I’d been hearing about Queenstown forever: the adrenaline capital of the world, the mecca of extreme sports, the birthplace of the planet’s first commercial bungee jump. But one look at a photo was enough to see that, even without all that fame, this little town surrounded by mountains on the shore of a lake would have earned a spot on our itinerary anyway.
When we first planned our 20-day trip around New Zealand, we deliberately made Queenstown one of the last stops. Then, after a few changes of plan, some by choice and some not, the five days we’d set aside for the town turned into seven, and we ended our journey there. You know that old saying about “saving the best for last”? That’s exactly what happened: Queenstown was the high point of our wanderings around a country that treated us to some of the most beautiful landscapes we’ve ever seen.
First of all, follow me on Instagram @danae_explore – that’s where you can keep up with my trips, find lots of travel tips, and send me a DM anytime. I love chatting about travel!
And it wasn’t just the scenery. We loved strolling around the little town center, eating well, visiting Arrowtown and Glenorchy, and doing a few “extreme” activities that gave us some good stories. And me, thinking I’d outgrown this kind of madness, went and hurled myself off a giant-swing-almost-bungee-jump over a canyon – I walked away with wobbly legs and the certainty that age is just a number.
So get ready: Queenstown really is all that. A super cute little town with great tourist infrastructure, good restaurants, and things to do whether you want loads of adrenaline, or none at all. I recommend trying at least one activity that nudges you a little out of your comfort zone, you’ll enjoy it! But if that’s not your cup of tea, no worries, I promise there’ll still be plenty left to do.
In this guide, I share what to do in Queenstown based on what we experienced there, what we’re saving for next time, and practical tips to help you plan your own trip. Come along!
Where Queenstown is and why it’s the adventure capital of the world
Queenstown sits in the southern part of New Zealand’s South Island, tucked between Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables range which, yes, is really called that, and no, it’s not marketing hype, the mountains are absolutely gorgeous!
The town is small, but it welcomes thousands of visitors a year, and that explains the odd first impression: a mountain village with big-city infrastructure, restaurants, and prices. It has its own international airport (ZQN), direct flights from Australia, and a density of tour agencies per square meter you rarely see anywhere else.
Queenstown sells itself as the adventure capital of the world, and the title has history behind it: it was at the Kawarau Bridge, 30 minutes from the town center, that A. J. Hackett and Henry van Asch opened, in 1988, the first commercial bungee jumping operation ever. Since then, the town has built an entire economy on the idea that a little adrenaline just won’t cut it – and, of course, we didn’t sit it out (keep reading and I’ll tell you all about it 😅).
But don’t be fooled. Queenstown isn’t just for the crazy ones who want to throw themselves off a bridge. It does have adventure activities, but there’s also lots of cool stuff for those who like to keep their feet firmly on the ground and, as if that weren’t enough, it’s the starting point for some of the most beautiful day trips in New Zealand.
We spent seven days in Queenstown in the dead of winter, in mid-July. We only rented a car on the days we headed out of town, which helped bring the cost of the trip down a bit.
By the way, if you’re more team scarf than team sarong, Queenstown wasn’t the only cold destination that won us over. We went to Ushuaia, Argentina, in the autumn, and the “End of the World” city became one of my favorites for combining hikes, scenery, and snow-capped mountains. In Sapporo, Japan, I went skiing for the first time on Hokkaido’s world-famous powder. And on a road trip through the Balkans, we discovered charming mountain towns like Zlatibor, in Serbia, and Žabljak, in Montenegro, winter destinations that are still off most travelers’ radar.
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Where to stay in Queenstown
I’m sorry to break it to you, but Queenstown is an expensive town, especially when it comes to accommodation. The neighborhood you choose makes a big difference to both the experience and the price.
In short: if you don’t have a car, stay downtown. If you’re traveling in a group, a house in Queenstown Hill offers more space and excellent value for money. If you’re driving and want to save, Frankton is the most practical option. And if you’re after charm and some peace and quiet, it’s worth spending a night or two in Arrowtown.
We split our seven nights in Queenstown between two places: a spacious, comfortable house outside the center, and a traditional hotel in the heart of town, both great and each with its own pros and cons.
