Things To Do in Queenstown

To get a full measure of Queenstown, take the short but sweet ride up the Skyline Queenstown gondola  (tel. 03/441-0101). It offers impressive views over the city and lake, with a number of activities at the top, including luging, guided walks to the summit or saddle of Ben Lomond, paragliding, mountain biking, and ziplining. (All are an additional cost. More on many of these can be found in our section on Active Pursuits in Queenstown.) There’s also a café and restaurant at the top. However, the gondola by itself is pricey scenic ride (NZ$46 adults, NZ$32 ages 6 to 14, and NZ$133 for a family of four) considering you can get similarly epic views from many of the area’s roadside pullout views or hiking trails for free.

The 1912 vintage steamship TSS Earnslaw  (tel. 03/249-6000) cruises across Lake Wakatipu in style. Affectionately known as the “Lady of the Lake,” the Earnslaw was built to service the remote farming communities around Lake Wakatipu. She could carry 1,500 sheep and 30 cattle on her decks. Today, she is the only hand-fired, commercial passenger-carrying steamship in operation in the southern hemisphere, carrying up to 350 passengers a day on daily scheduled excursions across the lake. Ninety-minute cruises to Walter Peak depart multiple times daily for NZ$80 adults and NZ$40 ages 5 to 15. If you haven’t done a farm tour elsewhere yet, it’s worth paying the extra cost for a Walter Peak Farm Tour, which includes the cruise, plus farming demonstrations, a guided walking tour of the station, and tea with freshly baked scones. This lengthens the cruise to 3.5 hours but will be one of your most memorable experiences in Queenstown. It costs NZ$130 adults and NZ$55 ages 5 to 15. Other options include guided horse treks and barbecue dining across the lake. The TSS Earnslaw is one of Queenstown’s most popular activities, so book in advance to guaranteed your preferred sailing time.

If you can’t get a spot on the TSS Earnslaw, Southern Discoveries’ Spirit of Queenstown, a modern catamaran, runs a similar itinerary, featuring commentary from the skipper, closeup views of Bob’s Cove, and farm tours of Mount Nicholas High Country Farm (a working merino-sheep farm). Scenic cruises run from NZ$59. Book online to save 10 percent.

Queenstown’s history is intertwined with that of the early 19th-century gold rush, with the gold fields in the region being amongst the richest in the world. To see a gold mining demonstration, head to the Goldfields Mining Centre in Kawarau Gorge (tel. 03/445-1038), which is accessed via a narrow but stable bridge crossing over the river. Admission—which includes a guided tour and the chance to pan for gold—is NZ$35 adults, NZ$17 children, and NZ$95 families of four. It’s open daily 9am to 5pm from September to April, and from 10am to 4pm in May through August and can be found a 40-minute drive from Queenstown on route to Wānaka or Dunedin. Note: Many guided and organized tours departing from Queenstown include gold panning as part of their standard offerings so don’t take this one if that’s your main interest. On all you’re almost guaranteed to find (miniscule specks of) gold.  

For a truly indulgent experience, make a booking at the Onsen Hot Pools, 160 Arthurs Point Rd. (tel. 03/442-5707). Getting your own private hot tub overlooking the Shotover River is nice—but when you’re offered bubbly, potato chips, and ice cream to enjoy while you’re soaking, you’re living the dream. Retractable roofs make stargazing possible on a clear night and offer shelter on a rainy day. The Instagram-ready pools can book-out days and sometimes weeks in advance, but last-minute reservations are sometimes available. The newer “outdoor” pools are essentially the same experience, minus the retractable roof. Pools fit up to four people and start at NZ$87.50. Each session lasts an hour and includes your choice of drink and snack, and a complimentary shuttle service. Open daily 9am to 11pm.

Guided Tours

Here almost more than anywhere else in the country, I recommend taking at least a half-day guided tour at the beginning of your stay. It will give you a good sense of the lay of the land, the historical context behind the area’s settlement, and a solid idea of how else you might best spend your time here. Just call it an amuse-bouche. (Plus, they usually hit up “Lord of the Rings” filming locations, if that’s your thing.)

As with the number of activities on off-offer, there are countless tour companies eager to show you the ropes, with the following being some of the best. Altitude Tours (tel. 03/441-4788) offers daily guided tours of Queenstown, Glenorchy and Milford Sound. Its half-day Best of Queenstown (NZ$169 adult; NZ$99) tour is a great sampler for those short on time, with knowledgeable guides and pre-recorded videos that are legitimately funny. It visits the Shotover River, Arrowtown and Gibbston, but its length means stops are often rushed and the 30-minute boat ride on Lake Wakatipu at the end feels tacked-on.

Nomad Safaris (tel. 0800/688-222 in NZ, or 03/442-6699) has exclusive rights to guide in the old mining towns of Macetown and Sefferstown, taking travelers through spectacular Otago scenery along the way, either in 4WD vehicles (in which you do super fun backcountry river crossings) or in Tesla Model X SUVs. While Nomad markets many of its tours to “Lord of the Rings” fans (who will love the fleet’s vanity plates, named for movie characteries, and drivers who were extras in the films) with info that’s bound to satisfy its most dedicated fans, it can cater content to the passengers on its small group tours. When my eyes glazed over while viewing yet another filming location (sorry LOTR diehards; I love the movies, just not that much) my tour guide seamless switched gears to conservation and the gold mining history of the area with a breadth of knowledge that was truly impressive. For the most film locations and more remote scenery, opt for the Glenorchy tour. Tours start from NZ$245 adults and NZ$125 and include tea.

Alpine Luxury Tours (tel. 027/257 4632) offers private guided tours in a luxury Land Rover, which hit up all the top sites. But if you’re looking for something a little different, local founder Lee Saunders has developed relationships with landowners, giving him exclusive access to a number of areas, including Staircase Creek. The 90-minute hike crosses a 11,000-hectare (27,000 acres) sheep station into a wooded area that looks much like the Routeburn Track—think waterfalls, thick trees, bellbirds and moss—except without the crowds. Alpine’s most popular tour (also exclusive access) is a heli-hike to the surreal Middle Earth waterfalls of Rivendell on the Earnslaw Burn. All tours are customizable; inquire for rates.

Wine Tours

Central Otago’s rugged hillsides and sunny valleys are clad in vineyards that produce some of the country’s most distinctive wines. Sitting at 45 degrees—the same latitude as Bordeaux in the northern hemisphere—it’s known for its pinot noir (which accounts for roughly 70 per cent of the total plantings), chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, and Riesling. Once again, there are tons of companies offering tours of the region. Most small group half-day tours include a stop at three to four wineries (usually including the wine cave at Gibbston winery) with a small lunch or shared flood platter. All are priced similarly, with discounts offered for direct bookings. (Look on the company’s respective websites for 10 percent off promo codes.)

On Alpine Wine Tours (tel. 021/0293-7491) a professional (but not too professional; this is a wine tour, after all) guide will take you to three wineries in a small passenger van. The half-day tours depart in the morning (NZ$259) or afternoon (NZ$219), with a generous shared food platter at one of the stops. If food is what you’re after though, try the evening Progressive Lunch Tour (NZ$339). The only one of its kind in the region, there’s a dish and wine or craft beer pairing at each stop.

Appellation Central Wine Tours (tel. 03/442-0246) offers a half-day Boutique Wine Tour which includes wine tastings at four vineyards in Gibbston and Bannockburn and a platter lunch at Carrick Winery. The Gourmet Wine Tour is a full day covering five vineyards in Gibbstown, Bannockburn, and Cromwell, with a wine cave tour, cheese tasting, and a platter lunch included. Tours cost NZ$219 per person.

A more affordable option is the NZ$175 4.5-hour personalized Original Wine Tour with tastings at four wineries with Queenstown Wine Trails (tel. 03/441-3990). The tour includes time for an optional winery lunch at your own expense—which honestly, you’re going to want to soak up the wine, so this tour works out to the same cost.


Historic Arrowtown

Sights and Attractions in Nearby Arrowtown

For an enjoyable outing at a less hectic pace, visit Arrowtown, 20km (12 miles) to the northeast of Queenstown, on the banks of the Arrow River. Gold was discovered here in 1862, and the township retains a number of heritage sites and buildings along its main strip, Buckingham Street. A daytrip will likely suffice for most visitors, but if you’re looking for a quieter place to spend the night or want to eat at one of Arrowtown’s acclaimed restaurants, its location lends itself to exploring the greater Queenstown area.  

The partially restored Chinese Settlement along Bush Creek is a sharp contrast to the historic European storefronts of Buckingham Street, even though it’s only a five-minute walk away. Some 3,564 Chinese migrants flocked to Otago in the late 1800s to try their luck in the goldfields. In Arrowtown, they were segregated from the rest of the community, living in humble shacks that can be explored today, including the tiny rooms of Ah Lum’s general store and huts tucked away under rocky outcrops. To find it, walk north on Buckingham Street, then head downhill through the picnic area. The entrance is near the junction of Bush Creek and the Arrow River.

The shops lining Buckingham Street and its adjoining alleyways are exactly what you’d expect to find in any tour bus stop: made-in-China trinkets, gift shops, and outdoor gear. There are some exceptions to this rule, though. Off the Wall ★ (18 Buckingham St., https://offthewallgallery.co.nz) specializes in NZ-made goods, including Kiwiana-themed children’s books, wall hangings and homewares. And even if you don’t have the cash for it, the Gold Shop (29 Buckingham St.) is worth a stop just to gawk at some of the largest gold nuggets in existence. (Some are displayed by the front door, but ask to hold the largest one ever found, which is hidden behind the counter.) Owned locally by a family of gold prospectors, its natural gold flake lockets are a popular souvenir. Meanwhile, The Chapel Gallery ★ (hidden down a back alley in Roman’s Lane) showcases the artwork of self-taught local artist Graham Brinsley. Strewn throughout the tiny former church, are open tubes of paint and large oil canvases—some still in progress—depicting Otago scenes.

One warning: the Lakes District Museum, 49 Buckingham St. (tel. 03/442-1824; daily 9am–4pm) is not particularly well-curated and the packed exhibits feel a bit worn. If you’re not in the mood to read museum signage, save yourself the $12 entry fee.