Wellington

Our fine capital is home to some fantastic hotels for all kinds of visitors looking for all kinds of getaways. Whether you’re looking for a staycation in your own city or need to find a place for a cheeky trip away, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington has somewhere for everyone.

Wellington prides itself on its cafe culture—and we’ll be the first to say it’s justified.

The Urban List guide to the absolute best things to do in Wellington. 

We caught up with the Kiwi sports team of the moment, the Black Ferns, to talk game day routines, mental health and pump-up tunes. 

Our guide to the shows you simply must hit in the 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival. 

2024 is almost done and dusted. Only one question remains—where will you be when the new year dawns?

Get amped up for the most wonderful time of the year. We’re talkin’ New Zealand’s festival season. Across the country, lads and lasses will be locking in tickets to some of the best festivals our country has to offer, all promising an epic mash-up of beats, vibes and all round good times.

It’s not too late to rally the troops, or just yourself, to raise a bit of cashola for this totally worthy and far-too-close-to-home cause.

Māori Language Week is just around the corner (14-21 Mahuru/September to be exact) and here are 10 ways to celebrate. 

Taking your pup for a walk is all very well until you realise you’re in a park that’s a no-go for pooches. Talk about barking up the wrong tree. Luckily, there’s a whole lot of dog-friendly walks you can waltz along to your heart’s content, your fur baby by your side.

There’s certainly no shortage of mouth-watering restaurants outside of Auckland, and this poses a delicious problem: where do you eat when you’re surrounded by choices?

If you’re looking to squash that nervous energy this year we’ve compiled five cat cafes around New Zealand so you can catch up on some much needed cuddles.

With summer on the horizon, there's never been a better time for us to explore our beautiful country. We've put together a list of well-known (and a few more secret) spots around the North Island you need to check out to make the most of the season.

Picture the perfect day with your pup and we bet it includes a trip to the beach. 

So if you don’t know your drop kick from your dropout, don’t worry, you can still get some skin in the game.

We’ve got the buzz on the best luxury hotels around the country, so you can be drinking champagne in a spa pool as soon as physically possible. Start packing those bags.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup has kicked off in New Zealand. Held every four years, the event showcases talent from 32 countries—making it the largest women’s sporting event in the world. 

Dine and drink like a local, from bistros and cafes to takeaways and food trucks, tipples enjoyed at home to beverages on tap.

After taking Auckland and then Christchurch by storm, entertainment masters Funlab has announced that its biggest (and best) Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq AND Holey Moley will be opening right in the heart of Wellington.

Together with Lipton Ice Tea, we're serving up seven of the best outdoor events, festivals and things to do in New Zealand over March and April. 

If you’re longing for a summer break but are short on time and funds, why not check out some gems on our very own doorstep? A summer on the Land of the Long White Cloud has so much to offer—even in terms of bargain hotel deals.

We might be biased, but one thing is for sure; Aotearoa punches above its weight with our homegrown music talent. 

Whether you’re a die-hard pickle fan, on the fence or just pickle-curious this week will hit in all the right places.

Double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. The most frightful night of the year approaches—it’s time to get spooky with these actually good Halloween costume ideas. 

Stay up to date with our live list of the latest updates of restrictions around Auckland and New Zealand.

Whether you’re planning the ultimate staff do, a creative girls' night out, or your little one’s birthday bash, bowling is a time-tested way to get a party started.

Whether you’re saying congratulations, happy birthday, or just a simple I love you, a beautiful bouquet is always a good idea.

In the time of Visa Wellington On a Plate, nothing is too outlandish. From immersive themed dinners to sensory experiments to adults-only menus, there are heaps of options out there that'll have your mind blown and your tastebuds cheering. We've got the scoop on the hottest events coming up this year and if our intel is anything to go by, you'll want to get in quick.

If you’re looking for something to watch as it gets colder to cosy up in a cinema or at home, the full Doc Edge Festival programme is now live with over 100 feature length and short films to sink your teeth into.

There's nothing we love more than scoping out the latest creative displays. Plus, when it's paired with the chance to pick up epic prizes, you can count us in. 

Whether you’re feeling a bit cash-strapped in the lead up to payday or just love a freebie, Wellington has oodles of fun-tastic things to do that are absolutely, positively free.

We're counting down the days till when can get out and make the most of summer. Because after the year that was, we’re so ready for a break from the daily desk, coffee, walk, repeat routine.

Summer is here which means one thing…ice cream, and lots of it. While plenty of the sweet stuff can be found in the Capital’s concrete jungle—we’ve done the hard yards and nailed down a list of the very best. And we take our job very seriously indeed. Here are the best ice cream stores to be found in the windy city.

Jumping in your car, blasting the tunes and taking in some epic scenery can be soothing for the soul. From craggy coastlines to lush forests and bush, our capital city has a number of drives to hit the road for. 

From live yoga and pilates-inspired workouts, to world-renowned Les Mills classes, getting fit at home has never been easier (or more accessible). So chuck on your trainers, clear a space in your living room or head to the driveway, and get moving. 

With the city’s most beloved bakers now offering contactless delivery, you can keep supporting local from the comfort of your own home and stock your kitchen with boxes of doughnuts. Here’s the list of those making level 3 a little sweeter.

