The Best Free Things To Do In Wellington, New Zealand

Last Updated on 11th May 2023

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best free or cheap things to do in Wellington

Since arriving in New Zealand, we’ve spent the majority of our time outdoors and in the countryside, aside from one jaunt into Auckland. However, when we realised that there were so many free or cheap things to do in Wellington, Matt and I couldn’t wait to head to the country’s capital!

It turns out that I much prefer Wellington to Auckland; it had a much better vibe to it, way more incredible places to eat and everywhere just seemed more beautiful.

If you’ve got a trip to New Zealand’s capital city planned but you’re looking to do it on a budget, here’s an extensive list of the best free or cheap things to do in Wellington!

How to get to Wellington

Being New Zealand’s capital city and the fact that it’s conveniently located next to the sea, Wellington has many incredible transport options to get you to and from the city.

Plane

Wellington Airport offers flights to other large airports in and around New Zealand including to places such as Christchurch (where we flew to from Wellington), Nelson, Queenstown, Napier and Auckland. The airport also flies to most major airports in Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane.

Prices to and from other cities in New Zealand start at around $25NZD (£13) one way and flights to and from Oz start at around $120NZD (£62).

Bus

If you’ve been following my NZ adventures on my Instagram Stories (which you totally should btw 😉 ) then you’ll have seen that we spent our first six weeks in the North Island housesitting on a mini farm. This also meant that we were based in Katikati, just outside of Tauranga.

When we first talked about staying in Wellington before moving on to the South Island, we’d originally planned to fly from Tauranga to the capital. However, we soon realised that the flights were going to work out much more expensive than we’d originally intended. That’s where Skip Travel* came to our rescue and saved our travel plans!

Based in New Zealand’s North Island, Skip buses travel to numerous cities, all over the island including Tauranga, Wellington, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland. Their philosophy is ‘cheaper, faster, funner’ and after making the 10-hour journey from Tauranga to Wellington, I can definitely vouch for their slogan’s authenticity!

While a 10-hour journey may seem ridiculously long in comparison to flying (which it is), with Skip it didn’t feel too arduous or tedious at all. The bus we travelled on was incredibly spacious and comfortable and came with free WiFi!

If you’re travelling down to Wellington from elsewhere in the North Island such as Hamilton, Auckland or Tauranga then I’d highly recommend using Skip Travel to make your journey much cheaper and more enjoyable! Prices start at around $17NZD (£8.90) per person, one way.

The ultimate list of free things to do in Wellington

Located at the very bottom of the North Island, Wellington is the second largest city in New Zealand and so far, my favourite. It’s full of unique charm, some of the best food places I’ve ever experienced and the most beautiful sights.

If you’re wanting to explore one of the best Kiwi cities (in my opinion at least!), check out this list of the best free (or cheap!) things to do in Wellington, New Zealand!

1. Te Papa Museum

Also known as the National Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Museum is an extraordinary place to visit in Wellington. Matt and I aren’t typically huge fans of museums but when they’re free and full of a plethora of different and interactive exhibits, what’s not to love?!

There are so many incredible exhibitions to wander around and admire at Te Papa and it can be overwhelming to know which ones you definitely won’t want to miss!

While we didn’t see every single exhibit, we did manage to pay a visit to quite a few and I can highly recommend the ‘Gallipoli: The scale of our War‘ exhibition (this is also the most popular and most visited exhibit at Te Papa).

The Gallipoli exhibition tells the story of the Gallipoli expedition of World War 1 through the eyes of eight New Zealand soldiers, nurses and army veterans. It’s incredibly raw, intense and thought-provoking but it’s remarkable to see a different perspective of WW1 from the view of New Zealanders.

There are also huge human models two and a half times the size of regular people made by the talented people at Weta Workshop to help tell the stories and these alone are vastly impressive; the attention to detail on each model is just out of this world!

Other exhibits at Te Papa that I’d definitely recommend include ‘Nature’, ‘Active Land’, ‘Unique NZ’ and ‘Bush City’.

Te Papa Museum is without a doubt one of the best things to do in Wellington; it’s free, it’s fun and it’s even perfect for those who don’t usually love museums!

2. Stroll along the waterfront

Wellington’s harbour is an absolutely stunning (and free!) thing to do in the city.

There are beautiful yachts to admire, huge ferry ships to be impressed by, as well as spectacular views out to the ocean in front of you. On a sunny and warm day, you could literally spend hours soaking up the sunshine and strolling along the waterfront.

3. Ride the Wellington Cable Car

Departing every 10 minutes or so from Lambton Quay, right in the city centre of Wellington, the infamous and historic Cable Car takes you all the way up to Kelburn right next to the Botanic Gardens.

While the Cable Car didn’t impress me quite as much as I was expecting, it was still pretty cool to do, albeit rather touristy. The views from the top were also beautiful and it’s definitely a great thing to tick off your New Zealand North Island bucket list!

