Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa: Introducing Te Papa Tour

Get a clear introduction to Te Papa, Wellington’s premier museum, on a 60 minute guided tour in its distinctive modern building on the waterfront in the city centre.

Your guide leads you through selected galleries and introduces the breadth of the museum’s collections, including art and design, photography, history, Māori and Pacific cultures, and natural sciences. The tour begins more than one hundred million years ago and follows the story of New Zealand through its natural environment, colonial history, and artistic interpretations of life in the South Pacific.

Along the way, you will hear about New Zealand’s adaptive wildlife and the resilience of the Māori people, while interactive features add another layer to many of the exhibits. This format works well if you want an informed overview before exploring further on your own.

Your ticket includes both the guided tour and museum admission, including the international visitor entry charge. After the tour, you can stay as long as you like to continue through the galleries at your own pace. Te Papa also has a gift shop and two cafes on site, making it easy to spend several more hours at the museum if you choose.