Is Queenstown Worth Visiting?
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Is Queenstown worth visiting when you go to New Zealand? Should You Visit?
Queenstown has a little bit for everyone with varying interests. It’s one of the best spots in New Zealand, with a wide variety of activities and must-see sights. You can take a wine tour, bungy jump, take a gorgeous hike or stroll on the beach all on the same day.
But we wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, spend a few days in Queenstown, then make it your base when visiting the Otago region.
In this post, we’ll go over must-dos in Queenstown and must-dos outside of Queenstown center.
Travel Tip: Make Queenstown base camp for a couple of days when visiting the Otago region
So, yes! Make sure to visit Queenstown. You won’t find more outdoor summer and winter activities in any other city. Queenstown is worth visiting. Especially if you love the outdoors and fun, crazy, adrenaline-inducing sports.
Stay in Queenstown and do what the city has to offer – it has a lot – and then branch out to must-see sights in the Otago region surrounding Queenstown.
What is So Amazing About Queenstown?
Queenstown is a small town (home to 20,000 Kiwis) surrounded by a mountain range named The Remarkables.
Don’t allow the popularity of Queenstown to turn you off. Queenstown offers everything New Zealand is known for in one place: nice people, a great lake in the middle of everything surrounded by gorgeous mountains with endless hiking trails, and the town is filled with shops, cafes, restaurants, and a hopping nightlife scene. The people are very friendly, and it’s a crowded place for a reason.
Auckland is the bigger city with many parts, but Queenstown has more charm and a funky vibe.
Summer is for skydiving, bungy jumping, and jetboating on the lake. Winter is for skiing and winter activities.
Where is Queenstown located?
Queenstown is on the South Island of New Zealand, in the middle, closer to the southern tip.
What Is Queenstown Known For?
Bungy jumping and other outdoor sports. AJ Hackett invented the first commercial bungy operation in 1988 with the distinction for operating the highest jump in the world, the Nevis Jump.
There are many bungy jump operators in Queenstown, so you can choose between many jumps as well as sky diving, zip lining, jet-boating, and several other outdoor activities.
What You Would Do With One Day in Queenstown?
If you have only one day to explore Queenstown, a good use of your time would be to walk around the town, maybe take a bungy jump, go for a walk on a nearby beach, or explore one of the many hikes surrounding the town.
Things to Do That Make Queenstown Worth Visiting
1. The Nevis Jump
Queenstown is home to the Nevis Jump, the highest jump in the world, invented by AJ Hackett in 1988. It’s a 440-foot (134-meter) drop and an 8.5 second free-fall to the bottom
Starts at 290 NZD | $188 USD 👉 Purchase here
The price of the ticket includes a ride to the jump site. A bus picks you up from town and brings you to the Kawarau Bungy Center.
The Kawarau Bridge bungy is the only place in Queenstown to offer tandem jumping experiences.
2. Skiing and Snowboarding
It does snow in New Zealand. Queenstown is surrounded by the many ski resorts of the Southern Alps, offering some of the very best skiing in New Zealand.
The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Cardrona, and Treble Cone are all a short drive from the town center, and many ski passes will give you access to multiple slopes for one pass.
Transport from town is usually included. You can purchase them online or upon arrival.
For family-friendly skiing, The Remarkables is the best choice.
Treble Cone is less crowded with more pristine views.
Cost:
Single day pass 371 NZD | $159 USD
Lift passes, lessons and rentals start at 289 NZD | $240 USD
3. Go to Walk On One of the Many Beaches
Many beaches sit along Lake Wakatipu, although the water is very cold, even in the summer.
The main beach in Queenstown is Queenstown Bay, which is very crowded since it’s in town.
Sunshine Bay and Kelvin Heights beaches are less crowded and offer views of Cecil Peak and The Remarkables, respectively.
4. Enjoy the Town Center
The town is jumping year-round. While there are festivals specifically in the summer and winter, like the Winter Festival, and a thriving live music scene with outdoor concerts in the summer, Queenstown has year-round weekend markets, including farmers’ markets and several arts and crafts markets.
Other year-round activities include jet-boating, hiking, canyon swinging, and scenic cruises. There is also a jumping nightlife scene in Queenstown.
5. Ziplining
As we mentioned, Queenstown is home to extreme outdoor activities. One highlight is ziplining through the forest over the city and Lake Wakatipu.
