The following itinerary is what worked best for us for a summer trip (January) and assumes you have a rental car. Some days are packed, but we wanted to make the most of our time. Some alternatives are included, but we did not necessarily do them so I cannot offer further advice.
Day 1: Arrive in Queenstown
Check in to your hotel. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites which offered new, clean accommodations. The staff were very helpful and the location was great. You could walk just about anywhere around the main Queenstown city if you needed.
Once you are settled into your hotel, head downtown to walk around and grab a bite to eat. Try and score a seat on a patio if the weather is good. The pier area is a fun atmosphere.
If you still have time, I'd recommend a walk around the Queenstown Gardens. Or this could be saved for other down time you have around the city.
The sun sets late in the summer, but if you are able to stick around the waters edge or have a view from your hotel, I'd recommend watching it. It sets SW from the city down the lakes path.
Day 2: Queenstown Hike and Area Drive
After breakfast, we left the hotel by 8am to start a hike. The Queenstown Hill Walkway is a moderate hike offering great views of Lake Wakatipu. I would recommend walking from your accommodation if possible because there are not many parking spots at the trailhead.
The trail offers a loop option. We chose to stay right on the hike up thinking there would be some lookouts, but most of the hike was tree covered on both sides. Either way, you'll reach the "Basket of Dreams" and from there you can continue your hike up to the top viewpoint. That is the steepest part of the hike, but I would say it's worth it.
My parents and I, who are not regular hikers, completed the hike in just over 2 hours. This included a few longer breaks at each viewpoint. (add on 30 minutes for roundtrip walk from our hotel)
An alternative to this hike is taking the Gondola up to the start of the Ben Lomond track. We did not do this, but it would offer similar views, and this would require less effort.
Lunch was the next thing on our minds. We heard great reviews about Fergburger so knew we had to get one, despite the notoriously long lines. To get around this, we showed up around 11:30am. The line was shorter, but we still waited about 40 minutes from the minute we got in line until we got our food. So peak waiting times are even worse.
Be aware, there are not many seats. We were not lucky enough to grab an empty table, so we took our food to a nearby street bench. This worked, but the burger can be a bit messy so having a table would've been better. Despite the few drops on our clothes, the burger was absolutely worth it and I would recommend it to everyone visiting Queenstown.
Next, we hopped in our car and started driving East. The first stop we made (about 30 minute drive) was at the AJ Hackett Bungy Centre. This is the "birthplace" of commercial Bungy Jumping. Stick around for a bit to watch people jump, or make an appointment ahead of time to do it yourself!
The next stop we made was the Kawarau Gorge. This was about 20 minutes down the road. On this stop you can learn about the Roaring Meg Power Station.
We ended up stopping in Alexandra and driving all the way to Dunedin. This is on the other side of the island so you can visit beaches and the coastline. If you were to do this, I would recommend adding it to another day. Since we didn't get started until 1pm on the drive, it ended up being a long evening and we didn't get back until about 11pm.
As an alternative, I would recommend strolling around Arrowtown, experiencing The Buzzstop Honey Centre & Cafe, or visiting one (or more!) of the many wineries that you passed on your way out of Queenstown.
If you were to continue your drive East, the next big stop about 45 minutes away is Alexandra. Drive out to look at the old and new bridges.
Alexandra to Dunedin is about 2.5 hours. We took the southern route through Lawrence. The drive from here is pretty as you follow the mountains most of the way. We parked at St. Clair beach and enjoyed the ocean for a bit. We struggled to find a restaurant to eat so last minute, but ended up finding a table for a quick bite to eat. Nothing too memorable.
If we had more time in Dunedin, I would have wanted to look into these locations a bit more. So here are some other ideas:
- Try and see the blue penguins! (more likely in the winter months, but you could check into a wildlife tour)
*Make sure you check your gas tank early, especially if your day is ending late. We noticed that gas stations closed around 10pm and there are no other options. We almost learned that the hard way, but thankfully we made it back to Queenstown with some gas to spare!
Day 3: Milford Sound
Make sure a day trip to Milford Sound is on your itinerary. We booked early through AwesomeNZ and had a great experience. The only negative to the tour is that once you get to the National Park, there are certain pullover spots that busses are not allows to stop at. Don't worry though, you still get to see the views during the drive and in my opinion, the best views are once you get on the boat anyways.
They picked us up early in the morning from Athol St. but you could arrange a hotel pickup as well. However, remember that majority of guests get on at Athol St. so you may not have as many seat options if you get on the bus at a later spot.
The tour website will give more specifics on the stops you make along the way. Be prepared to drive straight to Te Anau, then begin stopping a bit more periodically once you reach Fiordland National Park. This is where the best views begin anyways.