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Where to stay in downtown Queenstown
Downtown Queenstown is the best: small shops, restaurants, cafés, tour agencies, and that fun buzz with a real vacation vibe. Of course, all of this comes at a price, and here it’s a steep one. Also, if you have a car, look for accommodation with parking included.
Since we weren’t driving, we chose a hotel in the town center, the Crowne Plaza Queenstown, and it was wonderful. The hotel follows the chain’s standard of comfort, with two double beds in the room and all the usual facilities. Our rate didn’t include breakfast, but the upside was getting to try the town’s cafés, and there’s no shortage of good ones. I recommend Coffee Jo Good, Beach St Cafe by Mountain Club, and Vudu Cafe.
Another option, in the same price range and comfort level and also in an excellent location, is the Novotel Queenstown Lakeside. If your budget is tighter, check out the Lakeview Colonial Motel and the Heartland Hotel Queenstown, or else a hostel, like the Adventure Q2 Hostel or the Tahuna Pod Hostel.
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Where to stay in Queenstown Hill
For our first few days in Queenstown, we were a group of seven, so we chose to rent a house, Remarkable Lake View, in the Queenstown Hill area, and the experience was top-notch. The house has four bedrooms, a super comfortable living room, and a fully equipped kitchen, not to mention the amazing view of the Remarkables, it was perfect for our crew. The only downside was that it was too far to walk to the town center (about 3 km), so we ended up using Uber on the days we didn’t have the rental car.
This neighborhood has countless houses for rent, just zoom in on the map below and you’ll be spoiled for choice. My tip is to read the reviews carefully and, if in doubt, get in touch with the host. A few options that caught my eye were the Luxury Lakeside Retreat and The Lookout. If you prefer a hotel, the Sherwood Queenstown looks like a good alternative in this area.
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Other options: Frankton and Arrowtown
Frankton is the neighborhood near the airport and the biggest shopping mall around. It’s the most practical option if you’re driving and it usually has the best prices, but it’s a functional area, without the charm of downtown or the views of Queenstown Hill. There are international chain hotels near the airport, such as Ramada and La Quinta.
Arrowtown is a little town from the gold rush days, about 20 minutes from Queenstown, and a worthwhile choice for anyone who wants a few peaceful days somewhere charming. It makes more sense if you have a car. One idea is to split your stay: a night or two in Arrowtown and the rest in Queenstown. Check out the Arrowtown Lodge and the Settlers Cottage Motel.
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What to do in Queenstown: adventure activities, relaxed outings, and day trips
We spent seven days in Queenstown and boy, did we keep busy! Below is everything we did, plus a few activities we didn’t do but that are famous in town, maybe one of them will catch your eye.
Adventure activities in Queenstown
Bungee jumping in Queenstown: Kawarau, Ledge, and Nevis
You can’t write about Queenstown without talking about bungee jumping.
A. J. Hackett has three jump sites in the area: the Kawarau Bridge, where the world’s first commercial operation began, 43 meters high and with the option to touch the water; the Ledge, at 47 meters, on top of Bob’s Peak, which was closed when we were there; and the Nevis, at 134 meters, suspended over a canyon, the highest jump in New Zealand.
Besides the classic bungee jump, there are a few variations. The Nevis Swing is a kind of giant swing, with a 70-meter drop and a 300-meter arc. That’s the one we did, and I confess I was scared to death, to the point of nearly crapping my pants, thinking what the hell had I agreed to get myself into. In the end, it was that amazing feeling of “phew, I survived” mixed with “dude, I can do anything” and the classic “never again”.
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I’d done a bungee jump once before, in Indonesia, on that game-changing trip I talk a bit about here. I was 21 (a baby!!!) and when it was time to throw myself off the platform it was pure terror, I had to be pushed by the staff (I don’t think that’s allowed anymore). I promised myself never to do it again, and I can say I kept that promise 😅
For me, the big difference between the bungee and the swing is that with the bungee you have to jump using the strength of your own legs; with the swing, the release happens on its own, once you’ve sat down in the little seat, you don’t need to do anything else, just keep screaming in terror until the free fall kicks in, after some five seconds that feel longer than the flight to New Zealand.
And don’t give me that “I’m too old for this stuff” line. When I got on that swing, I was a sprightly 52 years old, so it also had that sweet taste of it’s never too late for some craziness in this life haha. There’s a reel of my experience on Instagram, check it out, it’s great!