Ziplining is relatively safe and not as jarring on the neck or the joints as bungy jumping. (Bungy jumping is also very safe, but you are doing these things at your own risk).
Take the Skyline Gondola to the peak, where one of the nearby mountains offers ziplining over the city and lake.
Starts at 202 NZD | $126 USD
6. Mountain Biking and Gondola
Biking is a great way to see any city intimately and quickly. The Skyline Gondola will take you to the Queenstown Bike Park and ziplining opportunities.
At the top, you’ll find 30 different mountain biking trails for various skill levels.
This offers a great way to see the mountains surrounding Queenstown and the lovely vistas they offer.
Another option is the 75-mile Queenstown Trail, which takes you through Gibbston, Lake Wakatipu, and Lake Hayes. This is Cardrona Valley Mountain Quad Experience from Wanaka is well worth it and a great way to cover a lot of ground in one day.
Full-Day Mountain bike rental starts at 370 NZD | $231 USD
👉 Purchase here: Cardrona Valley Mountain Quad Experience from Wanaka
Search out many incredible vistas to view the whole town on your ride.
Lake Wakatipu surrounds Queenstown, and there are many places for viewing the whole city and all year-round unspoiled scenery.
Climb Bob’s Peak for a full panorama view of the town and lake.
7. Enjoy the Waters of Lake Wakatipu
Queenstown is surrounded by Lake Wakatipu where they offer typical lake activities: kayaking, stand-up paddle board, swimming, sailing, and jet-boating tours, just for a start.
Travel Tip: Lake Wakatipu is very cold, even in the summer. If cold water doesn’t scare you, go for it.
Cost of water activities on Lake Wakatipu:
- Queenstown Cruise and Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ 145 NZD | $94 USD 👉 Purchase here
- Spirit of Queenstown Lake Wakatipu Scenic Cruise 58 NZD | $38 USD 👉 Purchase here
- Rent a kayak –128 NZD | $83 USD 👉 Purchase here
- Stand-up Paddle board (SUP) – 75 NZD | $48 USD
👉 Purchase here: Lake Wakatipu TSS Earnslaw Cruise
8. Skydive
Queenstown offers some of the best skydiving in the world because of its incredible landscape with stunning mountains and lake views.
Starts at 378 NZD | $245 USD for a 12,000-foot dive
👉 Purchase here: Queenstown: NZONE Skydive 12,000 ft
9. Go on a Hike – Here Are Two Worth a Visit
Hike Ben Lomond
Hiking in New Zealand is like no other hiking. If jumping off platforms to bungy jump or jumping out of planes isn’t your thing, go on one or several of Queenstown’s hikes in its surrounding mountains.
One of the best is Ben Lomond, the highest point in Queenstown.
As you can imagine, because it’s the highest point of Queenstown, getting there requires a day of serious hiking.
It’s steep and takes 5 to 8 hours to complete, so it’s not for the casual hiker. But once at the top, you will have a 360-degree panoramic view of the region, so it’s worth it, with stunning views of The Remarkables and Coronet Peak.
Ben Lomond is a summer hike, not suitable for winter.
The starting point for the Ben Lomond hike begins at the top of the Skyline Gondola.
Queenstown Hill
For a more leisurely hike with children, try climbing Queenstown Hill, which only takes about one hour to complete from bottom to top.
The trailhead starts at the city center and is a suitable hike for summer and winter.
10. Kiwi Birdlife Park
The Kiwi Birdlife Park is home to thousands of kiwis. Kiwis have been added to the endangered species list.
Currently, there are around 68,000 kiwis left. Their main threats are predators, lost habitat, and fragmented kiwi populations. Kiwis are flightless birds making them easy prey, and are endemic to New Zealand.
The park is home to 10,000 native flora, fauna, kiwis, and other birds. The walk around the sanctuary is lovely, and the park offers a cultural show performed by the local Māori people. There’s a Honey Bee Center with an indoor and outdoor viewing of a beehive.
Cost of admission: 80 NZD | $52 USD for one adult ticket. Child ticket 40 NZD | $26 USD
Attractions Worth Visiting Adjacent to Queenstown
1. Checkout Arrowtown for Its History of Gold Mining
Arrowtown, a short 15-minute drive from Queenstown, is a historic settlement of a former gold-mining hub.
