WellingtonSee & Do
A family of four sits in the colourful steps leading to Wellington Chocolate Factory in Hannahs Laneway.

Keep the kids entertained these school holidays

Peppa Pig and friends on stage as part of the Fun Day Out Live show.
Two people are doing the capibara experience at Wellington Zoo. A zoo employee sits with them, smiling while they scratch two capibaras with scratcher sticks.
A family of four poses for a photo with two life-size cut-outs of Mickey and Minni Mouse at the Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibition.
A tour guide demonstrates a part of the Chocolatier Tour at Wellington Chocolate Factory to a group of people listening.
Two parents and their young child pet piglets at Staglands Wildlife Reserve.
A Wētā Workshop artist applies special effects makeup to a visitor's hand, creating a realistic wound.
A family of three is on a guided walking tour at Zealandia.
Looking into the Cable Car tunnel, with green LED lights lighting the inside and the 2 Cable cars meet in the middle of the tracks side by side.
2 children walking through a tunnel at Space place lit up by green LED lights.
Four children and a tour guide look at a piece at the Te Whanganui-a-Tara exhibition at the Wellington Museum.
Peppa Pig and friends on stage as part of the Fun Day Out Live show.

A one-off chance to oink with Peppa Pig

5 July 2025 | St James Theatre

Here’s a rip-snorting way to introduce the little ones in your household to live theatre. ‘Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out LIVE!’ brings the much-loved animated series to life. The 5 July show is packed full of songs, dance, games, amazing puppets and muddy puddles. The interactive show may see kids dance with colourful scarecrows, feed penguins, and build big sandcastles.

Find out more
Two people are doing the capibara experience at Wellington Zoo. A zoo employee sits with them, smiling while they scratch two capibaras with scratcher sticks.

Walk on the wild side at Wellington Zoo

200 Daniell Street, Newtown, Wellington

The hills of city-fringe suburb Newtown hide a secret. Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo has more than 500 native and endangered exotic animals on site. The 13-hectare zoo has a strong commitment to conservation and animal welfare. Get your tamariki out and about these holidays and join the zoo's holiday programme. Designed for children aged 5 to 12, it’s packed with engaging activities and opportunities to learn. Kids participate in hands-on tasks, like making animal diets, or preparing and delivering enrichment activities. Children will be entertained and develop their understanding of the zoo’s commitment to conservation, connection, and care. 

Find out more
A family of four poses for a photo with two life-size cut-outs of Mickey and Minni Mouse at the Disney: The Magic of Animation exhibition.

See your favourite characters at Disney: The Magic of Animation

20 February – 13 July 2025 | Tākina

Every Disney character starts with a drawing. Discover how they are brought to the screen at ‘Disney: The Magic of Animation | Ngā Tāoreore Tūmatarau’. See the internationally acclaimed exhibition at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The exhibition features artworks from classic stories and films spanning 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios. See more than 600 art pieces up close, from original sketches of timeless characters to modern, computer-generated wonders. Go behind the scenes to witness the artistry that goes into creating beloved on-screen characters.

Find out more
A tour guide demonstrates a part of the Chocolatier Tour at Wellington Chocolate Factory to a group of people listening.

Become a chocolatier at Wellington Chocolate Factory

5 Eva Street, Te Aro, Wellington

It’s Wellington’s answer to Willy Wonka. The award-winning Wellington Chocolate Factory helps you learn all about the art of chocolate-making. From bean to bar, everything is handcrafted. The factory doors are open for junior tours during school holidays only. Chocoholic kids can decorate their own chocolate bar, create a custom wrapper, and hand-wrap their creation. There’ll also be time to enjoy a hot chocolate along the way.  

Find out more
Two parents and their young child pet piglets at Staglands Wildlife Reserve.

