WellingtonCapital
New Zealand · Country profile
Wellington is the compact, windy and culture-packed capital of New Zealand, the little city of the southern tip of the North Island that crowds its wooden villas, its creative districts and its dramatic cable car up the steep hills around a glorious harbour and a tight central valley. Named for the great duke, it grew as the seat of the government and the arts of the country, and today mixes the Beehive of the Parliament, the immense national museum of the Te Papa, the film studios of the world-famous fantasy cinema, and a genuinely cosy everyday culture of the cafes, the craft breweries and the windy promenades of the waterfront. The harbour ferry, the suburbs across the bay and the wild scenery of the surrounding mountains and the south coast sit a stone throw from the offices of the capital. Smarter, smaller and friendlier than most national capitals, Wellington is the creative heartbeat of the islands of the long white cloud.
About Wellington
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand. The city's documented population is around 215,100 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD) and English and Māori are spoken; the dialling code is +64. It is served by 1 airport in our guide: Wellington Airport.
The Cable Car of the Town and the Lookout of the Botanic
The city packs its essentials into a small, steep bowl, so the perfect days move between the cable car, the botanic garden and the observatory at the top, the museums and the galleries of the centre, the parliament buildings and their grounds, and the wooden heritage suburbs of the ridges with their lookout views. The harbour walk, the studio tours of the film legend and the feathered residents of the local bird sanctuary fill the between moments, while the region beyond the city, with its vineyards, its mountain railway and the wild south coast, waits a short drive or a ferry ride away. The frequent wind the locals call the Wellington weather is simply part of the bracing charm of the place.
The Museum of the Te Papa and the Beehive of the Parliament
The climate of the city is cool and famously breezy, with the mild, rainy winters, the singing winds and the long summer evenings of the season of the daylight, so a windproof layer, a rain shell and comfortable shoes for the hills serve the year round. The city centre, the museums and the parliament make the core visits, with the cable car and the sanctuary high among the essential pleasures. The metro-ish train connections and the ferries cover the region, and the coast road and the mountain routes open the wonderful surrounding landscape. The studios and the dolphin and the seal spotting on the harbour cruises round out the attractions in this small, generous capital.
The Wines of the Wairarapa and the Coast of the Kapiti
The national museum of the Te Papa, the colossal modern building on the waterfront, rivals the great museums of the world with its galleries of the natural, the Maori and the settlement history of the islands, its dramatic earthquake house and its colossal silver squid and whale bones of the exhibition halls, and admission is free, while the Beehive, the famous cylindrical executive wing of the parliament, and its grounds and its free tours anchor the seat of the government opposite. The cable car rises from the centre through the tunnel to the garden and the historic observatory on the hill, with the museum of the cable at the summit, and the sanctuary of the Zealandia valley, a fenced native reserve in the hills where the kiwi and the parrot of a southern species fly free, is one of the great wildlife encounters of the country within the city limits. Beyond the town, the craft wine region of the Wairarapa and the black sand coast of the Kapiti stretch a short drive away, and the island sanctuary of the Kapiti with its bird populations sits on the horizon. Charming, windy, cultured and endlessly likeable, Wellington lives up to every good word written about the small capital of New Zealand.
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- Country
- New Zealand
- Population
- 215,100
- Coordinates
- -41.3272, 174.8053
- Capital
- Wellington
- Region
- Oceania
- Currency
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Languages
- English, Māori
- Calling code
- +64
- Country code
- NZ
Entry requirements for New Zealand
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting New Zealand for tourism.
Getting to Wellington
Airports we list for Wellington:
Other airports in the area:
Cities in New Zealand
Other cities we cover in New Zealand:
Frequently asked questions
Is Wellington the capital of New Zealand?
Yes — Wellington is the capital of New Zealand.
What currency do I need in Wellington?
The local currency is the New Zealand Dollar (NZD). Languages spoken in New Zealand include English and Māori.
What is the dialling code for New Zealand?
The international dialling code for New Zealand is +64.
Which airport should I fly into for Wellington?
Wellington Airport (WLG) is the airport we list for Wellington.
How far is Wellington from the nearest airport?
Wellington is about 304 km from Christchurch Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit New Zealand?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (visa required). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Wellington? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.