Where To Go In Wellington For School Trips

The capitol city of Wellington is jammed full of opportunities for fun learning experiences. From viewing Tuatara and Kiwi in their natural settings to exploring national institutions and the galaxy, there is never a shortage of things for schoolchildren to see and do. And to help keep teachers and kids all together, be sure to book bus hire in Wellington to make things run smoothly and flawlessly.

There are all sorts of themes to be considered when looking at tours: science and discovery; parks, walks, and wildlife; national institution; marae visits; heritage; guided tours; film and entertainment; arts and culture; and active and adventure just to name a few. So right away, an important decision has to be made. Now let’s take a look at some of the best locations, by theme in Wellington, for school trips.

Science and Discovery

Weltec (Wellington Institute of Technology) – students from around the world are warmly welcomed by this institute’s collection of technology, which takes a personal interest in student tours. They welcome school groups in a friendly manner to make sure that their visit is enjoyable and successful. There is a cafeteria and library available for visitors of all ages.

Island Bay Marine Education Centre – live displays are clearly the highlight here and come in a wide variety showing numerous species and habitats found along the unique South coast of Wellington. Here, students will learn an appreciation of, and foster a respect for, local marine wildlife. They will be able to examine, in detail, the role played by humans in coastal habitats such as that found here.

Parks, Walks, and Wildlife

Heritage Trail: Thornton – the perfect opportunity for piety, prose, passion, and power. Stroll through Thornton, the oldest suburb in New Zealand, along Heritage Trail and enjoy highlights such as the Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, Old St. Paul’s, Premier House, National Archives, National Library, Parliament Buildings, Government Buildings, and Fulton St., Memorial Park. Plan on about three hours to complete this walk in its entirety.

Eastern Walkway – set along a segment of Wellington’s coastline, this fascinating walk offers spectacular scenery and diverse local history. The Wahine Memorial at Palmer Head is a highlight of the walk.

Marae Visits

Te Marae o Te Papa Tongarewa – this beautifully contemporary and unique marae of Te Papa truly belongs to each and every New Zealander and should not be missed.

Waiwhete Marae – from Hutt City centre, this marae is about a five-minute drive. Te Ati, the traditional carved marae, is available for educational visits, functions, and seminars. Times and prices are negotiated.

Guided Tours

Guided tours are especially enjoyable because the tour itself is left up to the guide, sparing our educational professionals the time and effort of planning the tour and agenda.

Wellington Zoo – this is a truly magical place for fun and learning. Students with respect for nature and a sense of wonder will enjoy this immensely. You can’t help but leave with a belief in the need for coexistence between people and wildlife that is completely and totally sustainable.

Hammonds Wellington Tours – when it comes to breath-taking scenery, special features, and discovering the history of Wellington, there is simply no better way to discover them than by taking a coach tour with a private sightseeing company from Wellington.

Arts and Culture

New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and Academy Galleries – the fine arts offices of the New Zealand Academy are housed here. Expertly staged by The Academy are exhibitions numbering no less than seven. These include photography, fabric, craft, sculpture, and original New Zealand paintings. This private, non-profit organization celebrated its 125th year anniversary in 2007.

Wellington Museum – this social history Museum of Wellington has been honoured with prestigious awards. Here, students can explore the people, events, and environments that define our capital city.

Active and Adventure

Westpac Stadium – home to an amazing array of events, this is one of the most well-loved landmarks in Wellington. Proudly hosted here are sporting codes such as Cricket, Football, Rugby League, and Rugby Union. Additionally, non-sporting events are featured here as well including corporate functions, exhibitions, and concerts. To take a look at what happens behind the scenes, including multiple hospitality areas and players changing rooms, book a stadium tour.

The Wellesley County Park – located only 40 minutes from Wellington, in superb natural surroundings, lies this fantastic outdoor facility and camp. Up to 150 people can be accommodated in this park which also offers catering. Particularly for school groups, there is a wide variety of activities and outdoor equipment.

Film and Entertainment

Light House Cinema Petone – providing entertaining and freshly diverse films and a comfort oriented, classy atmosphere, Lighthouse Cinema is New Zealand’s leading cinema industry. Each venue focuses on permitting viewers to immerse their souls and bodies in whatever film is being watched. A concentration on artistic or thought-provoking movies directly from art-house festivals is offered through a range of films at the cinema.

BATS Theatre – specifically focused on experimental theatre and new New Zealand, for live performance, this is the best developmental theatre. Performed for and by 15 to 25-year-olds, each year the Young and Hungry Festival of New Works takes place here. Workshops and behind the scenes tours are offered by arrangement for school groups. With an emphasis on exciting and new, the theatre always has something fresh to offer.

