Budgeting Cities New Zealand Travel Guide Travel Tips Wellington

50 Free Things to do in Wellington

written by Layla

Free things to do in Wellington, things to do in Wellington

Wellington is a stunner of a place to explore on a budget. Yet unlike many other capital cities in the world, you can find heaps of genuinely free things to do in Wellington.

It’s the government hub and the heart of arts & culture, which means Wellington is a pretty expensive city to live in – I’ve lived there for a couple of years in total – but the times I’ve been on a budget, I’ve always been able to find free things to do in Wellington.

Wellington has managed to preserve a small-town feel with its compact size and its iconic Kiwi elements, developing into a city that has many low-cost or free things to experience.

Having lived and worked here several times as well as exploring the city as a traveller, I’ve compiled this list of 50 free things to do in Wellington.

Note – Although all these things are free to do, some locations do involve needing transport to get there. I can’t always factor in where everyone is staying or living or if they have a car, but the list does cover many areas of Wellington and most of the items are walking distance around Wellington city.

50 Free Things to do in Wellington, New Zealand

1. Visit the Te Papa Museum

Yes, this iconic Wellington Museum is completely FREE to visit. There’s enough here to keep you entertained for a whole afternoon, maybe even longer. It’s right in the middle of the city (on the waterfront) and has a cafe too.
Don’t miss the colossal squid or the earthquake simulator.

Free things to do in Wellington, things to do in Wellington

Te Papa Museum

2. Walk around the Botanic Gardens

Wellington’s 26 hectares of beautiful Botanic Gardens, are walking distance from the city centre and showcasing exquisite landscape, native bush and specialist gardens.
Gardens are open daily sunrise to sunset and extend from Thorndon in the city, stretching uphill to Kelburn.

Wellington Botanic Gardens

3. Hike up to the Ataturk Memorial

The Ataturk Memorial is located on a ridge at Tarakena Bay on Wellington’s South Coast and the memorial looks out over the Cook Strait. A short hike/walk up there will get you great views of the bay, which was chosen for its likeness to the landscape of the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Ataturk was the commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli, who then became the founder of modern Turkey.
This memorial in Wellington is modelled on an original that Ataturk erected at Gallipoli, in memorial to the foreign soldiers who fought and died there.

4. Visit Civic Square

Civic Square is an outdoor space on the waterfront, filled with unusual public art and displays some of New Zealand’s history and culture. Civic Square is also the stronghold for Wellington’s major buildings, so here you’ll find the City Central Library, Wellington Town Hall, City Art Gallery and the Michael Fowler Centre Concert Hall.

Eccentric art in the form of metal palm tree sculptures are scattered around the area. Come back to the square at night to see the sculptures lit up and looking pretty by floodlights.

5. Listen for penguins at dusk coming back to their nests

New Zealand is home to the world’s smallest penguin, the Little Blue Penguin (or Kororā). I’m a huge penguin lover, so I love seeking them out and New Zealand is one of the best countries to spot them.
At the right time of year between May and June, adult birds waddle ashore to prepare their nests. They’re rarely seen on land and only come ashore under the cover of darkness, but you can sometimes see or hear them coming back to their nests at dusk – if you’re in the right place.Traditionally they nest in underground burrows, between rocks or in caves. When the penguins are pairing up and building their nests to cosy up in together, they are very noisy. You can sometimes hear them if you are around the Wellington South coast just after dusk.The best place in Wellington is around the Miramar Peninsula coastline, around Seatoun, Karaka Bay and Breaker Bay. There’s also a rocky area with information boards and penguin crossing signs named Moa Point, it’s between the airport and Breaker Bay.

Little Blue Penguin in nest box – Photo by AndreaSchaffer on Flickr

6. Jump in to Wellington Harbour

If you’re brave enough, try jumping off a waterfront wharf into Welly Harbour. There’s usually groups of people doing it on a sunny day, so just go find one and join in.
My advice would be wait until the summer though.

7. Go browsing/shopping at Moore Wilson’s – (should you ever miss Waitrose or Marks & Spencer)

Moore Wilson is a little like Waitrose or Marks & Spencers in the UK, for those not in the know, both of these shops sell the slightly ‘fancier’ groceries and always have awesome quality organic goods and artisan and speciality foods.

