Hangman's Noose Tour

In total, 85 people have been executed for crime in New Zealand with the first in 1842 and the last in 1957. Seventeen of those men were executed in Wellington and 11 are buried in Karori Cemetery. This walking tour will visit some of their graves to account their crimes, trials and convictions. It will also visit the plots of some of the victims.

The graves are unmarked and placed in remote and disparate locations making this a tour about 2.5 hours long. The route is 2.5km and requires reasonable physical fitness due to the steep terrain and unsealed paths in places.

The tour contains a number of adult themes and some graphic descriptions and so is not suitable for everyone.

Each tour is $10 per person (plus non-refundable booking fee). Children under 12 are free.

Our tour has a maximum capacity of about 15 persons. If there are insufficient tickets remaining for your party, please email us at info@friendsofkaroricemetery.co.nz to check if we can accommodate you.

Please note:

If we have to cancel a tour due to inclement weather or sickness, we will notify you on the day 1 hour before the tour starts by email and on our Facebook page. The booking fee is non-refundable.

Please dress appropriately for the conditions. While we do our best to guide you on a safe walking route, the ground can become slippery in places.

Some of our walks require a moderate degree of fitness and are not suited for those with limited mobility.

There is only one toilet which is located by the cemetery office at the main entrance.

If you have purchased tickets for other people can you please pass our tour information on to them as well.

Please meet us at the shelter (shown as the Historic Chapel on the map at the main entrance)

We look forward to welcoming you to Karori Cemetery.

Contact the host of Friends of Karori Cemetery: Hangman's Noose Tour (Oct 2026) Wellington Heritage Festival 2026