4. Hike up Mount Victoria

Hiking up Mount Victoria certainly isn’t an easy task but it’s definitely one of the best free things to do in Wellington!

Depending on which route you take and how many rest/viewing stops you make, really depends on how long it will take you to get to the top. I would recommend giving yourself at least an hour walk up and an hour back down again, just so that you can truly appreciate the views and make sure you’re able to make plenty of rest stops!

You can see from the pictures above and below just how incredible the views from the top of Mount Victoria are; it made me fall in love with Wellington even more!

5. Wander around the city at night – free things to do in Wellington

Wellington at night is a spectacular sight to see; there’s not necessarily a “bouncing” nightlife scene like many cities around the world, but it still exudes its own charming atmosphere that’s incredibly enjoyable to be immersed in.

The harbour looks particularly beautiful at night and while the picture above is unintentionally blurry, I actually really liked the look of it!

As I mentioned before, Wellington’s nightlife isn’t nearly as “happening” as many cities such as London , New York or Sydney, but there are still plenty of restaurants, bars, clubs and local events to enjoy; just without the swarms of people!

6. Pay a visit to one of Wellington’s many food markets

Cuba Street night food market, Wellington, New Zealand

I have a post all about the best places to eat in Wellington going live in the next few days so I won’t tell you too much about the night food market but I wanted to give you a ~flavour~ of what you can expect when it comes to Wellington’s night markets.

There are two main night markets to visit in Wellington. It was originally only held on a Friday night at Left Bank in Cuba Mall but due to popular demand, a second market was introduced on Saturday nights on Cuba Street.

There are so many remarkable food stalls to choose from and more cuisine options than you’ll know what to do with; if you’re in Wellington over the weekend, make sure you head to one of the night markets! Even if you don’t actually eat here, the heady combination of wonderful culinary smells and the eclectic atmosphere will surely be something to be remembered for!

7. Spend some time (and money!) on Cuba Street

Cuba Street was one of the best areas of Wellington; it had so many delicious places to eat, and incredible shops and was arguably the busiest area of town (albeit still insanely quiet compared to literally every capital city I’ve ever been to!).

The street is also mega long; ‘Lower’ Cuba Street is where the night market is held, whereas the ‘Upper’ area is where most of the restaurants, boutique stores and other shops are.

8. Embrace the seaside at Oriental Bay – free things to do in Wellington

One thing that I adore about New Zealand is that every single place combines a delightful mix of city, sun, sea, sand and landscape; often within the space of a few miles!

Wellington was no different and just a few hundred metres from the main city centre, Oriental Bay provided ample sea views, gorgeous, expensive yachts and views right up to the top of Mount Victoria.

Oriental Bay is also just a short walk from the Harbourside Sunday Market; Matt and I got our breakfast there on our last full day in Wellington and then sauntered along the waterside before making our way up Mount Victoria. We also scouted out all the best houses that we’d like to live in!

Bonus best things to do in Wellington (that aren’t free!)

Best free or cheap things to do in Wellington, New Zealand

While Matt and I did manage to see and do a lot while we were in Wellington, there were still a few things that we didn’t manage to tick off. Take a look at the list below for more great ideas of free or cheap things to do in Wellington!

Check out Weta Workshop

OK, so this isn’t technically free or cheap, hence why Matt and I didn’t visit it, but it is one of the ‘must-do’ things in Wellington.

Weta Workshop is where some of the world’s greatest films have had their props, costumes and sets designed and made by a leading team of experts and specialists.

On the tour, you can enjoy immersive filmmaking experiences and see how the likes of Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Ghost in the Shell, plus many more movies had their special effects, props and vehicles made!

Ticket prices for the Weta Workshop tour start at $28NZD and go up to $88NZD, so it’s definitely not a ‘cheap’ thing to do in Wellington but I’ve heard excellent things about it!

Visit Wellington Museum

While it’s certainly not as popular or as immersive as Te Papa, the Wellington Museum hosts a great offering of Wellington history, artefacts and stories!

It was also voted as one of the world’s top 50 museums and it has free entry!

Wander around Zealandia

Zealandia is a stunning eco-conservation area just minutes away from the city centre and is one of the things that I wish we’d have done while we were in Wellington.

It’s home to some of New Zealand’s most astonishing and rare breeds of nature and wildlife and is set upon a picturesque reservoir. If we ever go back to Wellington, a visit to Zealandia is at the top of my list!

Discover Matiu-Somes Island

Residing in the Lower Hutt region of Wellington, Matiu-Somes Island covers approximately 25ha and is home to picturesque scenic reserves, hiking trails and bush walks.

I would have loved to have visited Matiu-Somes Island as well but we were just a bit pushed for time on getting there.

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