Plan a day trip to Wellington, which is by far New Zealand’s most attractive and engaging metropolis. This cosmopolitan capital is famous for its secret bars, quirky cafe society, art scene, award-winning restaurants, and great coffee. While you might not have time to spend more than one day in Wellington, you can still see all the major city center highlights with our curative Wellington day trip itinerary. This Wellington in one day guide will take you around the city featuring all its popular tourist attractions. This guide is a mix of culture, food, scenery, and more. Most of the sights can be seen on foot and are either free or extremely cheap. You can even book a rental car to cover more places if you are on a strict schedule.
Wellington’s Top Attractions
Visit Te Papa Museum
Visit Wellington’s biggest museum, Te Papa, which is awesome and, the best part is, it is free to get in and wander around a large number of exhibits. Whether you are a keen history buff, a budding scientist, or just an all-round museum lover, Te Papa museum is filled with interesting things to discover and cherish. It is a great place to get great insight and learn about New Zealand’s social and natural history. Te Papa is home to various Maori treasures, artworks, and historical relics. This innovative museum is packed with interactive exhibitions that include the world’s only colossal squid exhibition and earthquake simulation exhibit. So, spend a couple of hours exploring it. The museum is pretty central, making it easy to get to from most city center locations, bus stops, train stations, and also is surrounded by many parking lots.
Climb to Mount Victoria
Located a few minutes away from downtown, try climbing Mt Victoria that offers 360-degree panoramic views of the city, the harbor, and the ocean to the south. Also, if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, then you should know that Mt Victoria was one of the filming locations. People of any age can scale Wellington’s most picturesque summit. You can also choose from various forested routes. You can reach the summit by taking a Car or a bus via Alexandra Road. You can also take the Southern Walkway that leads from Oriental Parade and Majoribanks Street. It is the quickest way to get directly to your destination.
Walk Along the Oriental Parade
Head to the sandy shores of Oriental Parade and look out to sea. Walk along the coast as the water here is stunning, and it is so blue and just perfect. It is also a good place to grab a coffee or get a quick bite at one of the cafes. The area of Oriental Parade is a peaceful chilled-out escape that will have you feeling like you are much further away from the city. It is the perfect place to spend some time swimming in summer. While in winter, it’s still gorgeous, but better as a spot for photo ops and getting morning breakfast.
Check our Courtenay Place and Cuba Street
The city center streets of Wellington City are packed with bars and cafes, and more. It is a great place to have lunch and get a sense of the Wellington city culture. Head all the way west of Majoribanks Street that will lead you onto Courtenay Place. In the streets around Courtenay Place and Cuba, there are plenty of local and international restaurants. You can choose from cheap curry joints and bohemian cafés to award-winning establishments with some of the finest chefs in the country.
Stroll the Botanic Garden
Over 26 hectares of unsurpassed views and a mix of native and exotic forests lie with the Wellington Botanic Garden. Discover bush walks, walk through rose gardens, visit the duck pond, and more. Maps are at all the main entrances to the Botanic Garden, so you can pick one up and go wherever takes your fancy. Open from morning till evening the Botanic Garden boasts a wide area of native blooms, forestry, and specialist plant collections from around the world. If you are not one for steep hill climbs, the Cable Car begins its circuit at 7:00 am on weekdays, and 8:30 am on weekends at a regular interval of 10 minutes. Spend some time admiring its beauty, from its lovely duck ponds to its famed floral displays.
Explore the Beehive and New Zealand Parliament Buildings
The Beehive and The New Zealand Parliament Buildings are among some of the most impressive architecture in Wellington. Go for Parliament tours that typically depart every hour from the Beehive’s main entrance. You can choose between the half-hour highlights tour, which will take you to the parliamentary Debating Chamber, Banquet Hall, and Select Committee rooms, or go for the full one-hour introductory guide, which includes all these rooms and many others. Many other tours are held monthly. So, it is best to keep checking on Parliament’s events calendar to see if your timing suits this 90-minute option.