Half Day Walter Peak Horse Trek and Cruise from Queenstown
Badge of Excellence
Queenstown, New Zealand
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Queenstown is famous for its adrenaline-inducing adventure sports, but if you want a more relaxed adventure, combine a Lake Wakatipu cruise with a horseback-riding adventure. Cruise from Queenstown to Walter Peak High Country Farm, then fuel up with morning or afternoon tea at the Colonel’s Homestead. Numbers are limited for a small-group experience on the horse trek for a personalized experience. Admire great views of the Remarkables mountains.
- Ride a vintage steamship or a modern catamaran across the lake
- Ideal for horse lovers but no riding experience is needed
- Small-group horseback tour ensures personalized attention
- Admire mountain and lake views from a different angle
What's Included
- Return cruise across Lake Wakatipu
- Guide
- Snacks
- Safety equipment
- Horseback trek
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 88 Beach Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Please be sure to arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure to check in.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Board your vessels from the Queenstown wharf and cruise to Walter Peak to start your tour in the morning or afternoon. Relax with spectacular views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding Remarkables mountains aboard the vintage "TSS Earnslaw" or a modern catamaran.
On arrival at Walter Peak High Country Farm, settle in for country-style tea as you’re served freshly baked scones and cakes. Once you’re fortified, hop in a saddle, take the reins and set off for a leisurely ride on horseback—no previous riding experience is necessary, and helmets and waterproof jackets are provided.
Experienced guides lead your small group across rolling terraces and along a peninsular trail to a scenic lookout before you dismount for the return cruise to Queenstown.
On arrival at Walter Peak High Country Farm, settle in for country-style tea as you’re served freshly baked scones and cakes. Once you’re fortified, hop in a saddle, take the reins and set off for a leisurely ride on horseback—no previous riding experience is necessary, and helmets and waterproof jackets are provided.
Experienced guides lead your small group across rolling terraces and along a peninsular trail to a scenic lookout before you dismount for the return cruise to Queenstown.
1
Steamer Wharf
2
Lake Wakatipu
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Most travelers can participate
- A WEIGHT RESTRICTION of 95kg APPLIES
- Minimum height is 120cm
- Minimum age of 7 years
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Maximum group size is six
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- What to Bring: Comfortable shoes, waterproof jacket, long trousers and warm clothing.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
LaDonna_H
I road the horse named Lone Star. He was so gentle & sweet, even though I’m from Oklahoma & he is named after Texas! Our guide was from Auckland & she was so kind & full of great information. We had a beautiful sunny day, enjoyed the flowers & country setting. After the ride we enjoyed pastries, sandwiches, apple drink, coffee, & conversation with the other riders from Canada & Hong Kong! I loved it!
Reviews
4.3
based on 113 reviews
Julie_V, Apr 2026
Beautiful day to enjoy an efficient 2.5 hr adventure that included the boat ride roundtrip, horse trek 45 min and tea & scones. Delicious tea time. Courteous staff. Good value for time.
LaDonna_H, Apr 2026
I road the horse named Lone Star. He was so gentle & sweet, even though I’m from Oklahoma & he is named after Texas! Our guide was from Auckland & she was so kind & full of great information. We had a beautiful sunny day, enjoyed the flowers & country setting. After the ride we enjoyed pastries, sandwiches, apple drink, coffee, & conversation with the other riders from Canada & Hong Kong! I loved it!
Lynette_E, Mar 2026
I am 67 and have not ridden a horse for over 20 years. This was the most wonderful experience and I had the best time ever! Darius and Vic were very personable and helpful in getting us organised, and Ben the horse was adorable. I thoroughly recommend this experience as apart from the beautiful horses, we had a lovely journey there and back on Lake Wakatipu, and an amazing afternoon tea.
I really appreciated the care they take of the horses, I was due to go on Sunday but it was raining heavily and it was postponed for safety’s sake. So glad I was able to rebook for Tuesday as it was fantastic!
Katreena_C, Mar 2026
pace of horses are for beginners. so i very much like that. i feel safe.
the view is wonderful!
highly recommend
Brenda_K, Mar 2026
Was lucky to have had a beautiful day for this experience. I was the only rider which gave me a one on one ride. The scenery was stunning and was able to learn a lot about the area.