With no shortage of sensational routes, lace up your running shoes and enjoy our picks for the12 best running tracks in Wellington.

Throw on your puffer jacket and lace up those boots—winter is well and truly here and we’re ready to make it the best one yet. Lucky for us, it’s not hard with a slew of unmissable events going down across the country this chilly season. 

Realising this gap between food waste and food insecurity, Nick Loosley founded Everybody Eats - a locally-based, not-for-profit with a mission to reduce food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand. With Everybody Eats scaling across NZ, we caught up with Nick to find out more about their origins, their mission, and hear about their new Goodie Box initiative. 

Ah, winter. That delightful season when jammies and slippers become a fashion statement, social outings become rarer than a blood supermoon, and Netflix and chill takes on a whole new meaning. To help combat the winter blues and lure you out of hibernation, St John’s Bar and Restaurant are bringing back their ultra 'Gram-worthy pop-up igloos for a limited time.

What if we told you that you had a billion dollars to spend? Well, it’s your lucky day, because you already are a billionaire; of heartbeats, at least. We’re all born with about 2.5 BILLION heartbeats to spend over our lifetime. Surely, we’ve got to invest these heartbeats into something meaningful.

Not since Priscilla has New Zealand and Australia seen something as bloody fabulous as RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under. Coming this September the absolute dazzling line-up will descend upon Australia for a spanking live tour featuring all ten of the Queens from season one of the show.

Whether it’s the location, the ambience, the comfort of the bed, the 5-star rating or the cleanliness that attracts you to a hotel, we’re here to spoil you for choice and highlight some of Wellington’s top hotels. 

Eat, Drink, Play will be dishing up more than 100 delectable events and there’s something for everyone on the menu. Solve a murder mystery during dinner, play bingo with a drag queen, fire up your tastebuds with a hot wings challenge, or learn to mix cocktails like a pro. Special hotel packages are also up for grabs, so you can stay right amongst the action. 

After taking some time out in 2020, the luxurious, two-hatted Hippopotamus Restaurant and Cocktail Bar is back in full swing and ready to treat you to a fabulously chic culinary experience.

Adventure enthusiasts, unite! Banff Mountain Film Festival is just around the corner and it’s packed with enough jaw-dropping moments to set even the most adrenaline junkie of hearts a flutter. 

Now you'll be able to have your own Emily In Paris moment as the full-scale, indoor exhibition will be touring stadium-sized venues in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland next year. Yep, get ready to snap up those tickets.

They’re offering free behind-the-scenes talks in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Invercargill to share the laughs, mess ups and learnings that got Fix & Fogg to where it is today, with drinks, nibbles, nut butter and a Q&A with Roman, CEO and Founder, to round up the evening. 

Time to let op-shop fever set in. Whether you could easily lose a day browsing pre-loved goodies, or you’ve come across some of the harrowing stats about the clothing industry, there’s no denying the demand for second-hand clothes is growing.

Ben & Jerry's have launched what's potentially the world's largest-ever Easter egg hunt—with 10,000 scoops of free ice cream thrown into the mix, no less—and you're invited. Now if you're wondering what the heck a virtual Easter egg hunt is or more importantly, how you can get involved—here's the scoop.

Ready your spoons and don your stretchy pants because an adults-only ice cream truck is going on tour—and it could be stopping at your doorstep. 

From 5 February to 28 March, Wellington’s streets will become centre stage for a free, city-wide programme of music, art, dance and theatre as part of the newly launched festival, What If The City Was A Theatre? 

Whether it’s the reflection lakes of Wanaka or the emerald green waters that crater the Tongariro Crossing, Aotearoa is home to some amazing bodies of water. 

Paint your mate to resemble a resident of Pandora at Paintvine’s awesome new painting experience. Held this February 14 at Auckland’s Platform 8, why not skip the fancy dinner and get up close and personal with your partner to spice up your Valentine’s day.

In the pursuit of serenity, we’ve found some of the best camping spots in and around Wellington. Whether you’re a tent-pitcher or glamping only type, there’s something for you, check out these epic camping spots.

After 102 days clear of community transmission and a sudden lockdown, it's been announced that Auckland will join the rest of New Zealand at Alert Level 1 from midnight on Wednesday October 7.  We've rounded up the info on everything you can and can't do at this alert level so bone up, and proceed with caution.

Move over monopoly, escape rooms are our new favourite way to get competitive and tackle some good old fashioned problem solving with our friends. Here are the best escape rooms in Wellington. 

We headed out around Wellington to document some of our favourite stargazing places, capturing the beauty of the cosmos as gorgeously documented in these stunning photos.

We are currently in Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand and that means, no restaurants, no going out for coffee and no takeaways. But this doesn't mean an end to healthy hearty food and now is the perfect time to learn to cook great food with local ingredients. 

As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, we’re starting the get amped up for the most wonderful time of the year. We’re talkin’ New Zealand’s summer festival season. Across the country, lads and lasses will be locking in tickets to some of the best summer festivals our country has to offer, all promising an epic mash-up of beats, vibes and all round good times in the sunshine.