Cruise port
Wellington: Cruise Wharf, City Access and Shore Visits
Wellington cruise port at Aotea Quay: access, meeting points, and ideas for the city and region.
Cruise port at Aotea Quay
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, is situated on a sheltered natural harbour. CentrePort’s cruise port has dedicated berths for cruise ships and passengers at Aotea Quay. The cruise wharf is at Aotea Quay, northeast of the railway station on Bunny Street; the National Bus Terminal is directly east of the station. When guests leave the ship, they enter a cruise zone within the port. Made from repurposed shipping containers, it offers toilets, a New Zealand gift shop, a travel essentials shop, shelter from the weather, an information point, free Wi-Fi and seating for before and after going ashore. Local City Ambassadors and Cruise Hosts help passengers with questions and on-the-ground assistance.
Access and meeting points
The cruise wharf is not open to the public; taxis may not pick up or drop off passengers there. Safe meeting points outside the port are Lambton Quay and the railway station on Bunny Street. Lambton Quay is south of the station in the city centre and southwest of the cruise wharf. Depending on the day of arrival, the shuttle bus and a walk into the city are possible ways to get there. Ship staff direct passengers to the bus for their booked shore excursion or to the city shuttle. In the 2026/27 season, the cruise shuttle stops on Wakefield Street, opposite the Amora Hotel. For onward travel by taxi, use safe pick-up points in the city or at the shuttle stop. If a booked excursion does not return to the wharf, the cruise shuttle is intended for the return trip to the ship.
City and region
Wellington experiences include the waterfront, coffee roasters, local breweries, and arts and culture. Visiting cruise ships also offer shore excursions that can be booked on board. Beyond the city centre, the region offers nature tours, scenic lookouts and wineries. The city centre is on the harbour’s western shore, while the cruise zone at Aotea Quay is in the northeast. Wellington International Airport is 8.5 kilometres from CentrePort. It is in Rongotai, southeast of the city centre, between Evans Bay to the north and Lyall Bay to the south.
Auckland is another cruise port in New Zealand.
Wellington: Port and Surroundings
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On shore
Excursions around Wellington
Visit to Pencarrow Station farm
A trip from Wellington along the coast to the Penncarrow Station. On this 80 hectare farm, the farmer will show all sorts of interesting things from his daily life. From the farm you also have a beautiful view of the harbour entrance and the Kaikoura ranges on New Zealand's South Island. The return trip to Wellington takes in Eastbourne and Petone.
Wairarapa
A trip along the coastal road through the Hutt Valley and the jagged Rumutaka Ranges into the fertile Valley of Wairarapa. A visit to the valley from the Mount Bruce Wildlife Center. A great many indigenous plants and animals are drawn into this nature park and nurtured here. There follows a visit to a farm, and lunch in the form of a hearty barbecue. During the trip back to Wellington there will be enough time for a short break in a wine growing area, where the participants will be won over by the excellent quality of New Zealand wine.
City coach tour
After a stay of about 20 minutes on Mount Victoria with a marvellous panoramic view of the city, it's then onwards in the world-famous cable car to the Kelburn Hills for a walk through the botanical garden and the Rose Garden of Lady Norwood. There follows a visit to St Paul's Cathedral, a wooden church built in the English neo-Gothic style. The tour of the city takes the participants past the government and parliament buildings before finishing with a tour of the suburbs built in colonial style.