You will take a 2 hour boat cruise and then head back to Queenstown. If you have it in your budget, I would highly recommend opting for the flight home. We decided to splurge on this, and it was great. Be aware that only 50% of the scheduled flights actually take off due to weather. However if you schedule the flight ahead of time and cannot take it, you will get a refund and just hop on the bus home.
The views were stunning and it was nice getting back to Queenstown at a reasonable time (about 5 pm).
Driving to Milford Sound on your own? The link below provides an option to book the boat cruise.
Looking to save money and take the bus both ways? Linked below is a great option with a similar trip to ours - a glass roof bus, packed lunch, boat tour, and expert driver who will guide you through different stops along the way.
Day 4: Head to Wanaka
One thing on our list was to see a Kiwi. There is a great bird park in Queenstown. Tickets are 52 NZD for adults and 26 NZD for kids. We headed there right when they opened at 9 am so we could see all of the other birds and go to the kiwi viewing at 10am. They were very active and hungry as they had just woken up for the "night." (fun fact: they are nocturnal! The park has them on opposite hours so we can view them during the daylight in a dark room)
After this tour, we headed to Wanaka. Be prepared to start out with switchbacks! After this the drive is much easier. One fun stop to expect along the way:
In Wanaka, we stayed just a bit out of the city. The motel itself was nice and comfortable. The staff were very helpful in suggesting places to eat and things to do around Wanaka. The rooms also had a small kitchen which was convenient.
It is possible to walk from the motel to the downtown lake area. However, it is not the easiest to do as there is a big hill you will have to go up/down. We were still happy with the location because it was more secluded and quiet.
We grabbed lunch by the lake and then took a walk to "That Wanaka Tree." The walk is further than it looks, but it was still fun to see since it is a famous landmark in the city.
We wanted to visit a winery that afternoon so we booked a Wine Tasting at Rippon Winery. There are so many wineries in the area you could try, but we could not get over the views that this location offered. The tasting was free and was with a small group of 6 people total.
If you decide not to rent a car and still want to explore the Queenstown's neighboring towns, this tour will take you to Wanaka and Arrowtown (and a few stops along the way). This is a great option for you to sit back and enjoy the scenery, all with a guide to teach you about the incredible ar
Check out the Wineries included in this tour - Maude, Rippon, Aitkens Folly and Māori Poin. Check these out on your own, or join the tour to sip wine without the worries of driving! While some wine tours may be free, this driving tour may be worth the expense so everyone in your group can enjoy the wine!
Day 5: Wanaka - Roy's Peak
The carpark for Roy's Peak is just outside the city of Queenstown so it is very accessible. There is a bin at the trailhead where you should leave a fare. The hike is tough so it is best to start early in the morning. This means that other people have the same idea, so the carpark is likely to be busy already in the morning, especially on weekends. We were able to find a spot and start the hike even before the sun officially rose. It was dusk though, so we did not need flashlights or anything to see.
The hike is straight uphill with many switchbacks. They say it takes about 6 hours roundtrip, and it took us about 5.5 hours (3 up, 1 hour at the viewpoint, 1.5 down). There are no trees offering shade or anything, so bring sunscreen, snacks, and a lot of water.
The views from the viewpoint are worth the effort. You can hike up to the true summit, which adds about an extra hour roundtrip to the trip. We did not do this as we had plans for our afternoon.
Once we ate lunch and relaxed, we went on one more adventure for the day. We drove an hour north to the Blue Pools.
There is a large car park, but because we got there in the afternoon of a hot day, it was difficult to find a spot.
The pools themselves are about a 30 minute flat walk along the track. You will have to cross one suspension bridge along the way and there is another one once you get to the swimming location.
The water is glacier fed so it is freezing cold. It was very refreshing on a hot afternoon and after the tough hike earlier that morning. We luckily weren't too sore the next day though thanks to the 'ice' bath!
Day 6: Lavender Fields Back to Queenstown
We didn't fly out of Queenstown until later in the afternoon so we stopped at the Lavender Farm before leaving Wanaka.
The Lavender Farm is only about 15 NZD for adults and 7.50 NZD for kids. It is a large farm with a lot . There are yard games spread out across the farm, many lavender patches, various animals, and other plants.
After we spent a few hours at the Lavender Farm, we headed back to Queenstown. We wanted lunch before we got to the airport because it does not have many options.
There are many other activities, hikes, restaurants, etc. around Queenstown and the South Island of New Zealand. This itinerary worked well for us and there isn't much I would change (except adding a few days and heading to Mount Cook National Park and taking a helicopter to the Middle of the Earth Waterfalls!).
Enjoy your time in New Zealand!
Thank you for reading -- Please leave feedback or a tip if this guide was helpful! I hope you enjoy your time in New Zealand and get to see all of the nature and wildlife the area has to offer.
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