Wellington City – Top Things to Do & Places to Visit

Wellington city is the New Zealand’s second most populous urban area after Auckland. The city, located on the southern tip of the North Island, has a rich cultural heritage. Obviously, there are so many top things to do when you are exploring the national capital. In fact, the number of interesting places to visit is rather long. Let’s discuss the top things to do in Wellington.

So what are the top things to do in the Wellington city? Fret not, I have already provided a list of the must visit places in my previous post – Wellington New Zealand Travel Review. Now, let’s dig the details. I am also posting some of the selected photos that I captured in Wellington. The following headings are not necessarily in any particular order for your visit.

Zealandia Ecosanctuary – one of the top things to do

Zealandia Ecosanctuary is a must visit attraction in the Wellington city. You can spend one full day exploring the sanctuary. You will have an opportunity to see New Zealand’s rare wildlife. Zealandia was previously known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s located a few kilometres away from the city centre (you can take a bus).

Do collect a map of the sanctuary from the reception. Without a map you may easily get lost in the sprawling sanctuary. In fact, I got lost despite having a map, and ended up walking into the sanctuary for a couple of hours. I will elaborate further details in an upcoming post. Adult ticket fee – $17.50. The ticket also allows a second day entry. You can find details at the reception.

Wellington Botanic Garden

If you are into nature and scenery, then Wellington Botanic Garden is indeed a must visit place for you. The garden has a great ambience to stroll around and relax. You will have a chance to experience the rich biodiversity of Wellington that are spread over 25 acres. The Garden is also an ideal place for a picnic. Bring your family and kids; they are going to love it.

Lady Norwood Rose Garden

The Lady Norwood Rose Garden is the part and parcel of the Wellington Botanic Garden. The rose garden has a variety of roses, including white, red, etc. There is also a nice cafeteria in the garden. I also had tasty scones here. The waiters are very professional, and the prices are reasonable for New Zealand’s standard.

 Victoria University Law School

The Victoria University Law School is housed under the Old Government Buildings. The building is basically now leased to the law school. The main structure is made of wood. In fact, it was the largest wooden building in the world for more than a century. The building was constructed in 1870s, and now it’s listed as a heritage building. The panorama of the school is very beautiful. Carry a good camera. A visit to the law school should be included in your top things to do in wellington.

Wellington city old trees

New Zealand has an amazing collection of flora and fauna. For example, there are so many unique trees that you may have a chance to see. Well, I was fascinated to see two Kauri trees (Agathis australis) which were planted in 1958 in front of the Victoria University Law School. It was such a great feeling to learn that a Kauri tree can live up to 2000 years. Imaging, they have seen so many generations before and after we were born. Isn’t the Mother Nature simply the great? Frankly, I am a big fan of trees. Somehow I feel inspired and a higher level of emotional connection with the big old trees.

Old St Paul’s Church – one of the top places to visit

The historic Old St Paul’s Church is a must visit tourist landmark located in the heart of the Wellington. The Church, built in 1860s, is constructed of timbers, and the entry is free. There are people inside the church who will be happy to tell you its rich history. The church holds a variety of events, including wedding, funeral, etc.

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul

Wellington Cathedral of St Paul is also known as the New St Paul’s Church. This church is the seat of bishop of New Zealand’s capital.

The New Zealand Portrait Gallery

The portrait gallery is located on the waterfront in Wellington. The entry is free and the gallery is open daily 10.30 – 4.30. A 30 min of time would be enough to scan all the portraits.  Here is one of the photos I took here:

Turnbull House

Turnbull House, located very close to the parliament, is listed as a historical building by the government. The house was the home of Alexander Turnbull, who loved collecting photographs, paintings, documents, etc. Upon his death, the house served as a library where collections of Alexander Turnbull were preserved. The design of the three storey house was conceived by William Turnbull.

National Library of New Zealand

The National Library of New Zealand is also located close to the parliament building in Wellington.  The library holds regular events and exhibitions.

The Beehive – Parliament Buildings

The name of Parliament Buildings, “the Beehive”, comes from the shape of the beehive. Basically, the Beehive represents a common umbrella term for the entire collection of buildings. The whole building is divided in different parts. For example, the Prime Minister’s office, office of cabinet ministers, upper and lower houses of parliament, parliamentary library, etc. are all part of the Beehive. The Parliamentary Library is located adjacent to the oval shaped building. The new scientific design of the building makes it safe and earthquake resistant.

Do attend the free guided tour – it’s one of the top things to do in the national capital. The library has a history of fire, and the tour guide will explain to you all the fire and renovation details.

The ground floor is open for the general public. But you can’t go beyond the ground floor without a tour guide. In fact, even with a guide, you are not allowed to go to higher levels of the building. However, you will definitely enter the banqueting hall on the 1st floor. This is the largest function room in the whole parliamentary complex. Photography is strictly not allowed inside building beyond the ground floor.

Wellington Cable Car

As mentioned in my previous post (Wellington New Zealand Travel Review), the Cable Car ride is absolutely one of the top things to do in wellington. The small tunnel passage along the route has a very good lighting. There are discounted fares for seniors, children and students.

There is also a museum on top (free entry). It’s a good place to bring children. They will have fun with the toy train. I will write a separate post about the Cable Car.

Te Papa Museum – Te Papa

Te Papa Museum, located in Wellington, is the national museum of New Zealand. The museum is huge and contains a massive collection of handcraft, artefact, fossils, etc. An entry to the museum is by and large free. There is a fee only for certain special exhibition. You can spend one full day exploring the national museum. Allow me some time to write a separate dedicated post.

Karori Park

Karori Park is located further away from the Zealandia Ecosanctuary. Please note that the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and Karori Park are two different places. I wanted to go the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (Zealandia), but ended up at Karori Park. Well, this happened because of some miscommunication with the bus driver. Nevertheless, the Karori park visit was a great experience. The Karori Park scenery is absolutely breathtaking.

As such, the Park visit was not in my list of places to visit, but I recommended you to include it in your list (places to visit). The entry is free, and you can spend 30 min to 1 hour walking in the park.

Karori Cemetery

Karori Cemetery is the country’s second largest cemetery. The cemetery is a burial site for nearly 83,000 people. Good place for picnic as well.

That’s it for this post on top places to visit in the Wellington city. Hope you will checkout some of the aforementioned places to visit in wellington.  If you need a visa for New Zealand, do check out my articles about New Zealand visa application in Singapore.

You can also check out my other posts about New Zealand tourism from my trip, or the other countries, or the complete navigation list. You can also find more about me.

Let me know your suggestions if you had a chance to explore the above top things to do.

Wish you a great travel in Wellington city, and elsewhere in New Zealand. 🙂

 Last updated: Tuesday, September 5, 2017