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New Zealand

Queenstown

Three days for the lake town, adrenaline activities, Arrowtown and Gibbston wineries. Below: 1 sight, 4 activities and 1 outdoor spot, plus how Queenstown fits into a longer trip.

Plan Queenstown with friendsBrowse 9 places
Queenstown, New Zealand
Places
9

1 See · 4 Do · 1 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink

Curated routes
1

South Island Alps & Fiords

Best season
Nov – Mar

from our route notes

Warmest month
January

20°C / 69°F avg high

Coolest month
July

7°C / 44°F avg high

Wettest month
January

about 121 mm rain

Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.

Things to do in Queenstown

9 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.

See

1 sight worth building a day around in Arrowtown.

  • Arrowtown in QueenstownPhoto: Bgabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
    See

    Arrowtown

    Gold-rush town with a restored Chinese miners' settlement and tree-lined main street.

    • Arrowtown
    • Free
    • 3 hr
    • April (autumn colors)

Do

4 activities for when the group wants to do more than look across Town Centre, Steamer Wharf and Arthurs Point.

  • Skyline Queenstown in QueenstownPhoto: Kok Horng - កុកហ័ង · Google
    Do

    Skyline Queenstown

    Gondola up Bob's Peak with luge rides and a view over Lake Wakatipu.

    Tip Hike the Tiki Trail up and ride down to save money.

    • Town Centre
    • $$$
    • 2 hr
    • Sunset
  • TSS Earnslaw in QueenstownPhoto: TSS Earnslaw Queenstown Cruise - RealNZ · Google
    Do

    TSS Earnslaw

    1912 coal-fired steamship crossing the lake to Walter Peak high country farm.

    • Steamer Wharf
    • $$$
    • 3 hr
    • Afternoon
  • Shotover Jet in QueenstownPhoto: Shotover Jet Queenstown · Google
    Do

    Shotover Jet

    Jet boat spins through the narrow Shotover River canyons.

    • Arthurs Point
    • $$$
    • 60 min
    • Daytime
  • Kawarau Bridge Bungy in QueenstownPhoto: Yanqiu Lou · Google
    Do

    Kawarau Bridge Bungy

    AJ Hackett's original 1988 commercial bungy site above the Kawarau River.

    • Gibbston
    • $$$$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Daytime

Outdoors

1 outdoor spot for fresh air in Town Centre.

  • Queenstown Gardens in QueenstownPhoto: fr:Utilisateur:FRED The original uploader was FRED at French Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0
    Outdoors

    Queenstown Gardens

    Peninsula park with lakeside paths and a frisbee golf course.

    • Town Centre
    • Free
    • 60 min
    • Morning

Eat

Where we would book a table in Queenstown in Town Centre.

  • Fergburger in QueenstownPhoto: Roderick Kar · Google
    Eat

    Fergburger

    Queenstown's famous burger joint, open late.

    Tip Order by phone to skip the queue.

    • Town Centre
    • $
    • 45 min
    • Late night
  • Botswana Butchery in QueenstownPhoto: Botswana Butchery · Google
    Eat

    Botswana Butchery

    Steak and lamb restaurant in a historic cottage on the waterfront.

    Tip Reserve; ask for a lake-view table.

    • Town Centre
    • $$$$
    • 2 hr
    • Dinner

Drink

Our picks for a drink in Queenstown in Gibbston.

  • Gibbston Valley Winery in QueenstownPhoto: Gibbston Valley Winery & Restaurant · Google
    Drink

    Gibbston Valley Winery

    Central Otago pinot noir winery with tours of New Zealand's largest wine cave.

    • Gibbston
    • $$
    • 1.5 hr
    • Lunch

How to fit Queenstown into a trip

Queenstown is stop 3 of 4 on our South Island Alps & Fiords route. Follow it as-is or lift Queenstown into your own plan.

Getting here and onward

Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.

Queenstown month by month

Average daily highs run from 7°C / 44°F in July to 20°C / 69°F in January. January is the wettest month, with about 121 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.

Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Queenstown weather and the best time to visit →

Near Queenstown

3 other destinations from our guides within about 400 km (249 mi), measured in a straight line.

Queenstown questions, answered

How many days do you need in Queenstown?

Our route notes suggest 3 days in Queenstown. On our South Island Alps & Fiords route it is stop 3 of 4 in a 10-day trip. The listed visit times for our 9 places add up to roughly 16 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.

What is Queenstown best known for?

Three days for the lake town, adrenaline activities, Arrowtown and Gibbston wineries. Standouts on our list: Arrowtown (Gold-rush town with a restored Chinese miners' settlement and tree-lined main street); Queenstown Gardens (Peninsula park with lakeside paths and a frisbee golf course); Skyline Queenstown (Gondola up Bob's Peak with luge rides and a view over Lake Wakatipu).

When is the best time to visit Queenstown?

Our South Island Alps & Fiords route is best Nov – Mar. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in January (20°C / 69°F), the coolest in July (7°C / 44°F) and the most rain in January (about 121 mm).

What are the best things to do in Queenstown?

Start with Skyline Queenstown, Queenstown Gardens, TSS Earnslaw, Shotover Jet and Kawarau Bridge Bungy. Our guide lists 9 places in all, from 1 sight, 4 activities, 1 outdoor spot, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.

Where should a group eat in Queenstown?

Our picks: Fergburger (Town Centre); Botswana Butchery (Town Centre). Order by phone to skip the queue (Fergburger).

What is near Queenstown?

The closest destinations in our guides are Milford Sound (about 71 km / 44 mi), Aoraki / Mount Cook (about 184 km / 114 mi) and Christchurch (about 357 km / 222 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.

Plan Queenstown with your crew

Open the South Island Alps & Fiords route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 9 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.

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