Whether it’s your first time in Wellington or you just want to see as much as possible during your time in port, this half-day sightseeing tour offers a great introduction to the city and a diverse range of sights. Visit the iconic Weta Cave and the historic Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, ride the Wellington cable car to the top of the city, and enjoy panoramic views from the top of Mount Victoria.

If you’re at a hotel or on a cruise ship, pick-ups and drop-offs are provided
Don’t miss any city highlights with your guide's help
You won’t fight to get your questions answered on this small-group tour
No hidden costs: all entry fees and taxes are covered with this tour

What's Included

Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Hotel pickup and drop-off
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Tour escort/host
Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Air-conditioned vehicle
Transport by private vehicle

Drinks
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Meeting point

Wellington isite Visitor Information Centre
111 Wakefield Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
The Wellington iSite at 111 Wakefield Steet is the alternative pick up point if you are not arriving off a Cruise Ship or your Hotel is outside of the CBD pick up zone.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Pickup details

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER BOOKINGS: Your pick-up time will be 45 minutes after the ship has docked (even if your ship has been delayed or arrives early) with 8.45am being the earliest pick-up time. For the convenience of other guests, please ensure you arrive at the tour area promptly as the tour may not wait for you. Look out for the Xplor Tours guides who will greet you. Please select "The Wharf" option as your pick up location and enter your ship name in the additional booking details. NON-CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER BOOKINGS: Pick up times may differ from tour start times if there are multiple guest pick-up locations. We will contact you in advance of your tour with your estimated pick-up time if this is the case.

What To Expect

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Pass By)

Saint Gerard's Catholic Church and Monastery (Pass By)

Mount Victoria

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Weta Cave

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Oriental Bay (Pass By)

Wellington Cable Car

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Lady Norwood Rose Garden (Pass By)

New Zealand Parliament Buildings

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Old St Paul's

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cruise Ship Passenger bookings should select the following option as their pick up location which is the Port: 151 Aotea Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Cruise Ship Passenger bookings should add their ship name in special requirements field.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

If you have limited time and want to have an awesome, fun, comprehensive sightseeing tour, then Wellington Sightseeing tour and Richard, is the way to go.

Another place on the confirmation said it was at 10 a.m. Big difference!

Reviews

5.0

345 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 345 reviews

Very enjoyable - highly recommended

Barbara_J, Sept 2023

Very knowledgeable driver with a very good inter-personal attitude. Very much enjoyed his manner and information.

Response from Host, Sept 2023

Thanks for leaving your review Barbara. Good to know you enjoyed your tour with us.

Tour guide Dean was...

Bev_C, Sept 2023

Tour guide Dean was great- Excellent commentary and information Highly recommend this tour. …………………….

Response from Host, Sept 2023

Hi Bev Thank you for your review it is really appreciated. Dean is a great guide who ensures all on his tour have a great time. Once again thank you for your review

Great Fun & Interactive tour of Wellington

ROLAND_F, Aug 2023

Our guide & driver, Dennis, was friendly, informative and accommodating. We learned a ton about the beautiful city of Wellington. We spent ample time at each site and we were able to take in the views or history of each place we visited. This is not a bus tour where you watch from your window. You get to visit and and enjoy each venue.

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Thanks for your great review Roland. Dennis is a great guide and does us proud.

Excellent value

ROBERT_M, Apr 2023

The whole trip was very interesting and informative and Peter took us to places we wouldn't have seen if we did it ourselves,especially considering the bad weather

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Great to hear Peter gave another of his great tours for us Robert. Thanks for taking the time to leave your review.

Missed stopping

marlene1966, Apr 2023

Unfortunately due to weather the ship was unable to stop oin Wellington. I'm sure it would have been a great trip though. They offered us another day. But the ship did not return.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Shame your ship was unable to berth in Wellington. Maybe next time? Thanks for your review on our communication leading up to it and around applying for the full refund as a result of not berthing, much appreciated.

Great tour

Evelyn_R, Apr 2023

Wonderful tour in Wellington. Our guide (Dean) was amazing. Very informative and helpful. We convered a wide area of the city. Loved the beautiful views of the city.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thanks for leaving Dean this great review Evelyn. We are glad he left you with good memories of Wellinton.

Great improvisation to accommodate bad weather!

Rob_K, Apr 2023

Dennis did an outstanding job improvising on our tour! The weather was pretty bad first thing in the morning but was supposed to clear up by midday. He changed the entire route of the tour so we had some inside stops first. It then cleared up just in time for gorgeous views and the funicular ride. He even went overtime on the tour timing to help make up for the rerouting!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Dennis is consistently giving awesome tours for us and we are very lucky to have him as one of our guides. Thanks for leaving such a great review for him. I'm sure he will see it.

Well done in Wellington

Rosalie_P, Apr 2023

We were expecting to be squished into a passenger van so were delighted to have a smaller roomy bus with large windows. Guide Denis was articulate and easy to hear and understand. He was amenable to stops along the way. His tour had added extras and sights we weren't expecting. So lucky to go around the point and get some ocean and beach views.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Rosalie thank you so much for your lovely comments for Dennis. I suspect you were on the tour where a group of 4 left us 4 terrible reviews due to the vehicle size, and I really appreciate all of your wording above. Dennis is an amazing guide, and he loves doing the bigger groups. So glad you enjoyed your time with him in Wellington. Thanks for taking the time to leave your review.

Dennis the Great!

Timothy_N, Apr 2023

Dennis was exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly. He went out of his way to please and accommodate everyone on board the tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thanks for leaving this great review for Dennis. He is a fabulous guide.