I often go here and drool over their speciality chocolate and bakery counter. You can also pick up a fresh cup of barista served coffee, brewed from the locally roasted coffee beans that you can buy at the coffee counter.
It’s only expensive if you do your entire grocery shop here every week, and as most things on the fresh counters are sold singularly, you can always find something yummy to try, even on a tight budget.

Tip – Keep an eagle eye out for free food sample tastings.

8. Drive through the Victoria Tunnel and pip/beep your horn

It’s an established Welly tradition that if you’re driving through Victoria Tunnel on a Friday afternoon, you pip or beep your horn in the tunnel. At anyone, as many times as possible.
The result is a tunnel full of especially exuberant drivers, on a Friday afternoon, driving into the weekend with a smile 🙂

9. Go to Regional Wines off the Basin reserve for free wine tasting

Check out Regional Wines events page, for free wine or champagne tasting afternoons, that are completely free.

10. Walk up to Mount Victoria for a wonderful view of the city

You don’t have to walk, you can also drive or catch the number #20 bus up to Mt Victoria.
Once up there, you’ll be rewarded with 360 degree city and harbour views. Watch the ferries sailing in to the harbour or watch the planes taking off from Wellington Airport.
Just beautiful views in every direction.

View of Wellington from top of Mt Victoria

11. Watch the surfers at Lyall Bay

Lyall Bay is a popular beach break and this is one of the free things to do in Wellington that’s great to do, even on a windy day. It’s usually not hard to spot the surfers and often the best peak is near the rock wall by the airport, so that’s usually a good spot to watch them.
It’s also the best place to watch windsurfers and kitesurfers make the most of the windy days, in Wellington – which is pretty much every day.

12. Go to the play park at Island Bay

Don’t laugh – it’s actually a very awesome play park, close to the sea and with free BBQ areas. And what do you know, it’s free!

13. Take a walk, hike or bike in one of the ‘Town Belt’ parks or reserves

The Wellington ‘Town Belt’ is a large, horseshoe-shaped area of green open space, made up of many parks and reserves that give a scenic backdrop to the inner city-scape, including:

Central Park, a popular city park that offers a mix of formal gardens, grassed areas and natural woodland and is an easy walk from the city centre
Mount Alfred that has a network of tracks popular with hikers, runners and mountain bikers
Mount Albert has a similar network of walking and biking opportunities along with great views of the Cook Strait and Miramar Peninsula

14. Take the ferry to Days Bay beach and Eastbourne village

Jump on the Wellington Harbour Ferry (payable) at Queens Wharf and sail on over to the Eastern Bays. Hang out on the beautiful Days Bay beaches, do a bush walk or walk around the shops and art galleries of Eastbourne village.

Days Bay, Eastbourne

15. Bored on a Sunday afternoon? Go to Open Home viewings.

Because why not, no obligation to buy, just have a nose around. The ones in the suburbs around the bays are great to go look at like Evans Bay or Oriental Bay.

16. Go see the WellyWood sign

WellyWood is an informal name for Wellington, that is a reference to the film production business established in the city by film director Sir Peter Jackson, and special effects company Weta Digital. A Hollywood style sign was erected on the Miramar hillside to pay tribute to the creative industries.

Ask anyone where this is, all locals will know.

17. Go to the Sunday Harbourside Market on the Waterfront

The Harbourside Market is a popular Welly produce market, located between Te Papa Museum and Chaffers Marina.
It’s open every Sunday morning through to the early afternoon.

I used to go here to buy my veges although mostly I’d go to sample the amazing coffee and yumminess of the food trucks. The market is on every Sunday, rain or shine, from 7:30am – 2pm.

18. Explore the Weta Cave in Miramar

The Weta Cave is compulsory if you’re a movie fan. Home to Weta Digital who worked on the digital effects and art for many of the world’s blockbuster movies, this mini-museum is a cavern of movie magic.
Entry to the Weta Cave is completely free and gets you a behind-the-scenes peek into the inspiration and artistry behind the big screen.
There are also paid tours of the Weta Digital Workshop.

Weta Cave, Miramar

19. Check out the wind sculptures in Evans Bay

See if you can guess the wind strength by going to look at the wind sculptures and watch the planes wobble when they land.

