Wellington has been crowned New Zealand’s best destination, according to the latest edition of Lonely Planet’s guidebook.

The city, beating Auckland and Queenstown to the top, is described as "edgy yet sociable, colourful yet often dressed in black." The guidebook also praises the capital city for its art-house cinemas, trendy bars and live music scene – labelling it as the best place for tourists to visit, and one of the “coolest little capitals in the world.”

"Wellington is the crossing point between the North and South Islands, so travellers have long been passing through these parts," the guidebook says. "The likes of Te Papa and Zealandia now stop visitors in their tracks."

Lonely Planet’s writers visited towns and cities all over New Zealand, naming Auckland, Queenstown and the West Coast as their favourites.

Auckland’s ranking fell by two spots in the recent edition, when compared to the publication’s 2016 edition.

"[Auckland is] regularly rated one of the world's most liveable cities, and while it's never going to challenge NYC or London in the excitement stakes, it's blessed with good beaches, wine regions and a thriving dining, drinking and live music scene," the book says.

According to the Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation, New Zealand received 3.7 million visitors between August 2017 and July 2018, with Auckland receiving 29% of all spending – As reported on Newshub.