Mount Victoria Lookout Walkway | Panoramic Perspective

The lookout point on Mount Victoria Walkway offers amazing panoramic views across Wellington’s picturesque harbor, the Cook Straight, and the surrounding valley. You can see the dramatic peaks of the Rimutaka Ranges, and on a clear day, possibly even the South Island in the distance. Best of all, this site is free. Plus, if you walk up the hill, you get a great workout too. This post covers Mount Victoria Walkway Lookout Point, how to get there, and what to expect.

The Maori name for Mount Victoria is Tangi Te Keo, which means the ‘cry of the peak’ or the ‘cry of the bird’. It is also known as Matairangi.

How To Get To Mount Victoria Walkway Viewpoint

There are three ways to get to Mount Victoria Walkway Viewpoint; hiking, driving, or taking the bus.

Hiking

Hiking is one of the most popular ways to get to Mount Victoria Lookout Point. There are multiple paths lacing Mount Victoria, but one of the most common trails is the Mount Victoria Walkway path which starts in Charles Plimmer Park off Majoribanks Street.

To see the details, Google ‘Mount Victoria Lookout Walkway from Charles Plimmer Park AllTrails’. They note the trail as 1.5 miles (2.4 km) with 413’ (125 m) of elevation gain.

To get to the start of this trail walk, or take the bus (see below), to Courtenay Place. At Courtenay Place, continue following the street east as it becomes Majoribanks Street. The trail starts at the end of Majoribanks.

Follow the purple trail markers as trail heads up through the dense trees. The path, in places, is also a bicycle path, so make sure to keep an eye out for riders.

At the summit, you will see the parking area and the Noonday Gun, which was once fired daily in the late 19th century. Beyond this is the circular lookout deck in the photo below.

There is another trail, northeast of this. It also starts in Charles Plimmer Park, but where Moeller Street merges with Palisser Road. It’s a little farther from Courtenay Place. To get here take a left onto Hawker from Majoribanks, then a right at Moeller Street. This is where the Southern Walkway merges with Mount Victoria Walkway.

Taking this route, you’ll be walking uphill on the street with increasingly beautiful views of the sea. Like the view below.

You’ll also see grand St Gerard’s Church and Monastery and walk through a wealthy Wellington suburb along the way with old Victorian architecture.

This is the trail I took. Although it was a little longer to get to, I’m glad I did as I appreciated the architecture and the views on the way up over being in the woods for longer. If it’s hot, you may prefer the shadier route.

Drive

If you don’t have time, or don’t want to hike, you can also drive. There’s a parking area at the top not far from the lookout deck off of Lookout Road.

This is the best way to get to Mount Victoria Lookout for those with limited mobility. There are, however, steps up to the lookout deck, so it is not wheelchair friendly.

Bus

If you don’t have a car and don’t want to walk to the Walkway, take the bus. It’s bus number 20 from either Wellington Station or Courtney Place. It ends at Mount Victoria Viewpoint. Or, you can just minimize your walk by taking the bus from the station to Courtney Place and treking from there.

See the bus schedule here. It runs fairly frequently during the day, twice a hour in peak season, making it super convenient.

Mount Victoria Walkway Trail Map

This map, which is on a sign on the trail, shows the full network of trails and important details on Mount Victoria.

Note the main trail on Majoribanks, the Southern Trail on Palisser Road, the Lookout Point, and Hobbit Hideaway (see below).

Hobbit Hideaway

If you’re a fan of the Lord Of The Rings or The Hobbit trilogies, you must visit Hobbit Hideaway, one of the filming locations.

To get here, follow Hobbit’s Hideaway Trail, which you can see on the map above. The forest here is so thick and rich, you can see why it made for the perfect filming location.

Best Time To Visit Mount Victoria

While summer is the most popular time of year for tourists in Wellington, you can hike this trail in spring, summer and fall. It can get windy at the top, so bring a light jacket if you plan to stay at the top and enjoy the views for a while.

The bay is to the east of the lookout, so sunrise would be a great time to walk to the Mount Victoria Lookout point. This, however, means starting in the dark, so it’s best to drive of take a taxi for this.

Be cautious while walking the trail as it can be a little dark with the thick tree cover. It can also be muddy and slick in spots if there has been rain.

Want More Of New Zealand?

For other great things to do on the South Island, make sure to visit stunning Queenstown, the adventure capital of the world, the unmissable Milford Sound, sometimes called the 8th wonder of the world, and all the stops along the way on the drive from Queenstown To Te Anau and Te Anau to Milford Sound.

There’s also incredible Wanaka, with the hidden gem hike up Roy’s Peak Track for an incredible view, amazing Skydiving, Franz Josef Glacier where you can walk on a glacier, and Marlborough, the premier wine tasting area for Sauvignon Blanc.

For other great hikes in New Zealand, see my posts on Routeburn Track, Tongariro, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Cape Brett Walkway, Key Summit Track, A Day Hike on Kepler Track, Ben Lomond Track, and Queesntown Hill Walkway. Routeburn, Tongariro, Kepler, and Abel Tasman are 4 of New Zealand’s 10 “Great Walks”, but all of these hikes are amazing!

To help plan your trip, see my New Zealand Travel Guide. It covers the top destinations above, how to get around, when to visit, safety tips, and more.

Safe Travels!

Julie