20. Look at Old St Paul’s Cathedral in Thorndon

St Paul’s Cathedral is a beautiful wooden cathedral that acts as a sanctuary in the bustling capital. Built from native timbers, and showcasing spectacular lighting and exquisite furnishings inside, it is an elegant building to admire from inside or outside.

One of New Zealand’s greatest heritage places, St Paul’s is one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture in the world. Easy walking distance from Lambton Quay shopping district and the waterfront.

21. Go to Frank Kitts Underground Market on a Saturday

Frank Kitts/Wellington Underground Market is an underground market, which is the embodiment of the Wellington region’s best artisans, designers, creators and bakers and is open every Saturday between 10am – 4pm.
I love this market, it’s so unique and Kiwi, located at the heart of Wellington’s waterfront, under Frank Kitts Park, this place is always worth a visit.

22. Slide down the Helter skelter slide near the TSB Arena

Just for fun. (Just make sure no-one’s watching if you’re over the age of 10…) 🙂

23. Drive over the windy Wairarapa hills to go free wine tasting in Martinborough

Thats windy in every context of the word, the journey over the Rimutaka ranges is both windswept and twisty but has amazing views of the Wairarapa region from the lookout points.
Martinborough has a multitude of quality wineries that offer free wine tasting tours, so go nuts.

Views from the Rimutaka Ranges in the Wairarapa

24. Walk along the coast and listen to the oystercatchers

A stocky coastal bird with a bright orange, long bill and mostly black feathers, these birds are found trawling for shellfish on beaches or estuaries, usually in pairs. At dusk you might be able to hear their call – sounds like a ‘pipping’ – to each other.

25. Cruise down Cuba Street

Named after the 1840 settler ship – not the country – Cuba Street is home to hipsters, artists, buskers, foodies, coffee lovers and vintage lovers. A zone that is free-spirited and bohemian in nature, Cuba Street has some of the city’s most characterful and vibrant bars and cafes and distinctive vintage shops.

It’s one of my favourite places in the world and an ideal place to people watch, cafe hop, marvel at the street artists and browse the vintage clothes shops.
Try not to get splashed by the iconic Bucket Fountain, it gets you even when you think you’re at a safe distance.

You’ll also find the award-winning Logan Brown restaurant, Fidel’s cafe (my personal favourite) and Plum cafe, here on Cuba Street.

Cuba Street, Wellington – Image by VelvetAndroid on Flickr

26. Catch up with your German newspaper reading at the Goethe Institute on Cuba Street

At the Goethe Institute, the use their eLibrary is FREE. This service allows you to borrow digital materials, such as eBooks, e-Audio books and electronic newspapers by downloading them to your laptop, smartphone or e-Reader.
No need to worry about returning them, they just become unavailable at the end of the loan period.

27. Take a Tour of Parliament

You can in fact take a tour of Parliament for free and these guided tours of Parliament are available 7 days a week. Explore parts of the Parliament buildings, learn about the parliamentary process, see some of the artworks and objects in the Parliamentary Collection and check out their earthquake reinforcements, that make it one of the safest buildings in Wellington.

Check their online calendar for the daily tour schedule and email them to make your booking. Parliament’s Visitor Centre is located on the ground floor of the ‘Beehive’ and it’s also home to Parliaments Executive Wing.

The ‘Beehive’ is the New Zealand equivalent of 10 Downing Street in the UK and I’m lucky enough to have actually been in the offices once, to drop off some Ministerial papers when I was temping at the National Library.

Parliament and The Beehive in Thorndon

28. Visit the Museum of Wellington City and Sea

Visit this free maritime museum to learn more about the role of the sea in the evolution and building of contemporary Wellington.

You can see maritime memorabilia, holographic shows and interactive displays and learn how the sea has helped to shape Wellington and its people.

29. Check out the amazing New Zealand National Library

OK I’m biased with this one. I was lucky enough to score a temp contract job at the New Zealand National Library and it was probably one of the most unique and interesting places I’ve ever worked in.
The NZ National Library helps people connect to the collective knowledge of the nation. Their mantra is – Collect, Connect and Create knowledge to power New Zealand.

