Queenstown was by far my favorite town in New Zealand. It’s no wonder tourism to this small town has exploded over the last few years. From its quaint, lake-side town center to its surrounding mountains, Queenstown has so much to offer any traveler.
Roy’s Peak hike
I’m not gonna lie, this hike was pretty intense for us. It’s just under 10 miles round trip with steep inclines. The trail is well treaded so it’s safe and easy to walk along but at a constant incline. However, if you’re up for a challenge, you’ll experience an incredible view of Lake Wanaka. If you make it up to the lookout, you’ll be greeted with breathtaking views of the surrounding lakes and mountains. This was the most challenging hike that we did & it was absolutely worth it!
This hike took us about 8 hours in total. Be sure to bring plenty of water & some snacks to keep you energized!
Winery Tour!!
This is the perfect activity for the day after a hike when you want to take it easy & enjoy a relaxing afternoon. There’s no shortage of companies offering winery tours. We chose to go with Wine Hopper Bus & were very pleased. The bus picks up in Queenstown & takes you to the wine region, about 20 minutes from Queenstown. Your tour guide will give you recommendations on which wineries to visit, but ultimately it’s your choice! You’ll have time to visit 3-4 wineries and do tastings at each.
We liked this tour because it’s not structured with specific times and locations like some of the others. Our driver would let us know about what time he’d pick us up to take us to the next winery, but if we wanted to stay where we were at, that was ok! Our driver was also very knowledgable about the region and was able to offer great recommendations.
The tour is 79 NZD when booked from the Wine Hopper Bus website. We found a discounted price at bookme.co.nz. This site is 100% reputable and we had no issues booking through this 3rd party. Same wine tour for half the price!
Take a stroll around Lake Wakatipu & stop by the Queenstown Gardens
Lake Wakatipu is one of the most beautiful lakes I’ve ever seen, with crystal clear waters and surrounded by mountains. There’s a paved trail along the Queenstown side of the lake.
Enjoy a leisurely walk, take some pictures, and end up at Queenstown Gardens. Walk through the garden and surround yourself with beautiful trees and flowers. It’s worth a visit to appreciate the beauty that Queenstown has to offer!
Take a day trip to Milford Sound
You can’t visit South Island without taking a trip to Milford Sound. Book one of the boat cruises to fully experience this wonder. We got up close & personal with the waterfalls, and even spotted some wild penguins! Hands down, the highlight of our trip!
It’s a lengthy drive from Queenstown, about 3 hours, but the drive is beautiful and there are plenty of scenic spots along the way. Check out Mirror Lakes, The Chasm, and Hollyford Valley Lookout!
Ride the TSS Earnslaw & enjoy dinner, followed by an educational show
Definitely one of the more tourist-trap things we did, but it was still a lot of fun. If you’ve been hanging around Lake Wakatipu, I’m sure you’ve noticed an old steamship coming and going from the docks. That’s the TSS Earnslaw. We booked the Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ Dinner tour.
The TSS Earnslaw picked us up at the dock in Queenstown and took us across the lake to Colonel’s Homestead Restaurant at Walter Peak High Country Farm. We enjoyed a buffet dinner (included in the cost of the ticket) and a bottle of wine (extra charge). After dinner, there’s a farm demonstration where you get to see a sheepdog in action! Then, it’s back aboard the TSS Earnslaw for the trip back to Queenstown.
As I said, this does have a tourist trap feel to it, but we thoroughly enjoyed it!
Enjoy a brew at Smith’s Craft Beer House
I’ll be the first to admit that my husband and I are beer snobs. Smith’s Craft Beer House had a great selection of craft beers & snacks. It’s also centrally located in Queenstown! A great afternoon spot to hang out if it’s raining or you just want to take it easy for the day.
Nevis Canyon Swing
Full disclosure: this is the 1 activity that I regret not doing. My husband is afraid of heights & I didn’t want to do it solo!
The pictures and videos make it look SO fun! This is also an activity that’s pretty unique to New Zealand. If you’re into big thrills, give the Nevis Swing a try!
Grab breakfast at Joe’s Garage or Bespoke Kitchen
Have a long hike or full day of activities planned? Start your morning off right with breakfast at either of these great restaurants!
We loved Joe’s Garage because of the super friendly staff and the laid-back atmosphere. They also had some of the best black coffee (or maybe we were just in dire need of caffeine that day….who knows). The food was amazing and they have a decent number of menu options without overwhelming you with choices. Highly recommend!
If you’re looking for something that’s a little more…well…instragrammable (it’s a word, ok?), you’ll love Bespoke Kitchen! The interior of the restaurant looks like it came straight from a modern farmhouse Pinterest board, or you can dine on their patio and enjoy the garden and fresh air coming off of the lake. The food is delicious and made to photograph, their presentation is unmatched!
Hike the Sawpit Gully track in Arrowtown
We decided to hike this track on a complete whim & it didn’t disappoint! Arrowtown is only about a 20-minute drive from Queenstown. It is a historic gold mining town with quaint shops and restaurants lining the main street. Just behind the town center is where the hiking trails begin. There are a few different options, depending on how long or difficult you want your hike to be.
We chose the Sawpit Gully track because it’s a moderate level trail and the views are spectacular! The entire loop is just over 4 miles and it took us about 3 hours to complete. We took our time during this hike, stopping a few times to take pictures, soak in the views, and even went for a dip in the river! Be prepared for a moderately steep incline to the top of the hill, where you can stop and rest on the park benches before making your descent. You might even spot a few wild goats scaling the side of the mountain as we did!
Hike this trail in the morning and finish your afternoon off with lunch and shopping around historic Arrowtown!
BONUS: Attractions we thought were overrated
Fergburger
It’s a good burger. But is it ‘wait for over an hour & have to take it to-go bc there’s no place to sit’ good? Not in my (probably unpopular) opinion.
That Wanaka Tree
Yeah, it’s “the most Instagrammed tree”. Yeah, it’s a cool looking tree. But the pictures of it online look 10000% better than the real thing. Maybe on a perfect day, when the water is perfectly still and you can see the reflection of the tree & mountains in the lake, it would make for a good picture. But with the slightest bit of wind, the water gets choppy and it just looks like any old tree sticking out of the water. Not to mention the sea of tourists. 2/10
Let me know which South Island activity you are looking forward to the most!!
