I had so much fun during my time in Queenstown and it was also the first time I had such an exciting trip filled with activities. Although Queenstown is known as the “adventure capital” of the world, there is something for everyone, for the adventurous and for those who would rather take it a little more chill. Here are the top things to do in Queenstown, both the calm and the not-so-calm.
In This List of Things to Do in Queenstown
The Calm Activites
Take a Stroll in Queenstown Gardens
Starting this list with something calm, a peaceful stroll through Queenstown Gardens offers scenic lake views, rose gardens, and towering trees. It’s a perfect spot for a relaxed afternoon or morning walk. If you’re a flower lover, you’ll definitely enjoy your time here. There is an ice rink in Queenstown Gardens as well and you can also play disc golf in the gardens!
Opening hours: open 24 hours
Entrance fee: Free
Get a Fergburger
Fergburger is an iconic burger joint is known for its massive, flavour-packed burgers that draw crowds daily. Despite the long lines, the wait isn’t THAT crazy. We queued for 20 minutes, and waited 25 minutes for our burgers. The restaurant space isn’t the biggest, so I’d recommend taking away your burgers rather than waiting for a table.
Opening hours: 7am – 2.30am daily
Address: 42 Shotover St. Queenstown 9300
Day Trip to Glenorchy
Glenorchy is a peaceful small town about an hour’s drive from Queenstown. The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy is stunning, surrounded by mountains. Drop by Glenorchy Wharf for the iconic red shed and have lunch at Mrs Glen’s Cafe. If you’re up for it, there are also activities like jet boating and horse riding (which I’ll elaborate further down this list) in Glenorchy.
Lord of the Rings fans should also not miss checking out some of the movies’ filming locations, such as Isengard Lookout.
Milford Sound Cruise
Milford Sound is a must-see when you’re in New Zealand’s South Island. Take a 1.5-hour cruise through the fjord to see towering cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife like seals and dolphins.
Milford Sound is a 4-hour drive away from Queenstown. To break up the long drive, we stayed the night in Te Anau, which is the midpoint between Queenstown and Milford Sound.
If driving isn’t for you, there are day tour options from Queenstown as well, but it will be a long bus ride to Milford Sound.
The Thrilling Activities
Jet Boating
Zoom across the Shotover or Kawarau Rivers at thrilling speeds with sharp spins and narrow canyon runs. Jet boating is fast-paced fun with epic scenery. There are a number of companies running jet boats and from my research, KJet is the “gentlest” option, which means that the spins are not so aggressive. KJet also does some stops during the trip to explain the sites. On the otherhand, Shotover Jet is more thrilling.
We went with KJet as we didn’t want too much crazy spinning. We didn’t get any motion sickness and the driver was very humorous, which added an extra fun to the trip.
Paragliding
Paragliding is something everyone should do when in Queenstown. Coronet Peak, the highest commercial take off in New Zealand is just a 20-minute drive from Queenstown and you will be presented with a beautiful view of the area. It’s a serene, yet slightly thrilling way to see Queenstown from above.
For the paragliding experience, I went with Skytrek and felt really safe throughout the experience. I also tried tricks during the flight! I wouldn’t recommend going for the tricks if you have motion sickness as the spinning was pretty intense (but super fun). Bring a jacket along as it get windy up there!
Tip: book your paragliding experience for as early as possible in your trip as this experience is extremely weather dependent. If it gets cancelled, you can reschedule it for another day of your trip.
Hang Gliding
Coronet Peak is also a take off location for hang gliding. For a more adventurous aerial ride with speed, wind, and height, definitely try hang gliding.
I had so much fun with paragliding I had to go back for a hang gliding experience. Hang gliding is not as common as paragliding and I just wanted to try while I had the chance to. I had such a blast, I would definitely recommend this to everyone!