Inside there’s a contemporary, modern and artistic theme, with Reading Rooms for research and browsing reference collections, exhibitions from the Alexander Turnbull Library, 3D Printing facilities, unique interactive ‘Lifelines’ tables – massive touchscreens where you can swipe through collection items and email to yourself – and even AV pods, where you can listen to Te Reo Māori spoken histories.

I love the amazing space they have called Net.Work. An open, free to use space in which anyone can explore and create.
There’s free fast WiFi, and free to use PCs, Macs, printers, scanners, charging stations, and everything else you need to meet, browse, work and create.
There is also an awesome little cafe on-site next to Net.Work called HOME Cafe, serving Havana bean roasted coffee and counter snacks.

In the Cartography Room at New Zealand National Library

30. Bookshop Hop

Wellington has some excellent quality and unique bookshops. So do a bookshop hop from Arty Bees on Dixon St, via Unity Books on Willis St, to Arty Bees Books on Manners St, to Powells on Lambton Quay – and all the little ones in between.

If you’re into comics, take a detour onto Cuba Street and nerd out as I often do, at Graphic comic book store.

31. Walk along the waterfront and read all the writers and poetry blocks

Along the waterfront you’ll find the Wellington Writers Walk, which is a walk you follow self-paced, on which you find sculptural quotations from some of New Zealand’s best known writers, set in contemporary concrete plaques and metal text on wooden ‘benchmarks’ for you to seek, all along the shore.
The Writers Walk consists of quotations from 23 authors, including poets, novelists, and playwrights. The walk celebrates how Wellington featured in these writers’ lives, and their place in the life of Wellington.

32. Wellington Night Food markets in Cuba St

The Night Food Markets have become a staple of Cuba St life now and contribute to the cities colourful and quirky character. There are two night food markets in Wellington:

Friday Night Food Market at Left Bank, Cuba Mall (on Cuba Street) from 5pm till 10pm
Saturday Night Food Market at the corner of Cuba & Manners Street from 5pm till 11pm

Both food markets showcase a community of local performers, artists and private stall-holders who sell a huge range of yummy international cuisine.
Go hungry because you’ll want to try everything!

33. Drive around the bays and have a picnic at Scorching Bay

‘Driving around the bays’ is a thing here in Wellington. It refers to a collection of beautiful bays that make up Welly’s South coast, that curve around in a circle (almost), so you can do a full exploration of them all in one drive.

Scorching Bay is my favourite bay as it has a great looking beach and an awesome cafe called Scorch-O-Rama, in case you didn’t pack your own picnic.

Scorching Bay beach

34. Free outdoor cinema movie nights

Even with Wellingtons erm… unpredictable weather, between November and March there is an Outdoor Cinema Movie night, every Saturday at sunset.

The free movies are shown on Lagoon Lawn, beside St Johns Bar and Restaurant, on the Waterfront (the lawn next to the City to Sea bridge).

Also Southern Cross Garden Bar Restaurant on Abel Smith St, have a gorgeous garden bar, from which they host a free movie night once a month too. The concept of Southern Cross Bar, is that each area is designed to create a different experience, resulting in a different ambience.

They have outdoor areas by the fire if the weather’s chilly, outdoor tree-covered booths to sun bask in and a unique bar area with retro decor and plush, comfy chairs.

They run their free movie night once a month, always on a Monday night – check out their Facebook page for dates.

35. Walk the Wellington Waterfront

Wellington’s waterfront is a beautiful, walkable public space and runs from the northerly financial district hub of Thorndon, to the southerly entertainment district of Courtenay Place and sandy beach of Oriental Bay.

It’s been perfectly designed for walking, jogging, skating or cycling and is used to access all areas of the city or just for people watching. Plus you get great views of Wellington Harbour.

Wellington Waterfront

36. Take a trip to Otari-Wilton’s Bush to learn about NZ’s native plants

Otari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton’s Bush Reserve is a sanctuary for unique plants and is the only botanic garden in New Zealand that is devoted solely to native plants.
The area is classified as a Garden of International Significance and includes 100ha of native forest and 5ha of plant collections. Some of Wellington’s oldest trees are here, an 800-year-old rimu, is one of the long-term residents.

Otari-Wilton’s Bush has about 11km of different walking tracks, including a 75m Canopy Walkway, a Skyline Loop hike and a Nature Trail.

