Trip Planner: South Pacific / New Zealand / North Island / Greater Wellington / Wellington / ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary

ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary, Wellington

4.6

Must see · Wildlife Area · Nature / Park

Create an itinerary including ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary

The world's first urban eco-sanctuary, Zealandia hosts New Zealand's most endangered native animals, including tuatara, kiwi and giant wētā, all living wild just ten minutes from downtown Wellington. Visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on learning about New Zealand's natural history, from 80 million years ago to the present day. If you prefer to venture on your own, you can explore the 225 hectare (560 acre) valley via moderate hiking trails or wheelchair-accessible paths. To gain deeper insight into the sanctuary's special ecosystem, sign up for a guided daytime, twilight, or night tour--just make sure you book in advance. A favorite of guests, the flashlight-guided night tour introduces you to the sights and sounds of the New Zealand bush, which you can only catch after the sun goes down. Put ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Wellington vacation maker site.

Improve this listing »

Create a full itinerary - for free!

Tours to ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary

FROM $49 BOOK WITH VIATOR Full-Day Wellington Self-Guided Electric Bike Tour Full-Day Wellington Self-Guided Electric Bike Tour

5.0

Duration: 3 to 8 hours

Tours from $49 ›

FROM $38 BOOK WITH VIATOR Small Group Daytime 2-Hour Eco Wildlife Tour at Zealandia Small Group Daytime 2-Hour Eco Wildlife Tour at Zealandia

4.9

Duration: 2 hours

Tours from $38 ›

FROM $61 BOOK WITH VIATOR Zealandia Small Group Eco Wildlife Night Tour Zealandia Small Group Eco Wildlife Night Tour

4.8

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Tours from $61 ›

FROM $61 BOOK WITH VIATOR Zealandia - Twilight Guided Eco Wildlife Tour Zealandia - Twilight Guided Eco Wildlife Tour

4.9

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Tours from $61 ›

ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

2,808 reviews

Google

4.7

By julesvern7

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and were delighted when we were told we could come back the following day on the same ticket. We spent the two days covering as much of the park as we could. We saw...

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and were delighted when we were told we could come back the following day on the same ticket. We spent the two days covering as much of the park as we could. We saw... more »
By Stephen E

I loved this place. I wish I had more time to spend there as I could have spent hours just wandering the paths, watching for birds. This is a great place to see local New Zealand birdlife.

I loved this place. I wish I had more time to spend there as I could have spent hours just wandering the paths, watching for birds. This is a great place to see local New Zealand birdlife. more »
By Angelajaninemary

So many tuataras, a takahe, kaka doing tricks.....birds galore! Great staff and volunteers too, so knowledgeable.

So many tuataras, a takahe, kaka doing tricks.....birds galore! Great staff and volunteers too, so knowledgeable. more »

See more on TripAdvisor ›

Google

By Les

Awesome tramping paths. Fantastic wildlife and they are not shy to show off for a few pictures. We'll worth the trip out there. The request for a donation at counter whilst purchasing access tickets is off putting, as we are all affected by the Pandemic. In fact sites like these should actually consider lowering ticket prices for locals to make it accessible thereby helping them stay afloat.

more less
By Laura Watson

Beautiful place. Honestly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did! Surrounded by birdsong, great little mini-talks scheduled throughout the day (thanks Kathy!), good hiking trails and lots to see - $24 for admission is very reasonable 👌 Top tip: The Twilight and night tours were booked out when we tried to book, so book in advance if you want to see kiwi about at night!

more less
By Royce

Loved Zealandia. The Takahe for me was the definite highlight. The walking was easy although there's a few challenging sections but the trails are well explained. I wish I had enough time to do the night tour! Maybe next time. The only sour part of our experience was the beginning at the welcome desk. As soon as we paid she turned around without much of explanation. We thought perhaps she was getting us a map but a quick run down of what the attractions are, what we could do, and the bag check area process would have been helpful. Other than that, we were very pleased with our experience. We look forward to going back again sometime in the future.

more less
By Michael Davidson

There's quite a lot to see here, even if it is just taking the time to listen and be quiet while waiting for the birds to come to you. Really calm and peaceful and on a nice day there is a lot of green and blue to be seen. I really enjoyed my visit and would say this is a must-do for any nature lover in Wellington.

more less
By GORDON BROTHERSTON

Visiting from Scotland and been here three times already, wonderful place and a great vision. Night tour was exciting and truly awe inspiring, glow worms and kiwi were the star attraction but a clear sky meant the stars were too. Small group was good with lots of interaction. Food in Rata cafe is worth a visit too, quite big portions though, be warned. Look forward to coming back in 490 years to see how it turns out.

more less