2 days in Queenstown

Day by day

1. Day 1: Skyline Gondola and Luge and Queenstown Gardens

   Skyline Gondola and Luge, Queenstown Gardens, Kiwi Birdlife Park and TSS Earnslaw cruise, then Onsen Hot Pools in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Skyline Gondola and Luge

      At the top, a chairlift serves several luge tracks, and a restaurant and stargazing tours operate in the evenings.

   2. Late morning

      Queenstown Gardens

      The peninsula park beside the town centre has a rose garden, mature trees, a disc-golf course, the Queenstown Ice Arena, a playground and a lakeside path with views of the Remarkables and Kelvin Heights.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Gourmet burgers

      Fergburger on Shotover Street (expect a queue, often late into the night) and other burger joints in the town centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Kiwi Birdlife Park

      Conservation talks and feeding sessions run through the day.

   5. Late afternoon

      TSS Earnslaw cruise

      You can watch the stokers in the engine room and join a sing-along at the piano, then add a farm tour with sheep-shearing and a barbecue lunch or dinner at Walter Peak.

   6. Evening

      Onsen Hot Pools

      Book an evening slot in winter to soak under the stars after a day on the slopes.

2. Day 2: Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge bungy and Gibbston Valley wineries

   Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge bungy, Gibbston Valley wineries, Shotover Jet and The Remarkables, then Shotover Street and the Mall in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge bungy

      Jumpers can choose to touch the water, and a viewing deck and visitor centre let non-jumpers watch.

   2. Late morning

      Gibbston Valley wineries

      Several cellar doors sit close together on State Highway 6, and the Queenstown Trail links them by bike.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Central Otago pinot noir

      Cellar doors in Gibbston Valley, Bannockburn near Cromwell and wine bars in Queenstown and Arrowtown.

   4. Afternoon

      Shotover Jet

      The operator has run trips on the river since the 1960s, and the ride is suitable for older children.

   5. Late afternoon

      The Remarkables

      Its ski area, about 45 minutes from town, has beginner-friendly slopes and terrain parks, and in summer the access road leads to the alpine Lake Alta walk.

   6. Evening

      Shotover Street and the Mall

      Pubs, backpacker bars and late-opening venues in the core of the town centre.

Before you go

• Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge bungy: Book ahead in summer and school holidays; time slots fill quickly.
• Onsen Hot Pools: Sessions are by reservation and often book out days ahead.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–22 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 8.8 hours in June to 15.6 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Bus. Orbus buses connect the town centre, Fernhill, Frankton Road, the airport, Arrowtown, Arthurs Point and Kelvin Heights at a flat fare.

More or fewer days

• One day in Queenstown
• 3 days in Queenstown
• 5 days in Queenstown

Questions travellers ask