Passengers on Cruise ships

A busy time in Wellington Harbour

A special welcome awaits you for your day in Wellington.

A link to the schedule of cruise ship arrivals for the 2024-2025 season as at 13 June 2024 is posted below:

Cruise arrivals Wellington 2024/2025 

If you are spending a day in Wellington as a part of your cruise, and want to join a walking tour of Wellington City, two options are available. 

Heritage/Cable Car walk –

departs 9.30am 

Guests from cruise ships as well as independent travellers are welcome to book for this tour.  This walk operates when cruise ships are in port, from early November to mid April. 

The route includes a ‘skip the queue’ (for our guests from North America  skip the line ) ride up in the Cable Car, followed by a downhill walk through the Botanic Garden and Rose Gardens, Thorndon Heritage area, and the Parliamentary precinct. 

The Cable Car fare is included in the cost.

The Botanic Gardens part of the walk is fully on pavement, with some steeper sections and some steps. The city part is essentially on the flat.

This walk is not recommended for people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues.

This loop walk departs at 9.30am from the Shuttle bus drop off /pick up point in Lambton Quay, which is adjacent to the Parliamentary precinct at the northern end of our city.  The tour will finish by 1pm.

Link to Shuttle bus stop 

Your guide will ensure you know how to continue to your next point of interest, or return to your ship on the shuttle bus.

If your ship has a later arrival time, so that you cannot make the 9.30am start time, then contact us to see if a different start time can be arranged.

The $NZ 45.00 charge for this walk is to be paid at least 48 hours before the start time, to confirm your booking and to enable us to schedule our volunteer guides. Any non-booked accompanying guests are welcome to join the tour if space is available, and can pay the guide directly in $NZ. Please note that the walk will only take place if attendees are confirmed. 

We are happy to assure you that if your cruise ship schedule is changed, we will automatically arrange a full refund including any booking fees. You do not need to cancel the booking.

Bookings for this walk can be made by following this link to our booking page.

 Online Secure Booking

On the day of the walk you will be met by our guide in green, who will be holding a green sign.

Follow this link to Google Map location of Shuttle stop. 

Link to Shuttle bus stop 

Because it is not possible for us to advertise this walk on the cruise ship, we would appreciate it if you could advise and encourage fellow travellers by Cruise Critic or other ways, so that more guests can book with us. 

Essential Wellington Walk - departs 10am.

SPECIAL NOTICE

From Wednesday 20 November the start point for our walks will be at the relocated i-site in the Takina Convention Centre 50 Cable St opposite Te Papa.

After arriving on the shuttle at the drop off point in Lambton Quay, make your way to the the i-site Visitor Centre the Takina Convention Centre at 50 Cable St (opposite Te Papa) where you can book to join the public regular 10am Essential Wellington Walk, if you have not already booked in advance. 

On the day of the walk you will be met by our guide in green.

The route includes the waterfront, Queens Wharf, Old Bank Arcade, Lambton Quay, Supreme Court*, Old Government Buildings, Parliamentary precinct and Old St Paul's Cathedral. 

This one-way walk departing at 10.00am from the i-site at 50 Cable St Cuba St, finishes by 12.30pm in the Parliamentary precinct at the northern end of our city. Your guide will ensure you know how best to return to your shuttle bus pick-up point or to continue to your next point of interest.

Details of this walk are included in the Essential Wellington Walk  page.

We are happy to assure you that if your cruise ship schedule is changed we will automatically arrange a full refund including any booking fees. You do not need to cancel the booking.

The $NZ 25.00 charge for this walk can be booked in advance by following this link to our booking page.

If you need any further information please check out the Frequently Asked Questions page Frequently asked questions 

If you can not find the answer, then email information@walkwellington.org.nz or by following this link  Walk Wellington 

Note that as we are a voluntary organisation there could be a delay before we are able to reply.

*Entry to the Supreme Court requires security screening.

Check out Wellington's weather here 

Old Government Building and shuttle bus drop off point

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