Government House Tours

Government House is a Category 1 heritage building and has been the home of New Zealand's Governor-General since 1910.

Our Visitor Centre runs free, guided tours for individuals, groups and schools. All tours are wheelchair friendly, with the exception of hilly areas in the gardens.

Tours take around two hours and include the Visitor Centre, the main house and the garden (weather permitting). Tours explore the history of the house and the role, and include interactive displays and films.

There is ample parking available.

Government House is accessible by public transport and is a 10 minute uphill walk from the Wellington Hospital bus stop.

Questions?  Phone the Visitor Centre Team on 04-382-0837 or 04-389-8055.

Please contact our Visitor Centre if you need assistance with booking a tour, how to get here, or have special requirements you may need assistance with eg mobility issues, hearing or visual impairment. 

Public tours  - due to an imminent website upgrade the booking calendar shows public tour dates before 15 July.  Queries about tour dates later in the year should be emailed to bookings@govthouse.govt.nz

(For individuals or groups of 6 or less. Note if your group has high or specialist needs please contact us to arrange a group tour)

Our booking system allows you to book up to six people on a public tour. Please note: due to a system upgrade we are not scheduling up any tours on the booking calendar after 15 July. We apologise for the inconvenience and will put new tours in as soon as possible.  If you have any queries feel free to email us bookings@govthouse.govt.nz.

The booking system shows days and times when tours are available and the number of remaining spaces on each tour.

Bookings close off 24 hours before a tour. Those making a booking will receive an automated email confirming their booking, as well as reminder email 24 hours before the tour. If you have any problems using the online system please ring the Visitor Centre (04) 3820837 or email on bookings@govthouse.govt.nz.

>>Make a booking here 

Group tours 

(For groups of more than 6 people. Suitable for community organisations, resthomes, work groups, large family groups. We can also arrange individualised group tours for small groups with special requirements, for example groups with learning difficulties)

Tours of Government House Wellington by groups of up to 50 people can be booked depending on the Governor-General’s schedule of engagements.  Government House accommodates limited tours by for-profit commercial operators .  A tour will last up to two hours. 

There is no charge to book a group tour. There is ample parking directly outside the Visitor Centre and the tour is wheelchair-friendly.

To book a group tour, email the Visitor Centre Co-ordinator at bookings@govthouse.govt.nz 

School tours

Government House Wellington is available for visits from schools. There is no charge for tours and parking is available on-site. 

Many classes visit Government House Wellington as a part of a curriculum programme exploring New Zealand’s government and constitution.   The programme provides students with an opportunity to gain an understanding of the role of the Governor-General and the importance of Government House as a place of pride and mana for all New Zealanders. It is also a great opportunity to explore themes of service, leadership and identity. Tailored programmes consist of interactive activities in the Visitor Centre classroom and exhibition space and includes a tour of Government House and its grounds.  We expect a school visit to take around 2.0 hours.   

Government House Wellington has prepared educational resources that provide teachers with lesson plans and ideas for use both before and after the visit. Please contact the Visitor Centre Team to discuss further how we can tailor a tour for your needs and your age group.  You can also download a brochure (PDF 3MB) for more information.

To book a school educational visit, please email the Visitor Centre Co-ordinator at bookings@govthouse.govt.nz 

For planning a school visit, the Government House Visitor Centre Risk Management Plan can be downloaded here (PDF 221KB)

 Government House Auckland

Government House Auckland is not open to the public, but group tours of the Auckland gardens can be arranged through the Government House Visitor Centre.