To get there, you can either drive or take the #14 Wilton bus from Lambton Quay to Otari-Wilton’s Bush.

37. Drive or walk up to the Brooklyn wind turbine

The Brooklyn Wind Turbine on the hills above Wellington, was known locally as ‘The Original Turbine’, as it was the oldest operating wind turbine in New Zealand. It got a little elderly and experienced mechanical problems, so it was replaced in 2016 with a newer one – although it’s still pretty impressive to see.

Power generated by the turbine gets fed back into the local network for distribution in Wellington. The public viewing area at the Brooklyn Wind Turbine gives you panoramic views of Wellington (located off Ashton Fitchett Drive in Brooklyn).

38. Climb to the top of Mt Kaukau

Mount Kaukau is on the western side of the Wellington Harbour near Johnsonville and is the highest visible mountain in Wellington, although more of a huge hill than a mountain. I like hiking but I’m not a big fan of climbing hills, I prefer tracks through National Parks or multi-day hikes, even cliff or peninsula hikes – I can walk for miles along ocean or coastal tracks – no bother.
I think I get too down trodden with the steep climbs up, although it’s always worth the view when I get up there. So I still do hill or mount climbs, but just not with a lot of zest.

Mt Kaukau is no exception, it’s about an hours steep climb up, with steps in places however the view is spectacular when you get to the summit with views of the city, the harbour, the wind turbines, Hutt Valley, the Tararua Range, Porirua and even the South Island.

The first entrance when coming from Wellington city centre, is the Simla Crescent entrance of the Khandallah Reserve.

Mt Kaukau summit, Wellington

39. Then walk along the Skyline from Mt Kaukau summit to Crofton Downs

Mount Kaukau is part of the Northern Walkway and the Skyline Walkway, which both run along a ridge from the north to the south of Wellington, so from Johnsonville to Karori.
Once at the top of Mt Kaukau, you can go back down the way you came, OR for stunning views you can walk along the ridge, just above Khandallah down to the village of Crofton Downs to exit.

View of Skyline Walk ridge and wind turbines in background

40. Visit Newtown for the quirky atmosphere

Newtown is cosmopolitan and vibrant, a fusion of ethnic diversity and full of character. I lived here once in a shared flat and I loved the vibe. Practically every part of society appears gets along and coexist here – families, students, young professionals, migrants, hipsters and the elderly.

Newtonians have a solid sense of community and even have a street fair once a year as part of the Newtown Festival, which is definitely an event you shouldn’t miss.

With a multitude of quirky cafes, eateries and shops to browse, there’s always something interesting to do or see in Newtown.
Prince William and Princess Kate even stayed in Newtown at Government House during the royal tour.

41. Browse in the mouth-watering Mediterranean Food Warehouse in Newtown

Another Newtown gem, the Mediterranean Warehouse is a Trattoria/Pizzeria and New Zealand’s largest importer & distributor of specialty Mediterranean products.
It also has a shop and deli attached, where you can look at all the goodies and taste a few samples. Pastas, meats, spices, wines, 50+ cheeses (from 5 different countries) – you had me at cheese.

42. Drive up the Kapiti coast

For avid beach lovers, all hope is not lost being in Wellington. The Kapiti coast has 40 km of beautiful, sandy beaches, running north from Wellington city.
So if you drive up the SH1, you can easily hit all the beaches on the way, in one day. Beaches include – Paraparaumu, Otaki, Raumati, Peka Peka and Waikanae, the last one being my favourite.

Waikanae Beach on the Kapiti Coast

43. Take a walk along Oriental Parade

There’s a classic Welly saying “You can’t beat Wellington on a good day”. Mainly because they don’t happen that often and because Wellington is in fact stunning on a sunny, calm day.
Also when the weather is good, you can’t beat a walk down Oriental Parade and then some sun lounging on Oriental Bay beach. And maybe pick out the house you’d buy, if you had $2 million dollars.

44. Walk the Red Rocks Reserve walkway in Owhiro Bay

On this bay walk, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful ocean views and between May and October, you’ll probably see fur seals basking on the rocks, as this is their usual hang-out. Sunset is particularly gorgeous here, it’s one of my favourite places to watch sunset in Welly.
You can drive to the Red Rocks Reserve by parking at Owhiro Bay car park and walking the walkway from there, or get the Number 1 Bus and get off on Owhiro Bay Parade.