Besides the bungee and the swing, the Nevis complex also has the Catapult, which is exactly that: a catapult that launches you at breakneck speed across the canyon, attached to the bungee cord. At the Kawarau Bridge, besides the bungee jump, there’s the swing and a small zipline.
You can buy tickets online in advance through this link or, if you haven’t worked up the courage yet, book once you arrive in Queenstown at one of the agencies scattered around town, from what we were told the price is the same (but I always recommend double-checking before you buy). Transportation to Kawarau or Nevis is included in the ticket. You can drive to Kawarau, but Nevis, as far as I understood, can only be reached on their bus, the road is unpaved and very steep.
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Skyline Gondola and Bob’s Peak
The gondola goes up from downtown Queenstown to the top of Bob’s Peak (and there’s nothing extreme about it), where you get that postcard view: the lake, the town down below, and The Remarkables on the other side.
Up top there’s a lookout, a restaurant, and the Luge, a cross between a sled and a soapbox cart that races down tracks on the mountainside. That would be the “extreme” part of the outing, but you can buy just the gondola ticket and stick to the lookout.
It’s also where you access the mountain bike trails of the Queenstown Bike Park (closed in winter) and where the Ledge Bungy operates (it was closed when we went).
The Luge was one of the activities the kids (and adults) enjoyed most. We went down six times, which took up pretty much the whole afternoon, and we still caught the sunset at the lookout. We’d already played on the Luge in Busan, South Korea, and if you ever get the chance, I recommend it, especially if you’re in a group, it’s so much fun.
Here’s the link to the official Luge and Gondola website. We bought our tickets right there at the booth, but it’s worth checking the opening hours and booking ahead if you’re short on time in town or going in high season.
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Shotover Jet
The Shotover Jet is a jet boat ride, a sort of souped-up jet ski, that tears through the Shotover River canyon at full throttle, nearly brushing the rock walls, with 360° spins and lots of spray. It runs year-round, winter included. You can book online in advance, or in downtown Queenstown, at any of the countless tour agencies or at the company’s official kiosk. The price is the same, NZD$ 199 per adult, NZD$ 109 per child, NZD$ 507 per family (2 adults + 2 children).
It was my favorite activity: just adventure enough, with that little thrill but without leaving you terrified, not to mention the canyon it runs through is beautiful.
Next to where the boat departs there’s a restaurant and brewery – Canyon Brewing, we had lunch there after the ride. The meal was pretty mediocre, but the beer was great. It was worth it more for the view than for the food.
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Zipline
We’ve done ziplines in countless places, at home and abroad, the first ones were really thrilling, but after that, I confess, they lost a bit of their charm. If you’ve never done one, I highly recommend it! It’s a little scary at first, but that soon passes, you enjoy the scenery and complain that it was over too fast lol. It wasn’t a priority for us in Queenstown, so we skipped it, but here’s a great option.
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Skydiving, hang gliding, and paragliding
The menu of adventure activities in Queenstown is a long one. Paragliding over the lake is one of the most widely shared images of the town. Hang gliding takes off from Coronet Peak, one of the most scenic spots in the area. And, for those who want serious thrills, there’s also skydiving. We didn’t do any of it (not enough courage, not enough $$$, not enough time), but if you go, tell me about it on Instagram @danae_explore.
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Hydro Attack
A shark-shaped submarine that cruises and pulls stunts on Lake Wakatipu. It struck me as kind of a silly outing, we even considered doing it on the day it did nothing but rain, but we let it go. Anyway, check out the tour details and if you go, tell me on Instagram @danae_explore whether we missed out on much.
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Rafting on the Shotover or Kawarau River
There are several rafting options on the rivers around Queenstown. Since it was winter, we figured braving the icy waters would be a bit of an ordeal, and nobody can afford to catch a cold or get sick on a trip. If it had been summer, it would have been one of the top activities on my list. Here’s a rafting trip on the Shotover River, and here’s one on the Kawarau River.
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As you can see, there’s no shortage of activities with a good dose of adrenaline in Queenstown. We didn’t have the time, or the money, and to be honest not even the desire to do all of them, and I think that’s the point: look at all the options and pick the ones that make the most sense for you. That’s why I share our experience and our opinion here, like that friend who’s been there and tells you what she really thought, to help you decide what will make your trip perfect.