It’s a charming little town featuring the original buildings from the gold-mining days preserved in pristine condition but now houses shops, offices, cafes, and restaurants.
While there, make sure to hike the Millennium Walkway, a 2.6-mile hike (4.2 km) on the banks of the Arrow River. The hike takes only about an hour to complete.
The trail takes you downstream past New Zealand’s first quartz mines. Along the walk are willow, sycamore, and larch trees in gorgeous autumnal colors.
It’s a doable hike for all ages, great for children and adults who don’t hike regularly.
2. Tour a Winery
While New Zealand is known for its exceptional white varietals, the Central Otago region is New Zealand’s southernmost wine region and produces some of the world’s best Pinot Noirs.
Pinot Noir flourishes here as well as Chardonnay and Aromatics.
Any season is a good time to visit this region and tour many of the vineyards that dot this beautiful part of the country.
The region also offers fine dining along with many places to sample wine.
Central Otago has many food and wine festivals all year round, offering premium wine and food events, including Eat.Taste.Central, Clyde Food & Wine Festival, Cromwell Wine & Food Festival, Cromwell Cherry Festival, Alexandra Basin New Release Tasting, and more provide a range of experiences for wine and food lovers.
Full-day Wine Tour starts at 275 NZD | $178 USD
👉 Purchase here: Full-day Central Otago Wine Tour
2. Visit the Town of Wanaka
Wanaka is a short hour from Queenstown. It’s a resort town surrounded by the wineries. You can make a day trip to Wanaka to see the town and visit a winery.
You could also spend a few days here to take advantage of some fantastic hikes Wanaka has.
Two good ones are Rob Roy Glacier and Diamond Lake, which lead up to the Southern Alps’ Mount Aspiring National Park. The park offers a huge gorgeous mountain with glaciers and alpine lakes.
3. Milford Sound
New Zealand is worth visiting just to see Milford Sound and its stunning landscape.
Milford Sound, the most famous fjord in New Zealand, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Fiordland National Park, it’s known for its lush rainforests, stunning waterfalls, seal colonies, dolphins, rare black coral, and the towering Mitre Peak.
Milford Sound Premium Tour 275 NZD | $178 USD
👉 Purchase here: Milford Sound Premium Small Group Tour from Queenstown
Buses leave from Queenstown at 6:00 am and return on the same day at 7:00 pm.
Travel Tip: Make sure you visit Milford Sound on your trip through New Zealand. It’s memorable.
4. Drive to Moke Lake
If you want peace and quiet away from the crowds in Queenstown, take a 30-minute drive to Moke Lake.
The lake is surrounded by mountains and sits in the middle of nowhere, so you feel like you’re really isolated, away from tourists, a local in the know.
Camping is allowed here as well.
5. Drive to Glenorchy
Glenorchy is about a 40-minute drive from Queenstown (30 ml/48 km) and hailed by locals as perhaps one of the most scenic drives in New Zealand and the main filming location for the Lord of the Rings films. Make a fandom trip to Glenorchy.
Half-Day Lord of the Rings Tour to Glenorchy 262 NZD | $170 USD
👉 Purchase here: Glenorchy: Half-Day ordord of the Rings Tour
You’ll pass through mammoth mountains and magical forests.
The town itself isn’t really the point of Glenorchy but rather the drive to it. However, once there, take time to walk to the Glenorchy Walkway Scenic Point to see the view and then head back on the beautiful drive back to Queenstown.
Travel Tip: The town itself isn’t really the point of visiting Glenorchy but rather the drive to it from Queenstown; considered a must-do by locals.
Conclusion: Is Queenstown Worth Visiting?
Absolutely. One could easily spend two weeks in Queenstown and have things to do and see. It is one of the most popular and sought-after towns in New Zealand, not just for what the city has to offer – and there’s plenty – but for what the surrounding area has to offer, especially the Otago region and Milford Sound.
However, there is so much this unique and awe-inspiriting small country has to offer, so spend a few days hitting the highlights in Queenstown, do what speaks to you and then see the rest of New Zealand.
Queenstown has some spectacular must-sees that we mentioned on this list; make sure you see them before you head to your next destination. With so many to dod in Queenstown alone, how many day in New Zealand is enough?
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