Interact with native species at Staglands

2362 Akatarawa Road, Upper Hutt

At Staglands Wildlife Reserve, 10 hectares of bush, farmland, and wetlands have been cultivated into an idyllic home for animals big and small. It’s a great way to engage children with native flora and fauna. Hand feeding, bush walks, eel spotting, and native bird encounters are all on offer in the Hutt Valley’s beautiful Akatarawa Valley. While there, you’re likely to see whio, kea, pāteke, scaup, and grey teal. There are also animal breeds such as kunekune, Auckland Island pigs, and Arapawa Island goats. For the school holidays, staff are handing out free marshmallows to young conservationists in the making.

Find out more
A Wētā Workshop artist applies special effects makeup to a visitor's hand, creating a realistic wound.

Learn a skill at Wētā Workshop

21 Camperdown Road, Miramar, Wellington

Visit the home of movie-making magic and see behind the scenes of how your favourite movies are brought to life. Wētā Workshop combines cutting-edge technology with hand-crafted artistry. If you’re a movie fan, a creative whizz, or looking to learn a new skill, Wētā's creative workshops are a fun activity. Roll up your sleeves and learn the magic of sculpting with household materials and modelling clay. The Junior Introduction to Sculpting workshop suits children aged 6 to 11 years, and is on exclusively for the holidays. Other courses suit teens, including leatherwork and special effects makeup.

Find out more
A family of three is on a guided walking tour at Zealandia.

Explore Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne

53 Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington

Just minutes from the central city is the world’s first fully fenced ecosanctuary, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne. With 225 hectares of regenerating forest, more than 40 rare native wildlife species and 32km of tracks to explore, it’s a fun-filled active day out. Join a guided tour, or pick up a visitor map and venture around the reserve and spot the wildlife yourself. Keep a lookout for prehistoric reptile the tuatara, giant wētā, or kererū, and the chunky native pigeon. Exploring the sanctuary by torchlight on a night tour is a great way to spot creatures like cave wētā, ruru, and glowworms. If you’re lucky, you may get to see one of the estimated 140 rare little spotted kiwi living within the sanctuary.

Find out more
Looking into the Cable Car tunnel, with green LED lights lighting the inside and the 2 Cable cars meet in the middle of the tracks side by side.

Catch a ride to the top with Wellington Cable Car

280 Lambton Quay, Wellington Central, Wellington

One of the capital’s most iconic experiences is a five-minute trip that has become a must-do for tourists. Every 10 minutes the bright red Wellington Cable Car traverses the hills of Kelburn. It’s a 612m journey from its city centre location to the top. Along the way, you’ll travel through tunnels full of LED lights and over three bridges. The views of the city, harbour and hills are spectacular. There’s a free museum at the top that tells the story of the cable car through original artefacts, photographs, and interactive exhibitions. From the top, there’s also easy access to Wellington Botanic Garden, Space Place and Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne (via free shuttle).

Find out more
2 children walking through a tunnel at Space place lit up by green LED lights.

Adventure into Space Place

40 Salamanca Road, Kelburn, Wellington

Sitting on one of the high ridges in Wellington’s Botanic Gardens, Space Place at Carter Observatory is home to a digital full-dome planetarium. Sit back and recline in comfort while you go on a virtual space journey through the solar system and beyond. In the adjacent interactive exhibits and galleries, take in the sheer scale of the universe and its origins in the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Feel the rumble of a rocket launch, find out about when humans landed on the moon, touch a moon rock, or check out the junior astronaut zone. Discover the Māori story of creation and the significance of Matariki. Visit at night to view the southern skies through the 150-year-old Thomas Cooke telescope.

Find out more
Four children and a tour guide look at a piece at the Te Whanganui-a-Tara exhibition at the Wellington Museum.

Go back in time at Wellington Museum

3 Jervois Quay, Wellington

One of the many jewels on Wellington’s waterfront, the Wellington Museum tells a thousand stories about the city and its people. From maritime history to early Māori settlement, and the city’s evolution since becoming the capital in 1865. The exhibitions are designed to make information accessible and fun so kids will be engaged. There’s a giant high-definition carpet map of the entire city. You can search for your house or hotel. A re-creation of a 19th-century Wellington wharf with scurrying ‘rats’ makes for a fun and enthralling exhibit. There are holographs, a time capsule experience, short films, and plenty more. 

Find out more