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What to do in Queenstown: no adrenaline required
Lake Wakatipu and the TSS Earnslaw
Lake Wakatipu is the third largest in New Zealand and, according to Māori legend, the giant Matau, asleep beneath the water, breathes slowly every few minutes, which explains why the water level rises and falls (that part really happens).
Besides strolling along the waterfront in town and sitting down with an ice cream (I recommend Patagonia) to take in the view, another way to experience Wakatipu is aboard the TSS Earnslaw, a 1912 steamship that sails across to Walter Peak farm. The crossing takes about 40 minutes each way, and at the farm there’s a sheep-shearing demonstration and lunch. It’s pretty touristy, but the ship itself is a working museum piece. You’ll find tickets and more information through this link.
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Ice skating
Ice skating isn’t remotely extreme, but I’m terrified of falling and wrecking myself 🤣 The Queenstown Ice Arena is in the Queenstown Gardens, right in the center of town, and it’s open for much of the year (check opening dates and hours on the official website). We took the kids on a rainy day and it was a huge hit.
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Fear Factory
The local take on a haunted house, Fear Factory was a completely random outing we stumbled into on the day it rained nonstop. Essential? No. Fun? Very. It gave us one of the best photos of the whole trip.
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Onsen Hot Pools and sauna
There are a few hot pool options around Queenstown, private or shared. They can be a great idea after a hike, or even to come down from the adrenaline rush of an adventure activity. There’s also a floating sauna on Lake Wakatipu. We didn’t do any of these since they’re not really our style.
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Queenstown Gardens
Queenstown Gardens is a park on a peninsula jutting out from the town center, with a flat loop walk of about 40 minutes, well-kept gardens, a small pond, huge sequoias, and lake views on both sides. It’s free, pretty, and where you’ll find kids playing and locals walking their dogs. It works really well as a late-afternoon outing, we went for a stroll there several times during our week in town, and on our last day, a Saturday, my daughter ran a 5K that was happening there, part of parkrun.
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Kiwi Birdlife Park
Kiwi Birdlife Park is right in the center of Queenstown, next to the gondola entrance. It’s small, but it’s one of the most reliable ways to see a live kiwi. A symbol of New Zealand, the kiwi is a bird found nowhere else in the world, and some of its species are endangered, so spotting one in the wild is practically impossible. We’d already seen a few on the North Island, in Rotorua, at Te Puia, so we skipped this one.
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Eat a burger at Fergburger
Yes, the lines will be huge, but take a deep breath and brave it: you can’t go to Queenstown without eating a Fergburger at least once. It has become a culinary institution in town, a social media hit and, I have to admit, it lives up to the hype. We got ours to go (forget about sitting down, unless you’re very lucky) and devoured them on the way to the Gondola and Luge, and it was one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. Next door are Fergbaker (the group’s bakery, open into the early hours) and Mrs Ferg (gelato shop).
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What to do in Queenstown: skiing
Where to ski in Queenstown
Queenstown is one of the main ski bases in the Southern Hemisphere. There are four ski areas around town, two very close by and two near the neighboring town of Wanaka, just over an hour’s drive away.
Coronet Peak is the closest to Queenstown (about 20 minutes’ drive from the center) and the oldest ski area on the South Island. It has runs for every level, good facilities, and views of Lake Wakatipu and Lake Hayes. It’s the only one around with night skiing.
The Remarkables is about 40 minutes from the center, and it’s where we decided to hit the slopes. I say “we,” but really only the kids skied; the adults, after their first time on skis in Sapporo, Japan, agreed that was plenty of thrills for our time in Queenstown and stuck to the café, having a few drinks. In the end, I regretted it. It was a gorgeous day and the beginner group lesson was really good: the group was small and the instructor made a real effort to teach the basic technique and movements before letting them loose on the slope.
The other ski areas nearby are closer to Wanaka, but still easy to reach from Queenstown.
Cardrona is about an hour from Queenstown, on the way to Wanaka over the Crown Range. It’s the largest in the area and the best pick for families and beginners. It’s also the only one with a gondola (a “chondola,” a hybrid of gondola and chairlift) and claims to have the largest set of terrain parks in the Southern Hemisphere.
