Mount Victoria Lookout Walkway

About the trail

The 4.5km walkway begins on Courtenay Place. Wind your way up Majoribanks Street through turn-of-the-century Mount Victoria villas, to the trail entrance on Lawson Place. Meander through historic pines to reach a lookout with panoramic city views. The climb through the town belt can be steep, but it’s definitely worth it for the view at the top.

Watch ferries make their way into the harbour or planes land and take off from the airport. The Ōrongorongo Range can be seen to the north, as can the peaks of the Southern Alps in the South Island. Continue the loop down to return to Oriental Bay. The whole walk takes about 1.5 hours.

At the lookout, there are information panels and a carved wooden pou. Just below the summit, you’ll find the Byrd Memorial, dedicated to American polar explorer and aviator Richard Byrd. There is also a bronze cannon that used to be fired at noon each day between 1877 and 1900, so colonial Wellingtonians could set their watches and clocks to keep time.

Getting there

Start the walk from the city, either at Oriental Bay or Mount Victoria.

You can also take the Number 20 bus up to the lookout. Bus timetables are available from the Metlink website.

If you’re driving, there is a large car park at the summit and a parking area near the toilets.

Know before you go

• Get ready using Plan My Walk for track alerts, weather forecasts, trip reviews and a packing list. For weather forecasts, check the MetService website.
• Toilets are available beside Alexandra Road, just south of the summit.
• The summit car park has wheelchair access, but the lookout is only accessible by steps.
• Dogs must be on leads.
• This trail intersects with other Wellington trails, including the Southern Walkway. Check the map and look out for the purple markers to stay on track.
• This is a shared use trail, and bikes must give way to pedestrians. If you’re mountain biking, Mount Victoria has a variety of bike-priority trails that can be found on Trailforks. Mountain bikes are not allowed on the Southern Walkway between Palliser Road and Oriental Bay.