A 5 day Queenstown itinerary

Apr 21

How to spend 5 active days in Queenstown, using the town as your home base for exploring the region

The lakefront in Queentown, looking towards mountains

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Why five days? You could spend one week in Queenstown, but it’s likely that you’ll want to see more than just this one corner of New Zealand. So, five days is enough to tick off a few activities and explore the wider area on day trips.

If, like me, you enjoy nature-based activities over the kinds of high-octane adventure activities Queenstown is famous for, you might find you quickly run out of things to do in the town itself.

Queenstown works best as a base for exploring a little further afield; Glenorchy, Arrowtown, and Central Otago wineries all make great day trips. Milford Sound is another popular day trip, but is better visited from Te Anau — I have suggested Doubtful Sound as part of this Queenstown itinerary instead.

You could split your time between Queenstown and Te Anau, if you want to see more of Fiordland — in that case, I would recommend three days in Queenstown, and three in Te Anau.

Recommendations

Key stops

The TSS Earnslaw is a highlight of Queenstown
Arrowtown is an easy day trip from Queenstown, with the option of adding in a winery or two
An excursion to either Milford Sound or Doubtful Sound is one of the most popular things to do while in Queenstown
Balance busy with calm; the Watershed Sauna has spectacular views and cold plunging in the lake; the perfect way to unwind.

Logistics

This Queenstown itinerary is easiest with a car, but transport options offered by most activities mean you could still feasibly get by without one.

Parking a car in Queenstown central can be expensive and stressful, however; if you do plan on using Queenstown as a base for day trips, staying a little outside of the centre, where parking is more straightforward, is a good idea.

Where to stay

$ — Tahuna Pod Hostel is a great budget option or for solo travellers. It attracts an older, calmer crowd, unlike a lot of the other hostels in Queenstown.
$$ — Scenic Suites: Conveniently located a 10 minute walk from the centre of town, I loved the lake view and amenities like a washer and dryer in the suite. The breakfast at the hotel was average at best, but that’s not an issue when cafes are so close by.
$$$ — Millbrook Resort: I loved staying out in Arrowtown, away from the hustle and bustle of Queenstown central. Millbrook has complimentary shuttles to take you to and from town, and Arrowtown itself has nice restaurants and serves as a good base for exploring the area.

Itinerary

DAY 1: Queenstown

If you’re lucky enough to arrive in Queenstown on a clear day, your jaw will already be on the floor by the time you reach the centre of town.

The mountains, the lake, the sheer beauty of it all — the town feels like a taut with possibility, thrumming with excitement.

Getting your bearings is easy enough, especially if you’re staying centrally. The centre of Queenstown is compact — most shops, restaurants, and tour desks are contained within a small grid you can walk around within 15 minutes.

The lakefront is a beautiful place for a stroll, but if you want somewhere a little apart from the crowds, walk through the Queenstown Gardens over to Park Street, which is part of the Frankton Track along the lake. Following the lakeside along the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu, the trail takes you past quieter waterfront spots to sit and enjoy the views.

Or, slip onto Perky’s’ floating bar and see if you can nab a spot on the upper deck. It’s the perfect spot for watching the goings on of busy Queenstown, and admiring the mountains. You’re allowed to take your own food onboard, so if you pick up a Fergburger before settling in, you’ll be clocking several essential Queenstown experiences in one go.

Aim to get on the TSS Earnslaw cruise in the early evening. With a sunset sail across the lake, a surprisingly gourmet barbecue buffet, and a working sheepdog demonstration, it’s the ideal introduction to Queenstown, and one of my favourite things to do in town.

Book the TSS Earnslaw

DAY 2: Adventure activities and Arrowtown

A blue jet boat whips through steep rock walls, kicking up white froth behind it

The Shotover River is a bright blue ribbon at the bottom of the deep Shotover Canyon

If you have arrived in Queenstown with a checklist of adrenaline activities, jump straight into them. Literally, in the case of skydives, or bungy jumps.

I’m not one for anything involving heights, but one activity I do love is the Skippers Canyon Jet. The trip involves a bus ride into the spectacular Skippers Canyon, followed by a whip around the river in a jet boat that can spin on a dime. Go early, and you can be back in Queenstown by midday, with the whole afternoon free to explore.

I will note that I also love the Dart River jet boating and funyaking adventure in Glenorchy (mentioned below) — these jet boats largely offer the same experience, so I think you only need to pick one.

If the Skippers Canyon Jet doesn’t tempt you, I recommend a hike up Ben Lomond. Take the gondola to save time. From the top of the gondola, it’s a 5 hour return hike with some steep sections — you can also walk to the Ben Lomond saddle and back as a gentler alternative to climbing all the way to the summit.

With an afternoon at your disposal, head to Arrowtown.

Tourists stroll down a quaint street with old timey shopfronts — *Buckingham Street, Arrowtown*

There are some excellent lunch places in Arrowtown; Mora has a beautiful garden and lovely wines, with a seasonal menu. Provisions of Arrowtown has an equally pretty outdoor area and a more laid-back cafe setting.

Arrowtown is a beautifully-preserved gold-rush era village. The main drag, Buckingham Street, is a short but sweet parade of original buildings. Although the quaint facades have been kept intact, the buildings now house stores ranging from boutiques to tourist-adjacent, made-in-China souvenirs.

An old wooden building surrounded by bare trees

A few minutes walk from the centre is a partially restored Chinese village. Although it dates back to the same 1870s and 80s gold-rush era, this segregated settlement of basic shacks stands in clear contrast to Buckingham Street’s European storefronts.

