Queenstown and Wanaka at a Glance

New Zealand’s adventure capital and its quieter, more beautiful neighbour — two lakes, two worlds, one unmissable region.

Best For

Adventure activities, skiing and snowboarding, bungee jumping, jet boating, wine, fine dining, hiking, lake swimming, mountain biking, scenic flights.

Overview

Queenstown sits on the shores of Lake Wakatipu — one of the longest and most dramatically beautiful lakes in New Zealand — hemmed in on all sides by the jagged peaks of the Remarkables and the Cecil and Walter ranges. It is a place of extraordinary natural beauty that has built an equally extraordinary reputation as the adventure capital of the Southern Hemisphere, offering more adrenaline experiences per square kilometre than almost anywhere on earth. Bungee jumping was invented here. The world’s first commercial jet boat rides launched on the local rivers. And the ski fields that spread across the surrounding ranges — Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona, and Treble Cone — draw skiers and snowboarders from across the Asia-Pacific region through the winter months.

Yet Queenstown is also, increasingly, a year-round destination. Summer brings hiking, mountain biking, lake swimming, and wine touring through the sun-drenched valleys of the Gibbston wine region — New Zealand’s highest altitude wine-growing area, producing pinot noir of international distinction. The food and hospitality scene has matured dramatically in recent years, with a concentration of outstanding restaurants, craft breweries, and cocktail bars that would not look out of place in a city ten times its size.

Fifty minutes north along the Crown Range road — the highest sealed road in New Zealand — lies Wanaka, Queenstown’s quieter, less frenetic counterpart. Where Queenstown buzzes with activity day and night, Wanaka has a more considered pace: a smaller lakeside town of independent cafes, art galleries, and outdoor outfitters clustered around one of the most beautiful lake views in New Zealand. The iconic lone willow tree standing in Lake Wanaka’s shallows near the foreshore has become one of the country’s most photographed images — a symbol of the region’s almost implausible natural beauty. Many visitors to the Southern Lakes find themselves planning a return to Wanaka before they’ve even left.

Top Things to Do in Queenstown and Wanaka

Queenstown Skyline Gondola & Luge

The gondola ride from central Queenstown to the Skyline complex on Bob’s Peak (450 metres above the town) delivers one of the most jaw-dropping panoramic views in New Zealand — the full sweep of Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables, and the Cecil Range laid out in every direction. The summit complex houses several restaurants and bars where the view is as much the attraction as the food, and the Luge — a gravity-fed cart track descending the hillside — is an unexpectedly enjoyable experience for all ages. At night, the gondola provides a spectacular vantage point over the glittering lights of Queenstown below.

Bungee Jumping & Adventure Activities

Queenstown is the birthplace of commercial bungee jumping — AJ Hackett opened the world’s first commercial bungee site at the Kawarau Bridge (43 metres) in 1988, and the bridge jump remains the iconic Queenstown experience, with a viewing platform allowing non-jumpers to watch. The Nevis Bungee (134 metres — New Zealand’s highest) and the Nevis Swing offer even more extreme options from a gondola suspended above a remote Central Otago canyon. Beyond bungee, the Shotover Canyon Jet, skydiving above the lake, paragliding from Coronet Peak, and white water rafting on the Shotover River complete the roster of activities that have made Queenstown’s adventure reputation global.

Skiing & Snowboarding — The Remarkables and Coronet Peak

Queenstown is the ski capital of the Southern Hemisphere, with four ski fields within an hour’s drive offering everything from beginner-friendly groomed runs to expert-level backcountry terrain. Coronet Peak (45 minutes from town) is the most developed field and the only one in New Zealand with regular night skiing. The Remarkables (55 minutes) offers a more dramatic, high-altitude setting with outstanding beginner and intermediate terrain. Cardrona (50 minutes via the Crown Range) is New Zealand’s best terrain park field. Treble Cone (above Wanaka) is the largest skiable area in the South Island and consistently produces the best snow. The ski season typically runs from mid-June to mid-October.

Gibbston Valley Wine Region

The Gibbston Valley — a dramatic gorge carved by the Kawarau River into the schist rock of Central Otago — is the southernmost wine-growing region in the world and produces some of New Zealand’s most celebrated pinot noir. The combination of extreme diurnal temperature variation (warm days, cold nights) and free-draining schist soils creates conditions that produce pinot of exceptional depth, structure, and ageworthiness. Amisfield, Carrick, Gibbston Valley Wines, and Peregrine are among the standout wineries open to visitors, most with excellent cellar door restaurants. The Gibbston Valley Wine Cave — carved directly into the schist cliff face — is one of New Zealand’s most atmospheric tasting experiences.

Milford Sound Day Trip

Queenstown is the most popular departure point for day trips to Milford Sound — a 290km, approximately 4-hour drive through spectacular Fiordland scenery via Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel. Coach and self-drive options are both widely used, and many visitors combine the drive with a Milford Sound cruise before returning to Queenstown in the evening. Scenic flights from Queenstown to Milford Sound — crossing the Southern Alps and Fiordland from the air before landing at the fiord — are among the most spectacular light aircraft journeys in the Southern Hemisphere. Pre-booking transport and cruise tickets is strongly recommended, as demand frequently exceeds capacity in peak season.

Lake Wanaka & the Wanaka Tree

Lake Wanaka is one of New Zealand’s great lakes — 50km long, 300 metres deep, and framed by the peaks of Mount Aspiring National Park on its southwestern shore. The town of Wanaka on its northeastern corner is a genuinely beautiful place to spend two or three days, centred on a flat, walkable lakefront lined with independent cafes, restaurants, and galleries. The lone willow tree growing from a rocky outcrop just metres from the foreshore — perpetually photographed at dawn with its reflection in the lake — has become one of New Zealand’s most reproduced images. Roy’s Peak Track (16km return, 1,279m summit) is the outstanding day hike of the region, with views down the full length of Lake Wanaka and across to Mount Aspiring.

Mount Aspiring National Park & Rob Roy Glacier Track

Adjoining Fiordland to the north, Mount Aspiring National Park covers 3,555 square kilometres of alpine wilderness centred on the 3,033-metre peak of Tititea (Mount Aspiring) — the only peak above 3,000 metres outside of the Aoraki/Mount Cook area. The Rob Roy Glacier Track, beginning from the Matukituki Valley road end 55km west of Wanaka, is the finest half-day walk in the Southern Lakes region — a 10km return tramp through ancient beech forest and open alpine meadows to a hanging valley amphitheatre where the Rob Roy Glacier spills over cliffs in a permanent series of icefalls and avalanches. The track can be walked in three to four hours and is suitable for reasonably fit walkers with good footwear.

Arrowtown & the Arrow River Gorge

Twenty minutes from Queenstown, the heritage gold-mining village of Arrowtown is one of the best-preserved gold rush settlements in New Zealand — a charming, compact town of stone and wooden buildings set beneath towering poplars that turn a spectacular gold in April and May. The Arrow River itself produced significant quantities of alluvial gold in the 1860s, and gold panning in the river near the town is still possible — a popular activity for children and adults alike. The Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown is excellent, and the Chinese Settlement — one of the most complete surviving examples of a Chinese gold miner’s village in New Zealand — is a sobering and moving piece of history. The Arrow River Trail linking Arrowtown to Queenstown is a superb half-day mountain bike ride.

Accessibility

Queenstown’s town centre is compact, hilly in places, and most accessible from the lakefront precinct. The Queenstown Gardens and lakefront boardwalk are flat and paved. Most major adventure operators have accessible options or can accommodate mobility needs with advance notice — contact operators directly when booking. Skyline Gondola has fully accessible gondola cabins. Wanaka’s lakefront and town centre are flat and easily navigated on foot or by wheelchair. Roys Peak Track and the Rob Roy Glacier Track involve significant alpine terrain and are unsuitable for mobility-impaired visitors. The Puzzling World and Lake Wanaka foreshore are fully accessible. Queenstown Airport is serviced directly from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and several Australian cities, with accessible terminal facilities.