Are you blessed or burdened with the task to organise the next school trip for your class in Wellington and looking for some inspiration for fun activities? Then you’ve come to the right place! Being the capital city of New Zealand, the city is filled with cultural heritage and harbours and is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Read more to find out our top tips for school trip activities in Wellington.
Being the capital of New Zealand, Wellington is filled with a rich history and a lot of cultural heritage. In the city, there are many iconic landmarks such as Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, the Opera House, the harbour and many more. This makes the city a perfect place for all kinds of things, from company getaways or booking the perfect conference venue to getting the kids in touch with New Zealand’s culture. The city is also surrounded by nature and lies between shores and hills. So whether you want to make sure your kids get in touch with New Zealand’s culture or get to see the outdoors: Wellington is definitely worth a visit!
Teaching kids about history, culture and heritage are very important for their all-round development. Also, it’s very fun and interesting! Here are our four favourite cultural landmarks in Wellington:
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington is New Zealand’s national museum and art gallery, making it a must-see in cultural heritage for the kids. Admire priceless artworks, ancient artefacts, and natural history specimens; get hands-on with interactive exhibitions; and learn more about the country’s colonial history, Maori heritage, and native wildlife.
Wellington Museum shares the fascinating stories of the Wellington region. All are housed within a very historic setting, built in 1892 heritage by leading architect Frederick de Jersey Clere. The museum has many different exhibitions, so visiting this museum means getting the kids in touch with almost all the cultural heritage you can imagine.
The National War Memorial commemorates all New Zealanders who died in the South African War, First World War, Second World War, post-war conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It also honours all men and women who served New Zealand in those wars and conflicts. This memorial honours all those who have fallen in the name of fighting for our freedom, which is a very important piece of history.
Old St Paul’s is a must-see experience when visiting Wellington with your class. Built in 1866, this magnificent Gothic pro-cathedral is one of the most loved landmarks in the city.
Kids love the outdoors and letting them move around will let them express all the energy they have in them. Educate your kids about the wildlife or go on a hike with them. These are our favourite hiking trails and wildlife activities in and around the city:
Set off on a wildlife adventure the kids will always remember at Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington. This guided walking tour is an excellent way to see some of New Zealand’s most extraordinary wildlife, including rare birds such as takahe, kaka bush parrots, and green geckos.
Pinnacles track has three shorter walking tours that are perfectly suitable for the little ones. Three routes lead to the Putangirua Pinnacles or the Pinnacles lookout, all separate routes are approximately 45 minutes walk:
Walk up the streambed to where the Pinnacles tower overhead.
This leads to the junction connecting the Ridge Walk Track and Pinnacles Track. Going right at this junction takes you to the Pinnacles lookout.
Walk up the streambed to the base of the Pinnacles and turn left onto the Ridge Walk Track. This track climbs steeply to the lookout and meets up with the Pinnacles Track. The Pinnacles Track and Ridge Walk Track form a loop.
Explore the beautiful coasts of Wellington with the kids on the Wellington Coastal Tour. On this tour you’ll visit Oriental Bay with its iconic Carter Memorial Fountain, the sculptures disseminated from the entrance to the Miramar peninsula up to Taputeranga Marine Reserve and Shelly Bay. And if you and the kids are lucky you might even spot some dolphins or orcas swimming in the bays.
Every kid loves the zoo, right? Wellington Zoo is New Zealand’s first Zoo, and Wellington’s oldest conservation organisation, caring for animals since 1906. The Zoo is a not for profit charitable trust and has been that way since 2003. The Trust runs the Zoo on behalf of Wellington City Council. Spot animals and other wildlife, and learn your kids all about exotic animals at the Zoo.
The pool might not be a traditional sports day on a field, but swimming is lots of fun, and if the kids in your class are good swimmers a great option. You could organise a swimming contest, water polo, or other water sports. It is a good idea to call Karori Pool in advance to reserve. This facility has a 25-metre heated indoor pool, learners’ pool, teaching pool, toddlers’ pool, hydro slide and spa.
Doing sports in the park with nice weather always makes for a great day. Our tip: try to organise a sports day in the park. It’s very easy to organise and doesn’t require a lot of equipment, plus you can organise a picnic afterwards.
Go ice skating with your class at the Frosty Spot Indoor Ice Rink. The location has a large 50 x 20 metres rink, so it has plenty of space for a school class to go ice skating. You might even be able to arrange an ice skating or hockey class if you call the rink in advance!
Make easy work of Wellington’s hills and make your own schedule on this self-guided electric bike tour. The tour will guide you and the kids to landmarks such as the Weta Workshop, Te Papa Museum, Zealandia Sanctuary, and the Wellington Waterfront. If you want to explore the surroundings you can also book a tour of the Rimutaka Rail Trail or Mount Victoria.
As you can read, Wellington has more than plenty to offer for all kinds of groups. We hope this list inspired you for your next school trip to Wellington!
Organising a school trip is work enough as it is. Arranging activities, a place for teachers and kids to sleep, scheduling, keeping an eye on the kids, and so on… So why go through all the trouble to organise transport when we can easily take that on? Our variety of buses can transport you to any part of New Zealand. Check out our other pages for your trip ideas, maybe you also organising your friends Hens’ party and need ideas.