Heritage

Wrights Hill Fortress and Recreation Reserve – on Wrights Hill, high above Karori, students can explore a maze of tunnels and an historic gun emplacement. During World War II, to protect Wellington against possible attacks by the enemy, a long-range coastal battery was constructed. Enthusiasts are currently restoring the fortress and guided tours are available. Don’t miss the incredible views of Wellington’s city and harbour.

Clearly, there are enough things to do in Wellington that no teacher should have a problem finding multiple resources for learning and recreational trips throughout the school year. The above is just a sampling of opportunities that are available for students and their teachers. Wellington cares deeply about the educational system and provides and promotes more opportunities to schools than are seemingly imaginable.

Customer Testimonials

Thanks Bus Charter for a wonderful and such a smooth experience right from getting the quote to the actual journeys. Staff at your end has been very polite and the drivers for both journeys were cooperative and helpful. The coaches were in immaculate conditions. Looking forward to working with Bus Charter again.
Shaunee Bailey

The entire process of making a booking, paying and even making changes was incredibly easy. Price was very competitive and the driver was prompt…

Alison Gowland

Hi Shannen, Thank you for your email. The service was great from start (yourself) to finish with Bruce the driver who was excellent. We will definitely…

Michael Sib Siebel

Had a great experience and would definitely use your service again. The driver was on time, professional and polite. 03-03-2016

Laura

My guests had a wonderful time with punctual staff and excellent travel conditions. While I was busy losing my mind over other wedding items I am…

Leo

Great Bus ,Good Driver, on time, Perfect 13-04-2014

Erin

Thanks so much. Fantastic service received all the way from the initial quote to when the bus dropped everyone home. Will definitely use your company…

Janet

How easy was that! We needed some bused to move guests around for my daughter’s wedding, one bus there and two buses home. From the first inquiry…

Chrisi Reardon

Everything was great and I really do appreciate how promptly and courteously you handled our numerous changes and questions. Thank you very much…

Kathleen Smith

We had a wonderful time, Kumar (our driver) arrived for pick-up early, which was nice, so that I could go through some details, and he was so lovely…

Amy

We were very happy with the quick and easy response from BusCharter with our quote. We had no issues with booking on short notice. The driver was…

Caroline

Extremely professional and convenient. Our driver was incredibly polite. Would recommend buscharter for both work and social events. 17-03-2014

Fee Tufevski

Once again, the service provided by Bus Charter was second to none. The driver arrived on time, knew where he was going and was very patient on…

Chrisi Reardon

Everything was great and I really do appreciate how promptly and courteously you handled our numerous changes and questions. Thank you very much…

Lauren JD

We’d like to thank the Bus Charter company for their exceptional service on Monday 21st September 2015. You not only got us to our work function…

Amanda Hart

I couldn’t be happy with the service and the seamless way in which I am able to make bookings. The entire process from beginning to end is excellent…

Lynnette Riddell

We used Bus Charter for our Sales conference this past December. I would highly recommend them. Our bus driver was very professional, knowledgeable…

Tess

Hi, Booking number 2027. Our bus driver was wonderful! Jess was excellent and helped make the whole experience even better. Thanks for a great trip…

Brian Spencer

The driver was on time and everyone enjoyed themselves, We would have no issues commanding or ordering your services Regards Brian Spencer…

Mike Sergent

Hi Anna, Everything went very well – the quote was provided quickly, the bus driver called ahead to confirm pick-up details, and arrived on time…

Ed

From start to finish I received the best service. Our driver on the day was very friendly and professional. I’ll definitely be using you again for…

Emma

BusCharter.com.au was very easy to use and I would highly recommend your service. I always received a prompt response to my many queries and book…

Annie

The service we received was exceptional right from our inital quote through to the trip itself. Our driver was absolutely lovely. I will gladly…

Sue Hardy

First time use of this company for our pennants and very much satisfied. Driver promt and pleasant. I would recommend your company to anyone…

Sue Bertucci

Thank you to all the staff from Bus Charter for such professional and friendly service. Our driver today Vern was fantastic adding to a wonderful…

Jason Dingli

The service was excellent and Mark was extremely flexible and great with all the guys. I would highly recommend your company again. Thank you…

Kara Taylor

It was easy to book, they were quick with responses and were fantastic on the day. I would definitely recommend using them. 03-03-2016

Jenny Johnson Bloch

Booking a bus through Bus Charter has been a great experience from start to finish. They were obliging when i needed to make changes, the bus arrived…

Vetu-Ri Teariki

Very happy with the service provided by Bus Charter. The driver was on time, the bus was clean, comfortable and there were no issues during the trip…

Carine Ernest

We recently booked a bus for a hens function. The bus experience was excellent. Driver (Eric) was absolutely delightful, helpful, and efficient…