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A red Wellington Cable Car on its track above a sports ground, with the city's office towers, the harbour and houses on the hills behind

Where to stay in Wellington

Photo: lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Wellington

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About Wellington

Wellington Airport is 8 km from the central business district on the airport's own figure. The choice is between the flat central suburbs of Te Aro and Thorndon, the hillside streets of Oriental Bay, Mount Victoria and Kelburn, and the Kāpiti Coast and Martinborough, about 54 km and 80 km from Lambton Quay by road.

New Zealand. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Wellington (WLG), 8 km from the central business district on the airport's figure, 20 to 30 minutes by road. Source
Airport bus
The Airport Express runs to Wellington Railway Station about every 10 to 20 minutes through the central city, paid by Snapper card, cash or a contactless card. Source
Taxes
No local tourist tax was found. GST is 15%, and since 1 April 2024 online platforms collect it on short-stay accommodation booked through them. Source
Entry
EU, UK and US visitors need no visa but must hold an NZeTA before flying, from NZD 17 in the official app. A visit lasts up to 3 months, or 6 months for British citizens. Source
International visitor levy
NZD 100 per person since 1 October 2024, up from NZD 35, paid with each NZeTA or visa application rather than per night. Source
Parking with a rental car
Central-city meters: NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends, 8am to 8pm, most limited to 2 hours by day on weekdays; free on public holidays. Source
Coupon zones
Clifton, Kelburn, Mount Cook, Mount Victoria, Te Aro and Thorndon have coupon zones: 2 hours free on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, then a coupon at NZD 19 a day or NZD 315 a calendar month. Source
Cook Strait ferries
Interislander sails from Kaiwharawhara and Bluebridge from Waterloo Quay, with vehicle check-in closing 60 minutes before sailing; some rental companies do not let their cars aboard (via GetCar). Source
Monthly stays
Holiday homes, hotels and motels are outside the Residential Tenancies Act; for a long sabbatical or holiday, an owner can contract into it. Source
Emergency number
111 for police, fire and ambulance; 105 for the police when it is not an emergency Source

Areas of Wellington

The paved pedestrian stretch of Cuba Street in Wellington, with shops, trees and planters and a few people walking
Photo: Panamitsu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Te Aro

The southern part of the central business district, with most of the city's entertainment district and Cuba Street, known for its cafés, op-shops, music venues and restaurants. It suits a first visit on foot and nights out.

Wellington Airport
about 7 km
Lambton Quay
about 1.5 km

Car and parking

Central-city meters charge NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends, 8am to 8pm, most limited to 2 hours by day, with 12-hour spaces on Kent and Cambridge Terraces. At its edges, the Te Aro coupon zone gives 2 free hours on weekdays, then NZD 19 a day.

Thorndon

A historic inner suburb at the northern end of the central business district, flatter than most of Wellington, where the seat of government sits beside homes. It suits a quiet base within walking distance of Lambton Quay.

Wellington Airport
about 9 km
Lambton Quay
about 1 km

Car and parking

The Thorndon coupon zone gives 2 free hours on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, then NZD 19 a day or NZD 315 a calendar month; meters on Thorndon Quay run from 8am to 6pm at NZD 5 an hour.

Oriental Bay in Wellington, with apartment buildings along the waterfront road, parked cars and houses climbing the green hillside above
Photographed in 2018. Photo: russellstreet, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oriental Bay and Mount Victoria

Oriental Bay has the closest beach to the central city, about 1.5 km south-east of the centre on the northern slope of Mount Victoria, whose houses climb the hill behind. It suits a stay by the harbour within reach of the centre.

Wellington Airport
about 8 km
Lambton Quay
about 3 km

Car and parking

Oriental Parade meters charge NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends from 8am to 8pm, with 12-hour Pay by Plate spaces, and the Mount Victoria streets are a coupon zone with 2 free hours on weekdays.

A red Wellington Cable Car on its track above a sports ground, with the city's office towers, the harbour and houses on the hills behind
Photo: lumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kelburn

A hillside suburb just west of the centre, beside the Botanic Garden, linked to Lambton Quay by the Cable Car, which climbs 120 m in about five minutes. It suits a quieter stay above the city.

Wellington Airport
about 9 km
Lambton Quay
about 3 km

Car and parking

Sections of Kelburn Parade, Glasgow Street and Salamanca Road are Pay by Plate at NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends, 8am to 8pm, with 12-hour spaces, and Kelburn has a coupon zone with 2 free hours on weekdays.

Paraparaumu Beach at low tide, with grass and flax in the foreground and Kapiti Island across the water
Photographed in 2020. Photo: Panamitsu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kāpiti Coast (Paraparaumu Beach)

A coastal settlement on the Kāpiti Coast about 50 km north of Wellington, facing Kapiti Island, a nature reserve 5.6 km offshore. It suits a beach stay with a car and a trip to the island.

Wellington Airport
about 62 km
Lambton Quay
about 54 km

Car and parking

Transmission Gully carries the drive north without a toll, and Kapiti Island trips leave from the Kapiti Boating Club at Paraparaumu Beach, with parking at the club (via GetCar). Street parking rules were not verified as of September 2026.

Single-storey shops with verandas on Jellicoe Street in Martinborough, with cars parked along the street under a clear sky
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Siobhan Leachman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Martinborough

A town of about 1,900 people in the South Wairarapa, 65 km east of Wellington and home to the district council. It suits a slower stay over the Remutaka Hill.

Wellington Airport
about 88 km
Lambton Quay
about 80 km

Car and parking

State Highway 2 over the Remutaka Hill is the only direct road to the Wairarapa. It closes from 9pm to 4am on 18 to 23 October and 15 to 20 November 2026, with escorted crossings, and in gales (via GetCar). Parking was not verified.

Guides

Where to stay

Where to stay in Wellington with a car: the areas compared

Wellington's airport is 8 km from the central business district, and four of the six areas here lie within about 3 km of Lambton Quay by road. The areas differ in how a car is parked: meters in the flat centre, coupon zones on the city's edges, and longer drives from the Kāpiti Coast and Martinborough.

Photo: lumoplank, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

Questions

Which part of Wellington is best for a first visit?

Te Aro, the southern part of the central business district with most of the entertainment district and Cuba Street, or Thorndon, at its northern end beside the seat of government. Both are within about 1.5 km of Lambton Quay.

How much does parking cost in central Wellington?

NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends, 8am to 8pm, and free on public holidays. Most meters allow 2 hours by day on weekdays and 3 hours in the evening and at weekends.

Does Wellington charge a tourist tax?

No local tourist tax was found as of September 2026. GST is 15%, collected by platforms on short-stay bookings, and visitors pay the NZD 100 international visitor levy once, with the NZeTA.

Can a rental car take the ferry to the South Island?

It depends on the company. GetCar reports that Bluebridge lists Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar and one-way Ace rentals as not allowed aboard, with a car swap at the terminals, while Avis, Budget, Sixt and others may cross.