When is the best time to fly to Wellington?
Peak season
Wellington’s exposed seaside location means that the city is renowned for its windy conditions and is generally cooler than other parts of New Zealand throughout much of the year. The city’s peak tourist season coincides with the summer months of December through to February when domestic visitors are on their long annual break. While the city sees its warmest weather during this period, it can also be notably unpredictable with a seemingly different season every day. If you are visiting during the summer, be prepared for not only inflated hotel prices, but weather conditions of all kinds.
Wellington also sees another peak in visitors during the Easter week holidays, and due to the relatively consistent weather experienced during autumn, together with the beautiful changing leaves, this is a highly recommended season to visit.
Off season
While Wellington doesn’t typically experience much snow, except on the surrounding mountain peaks, its winters do get incredibly cold and this is the wettest season in the capital. Few tourists venture to the city at this time, but if you do decide to brave the cold, you will benefit from reduced flight ticket prices and good hotel deals.
The spring months of September through to November are a great time to visit Wellington if you want the best of the weather, without the crowds. The winds tend to be at their calmest, particularly towards the end of spring, and the daffodils of Wellington ignite the city in colour.
How long is the flight to Wellington?
Flights from Auckland to Wellington - 1 hours 05 minutes.
Flights from Christchurch to Wellington - 55 minutes.
Flights from Queenstown to Wellington - 1 hours 40 minutes.
Flights from Nelson to Wellington - 35 minutes.
Flights from Palmerston North to Wellington - 35 minutes.
Flights from Hamilton to Wellington - 1 hours 10 minutes.
Which airlines operate flights to Wellington?
Air New Zealand operates daily, direct flights to Wellington from most of the country’s major cities, including Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Nelson, Hamilton and Palmerston North. There are also direct flights to Wellington from both Auckland and Christchurch with Jetstar which tend to offer slightly cheaper flight ticket prices. The small regional operator, Sounds Air, also has daily flights to Wellington on the short leg from Nelson.
How to get from the airport to the city centre?
The Wellington International Airport is located in the suburb of Rongotai, around 5 kilometres to the southeast of the city centre.
There is an express bus service known as the Airport Flyer which whisks passengers from Wellington International Airport to the centre of Wellington in around 30 minutes, continuing on to Lower Hutt. The buses are purpose built for airport passengers, with luggage racks, wide doors, TVs displaying weather and news, as well as free wifi. They depart every 20 minutes from the southern end of the airport terminal and tickets can be bought on board from the driver.
If you want a door-to-door service, then opt for the Super Shuttle which operates from outside the terminal building and takes around 25 minutes to the city centre. If you are travelling with a group of people, they offer significant discounts on the usual fare.
The most hassle-free, but expensive, way of getting from Wellington Airport to your accommodation is with one of the taxis that depart from ranks outside the terminal building. The journey time is around 20 minutes and the taxis are licensed to operate at the airport for your safety.