Itineraries for Your Trip to Queenstown
3 Days in Queenstown for First Timers
Queenstown isn’t all just hype: The town at the bottom of the South Island deserves its title as New Zealand’s adventure capital. Although it has a small permanent population, it’s not comparable to other small New Zealand towns of its size as there’s so much to see and do. Whether you’re into hiking, skiing, lake cruising, or high-speed jet boating, you can do it in Queenstown. I’ve been visiting for a few decades, and now—with a young child in tow—I know that whatever my family is into at that age and stage in life, we’ll find it beside Lake Wakatipu, beneath the Remarkables. Here’s how to make the most of three days in Queenstown.
Queenstown is a year-round destination, but it’s usually colder than other parts of New Zealand—prepare for winter snow and cool summer temps.
If you only have time for one thing, make it the Skyline Gondola.
Get an overview of the city and the surrounding mountains—a range of the Southern Alps—by riding the Skyline Gondola to Bob’s Peak. You can return the way you came, rent a mountain bike to make your way down the forested hill, or try the luge track.
Spend the afternoon participating in a Queenstown extreme sport. If you’re visiting in winter, head to one of several ski fields, such as Treble Cone or Coronet Peak. At other times of the year, go bungee jumping at the Kawarau Suspension Bridge, jet boating, ATV riding, ziplining, or whatever you fancy.
One of the South Island’s most popular attractions, Milford Sound, is accessible from Queenstown, but it’s a 4-hour drive—each way. Spending a few leisurely days in Queenstown is the best way to fit in a trip. Join a bus tour so you don’t have to drive on the distractingly beautiful roads, then cruise on Milford Sound, admiring the sights of gushing waterfalls and the iconic Mitre Peak.
Alternatively, if you have a generous travel budget, take a flightseeing tour to Milford Sound. These are available in one or both directions and save a lot of travel time—as well as providing views of Fiordland National Park that you can’t get any other way.
Queenstown isn’t just about adventure sports and superlative landscapes; it also produces some very fine wines. The Central Otago region is especially renowned for its pinot noirs. Wine tours are a good way to safely visit wineries, which are spread out beyond the city. You can even stop for a gourmet lunch at some wineries.
Take it easy on your last afternoon and evening in Queenstown, perhaps with a leisurely cruise on Lake Wakatipu on the vintage paddle steamer, TSS Earnslaw. Even better if you can time the cruise for sunset.
