Wellington 7-day itinerary

Begin at Te Papa Tongarewa — New Zealand's national museum on the waterfront. Spend a full morning exploring the Māori galleries, the Colossal Squid, the earthquake house, and the Gallipoli exhibition created by Weta Workshop. Te Papa is one of the best free museums in the world and deserves at least three hours.

Walk the full length of Wellington's waterfront from Queens Wharf past the Wharewaka, along the Writers Walk sculpture trail, through Frank Kitts Park, and along Oriental Parade to Oriental Bay beach. The 3km route is flat and passes public art, cafes, and harbour views. Swim or paddleboard at Oriental Bay if the weather is warm.

Explore Cuba Street's independent shops, cafes, and bars. Have dinner at one of the many restaurants — from Vietnamese to Mexican to modern New Zealand — and try your first Wellington craft beer at Golding's Free Dive or Fortune Favours.

Ride the iconic Wellington Cable Car from Lambton Quay to Kelburn. Walk through the 25-hectare Botanic Garden, passing the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, native bush sections, the duck pond, and the Carter Observatory. The downhill walk takes about an hour at a relaxed pace.

Take a free guided tour of New Zealand's Parliament — see the Beehive, the debating chamber, and the select committee rooms. Afterwards, explore Thorndon — Wellington's oldest suburb, with heritage wooden houses, Katherine Mansfield's birthplace museum, and excellent cafes.

Head to Courtenay Place — Wellington's main entertainment strip. Start with dinner at one of the many restaurants, then explore the bars. Rogue & Vagabond has an excellent beer garden, and Havana Bar on Wigan Street is a Wellington institution for cocktails and live music.

Spend a full morning at Zealandia — the 225-hectare predator-free ecosanctuary in the Karori valley. Walk the loop trails through regenerating native bush to spot tuatara, takahē, kākā, saddlebacks, and hihi. The dam and upper reservoir loop is the best route for wildlife encounters.

Walk from Zealandia through the town belt to Aro Valley — Wellington's most alternative neighbourhood. Browse the eclectic shops and cafes on Aro Street, then visit Garage Project's taproom for one of New Zealand's most innovative craft breweries. Their Wild Workshop sour beers and hop-forward IPAs are exceptional.

Wellington has more restaurants per capita than New York City. Tonight, try something special: Hiakai for indigenous Māori-inspired fine dining, or Hillside Kitchen & Cellar in Brooklyn for a seasonal tasting menu using local produce. Book in advance.

Walk up Mount Victoria from Oriental Bay for the best 360-degree panorama in Wellington. At 196 metres, the lookout offers views of the harbour, CBD, airport, Hutt Valley, and on clear days the South Island. Parts of the surrounding bush were used as Hobbiton filming locations for Lord of the Rings.

Visit the Wellington Museum in the Bond Store on Queens Wharf for maritime history and the powerful Wahine disaster exhibit. Then walk to City Gallery Wellington for contemporary art — free entry, rotating exhibitions of New Zealand and international artists.

Drive or bus to Miramar for the Weta Workshop Unleashed experience — the expanded visitor attraction at Peter Jackson's legendary special effects studio. See props, miniatures, and costumes from Lord of the Rings, Avatar, and other blockbusters. The evening session is less crowded.

Drive or bus to Owhiro Bay on Wellington's south coast and walk the 45-minute coastal trail to the Red Rocks seal colony. Between May and October, up to 100 New Zealand fur seals haul out on the rocky shore. The red-coloured pillow lava rocks are 200 million years old. The wild south coast is a stark contrast to the sheltered harbour.

Drive over to Makara Beach on the west coast — a wild, remote-feeling beach just 30 minutes from the CBD. The Makara Walkway passes the West Wind wind turbine farm on the ridgeline above. The rugged coastline and crashing Tasman Sea waves feel a world away from urban Wellington.

End the day at Lyall Bay — a surfer-friendly beach near the airport where planes land dramatically low overhead. Watch the sunset from the beach or grab fish and chips from Spruce Goose and sit on the seawall. The combination of surf, planes, and sunset is uniquely Wellington.

Take the East by West ferry from Queens Wharf to Matiu / Somes Island — a predator-free wildlife sanctuary in the middle of Wellington Harbour. The island served as a quarantine station in the 19th century and an internment camp during both World Wars. Walk the loop trail through regenerating bush to spot little blue penguins, tuatara, wētā, and skinks. The island is managed by DOC and has composting toilets but no shops.

Explore the island's WWII gun emplacements, the historic lighthouse (the last lighthouse built in Wellington Harbour), and the quarantine buildings. The loop walk takes about 90 minutes. Picnic on the northern end of the island with views back to the CBD skyline and the Hutt Valley. Return on the afternoon ferry.

Back on the mainland, take the train or drive to Petone — Lower Hutt's waterfront suburb with a revitalised Jackson Street strip of cafes, bars, and restaurants. Petone has a more relaxed, suburban vibe than central Wellington. Try the Garage Project Kingsland for dinner and beers, or Comes & Goes for excellent coffee and food.

If your last day falls on a Sunday, visit the Harbourside Market for fresh produce, dumplings, oysters, and artisan coffee. Otherwise, revisit your favourite Cuba Street cafe for a final flat white — Wellington takes its coffee extremely seriously and has some of the best specialty roasters in the country, including Flight Coffee, Peoples Coffee, and Customs by Coffee Supreme.

Drive around the Miramar peninsula to Scorching Bay — a sheltered north-facing beach with calm swimming water and a classic Kiwi beach cafe. Continue around to Shelly Bay, a former military base being redeveloped, for views across the harbour entrance. The peninsula road passes through the suburb of Seatoun, which has a village-like feel.

For your final Wellington evening, return to the city centre for a farewell dinner. Logan Brown on Cuba Street is one of Wellington's finest restaurants, housed in a former bank building. Or keep it casual with a final round of Cuba Street craft beers and street food. Wellington is a city that rewards return visits — there is always more to discover.