Treble Cone is the farthest away (it’s closer to Wanaka than to Queenstown) and is considered best suited to intermediate and advanced skiers, with the most challenging terrain in the country, the longest run in New Zealand (4 km), and views of Lake Wanaka.
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Three practical tips for skiing in Queenstown
Snow chains. Between June and August, the access roads to the ski areas may require chains. If you’re driving a rental car, check with the rental company that it comes with chains and, more importantly, know how to put them on.
If driving on snowy roads isn’t exactly your idea of fun, take the bus. That’s what we did. When we bought our tickets for The Remarkables, we added the round-trip bus to the mountain. The buses leave from downtown Queenstown, with a fixed departure time on the way up and an open return. Cardrona and Treble Cone offer free shuttles from the bottom of the access road, as well as paid transport from Queenstown.
You can (and I recommend it) buy your passes online in advance, which may even get you a discount. Since we were traveling in full “no commitments” mode, we didn’t know whether we’d have time (or feel like it) to ski in Queenstown, so we left the decision until we got there. We bought the lift passes, rented the clothes and gear, and booked the lessons at the shop the ski area runs in downtown Queenstown (the same spot has stands for The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, A.J. Hackett Bungy, and Shotover Jet).
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What to do in Queenstown: day trips
Arrowtown
Founded during the 1862 gold rush, Arrowtown is the best-preserved gold mining village in New Zealand. The main street is lined with 19th-century wooden cottages that are now cafés, little shops, and a cinema, and it’s genuinely charming, not a stage set.
The most fascinating spot – and also the most uncomfortable, is the Chinese Settlement, on the banks of the Arrow River: the tiny stone huts where Chinese miners lived, segregated from the community and subjected to far worse conditions. It’s preserved, open, and free, and it tells a part of New Zealand’s history that usually gets left out of the brochure.
The Lakes District Museum, on the main street, is small, well done, and worth a few minutes of your visit.
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Glenorchy and Paradise
The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy is the outing in itself. It’s about 45 minutes along the shore of Lake Wakatipu, with lookouts every few kilometers and the Humboldt Mountains appearing at the end. In practice, our 45 minutes stretched into a good couple of hours, but you’ll see some of the most beautiful scenery in a country where beautiful scenery is never in short supply.
Glenorchy is a tiny village on the lakeshore, with a red wharf shed that’s one of the most photographed spots in the country and a wooden boardwalk over the lagoon. Farther along, the gravel road continues to Paradise – yes, the place is actually called Paradise, and it has some of New Zealand’s most breathtaking landscapes, trust me! Scenes from The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, X-Men, Mission: Impossible, Heart of the Beast (which is supposedly set in Alaska, but was filmed right here in Glenorchy), and plenty of others were shot in the area.
We saved this outing for the day the forecast showed sun, and if you can, I recommend doing the same. We were told the trip to Glenorchy is worth it even on rainy days, but I didn’t want to push our luck.
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Gibbston Valley
Gibbston Valley is where New Zealand makes its Pinot Noir, on the way between Queenstown and Cromwell, next to the Kawarau Bridge. Several wineries offer tastings by appointment; some have restaurants. Gibbston Valley Winery has a wine cave carved into the rock.
If nobody wants to be the designated driver, there are half-day tours from Queenstown, as well as e-bike tours and hop-on hop-off buses.
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Wanaka via the Crown Range
The Crown Range Road is the highest paved road in New Zealand and the scenic link between Queenstown and Wanaka. It climbs through hairpin bends up to a lookout over the whole valley, passes through Cardrona (home to the historic Cardrona Hotel, from 1863), and then descends to Wanaka.
Wanaka is Queenstown’s calmer sister: the same lake-and-mountain scenery, but with half the tourism, and a genuinely small town center. The famous “That Wanaka Tree”, the lone willow standing in the water, is just a few minutes’ walk from the center.
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Milford Sound
The trip to the fiords of Milford Sound is considered the most spectacular on the South Island, but it’s also the most exhausting to do from Queenstown. It’s four to five hours on the road each way, crossing Fiordland National Park, the Homer Tunnel, and a string of landscapes that justify half the journey on their own.
The original plan was to do this tour on one of the days of our stay in Queenstown, but we decided against it for several reasons – my fear of traveling those roads in the depths of winter; we were already worn out after almost a month of rushing around Australia and both islands of New Zealand, and the hope that one day we’ll come back to Queenstown, ideally in summer.
