable collection of independent cafes, vintage shops, galleries and restaurants giving the finest urban arts experience in the country. The extraordinary Bucket Fountain, a Wellington icon since 1969, the remarkable Fidel's cafe and the extraordinary Cuba Street night market on Fridays are outstanding. The nearby Courtenay Place has the finest concentration of restaurants in the city.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Wellington night market on Cuba Street on Fridays is the most extraordinary street food market in New Zealand, with dozens of stalls serving the finest global street food in the country. Entirely free to enter. The finest Friday evening experience in Wellington.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Fidel's Cafe, Cuba Street Outstanding Wellington cafe. The finest breakfast in the city on Cuba Street. | Lunch: Te Papa cafe or waterfront Outstanding waterfront lunch with harbour views. | Dinner: Logan Brown, Cuba Street Outstanding Wellington institution. Local lamb and the finest New Zealand produce.
DAY 2
TE PAPA AND CABLE CAR
MORNING
WELLINGTON CABLE CAR AND BOTANIC GARDEN
The Wellington Cable Car from Lambton Quay rises 120 metres to the Kelburn hilltop in 5 minutes, giving the most extraordinary panorama over the city, the harbour and the Cook Strait beyond. The remarkable Cable Car Museum at the top is free. The extraordinary Wellington Botanic Garden below the cable car terminus gives the finest garden walk in New Zealand, the remarkable Lady Norwood Rose Garden and the extraordinary native bush section outstanding. Cable car approx NZ$6.50 return. Garden free. Travel: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
MOUNT VICTORIA LOOKOUT
Mount Victoria at 196 metres above central Wellington gives the most extraordinary free panorama in the city, its remarkable 360-degree view over the harbour, the city centre, the Hutt Valley and Cook Strait the finest single viewpoint in Wellington. The extraordinary location was used as a filming location for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The walk from the city takes approximately 30 minutes or a short drive to the summit car park. Entirely free. Travel: 30 min walk
AFTERNOON
OLD GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND LAMBTON QUAY
The Old Government Buildings on Lambton Quay is the largest wooden building in the Southern Hemisphere, its remarkable Victorian Italianate facade giving the finest single piece of 19th-century architecture in Wellington. The extraordinary Parliament Buildings including the Beehive, designed by Sir Basil Spence and completed in 1981, give the finest political architecture in New Zealand. Free guided tours of Parliament available. The Lambton Quay shopping precinct is outstanding.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Wellington City Gallery on Civic Square is the most extraordinary free contemporary art gallery in New Zealand, its remarkable programme of international and local exhibitions giving the finest contemporary art experience in the country entirely free. Entirely free. Open daily. The finest hidden cultural attraction in Wellington.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe on Cuba Street Outstanding Wellington coffee culture. The flat white was invented in New Zealand. | Lunch: Olive Cafe, Mount Victoria Outstanding neighbourhood cafe on Mount Victoria. Finest lunch view in Wellington. | Dinner: Ortega Fish Shack, Majoribanks Street Outstanding Wellington seafood. Local Bluff oysters and Wellington crayfish.
DAY 3
ZEALANDIA AND KAPITI
MORNING
ZEALANDIA ECOSANCTUARY
Zealandia is the most extraordinary urban wildlife sanctuary in the world, a 225-hectare valley in the heart of Wellington surrounded by a predator-proof fence that has allowed the extraordinary recovery of native species including tuatara, kaka, kakariki, weta and little spotted kiwi. The remarkable daytime tour gives encounters with tuatara, the extraordinary living dinosaur surviving from the age of the dinosaurs, and the fine native bird life. Entry approx NZ$22. Evening kiwi tours approx NZ$80. Travel: 30 min drive
MIDDAY
KAPITI COAST AND PARAPARAUMU BEACH
The Kapiti Coast north of Wellington gives the most extraordinary beach experience within an hour of the capital, the remarkable Paraparaumu Beach with the extraordinary Kapiti Island offshore, the finest seabird sanctuary in the lower North Island. The island is accessible by permit only and requires advance booking. The beach itself with the extraordinary island view and the Tararua Ranges behind is outstanding. Beach free. Travel: 45 min train
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO WELLINGTON VIA PAEKAKARIKI
The extraordinary Paekakariki village on the Kapiti Coast has the finest collection of vintage shops and cafes on the coast, its remarkable beachfront location and the extraordinary view of Kapiti Island from the beach giving the finest single coastal viewpoint near Wellington. The train back to Wellington from Paekakariki takes approximately 40 minutes along the extraordinary coastal railway line that winds between the hills and the sea.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Paekakariki Escarpment Track is the most extraordinary coastal walk near Wellington, a remarkable new DOC track along the cliff face above the Kapiti Coast giving extraordinary views of the coast, the Kapiti Island and back to Wellington in both directions. Entirely free. One of the finest short walks in the Wellington region.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Wellington Coffee before the Zealandia visit. | Lunch: Cafe on the Kapiti Coast Outstanding coastal cafe. Local Kapiti Ice Cream is the finest in New Zealand. | Dinner: Restaurant in Wellington Outstanding farewell Wellington dinner. Local lamb and the finest NZ wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Wellington City Centre QT Wellington or Bolton Hotel. Central location. Approx NZ$180 to NZ$380. Budget Option YHA Wellington or Base Hostel. Cuba Street location. Approx NZ$40 to NZ$90 per night.
Top Tips
1. Te Papa is New Zealand's national museum and entirely free. Allow at least 3 hours for the collections.
2. The Wellington Cable Car runs every 10 minutes from Lambton Quay. Return trip approx NZ$6.50.
3. Wellington coffee culture is extraordinary. Fidel's on Cuba Street and Havana are the finest in the city.
4. Book Zealandia entry in advance. The evening guided tour gives the finest chance of seeing kiwi. Approx NZ$80.
5. Wellington is a compact walking city. The waterfront walk from Te Papa to the Oriental Parade is excellent.
6. The wind in Wellington is a feature, not a bug. The city is built for it and locals embrace it.
Total Budget
Approx NZ$180 to NZ$360 per person per day