Red Rocks Reserve

45 . Wander around the New Zealand Portrait Gallery

If you want to get your NZ art history on, New Zealand Portrait Gallery is completely FREE to visit and lives in Shed 11, a heritage building on Wellington’s waterfront.

Their aim is to present portraits of people who have shaped the country’s development or influenced the way we think about ourselves. Their collection is always expanding as portraits are donated and sponsored to the NZ Portrait Gallery.

46. Go to one of the free classical concerts at St. Andrew’s on the Terrace

St Andrew’s is a friendly, progressive, inclusive church and they host free lunchtime concerts, check out their website for listings. Quite often they host other free or koha (donation) Classical Music Events, sometimes in support of charities. To check out details of what’s on, visit them on their Facebook page.

47. Go to the Zoo

Ok so the Zoo isn’t free to get in but….you can see the one-legged Kiwi bird and watch the vets in action at the zoo’s Vet Hospital for free. The Vet Hospital has a huge viewing window where anyone can watch the vets at work, during the zoo’s opening hours.
Also if you hang around, you might be able to hear the lion’s roaring. I flat-shared in Newtown, near Wellington Zoo once and one of my priceless memories was hearing the lion’s ‘roaring’ to each other, from my room on my weekends off.

Wellington Zoo with Newtown in the background

48. Go to the Central City Library

Simply because – libraries are awesome. Creative caverns of discovery and knowledge.

49. Take the picturesque drive from South Karori to Makara Beach

Karori is another area of Wellington I’ve previously lived in, its known for being one of the largest suburbs in Wellington and having its own microclimate (translation: damp and shrouded in fog for half the year).

If you drive past Karori into South Karori and follow the road all the way to Makara, you’ll discover a great little beach and some nice hiking spots.

Walk the 6km Makara Walkway which starts at the beach and follows the coast before climbing to the cliff tops, where you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views of Kapiti and the South Island.

50. Explore Jackson Street in Petone and the Esplanade

Petone is steeped in rich history and has a pretty Esplanade to explore and all only 10 mins drive from downtown Wellington. Jackson Street is the heart of Petone and combines an eclectic combination of historical buildings with excellent cafés, speciality shops and boutique shopping.
Browse the boutique shops or the places to buy gourmet/speciality items at The Dutch Shop, On Trays Food Emporium or La Bella Italia.

When settlers started to arrive in New Zealand, they landed on the foreshore at Petone, so check out the Petone Settlers Museum to learn about Petone’s history and then go take a walk down the Esplanade to see Petone beach.

Petone

51. Go listen to the Wellington Community Singers

Wellington Community Choir is known as the friendliest and liveliest choir in the city of Wellington. They do not sing competitively, but for the sheer joy of singing and anyone can listen or even join. They sing at various events and workshops, check out their Facebook page for details of where they’ll be making melodies next.

52. Go for a drive up the Hutt Valley and go swimming in either the Hutt or Akatarawa river

This free thing to do in Wellington comes in the form of a tip from the locals. The Hutt and Akatarawa river boast beautiful clear water surrounded by Tui’s singing in the trees and are perfect for swimming.

Best spots to swim are where the Hutt and Akatarawa Rivers meet, Hutt River at Totara Park, or Hutt River at Fraser Park off Taita Drive.

Although you can swim in the rivers here, remembering some basic safety tips can make all the difference in having a safe swimming experience.
Never swim alone, always check for submerged rocks before jumping or diving and be aware sometimes there is toxic algae present in the waterways.

Check Greater Wellington Council’s page on swimming for further safety guidelines.

53. Pick up a free booklet called Wellington Visitor Guide, produced every month by “Absolutely Positively Wellington”.

Its available at the Wellington i-SITE Visitor Information centre on Wakefield Street, the railway station, libraries, shopping malls and other information stands and has SO many ideas for things to do in Wellington.

Or visit the Wellington Resource hub on the “Absolutely Positively Wellington” website, where you can download the latest Official Wellington Visitor Guide, to your device. You can also download a pdf map of Wellington city here.

Happy and Safe Travels 🙂

October 15, 2018

Travel Guide