Wonderful Wellington Tour

Michele_M, Apr 2023

Dennis was wonderful on our tour. The weather wasn’t the best at the beginning but he took us around where we could get out and still see everything. When booking the tour Richard provided clear instructions on where we could be picked up from the pier. The tour was fun and I highly recommend it

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Great to hear! Thanks for taking the time to leave your review and glad you enjoyed Dennis's tour.

Excellent Tour

Stanley_K, Apr 2023

Excellent guide Andrew. Very good wineries. We thoroughly enjoyed the day. Highly recommend the tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thanks for your great review for Andrew, and glad you enjoyed your wine tour with us.

Wellington with Nicole

Denise_J, Apr 2023

Nicole was an excellent, entertaining, informative, humourous guide. I think she took us to every site in Wellington. She told us about Wellington from a personal perspective.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Nicole is a great guide, and good to know she gave you such a great tour for us. We will make sure she sees your review.

Good intro to Wellington

Anne_C, Apr 2023

Our guide was super informative and very funny. He gave us a very personalised trip. Showing us lots of extra sties Thankyou

Response from Host, Apr 2023

That's what we like to hear! Thanks for taking the time to leave your review.

A good tour in Wellington!

James_C, Apr 2023

We had a great time in Wellington. There's a lot of victorian buildings and amazing views from the top on Mt Victoria. Had an amazing time at the Weta Workshop in Miramar - Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and other movie notables. The cable car ride was scenic and fun as well

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Good to hear you enjoyed your time in Wellington with us James. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

Stan is the man, great guide!

Karen_G, Apr 2023

Stan was a superb tour guide. He had plenty of funny stories. He gave a good amount of time for pictures. If you can get Stan, take the tour. We got a great overview of the city.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Stan is certainly a great tour guide. Glad he gave yet another of his outstanding tours. Thanks for leaving him such a great review.

DO IT

Ann_W, Mar 2023

Our driver was great went above and beyond. Very informative and helpful. Was an interesting few hours good way to see a few different sites whilst in Port.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Thank Ann. All our guides are handpicked to give the best experience for our customers in Wellington. Thanks for leaving your review.

Not happy Jan

Andrew_R, Mar 2023

Did not see what was on the itinerary. Was meant to go to a winery in the country and chocolate factory Instead just drive around seeing Art Deco buildings

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Hello Andrew, we are confused with your review, as we do not offer a Winery and Chocolate Factory tour and Wellington does not have any Art Deco buildings. Could we respectfully ask you to check which tour operator you were with on this day. The Art Deco sounds more like Napier city further up the North Island, and we only operate in the Wellington Region. We hope you will amend this review if has been attributed to us in error. Thanks

Interesting

Carol_B, Mar 2023

Very informative tour that covered lots of the city. Richard was a very good guide too. From high vantage points to Government buildings lots of things were covered. Well worth it.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for taking the time to post your review Carol. Glad you enjoyed your tour with me.

Fab day with Deano!

Angela_M, Mar 2023

Deano, our guide, was fantastic. A brilliant combination of informative, but relaxed and funny. A small group meant that we could get in and out of the mini bus faster and it all felt a bit more personal than a trip with our cruise line. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get a feel for this beautiful place, in a relatively short space of time.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Thanks for leaving Dean such a great review Angela. Sounds like he delivered yet another great tour for us. Glad you left Wellington with great memories.

Very poor commincation

Gael_C, Mar 2023

The travel company viator used did not send me as promised in their email, a text to show the alteration of pick up time and therfore we missed the tour which we list £107. The email I received before leaving home stated yo be picked up at 10.45am however our ship docked early and the changed time was 8.45am. We did not have wifi to receive an email but I could have known if the company had texted me. Very poor communication. I was livid and it ruined the day of my holiday in New Zealand.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

(Deep breath) Hi Gael, we are sorry you missed your tour with us. Ships suddenly changing day and berthing time is a nightmare for tour operators and passengers alike, but out of our control. I need to address your comments as follows: 1. On 27 Feb at 11.57am we sent you a Viator message advising the new pickup time of 8.15am (not 8.45am as you list above), which I realise is dependent upon ship wifi, so in that message we also said we would send a text. 2. On the same day 27 Feb at 12.25pm we sent a text to your mobile number +44 ..... 235 advising the new pickup time of 8.15am and asking for a reply so we knew you had received and seen it. 3. On 28 Feb (the morning of the tour with an 8.15am pickup) after receiving no text reply from you and no sign of you at port, we rang you on your above mobile number at 8.22am and went straight to voicemail. 4. Five minutes later we rang your mobile number again at 8.27am and again went to voicemail. If you check your missed calls and missed texts you will find them there from my NZ mobile number +64 212...3604. I have screenshots of all the above communications if you wish to receive a copy. 5. Lastly, in the original pickup instructions we sent you on 2 different occasions (31 Dec 2022 2.52pm and 12 January 2023 5.53pm) through Viator confirming your booking and pickup time, it includes the words "Pick up will be 45 minutes after your ship has berthed, as they are not always on schedule.” This would have also given you information for the earlier pickup time. I cannot think of anything else that we could have done to contact you. We picked up a total of 32 separate bookings on the Noordam that day, and we followed the same process with all that hadn't responded to our Viator message. You were the only booking that didn't show up on time at port. We held your minibus departure back (with the other passengers all on board waiting while we tried to ring you) until after 8.30am before we had to depart without you. We are a highly respected tour company that owns its mistakes and puts them right. If we found we had failed to text or communicate with you when promised, causing you to miss your tour, we would have requested Viator to give you a full refund. So today I am also feeling somewhat 'livid', but for a very different reason.

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