The “afternoon tea” was amazing!!!
Deborah_W, Mar 2026
Absolutely loved it. Such lovely horses, incredible scenery and a stunning afternoon tea to finish! Friendly guides.
Matthew_D, Mar 2026
What a wonderful tour, first an amazing cruise on the Earnslaw followed by a gentle horse ride around Walters Peak. Amazing view, lovely quiet horses and staff were friendly and helpful. I wonderful experience, one to remember and treasure
Glen_S, Jan 2026
Ride was beautiful and very easy. Horses were very docile and the guide was excellent.
Afternoon tea was a lovely way to finish.
Marisa_B, Jan 2026
Relaxing cruise before a small walk to see the horses and animals on the working farm
Fiddle was a big horse with a gentle nature and guided me thru the wallk to see the beautiful views of the lake
Paul_M, Dec 2025
Brilliant from start to finish.
The steam boat was a nice way to make the journey down the lake.
Arriving at the farm we picked the horse trek. It was very manageable for anyone who was never on a horse and the perfect setting to try it in
Highly recommend
Ivy_R, Dec 2025
It was a beautiful experience, I was here with my daughter and she was here for a friends wedding so the day of the wedding I had the whole morning early afternoon to myself.
ChaiYee_C, Dec 2025
I was very disappointed with the Walter Peak Horse Trek and Cruise. I followed the staff member holding the horse trek sign along with a large group of people, but the sign was removed without any clear instruction. I later realised I was in the wrong group, and the horse trek had already left without me.
It was frustrating that no one from the horse trek team noticed a missing participant, and there was no headcount at all. I was forced to join the more expensive Farm Adventure Tour instead, which I did not enjoy. I skipped the tea time and sat alone waiting for the cruise. No refund or compensation was offered.
Poor organisation and management, overall a very disappointing experience.
Laura_W, Dec 2025
Hi— poor practices with the horses on this farm. I received a third degree sprain as a 5’1 woman who was told not to use the footstool to dismount a horse chosen before I’d arrived, which is unusual. The farm is owned by the tour company, who initially offered to pay for my x-rays and medical visit but then later said they would not. Honestly this ruined my birthday trip to New Zealand, and I would not recommend it. Unsafe practices and poor guidance on the track. The tea was fine, though there were flies on the food so I didn’t eat that.
Rachael_K, Nov 2025
We had such an amazing time on this steamboat and horse riding tour. The cruise was so enjoyable and beautiful. The horses were calm, well cared for, which made the whole experience relaxing and enjoyable. The scenery along the ride was beautiful ,and peaceful.
And the afternoon tea… wow! It was absolutely delicious. A lovely selection of treats, all fresh and beautifully presented the perfect way to finish the ride.
The guides were friendly, patient, and genuinely passionate about both the horses and making sure everyone had a great time. I left feeling refreshed, happy, and already wanting to go back.
Highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable, relaxing, and tasty afternoon!
Emma_W, Nov 2025
10/10 experience, the staff were absolutely amazing made it so much fun. The afternoon tea after our horse trek was absolutely amazing as well!
njlandes, Nov 2025
Our guide actually lead us on foot - first time for that! Beautiful scenery but extremely slow pace
Nice tea snack after
J_M, Oct 2025
Guides werent as friendly as other horse trek guides I have went to. There was not much introduction or information about the horses that we would be riding on. No introduction or commentary on the area we are facing or heading towards etc. Just a walk round and back.
Jodie_S, Oct 2025
Great experience, both the ship and the ride were lovely, even in the rain. Tour guides were super helpful and any skill level could complete the ride.
Denise_M, Mar 2025
We had a lovely ride, the views were amazing and Izzy was awesome. Very friendly. Hotshot was the best.
Michelle_E, Mar 2025
The cruise was enjoyable and fun. The scenery was breathtaking. If you've ridden a horse before this trek may well be too slow and boring but if you just want to relax and take in the scenery and enjoy the experience it's perfect. The scones, cakes, sandwiches and tea was a lovely finish
Wanda_S, Feb 2025
Beautiful scenery at an amazing location. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable about the area.
