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Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - Mgallery Collection, Queenstown

Things to do guide

The best things to do in Queenstown

Updated 7 October 2026 · 13 things to do

Pictured: Hotel St Moritz Queenstown - Mgallery Collection

Queenstown sits on the shore of a long, cold, impossibly blue lake, with a jagged mountain range called The Remarkables for a backdrop. It would be worth the journey for the view alone. But this is also the town that gave the world commercial bungy jumping, and it has been inventing new ways to frighten visitors ever since.

You don't have to jump off anything. There are steamship cruises, vineyards, gold-rush villages and some of the finest walking and skiing in New Zealand. The town centre is small and walkable; the big scenery starts where the pavement ends.

Don't miss

  1. 1Skyline Gondola
  2. 2Lake Wakatipu and the TSS Earnslaw
  3. 3Kawarau Bridge Bungy
  4. 4Arrowtown
  5. 5Milford Sound

The big sights

  1. Skyline Gondola

    Landmark

    A Skyline gondola cabin climbing Bob's Peak above Queenstown
    Photo: Skyline Enterprises NZ, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The gondola climbs steeply from the edge of town to the top of Bob's Peak, and the panorama from the summit is the picture on every Queenstown postcard: the town, the lake's long arms and The Remarkables lined up behind.

    At the top is the luge, a downhill track you ride on a gravity-powered cart with a simple brake. It is far more fun than it sounds, and children and adults get equally competitive.

    Tip: Go up in the late afternoon and stay for sunset over the lake.

  2. Lake Wakatipu and the TSS Earnslaw

    Activity

    The steamship TSS Earnslaw approaching Queenstown on Lake Wakatipu
    Photo: Eusebius, CC BY 3.0

    Lake Wakatipu is long, thin, lightning-bolt-shaped and extremely deep, with water so clear and cold it looks unreal. The grand way to see it is aboard the TSS Earnslaw, a coal-fired steamship that has worked the lake since 1912.

    She chugs across to Walter Peak, a high-country sheep station on the far shore, and you can watch the engine room at work on the way. It suits anyone after a slower, gentler Queenstown.

  3. Queenstown Gardens

    Nature

    The pond in Queenstown Gardens
    Photo: Krzysztof Golik, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A small peninsula juts into the lake beside the town centre, and it has been a public garden since Victorian times. Tall firs, rose beds, lawns and a pond make it a calm escape, and a flat path runs right around the shoreline with mountain views at every turn.

    There is a frisbee golf course among the trees. It is the place for a free hour and a takeaway coffee.

  4. Ben Lomond

    Nature

    The view from Ben Lomond over Lake Wakatipu towards The Remarkables
    Photo: Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0

    The peak that looms behind the gondola is Queenstown's great day walk. The track climbs from the top station through tussock to a saddle and then steeply to the summit, where on a clear day the view stretches across the lake to the Southern Alps.

    It is a long, demanding hike for fit walkers with proper gear. For something shorter, the Queenstown Hill walk gives a fine view for a fraction of the effort.

    Tip: Mountain weather changes fast. Check the forecast, take warm layers and start early.

Thrills

The self-styled adventure capital of the world earns the title.

  1. Kawarau Bridge Bungy

    Activity

    Bungy jumping from the Kawarau Bridge
    Photo: sussexbirder, CC BY 2.0

    This is where it all began. In 1988 the old suspension bridge over the Kawarau River became the world's first commercial bungy site, and people have been throwing themselves off it ever since, plunging towards the turquoise water below.

    Even if you have no intention of jumping, the viewing decks make great theatre. Those who want more can try the much higher Nevis bungy and the canyon swings elsewhere around Queenstown.

  2. Shotover Jet

    Activity

    A Shotover Jet boat on the Shotover River
    Photo: Bernard Spragg. NZ from Christchurch, New Zealand, CC0

    The jet boat is a New Zealand invention, designed to skim across shallow rivers, and the bright red boats of the Shotover Jet are its most famous showcase. They race through the narrow rock canyons of the Shotover River, missing the walls by what feels like inches and spinning full circle on the spot.

    It is fast, loud and wet, and it is over quickly. A good choice for thrill-seekers who would rather stay sitting down.

  3. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables

    Activity

    The Coronet Peak ski field near Queenstown
    Photo: Kiwi Discovery Queenstown, CC BY 2.0

    In winter Queenstown becomes New Zealand's leading ski town. Coronet Peak, the closest field, has long, rolling runs and night skiing; The Remarkables, across the valley, is sunny and good for beginners and families, with terrain parks for the confident.

    Both are a short drive from town, and buses run up from the centre. Cardrona and Treble Cone, near Wanaka, are within reach too.

Eat and drink

  1. Gibbston Valley

    Food

    A vineyard in the Gibbston Valley
    Photo: tjabeljan, CC BY 2.0

    East of town, the Kawarau Gorge opens into the Gibbston Valley, the gateway to the Central Otago wine region. This is one of the most southerly wine regions in the world, and its pinot noir has a devoted following.

    Cellar doors sit among schist cliffs and vines, several with good restaurants and one with a large wine cave cut into the rock. Take a tour or cycle the riverside trail from Arrowtown so that nobody has to drive.

  2. Fergburger

    Food

    A burger bar with an international reputation and a queue to match. Fergburger, on Shotover Street in the middle of town, serves vast, freshly made burgers from morning until the small hours, and joining the line has become a Queenstown ritual.

    Is it worth the wait? Most people say yes. Take yours down to the lakefront and eat it on the beach with the mountains for company.

    Tip: Phone your order ahead to skip most of the queue.

Day trips

  1. Arrowtown

    Day trip

    Autumn colours in Arrowtown
    Photo: Vera & Jean-Christophe from Europe, CC BY-SA 2.0

    A short drive from Queenstown, Arrowtown is a gold-rush village that never quite let go of the 1860s. Its main street is a row of wooden shopfronts and stone cottages, now housing cafés, galleries and a good museum, and the restored huts of the Chinese miners' settlement sit down by the river.

    It is at its most beautiful in autumn, when the trees on the hillside turn gold and red. An easy half-day for everyone.

  2. Glenorchy

    Day trip

    The wharf at Glenorchy on Lake Wakatipu
    Photo: Vishal Makwana, CC BY 2.0

    The road to Glenorchy follows the lake to its head, and it is one of the most scenic drives in New Zealand: forty-odd kilometres of bends with snow-capped peaks growing larger ahead. The tiny settlement at the end is the gateway to the Routeburn Track and to valleys used as locations in the Lord of the Rings films.

    Stop at the old red wharf shed, walk the lagoon boardwalk, and drive on to the hamlet called Paradise.

  3. Milford Sound

    Day trip

    Mitre Peak rising above Milford Sound
    Photo: MurielBendel, CC BY-SA 4.0

    In Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound is the most famous sight in New Zealand: a fiord where sheer rock walls rise more than a thousand metres from dark water, with Mitre Peak at its centre and waterfalls pouring down after rain. Boat cruises run the length of it to the Tasman Sea.

    It is a very long day by road from Queenstown, though the drive is spectacular. Scenic flights get you there in a fraction of the time.

    Tip: To break the journey, consider staying a night in Te Anau, which is far closer to the fiord.

  4. Wanaka

    Day trip

    The lone willow known as That Wanaka Tree in Lake Wanaka
    Photo: Kate Branch, CC BY-SA 4.0

    About an hour away over the Crown Range, the highest main road in New Zealand, Wanaka is Queenstown's quieter cousin: a lakeside town with the same mountain scenery and a calmer pace. A lone willow growing out of the lake, known as That Wanaka Tree, has become its emblem.

    Walkers come for Roys Peak and Mount Aspiring National Park. Stop at the historic Cardrona Hotel on the way.

Where to stay in Queenstown

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Queenstown →

Getting around

The town centre is small enough to walk, and local buses run to the airport, Frankton and Arrowtown. Most activity operators collect you from town. A hire car gives you freedom for Glenorchy, Wanaka and the wine country, and coach tours and flights go to Milford Sound.

When to go

Queenstown has two high seasons. Summer, from December to February, brings long, warm days for walking and the lake; winter, roughly June to September, is ski season. Autumn is quieter and gloriously colourful. Nights are cold all year, so bring layers.

Questions about visiting Queenstown

What is Queenstown best known for?
Adventure sports, above all bungy jumping and jet boating, along with Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables mountains, skiing and trips to Milford Sound.
How many days do you need in Queenstown?
Three to four days lets you ride the gondola, cruise the lake, try an adventure activity and visit Arrowtown and Glenorchy. Add a day for Milford Sound.
Is Queenstown worth visiting if you don't like adventure sports?
Yes. The scenery, lake cruises, wineries, walks, Arrowtown and the drive to Glenorchy are reason enough, and nobody will make you jump.
What is there to do in Queenstown with kids?
The gondola and luge, the TSS Earnslaw steamship and Walter Peak farm, Queenstown Gardens, gold panning in Arrowtown and, in winter, learning to ski at The Remarkables.
Do you need a car in Queenstown?
Not in town, and most activities include transport. A car is very useful for Glenorchy, Wanaka and the wineries.

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