Season guide · Queenstown · New Zealand
Queenstown in autumn
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: fr:Utilisateur:FRED The original uploader was FRED at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Calm days, crisp mornings and golden poplars around Arrowtown in April; quieter and cheaper by May. Expect highs up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 25 rainy days across March–May. March is among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 25
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Hotel prices
- Average
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 19°C (66°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 8 | 12.5 h | 4/5 |
| April | 15°C (59°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 8 | 10.9 h | 3/5 |
| May | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 9 | 9.5 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 15°C (59°F) against a yearly 15°C (59°F), and 25 of the year's roughly 105 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 3/5 and hotel prices 3/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- April: Arrowtown Autumn Festival (usually April)
Good choices for autumn
Zoo · Queenstown Town Centre
Kiwi Birdlife Park
Time your visit with a kiwi talk; the birds are hard to spot in the dark houses without a keeper's guidance.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Rainy day
Experience · Arthurs Point
Onsen Hot Pools
Private cedar hot tubs set into the hillside at Arthurs Point look out over the Shotover River canyon through retractable walls.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- After dark
- Views
- Rainy day
Day trips in autumn
- Glenorchy (About 45 minutes by car) — The lakeside road to the head of Lake Wakatipu is one of New Zealand's most scenic drives, ending at a small village with a red boatshed.
- Wānaka (About 1 hour by car via the Crown Range) — A quieter lakeside town on Lake Wānaka known for the lone willow in the lake, Roys Peak's ridge-line views and Puzzling World.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Queenstown?
Yes: March is among the best months. Calm days, crisp mornings and golden poplars around Arrowtown in April; quieter and cheaper by May.
+What is the weather like in Queenstown in autumn?
Highs of up to 19°C (66°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 25 rainy days over the season.