Afternoon tea was delicious.
Donna_M, Feb 2025
Scenery is incredible, it's a slow leisurely pace so you do not need any experience, horses well-groomed and cared for. The Earnslaw and the afternoon tea an added bonus.
Jacqueline_M, Feb 2025
This is a 40 minute ride where you only walk so it is suitable for beginners - if you are a horse rider you would find this boring but the views are stunning. The staff were friendly and very helpful. The afternoon tea we had was delicious - good experience along with a ride on the TSS Earnslaw across the lake
Lynette_D, Jan 2025
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this trip. It was very relaxed and informative. Reading other reviews beforehand helped to manage my expectations that it was going to be just a very short and easy ride. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful Walter Peak farm and tourist destination - it's a well-oiled enterprise that processes the tourist experience well.
Top advice is to use the bathroom on the boat before you arrive as there are long queues for the 2x female's toilets ashore.
Also, save up an appetite for the 'meal' afterwards at 5pm of petit fours & sandwiches - the scones with jam & cream were especially delicious and, eaten at that hour, tend to impact your evening meal appetite.
The TSS Ernslaw experience was also a highlight. At the height of summer, it was quite crowded with people going across to Walter Peak for all manner of tourist outings.
Boaz_M, Jan 2025
It was beautiful but the guides were just walking on foot in front of us the whole way so it was slow and not particularly exciting.
Gabrielle_B, Nov 2024
Absolutely amazing views on both the boat ride and as we road our horses through the farm paddocks. Both the boat ride and horse ride were very relaxing and the people were very friendly and helpful.
Danielle_T, Nov 2024
During this 3-hour booking, we only spent 40 minutes horseback riding. I wish we had known this before making the reservation, as it felt a bit expensive for such a limited amount of riding time. We also didn’t realize that we would need to take a boat across the lake to reach the location, which consumed most of our paid experience.
Dan_L, Oct 2024
Extremely well organized and the steamship and and horseback riding were a lot of fun.
It is great for beginner horse riders. Well seasoned riders will not enjoy the horse experience, but it is perfect for those who do not get to ride horses.
Miri_F, Oct 2024
I loved the afternoon tea, it was very good.
The instructors were great.
We walked in the farm so it didn't felt so much an adventure.
Liza_D, Apr 2024
This is one of my favourite tours that I had in NZ. The coach Paddy is very friendly and informative. We had a perfect morning with great weather to have a morning ride with horses. The afternoon tea was delicious and the stroll around Walter peak farm was quite relaxed with the beautiful view of snowy mountains. Highly recommend if you want to try some horse riding in this beautiful place!!
From $169.79
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Half Day Walter Peak Horse Trek and Cruise from Queenstown
113
3 hours 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$169.79
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Food Tours
- Mountain Bike Tours
- Full-day Tours
- Wine Tastings
- Bus Tours
- Food & Drink
- On the Ground
- Day Trips
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Private and Luxury
- Queenstown
- Food Tours - Wanaka
- Mountain Bike Tours - Wanaka
- Full-day Tours - Wanaka
- Wine Tastings - Wanaka
- Bus Tours - Wanaka
- Full-day Tours - Fiordland & Milford Sound
- Bus Tours - Fiordland & Milford Sound
- Mountain Bike Tours - Te Anau
- Full-day Tours - Te Anau
- Bus Tours - Te Anau
Attractions in Queenstown, New Zealand
- Shotover River Tours & Tickets
- Milford Sound Tours & Tickets
- Kawarau Suspension Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Queenstown Hill Tours & Tickets
- The Remarkables Tours & Tickets
- Central Otago Tours & Tickets
- Lake Wakatipu Tours & Tickets
- Coronet Peak Tours & Tickets
- Kawarau River Tours & Tickets
- Te Anau Glowworm Caves Tours & Tickets
- Skippers Canyon Tours & Tickets
- Skyline Queenstown Tours & Tickets
- Queenstown Gardens Tours & Tickets
- Hollyford Track Tours & Tickets