Down on the corner, the curvaceous Lido just keeps packing them in with its funky retro architecture, live music on Saturday nights and excellent cafe fare.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Wellington attractions

1. City Gallery Wellington

0.07 MILES

Housed in the monumental old library in Civic Sq (the new library is next door), Wellington’s much-loved City Gallery does a cracking job of securing…

2. St Mary of the Angels

0.11 MILES

Closed for seismic strengthening and restoration from 2013 to 2017, this pretty Catholic parish church is looking downright heavenly. Built in 1922, it…

3. Bucket Fountain

0.22 MILES

Cuba Mall's landmark (and sneakily splashy) fountain mocks the surrounding commerce with its Zen-like tilt-and-pour processes. The kids (and the wandering…

4. Wellington Museum

0.29 MILES

For an imaginative, interactive experience of Wellington’s social and maritime history, head to this bewitching little museum, inside an 1892 bond store…

5. Te Papa

0.32 MILES

New Zealand's national museum is hard to miss, taking up a sizeable chunk of the Wellington waterfront. ‘Te Papa Tongarewa’ loosely translates as …

6. Academy Galleries

0.32 MILES

The showcase of the esteemed New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts (founded 1882), the Academy Galleries presents frequently changing exhibitions by NZ artists…

7. Wellington Cable Car

0.34 MILES

One of Wellington’s big-ticket attractions is the little red cable car that clanks up the slope from Lambton Quay to Kelburn. At the top are the…

8. New Zealand Portrait Gallery

0.4 MILES

Housed in a heritage red-brick warehouse on the waterfront, this estimable gallery presents a diverse range of NZ portraiture and caricature from its own…