So here’s the information I gathered from my research and from asking the local agencies in Queenstown.
There are three ways to visit Milford Sound from Queenstown:
Coach tour with cruise included. It leaves Queenstown before dawn, stops in Te Anau and at a few lookouts, does the roughly 1 hour 45 minute cruise on the fiord, and heads back. The whole day takes 12 to 13 hours. That’s what we would have done, since driving all that in a single day is exhausting and, in winter, with stretches that can have snow, ice, and fog, I’d rather trust a driver who knows the road well.
Driving yourself. It’s doable, but you’ll be driving practically the whole day (figure on eight or nine hours behind the wheel), spending about two hours at the destination, and a few minutes at a lookout or two along the way. If you’re driving, leave very early and check real-time conditions on the NZTA website.
Overnighting in Te Anau. This seems like the most civilized option, and a great one if you have the time. Te Anau is two hours from Queenstown and two hours from Milford. You can split the journey over two days, reach the fiord early, before the tour buses, and turn an exhausting day into a somewhat more comfortable outing.
One counterintuitive thing: rain in Milford Sound is a good thing. It’s one of the wettest places on the planet and, from what we were told, when it rains hundreds of temporary waterfalls appear on the rock walls. So don’t be discouraged if the forecast calls for rain.
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How many days to spend in Queenstown
We spent seven days in Queenstown and made great use of our time. Here’s what I’d do with fewer days in town:
Three days: One full day in town, strolling around downtown, riding the gondola up Bob’s Peak (if you have the time and interest, try the Luge) and, depending on your energy, squeezing in another outing, like the TSS Earnslaw or an adventure activity. On day two, a day trip to Arrowtown + Gibbston, where you can also fit in another activity if you like, or to Glenorchy; the third day would be devoted to Milford Sound.
Five days: The three above, plus two extra days in town for whichever outings you like, with or without adrenaline.
I’ll admit our seven days in Queenstown were pretty relaxed. We had one day when it did nothing but rain, so we didn’t do much and took the chance to rest a bit and enjoy the cafés and ice cream at a slow pace. Otherwise, we went to Arrowtown on the day we arrived, did Glenorchy as a day trip (we picked the day with the best forecast), spent one day skiing, and filled the rest with activities with and without adrenaline. We could easily have fit Milford Sound into those seven days, but we chose not to, since these were the last days of almost a month on the road around Oceania, and fatigue was starting to set in.
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How to get to Queenstown and how to get around
How to get to Queenstown
Queenstown Airport (ZQN) is 10 minutes from the town center. It receives domestic flights from New Zealand’s main cities, such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and direct international flights from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Gold Coast, at the time of writing).
An important note: ZQN is surrounded by mountains (any window seat you get will treat you to great views) and it only operates during daylight hours, with no night flights. On bad-weather days, cancellations and diversions to Christchurch or elsewhere do happen. If you have an international connection the next day, leave some buffer. From the airport to the center there’s the Orbus city bus, line 1, plus taxis, Uber, and transfers.
By car, the town is connected to Wanaka, Lake Tekapo, and Christchurch; the roads are two-lane and well maintained. Remember that in New Zealand you drive on the left; it takes a few days to get used to, but there’s no need to be scared, you’ll be fine – I’ve written about our experience driving on the left in this post about South Africa.
How to get around Queenstown
Within Queenstown, a car is more hassle than help. The center is walkable, parking is expensive and scarce, and the Orbus network works well for the residential areas and the airport. Fares are low and you pay with a Bee Card, a prepaid card sold at authorized outlets or on board. For ski days, the ski area buses are a better bet than driving yourself, and the other attractions (bungee jumping, Shotover Jet, and others) include transport to the activity site in the price. Uber also works really well in Queenstown; we used it a few times.
We only rented a car on day-trip days, one day for Arrowtown and another for Glenorchy.
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To rent a car, I always use RentCars, where I usually find the best options, and with the DANAE promo code you still get an additional 5% off. Shall we go?
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Best time to visit Queenstown
Queenstown is one of those destinations that’s great year-round, but each season brings a different experience, with its own pros and cons.
Summer (December to March) is high season, with lots of sun and relatively warm weather. It’s the best time to enjoy the nature around town, go hiking, swim, and soak up all the energy of the season. It’s also when the town is busiest and prices are highest.