Wandering through the village is a glimpse into the often overlooked role and working conditions of Chinese prospectors in the gold rush. By the late 1870s, around 4000 Chinese miners were carving out an existence in this and other similar settlements, mostly picking over ground that Europeans miners had already abandoned.

DAY 3: Day trip to Glenorchy and Mount Aspiring National Park

One of the most beautiful drives you can do from Queenstown is along the edge of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. Although only 45 minutes, it’s likely to take longer by the time you have stopped several times to admire the view.

The best place to stop is at Bennetts Bluff. A short track leads to the lookout, from where you can see the lake stretching in both directions, and Mount Earnslaw/Pikirakatahi squatting amongst other peaks.

Glenorchy village is only a handful of streets by the lake; the main drawcard is the red boat shed that stands by the wharf, ‘Glenorchy’ stenciled in block letters along the front.

Other than that, Glenorchy is more of a jumping off point than a destination in itself.

North of the village is Paradise, which is little more than a horse paddock, but if you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings you’ll recognise some of the spectacular mountain scenery rising around the farmland. The horse paddocks serve their purpose in any case; High Country Horses run horse riding treks through the landscapes, including a ‘Ride of the Rings’ trek which follows a cinematic trail through Paradise.

Then there’s the Routeburn track, across a very scenic bridge crossing the braided Dart River and along a gravel road into Mount Aspiring National Park. On a fine day, the first section of the Routeburn is the best day hike near Queenstown.

If you don’t have a car, look into the funyaking trip on the Dart River. The tour includes transport to and from Queenstown, and the longest jet boat ride in the region, covering around 90 kilometres (56 miles) of water in around two hours. On the way back down the river, you’ll be in inflatable canoes, bouncing down rapids and paddling into the spectacular glacial blue water of the Rock Burn river.

This trip takes you into Mount Aspiring National Park, so as far as scenery goes, it’s hard to beat.

It is a long day, with a lot of time dedicated to gearing up and absorbing safety briefings, but it’s one of the more balanced ways of getting out into the wilds of Mount Aspiring National Park (by which I mean you don’t need to be hugely fit, or skilled, to reach this slice of backcountry; nor does the activity involve a hefty amount of adrenaline).

And it covers many bases — the views on the road to Glenorchy, a jet boat experience, and a taste of the wilderness near Queenstown. I loved this trip.

DAY 4: Doubtful Sound overnight cruise

If, for whatever reason, an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound doesn’t appeal, you could just as easily use this day to visit Milford Sound on a day trip.

I caution you that visiting Milford Sound from Queenstown makes for a long day; you might want to consider a scenic flight for at least one way. Otherwise, you’re looking at a 13 hour day trip involving around 10 hours spent on a tour bus.

With a little more time — six or seven days in the region — you could base yourself in Te Anau to visit Milford Sound, which gives you more space for connecting to the wildness of Fiordland.

On a short trip, the Doubtful Sound overnight cruise is a time-efficient way of seeing Fiordland, with a little more time to breathe and without the crowds of a Milford Sound day trip.

Opting for transfers from and back to Queenstown is very straightforward with RealNZ.

But, you could still choose to drive yourself; set off early (before 8am) and take the opportunity to stop at scenic lookouts along Lake Wakatipu on the way to Manapouri, and stop by the Two Wee Bookshops for some reading material before you depart on the boat (there’s no cellphone reception in Doubtful Sound) in the early afternoon.

The first step of the overnight cruise is a one-hour trip to West Arm, followed by a 40-minute drive over Wilmot Pass to Deep Cove. This road only opened in 1959, with the construction of the West Arm power station; before that, the only visitor access to Doubtful Sound was via water or air.

At Deep Cove, where there is little more than a small fleet of fishing boats lining the dock, and an outdoor education centre tucked into the bush, you’ll board your boat to cruise the fjord.

DAY 5: Queenstown

Sauna windows look out at lake and mountain views in Queenstown — *Watershed Sauna*

The Doubtful Sound overnight trip arrives back in Manapouri around 1pm, which means you can be back in Queenstown around 3pm.

There are some excellent places to shop for souvenirs in Queenstown — my personal favourite is Frank’s — and of course, eat. Or, another way to unwind and let your time in Queenstown sink in, is to indulge in the floating sauna.

Although only moments away from the centre of Queenstown, Watershed Sauna feels world’s apart. Windows overlook the lake, and the cold plunge is a dip into the chilly lake water. Sessions are one hour, just enough time to relax completely.

And after Queenstown?

The five day itinerary outlined here is a whistle-stop tour of Queenstown and Fiordland. If you have more time, you can of course go deeper into Fiordland National Park, or Mount Aspiring National Park.

But, there are many other places to see in the South Island — and it’s a big island, so you’ll most likely want to continue your travels.

From Queenstown, these are three possible routes if you’re continuing on via a road trip around the south:

Take the inland route to Christchurch, via Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
Head to Wanaka and then onwards to the West Coast, for rainforest and glaciers.
Get off the beaten track in the Catlins, an area with windswept beaches where you will see more sea lions than people.

Thank you for reading

All words (and typos and other errors) are my own, based on my own travels.

During my time on the road, I’ve found many wonderful places — galleries, restaurants, viewpoints and more. I’m sure you’ll find others. If there’s somewhere you think I should know about, contact me at hello@petrinadarrah.com, so I can share with other travellers in future work.

If you’re disappointed with one of my recommendations, I’d love to know that too; places change, or close, so I appreciate updated information.

Thank you for supporting my work – you being here lets me keep doing what I love to do, which is explore New Zealand and share it with others. So a heartfelt thanks for reading.

If you’ve enjoyed my recommendations, you might want to check these out as well before you go: