Mount Victoria Lookout

Matairangi / Mount Victoria

This city-edge hilltop at 196 meters offers a 360-degree view over Wellington Harbour, the city center, the airport, and Cook Strait. Pine forest on its slopes is where the Hobbits hid from the Black Riders in The Lord of the Rings.

Mount Victoria, known in Māori as Matairangi, rises to 196 meters just east of the city center and is Wellington's best-known viewpoint. The lookout at the summit offers a 360-degree view. To the west you see the downtown high-rises, Lambton Harbour, Te Papa, and the waterfront. To the north, across the bay, lie Matiu/Somes Island and the distant Hutt Valley. To the east you see Oriental Bay and Evans Bay. To the south you can watch planes taking off and landing at the airport and, on clear days, the Kaikōura Ranges on the South Island across Cook Strait. The summit also has the Byrd Antarctic Expedition memorial and a wind indicator.

You can climb from Oriental Bay or the Courtenay Place area along several trails, which take 30–40 minutes and pass through planted pine forest. You can also drive up Lookout Road to the summit, where parking is free. Bus 20 goes to the top, but it runs infrequently. Many half-day tours to Lord of the Rings filming locations take visitors to the pine forest on the lower slopes. The opening scene, where the hobbits roll down the hillside and hide under tree roots from the Black Riders (“Get off the road!”), was filmed on the trail near Wellington Road on the lower slopes.

The mountain has mountain biking trails and running paths, and locals use it for morning runs and walking dogs. Entry is free.

Getting there: it's about a 40-minute walk up from Te Papa, or about a 10-minute taxi ride from Courtenay Place. Consider walking one way and taking a taxi the other.

Tips: The wind at the summit can be very strong, so hold onto your hat and camera. Trails branch off, so follow the “Lookout” signs. The descent trail has no lighting after dark, so take a taxi or drive if you visit at night. The car park fills up around sunset.

Mount Victoria Lookout

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby