One day 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

      Buy a gondola-and-luge combination and ride at least three luge runs; the first one is a slower practice run. Allow 2–3 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Queenstown Gardens

      Walk the shoreline loop around the peninsula at sunset, then continue along the lakefront to Frankton on the Queenstown Trail. Allow 1 hour.

   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

      Time your visit with a kiwi talk; the birds are hard to spot in the dark houses without a keeper's guidance. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      TSS Earnslaw cruise

      Stand on the stern deck on the way out for the best views back to town and the Remarkables. Allow 1.5–4 hours with a farm visit.

   6. Evening

      Onsen Hot Pools

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

Before you go

• 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 7–11 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Queenstown
• 3 days in Queenstown
• 5 days in Queenstown

Questions travellers ask