How bad is jet lag flying to Wellington?

It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 19 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 19 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Wellington there is little or no jet lag at all.

Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Wellington?

Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.

How long does it take to get over jet lag in Wellington?

A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.

Jet lag when you fly to Wellington

Wellington is on Pacific/Auckland. How much jet lag you get depends entirely on where you start — how many time zones you cross, and in which direction. Travelling east is the harder direction. Shift your bedtime earlier for several days beforehand and seek bright morning light on arrival.

Jet lag to Wellington by departure city

From	Time zones	Direction	Distance	Flight (approx.)	Recovery
Los Angeles	19	→ east	10,813 km	13½ hours	~19 days
New York City	16	→ east	14,403 km	17½ hours	~16 days
São Paulo	15	→ east	11,637 km	14½ hours	~15 days
London	11	→ east	18,814 km	23 hours	~11 days
Paris	10	→ east	18,986 km	23 hours	~10 days
Johannesburg	10	→ east	11,765 km	14½ hours	~10 days
Dubai	8	→ east	14,223 km	17½ hours	~8 days
Mumbai	7	→ east	12,367 km	15½ hours	~7 days
Singapore	4	→ east	8,525 km	11 hours	~4 days
Tokyo	3	→ east	9,277 km	11½ hours	~3 days
Sydney	2	→ east	2,226 km	3½ hours	~2 days

Distances are great-circle; flight times are rough nonstop estimates. Recovery uses ~1 day per zone east, faster west.

Beating jet lag in Wellington

Jet lag happens because your body clock stays on home time for a while after you land. The bigger the offset between Wellington and where you flew from, the longer it takes to catch up — roughly a day for each time zone when you travel east, and somewhat faster when you travel west, because it is easier to stay up late than to force yourself to sleep early.

A few days before you fly, nudge your sleep schedule toward Wellington time — earlier if you are heading east, later if west. On arrival, get outside: daylight is the strongest signal for resetting your clock. Morning light helps after an eastward trip; evening light helps after a westward one. To see the exact current offset, check the current time in Wellington.

Frequently asked questions

How bad is jet lag flying to Wellington?: It depends where you start. From Los Angeles you cross 19 time zones travelling east, which typically takes about 19 days to shake off. From cities in a similar longitude to Wellington there is little or no jet lag at all.
Is jet lag worse flying east or west to Wellington?: Flying east — where you lose hours and have to fall asleep earlier — is generally harder than flying west, for the same number of time zones. The table above marks the direction of each route so you know which kind of adjustment to expect.
How long does it take to get over jet lag in Wellington?: A common rule of thumb is one day of recovery per time zone crossed when heading east, and a little faster heading west. Bright light at the right time of day and adjusting your sleep before you fly both speed it up.