Ready for the best day trips from Wellington, New Zealand?

Nestled on New Zealand’s North Island, I loved my time in Wellington when I visited on a solo trip for my 30th birthday (I won’t tell you what year that was… 🤭). It felt like the perfect combination of San Francisco and Vancouver. There were plenty of things to do and places to eat to keep me (and my stomach) occupied in The Coolest Little Capital.

But if you have an extended stay here, you might like to look into the best day trips from Wellington. Because let me tell you, it’s surrounded by beautiful natural attractions, tourist destinations, and coastal towns.

Rental car or organised day trip?

That is the question to consider when organising your Wellington day trips. I’ll give you organised tour options, but a rental car might be better if you’re not travelling solo, as you can see so much more. GO Rentals has affordable car rentals in Wellington. I recommend checking out the GO Rentals relocation deals if you’re heading somewhere else in New Zealand. Cheap one-way car hire? SOLD.

The best day trips from Wellington, NZ

1. Lord of the Rings tour

I feel like Lord of the Rings is more synonymous with New Zealand these days than sheep 😅. I did a Weta Workshop tour on a rainy Wellington day, which included return city transfers. The experience starts with a documentary highlighting the many movies and projects the team have worked on. Then, you journey behind the scenes and see props up close. I’d recommend the tour if you’re a LOTR enthusiast.

Check out this organised tour if you want to extend your Lord of the Rings experience in Wellington. It includes admission to Weta Workshop, but you stop at iconic LOTR locations on your way.

2. Hutt Valley

Grab a rental car or hop on the train and make a beeline for Hutt Valley (split into Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt). It truly has something for everyone:

• Cute boutiques (homewares, clothes, and books included).
• Amazing food and drink options, whether you want a coffee, a snack, farm-to-table fare or a craft beer.
• Brewtown is a craft brewery and distillery with a 4,500-square-metre entertainment centre. We’re talking mini golf, ice skating, paintball, bowling, cart racing, and trampolining.
• Staglands Wildlife Reserve for the kids, where they can get up close to local animals.
• The Dowse Art Museum and Whirinaki Whare Taonga.
• White-water rafting on the Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River.
• Petone Settlers Museum if you want to learn more about the local history.

3. Kapiti Island

Kapiti Island is one of New Zealand’s oldest and most important nature reserves. The 10-kilometre-long home to various birds (over 1200 in fact, including several critically endangered species). It’s an hour’s drive from Wellington and a 15-minute ferry ride from the coast.

You have two options. You can buy the ferry ticket and enjoy a self-guided tour along the many walking trails. Alternatively, opt for a guided tour with Kapiti Island Nature Tours.

Hot tip: Kapiti Island is located off the Kapiti Coast, and an alternative option is this Private Kapiti Coast Full Day Tour. You stop at locations like Pukerua Bay to take in the views of Kapiti Island, Paraparaumu Beach, the world-renowned Southwards Car Museum, Long Beach Café in Waikanae, and Nga Manu Reserve.

4. Wairarapa

You didn’t think we would skip over tasting some delicious wines on this guide to day trips from Wellington, did you? The main towns in this region are Martinborough, Masterton, Greytown, Featherston and Carterton. Here are some of the best things to do in Wairarapa:

• Visit Cape Palliser. You can visit the Putangirua Pinnacles, walk 250+ steps to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse, and hang out with the local fur seals. Summer is the time to visit and see cute pups!
• Enjoy the wineries in Martinborough, which is known for its pinot noir and sauvignon blanc varieties. Some of the most recommended are Luna Estate, Poppies (head here for lunch), Tiro Hana Estate, Margrain Vineyard, and Escarpment. Check out this guided small group tour of Martinborough wineries, which visits several of these recommendations.
• Explore the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre.
• Stop by C’est Cheese in Featherston if you love cheese as much as me 😋.
• Visit picturesque Greytown. Stroll the cobblestone streets and admire the Victorian buildings housing boutique shops, art studios and eateries.

You can get to Wairarapa by guided tour, rental car, or train.

5. Days Bay/Eastbourne

Are you looking for things to do outside Wellington? Hop on an East by West ferry in Wellington City and head to Days Bay/Eastbourne. Known as Wellington’s Playground by the Sea, this is THE Wellington day trip to enjoy in summer. Spend your day soaking up the sun on a sheltered beach, visiting the cute local cafes, and checking out the walking tracks in East Harbour Regional Park.

6. Matiu/Somes Island

Speaking of East by West ferry… another place they visit from Queens Wharf in Wellington is Matiu/Somes Island. It’s an amazingly pest-free island, which means several bird and animal species flourish. A walking track circles the island and takes the average person just over an hour to complete. If you visit, you must bring your own food and take all rubbish with you when you leave.

7. Remutaka Rail Trail

If you’re looking for adventurous Wellington day trips, set your sights on the Remutaka Rail Trail. As the name suggests, it’s a former rail route established in 1878. It runs between Kaitoke in the Hutt Valley, over the summit in the Remutaka Ranges and ends at Cross Creek near Featherston. Yes, both previously mentioned destinations if you want to make a weekend of it. The gently graded 18-kilometre route is fit for walking, running, or bike riding.

Now, you can DIY by hopping on the train or in a rental car and then hiring a bike locally. But it might be easier to join this organised Remutaka Rail Trail eBike Explorer day tour. While in the Lower Hutt area, detour to Remutaka Forest Park. The forested mountain range has several hikes waiting for you.

Wrapping up the best Wellington day trips

TL;DR, so to speak!

• The best day trips from Wellington by train are the Hutt Valley and Wairarapa. I would also say these are the best weekend trips from Wellington if you want to extend your stay.
• The best day trips from Wellington by car are, well, any of the options above! Most are short drives from Wellington (Cape Palliser is the longest distance).
• If you want the best day tours from Wellington, choose from the Remutaka Rail Trail tour, the guided Martinborough winery tour, the LOTR tour, and the guided Kapiti Island tour.

Wellington travel tips

• Get the Airport Express public bus from the airport to the city. It’s frequent and cheap!
• Stay at YHA Wellington City if you want to save money. It’s centrally located and modern, with waterfront views.
• Get around Wellington by public bus, foot, or rental car.

There you have it – the best Wellington day trips! I hope you enjoy your time in this wonderful city.

Check out my New Zealand archive if you’re travelling around the North or South Island before or after Wellington. I also have a guide to the best day trips from Auckland.

Before you go, visit my Resources page for all of my favourite travel planning websites, and don’t forget to organise travel insurance before your trip!

Thank you to GO Rentals for partnering with me on this post.