Tip: similar to paragliding, book your hang gliding experience as early as possible as it is also weather dependent
Horse Riding
Ride with Lighthorse Adventures in Glenorchy, through open valleys and along riverbeds. The guided tours offer epic Lord of the Rings-style scenery on well-trained horses and there is a tour for every level.
I went for the easy rider experience, which was a 1.5 hour experience, starting with a bonding session with our assigned horse. After which, we went for a short walk around the area, including a river crossing. During the ride, the staff also told us about the area, showing us where films like Mission Impossible and Lord of the Rings were filmed.
Skyline Luge
Take the gondola up Bob’s Peak, then race down winding luge tracks with lake and mountain views. If the luge is not up your alley, you can also choose to only ride up the gondola. There is a viewing platform offering views of Queenstown, along with food options and a souvenir shop.
Helicopter Ride
Get a bird’s-eye view of Queenstown’s alpine beauty with a helicopter flight that often includes a snow landing. There are many companies offering heli rides, but for our experience, we went with Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters as they offered a free shuttle from the city to the airport. We went on the Glacier Explorer flight, which flew us over lots of snow capped mountains and got us up close to some glacier-fed waterfalls. Honestly one of the best memories of my New Zealand trip!
Tip: flights can get cancelled due to weather conditions so best to have a back up plan!
White Water Rafting
A mix of adrenaline, teamwork, and spectacular river gorge scenery, white water rafting is a very popular activity in New Zealand. Tackle the wild rapids of the Shotover or Kawarau River with a guided white water rafting trip through deep canyons and fast-flowing water.
Make sure you’re at least somewhat confident in the water before going on this activity. The activity providers are also very upfront with you when going on the activity and they will tell you that there is no guarantee that the raft will not capsize.
Bungy, Swing and Catapult
Bungy jumping has become synonymous with New Zealand, and Queenstown has many options for that with famous sites like the Kawarau Bridge and the Nevis Bungy. There is also catapult and swings if you’re up for it!
Ziplining
Fly through the forest canopy above Queenstown on a series of ziplines with epic lake and mountain views. Ziptrek is one of the most well known zipline companies in Queenstown, offering a mix of adrenaline and sustainability, starting from the top of the Skyline Gondola.
Note: the gondola tickets are sold separately. You’ll have to ride the Skyline Gondola to find the starting point of Ziptrek’s ziplining activity. Alternatively, you can also take a 60 – 90-minute hike up (Tiki Trail) to the starting point.
Canyoning
Explore hidden gorges by abseiling down waterfalls, sliding through narrow chutes, and leaping into natural pools. Canyoning in Queenstown is a hands-on, wet-and-wild adventure that gets you deep into the region’s rugged terrain.
Skydiving
Queenstown is one of the best places to skydive. Jump from up to 15,000 feet with views over Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables, and surrounding alpine terrain. Note that skydiving is very weather dependent, so do book your experience as early in your trip as possible so that you are able to reschedule the jump to another day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best month to visit Queenstown?
Summer, which is December to February in New Zealand, is the most popular period to visit Queenstown. Summers in Queenstown has long days, with the sun setting after 8.30pm, which gives you more time for activities. Despite being summer, temperatures aren’t too high as well.
Is New Zealand driving left or right side?
New Zealand drives on the left side of the road and cars are right-hand drive.
Can you get around Queenstown without a car?
Yes you can, there are public buses all around the city. There are also day tour options to scenic spots such as Glenorchy and Milford Sound so you can still have fun without a car.
Queenstown city centre is also very walkable, you can walk to most popular spots in around 20 – 30 minutes.
Where to stay in Queenstown?
There are many accommodation options in Queenstown, mostly apartment and motel-style accommodations. I would recommend staying in the vicinity of Queenstown Mall so that you can walk there, as it’s difficult and expensive to get parking around that area.
We stayed at Blue Peaks Lodge, just a short walk from Queenstown Mall. It also came with a kitchenette which was very convenient for cooking!
Read: Blue Peaks Lodge review
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