Activity and experience updates

Embark on the iconic Wētā Workshop – Tour and learn about the making of movie effects and props. From armour to weapons, creatures to costumes, make-up to prosthetics and more! The perfect activity for individuals, couples, families and groups.

Public and private 90-minute guided movie-making tours, transfers, dining packages, and creative workshops are all available.

New in 2024: The tour space has undergone a refresh making it more interactive than ever before. There are new artefacts, photo opportunities and live artist demonstrations.

New in 2024: English, Mandarin and French translation services are now available from a QR code. Visitors can scan this and the points of interest will show in the preferred language on their phones.

Bring New Zealand’s stories to life through the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa’s guided tours.

Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War

This ground-breaking exhibition tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign in World War I through the eyes and words of eight ordinary New Zealanders who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances.

Te Wharewaka o Pōneke offers a unique tourism experience. It invites visitors to explore Wellington’s rich Māori heritage through the lens of the local iwi, Te Āti Awa. Designed by the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, Te Wharewaka integrates traditional Māori practices throughout its tours, creating an immersive cultural experience. Enjoy guided walking, e-bike or e-scooter, and waka tours in the heart of Wellington. Guests are traditionally welcomed into the whare (house) to begin their journey. Each tour shares insights into the city’s history and the formation of the harbour. It showcases how the iwi connects to this landscape highlighting the ways their ancestors lived.

New tours

• Guided Rerehiko Tour — Experience a ribbon-like ride from one body of water to another that flows into Te Whanganui a Tara, Wellington harbour, on an e-scooter or e-bike. Awa kit e awa, the knowledge we share, stretches between two rivers. From Kumutoto to Waitangi, our tour guides enhance the importance of Te Āti Awa people and place through a timeline in history.
• Guided Waka Ama Tour — Experience a Māori sport, Waka Ama, and go for an intimate paddle. Waka Ama is an outrigger canoe. Join together to explore an intimate paddle with your small group. This special tour enhances working together, connecting closer to the water and spending quality time on the water.
• Guided Harbour Tour — See the city from the inner harbour on a state-of-the-art electric passenger ferry. You will get to see a panorama of the sites of significance where groundbreaking and land-forming activities took place over 1000 years ago.
• Guided Tūpuna Tour — Learn about high-ranking chiefs who were in Te Whanganui a Tara when the first European settler ships began arriving. Wītako Ngātata, Honiana Te Puni, Te Wharepōuri were instrumental in the shaping of the capital city of New Zealand. 

Switched On Bikes has a new location at Chaffers Marina. Find them at: 15/22 Herd Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

Tākina means to invoke, to connect, to bring forth. It is a place of welcoming, learning and sharing.

Tākina provides 10,000 square metres of multipurpose conference and exhibition space over three floors, which can be tailored to single or multiple events. The top two floors are purpose-built conference and exhibition spaces, and the ground floor features an open public space with cafés and a visiting exhibition gallery, which will feature large international consumer exhibitions.

Find out more about Tākina

The current exhibition can be found on our events page:

Wellington Events

The Capital Bites tour from The Big Foody Tours is now available.

Join this three-and-a-half-hour walking food tour of Wellington, New Zealand’s culinary capital. Enjoy coffee, chocolate and pizza, while finishing your tour at a Māori waterfront eatery. Private tours are available.

Launching at TRENZ 2024, East by West introduces a commentated 90-minute harbour tour.

Learn about Wellington’s history on board the Southern Hemisphere’s first fully electric ferry Ika Rere.

Wanderlust Tourism Group, previously known as Rover Tours Group have re-launched with two new tours.

Wellington Rings tour

Join this epic tour of Middle Earth with Wellington’s original Lord of the Rings tour. Half and full-day tours are available visiting movie locations and Wētā Workshop. Lunch fit for a hobbit on the full-day tours included.

Learn more about the Wellington Rings tour

Seal Coast Safari

Explore Wellington’s rugged South Coast on this half-day tour. Travel exclusively through private farmland to see New Zealand fur seals in their natural habitat. Nature, wildlife, and adventure all in one.

Learn more about the Seal Coast Safari

Rover Tours Group

• No longer taking FIT bookings.
• The group was operating five touring brands: Rover Rings Tours, Wellington Nature Tours, Seal Coast Safari, Wellington Hop On Hop Off, and Flat Earth New Zealand Experiences.

Kaewa Tours has a keen eye and passion for sustainability, exceptional guest service and beautifully designed itineraries.

• Scenic, tasting, and artisan half-day, full-day and overnight private and boutique tours (up to 10 people).
• Bespoke tours are available on request.
• The Wellington: By Air, Land and Sea tour is a full-day combo tour where visitors can experience the best of Wellington. Enjoy a scenic helicopter flight, harbour cruise, cable car ride, scenic drive, and much more.

Capital Personalised Tours showcase Wellington and beyond as a private and personalised experience. No minimum numbers and up to 11 people.

Dark Sky Safari Overnight tour will transport visitors to Martinborough where they’ll enjoy dinner, bed and breakfast at the Martinborough Hotel. Experience and learn the wonders of the night skies on a tour with Star Safari skies with a Star Safari tour. Return to Wellington by lunchtime the following day.

• Zest Food Tours are no longer operating in Wellington.
• Hammonds Wellington Sightseeing Tours are no longer operating.
• NZ Craft Beer Tours are no longer operating.

Escape the light pollution and enjoy this 90-minute guided tour and telescope viewing, to experience the night sky in the Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve. Hot beverages, photos of the night sky and return transfers from Martinborough are included.

Star Safari

Follow the process from hive to jar with this fifth-generation beekeeping tour to explore the creation of New Zealand Manuka Honey. A full beekeeping immersion experience, protected in appropriate beekeeping attire.  Learn all about the roles of bees and the hive before indulging in a honey-tasting session.

Greytown Honey

Cycle the Martinborough vineyards with Green Jersey Explorer Tours, One Day Martinborough Explorer. Choose from 25 cellar doors within 4 kilometres of the town centre, or adventure further into the quiet countryside.

The tour includes: 

• two electric assist bikes and helmets, safety equipment and tools 
• snack bars and fruit and vineyard lunch at Poppies.

Walk and talk wine in Martinborough with a local guide with Martinborough Wine Walks. Trespassing (with permission) through vineyards, dodging the occasional sheep and visiting producers in their place of work. Join viticulturists and winemakers for genuine and exclusive behind-the-scenes insight into their stories.

Tour includes:

• a knowledgeable local guide/host
• all wine tastings and a relaxed winery lunch
• starting at 11:30am on Monday, Thursday or Friday (four to 12 people).