The shoulder seasons, spring and autumn, are considered by many to be the best time to visit Queenstown. The town is less crowded and, depending on when you go, you still get the best of summer (think warmer days and hiking paths that are open and in great shape in early autumn) or of winter (the ski season usually runs into mid-spring). I’ve written about the perks of traveling in the shoulder season in this post about Ushuaia, and everything I said about the Argentine city applies to Queenstown.
Winter (June to August), on the other hand, is considered low season for traveling around New Zealand in general, with the upsides of good prices and fewer tourists, but of course the downsides of shorter days, some hikes being inaccessible, and the odd place being closed.
We chose to go in winter because, with the kids still in school, our vacations fall in January or July. We did plenty of research, saw that even in winter the cold isn’t that extreme, and that airfares and accommodation prices were very favorable: off to New Zealand in winter we went.
But fair warning, it’s not all sunshine and roses: since Queenstown is a ski destination, winter is also considered high season there. The ski areas open in mid-June and close between late September and early October, the town fills up, prices go up, and it gets dark around 5:30 p.m. On the other hand, it’s when Queenstown is most Queenstown: snow on the mountains, fireplaces lit, winter festivals (the Winter Festival in June and Winter Pride in August). August tends to be the snowiest month.
Even though we went to New Zealand in July, we had very few days below freezing, and even then the low was -1°C, it didn’t snow a single day, and there was no snow in town (the thing I hate most in destinations like this, I’m terrified of slipping in the gutter and breaking something). I went to Queenstown expecting something like what we saw in Sapporo, Japan, but it was very different and totally manageable. We spent seven days in Queenstown: one day it rained practically all day, two days were cloudy and cold, and the other four were sunny and fairly warm, on our last day the temperature hit 14°C!
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Entry requirements for New Zealand
Most visitors need an NZeTA, the electronic travel authority, which costs NZD 17 through the app and NZD 23 through the website, plus the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) of NZD 100. Always check the current rules before traveling.
Map of our 20-day New Zealand itinerary (save it to your Google account)
How to use this map: Click the menu tab in the upper left corner of the map to access different layers, including points of interest and routes. You can toggle layers on and off by checking the corresponding boxes. To see details about specific locations, click on the icons on the map.
To save this map to your Google Maps account, just click the star icon next to the map title. To access it later on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, tap the menu button, go to “Your Places”, select “Maps”, and you’ll find this map saved there.
Frequently asked questions about Queenstown
How many days do you need in Queenstown?
I recommend four to five days to see the town and the main day trips. If you’re skiing, add as many days as you want to spend on the slopes.
Do you need to rent a car in Queenstown?
You don’t need a car to get around town, you can do everything on foot and the main attractions offer transport to the site (included or paid separately). A car pays off on day trips to Arrowtown, Glenorchy, Gibbston, and Wanaka, but even those can be done on organized tours.
Can you ski in Queenstown with no experience at all?
Queenstown is one of the main ski areas in the Southern Hemisphere. We went to The Remarkables, but Coronet Peak and Cardrona also have dedicated beginner areas and packages.
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Is Milford Sound worth doing as a day trip from Queenstown?
The fiords of Milford Sound are one of the most popular outings from Queenstown, but it’ll be an intense day, with around 12 to 13 hours of touring. In winter, choose the coach tour over driving. If you can, overnight in Te Anau and split the trip over two days.
Is Queenstown expensive?
Unfortunately, yes, Queenstown is one of the most expensive destinations in New Zealand (which isn’t exactly a cheap country to visit to begin with). To keep our travel costs down, we used the same strategies as on our trip to Norway, favoring accommodation with a kitchen and grocery shopping.
Is Queenstown a good destination for kids?
Kids (and teens) will love Queenstown. The gondola’s Luge, gold panning in Arrowtown, Kiwi Birdlife Park, and the beginner snow areas work really well for families, and the town is safe and compact.
Here are the websites I always use to plan my trips:
– 🛌 Accommodation: Booking
– ☀️ Tours & activities: Civitatis & Get Your Guide
– 📱 eSIM for mobile data: Airalo e-SIM – use promo code DANAE2375
– 🚗 Car rental: RentCars – use promo code DANAE, or DiscoverCars
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