Where to stay in Wellington

Te Aro is 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. Thorndon, at the northern end, is a historic suburb where the seat of government sits beside homes; it is flatter than most of Wellington.

The hills start close by. Oriental Bay has the closest beach to the central city, about 1.5 km south-east of the centre, with the houses of Mount Victoria climbing the slope behind. Kelburn sits on the hills just west of the centre, beside the Botanic Garden, and the Cable Car links it to Lambton Quay, climbing 120 m in about five minutes.

Further out, Paraparaumu Beach on the Kāpiti Coast faces Kapiti Island, a nature reserve 5.6 km offshore, about 54 km from Lambton Quay by road. Martinborough, a town of about 1,900 people in the South Wairarapa, is about 80 km away over the Remutaka Hill.

The city council meters the central city seven days a week: NZD 5 an hour on weekdays and NZD 3 at weekends, from 8am to 8pm, and free on public holidays. Most metered spaces allow 2 hours from 8am to 5pm on weekdays and 3 hours from 5pm to 8pm and at weekends, and the clock starts when the car enters the space, not when it is paid. For longer stays, 12-hour Pay by Plate spaces line Oriental Parade, Kent Terrace, Cambridge Terrace, Kelburn Parade, Salamanca Road and Glasgow Street, and the Barnett Street and Frank Kitts Park car parks take cars all day. The council warns of scam QR code stickers on some meters.

On the city's edges, coupon zones cover Clifton, Kelburn, Mount Cook, Mount Victoria, Te Aro and Thorndon. Parking there is free for up to 2 hours on weekdays from 8am to 6pm, moving within the zone does not reset the clock, and a coupon costs NZD 19 a day or NZD 315 a calendar month.

For the South Island, GetCar reports that Interislander sails from Kaiwharawhara and Bluebridge from Waterloo Quay, that vehicle check-in closes 60 minutes before sailing, that neither terminal has long-term parking, and that some rental companies do not let their cars aboard. GetCar's guide Driving in Wellington: the Airport Counters and the NZD 12 Express Bus, Transmission Gully and the Remutaka Hill, the Cook Strait Ferries and Which Rental Cars May Cross, the New Zealand Rules, the NZD 5 Meter and the Wind covers the roads, the ferries and the rules.

No local tourist tax was found for Wellington as of September 2026, and no council registration scheme or cap on nights for short-stay rentals turned up either. GST is 15%, and since 1 April 2024 platforms collect it on short-stay accommodation booked through them, along with cleaning fees charged on top.

Visitors from the EU, the UK and the US need no visa but must hold an NZeTA before flying: NZD 17 in the official app or NZD 23 on the website, plus the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, paid once with it since 1 October 2024 rather than per night. A holiday let is outside the Residential Tenancies Act, and so are hotels and motels.

Request the NZeTA in good time: Immigration New Zealand asks travellers to allow 72 hours.

For Martinborough in October or November 2026, note the Remutaka Hill night closures from 9pm to 4am on 18 to 23 October and 15 to 20 November, with escorted crossings, which GetCar reports from the transport agency. For the ferry, settle with the rental company whether the car may sail before booking the crossing.

From the airport, the Airport Express runs about every 10 to 20 minutes to Wellington Railway Station through the central city, in 25 to 35 minutes, and takes a Snapper card, cash or a contactless card.

A first visit on foot and nights out: Te Aro.

A quiet base at the northern end of the centre: Thorndon.

A stay by the harbour and the city beach: Oriental Bay and Mount Victoria.

A hillside stay by the Botanic Garden: Kelburn.

A beach base and Kapiti Island: the Kāpiti Coast.

The Wairarapa: Martinborough.