A Week in Queenstown: The perfect 7-day itinerary

In January 2023, Elle and I moved to Queenstown, a mountain town in the South Island of New Zealand. We like to think we have made the most of our time here, from countless hikes, to weekend trips, to skiing the epic Remarkables and Cardrona ranges. However, it’s true that sometimes when you’re living and working in a paradise like this, you can forget to make time for the usual tourist experiences that most people tick off during their week-long holidays. Elle and I never want to leave an adventure unturned, so when my brother and sister in law, Martin and Sara, came to visit we decided it was the perfect time to have a quintessential tourist week in our own town. The benefit of living here means that we had a ton of great recommendations and wishlist items, and ended up creating (in my humble opinion) a pretty kick-ass week long itinerary.

Day 1 - Arrive and settle in

The likelihood is that if you’re travelling to Queenstown, you’ve either had a long flight in, or an action packed itinerary exploring other parts of New Zealand. My family arrived pretty late into the evening, after hopping on a flight from Christchurch to Queenstown. They had been travelling the North Island prior to coming down to see us and so were already in full travel mode and luckily, over their jetlag already! We took them for a quick slice of pizza at Sal’s (a cheap and cheerful pizzeria) before an early night, ready to kick our adventure into full swing the next day.

Day 2 - Gondola, Luging and a cheeky Hut Mission

An iconic experience in Queenstown is the Skyline Gondola. This epic gondola ride takes you up to a stunning vantage point over Queenstown. There is a restaurant and bar, so you can just relax here and take in the view if that’s your cup of tea. For the keen hikers, you can use this as a base for further trails to Ben Lomond Saddle or Peak, and it is also the top of numerous downhill bike trails. For those looking for a playful, mildly-adrenaline-pumping activity, this is also the spot where you can go “luging” - think real-life mario kart - and this is exactly what we were here to do. The luge follows a downhill track from the very top of a second chairlift.

You sit in what Elle calls “glorified baking trays”, and use the T-shaped handle (which is also the steering and brake!) to whiz down the twist-and-turning racecourse. We had a great time trying to overtake each other as we flew down the track, and had a good few attempts as we gained our confidence. It’s a great first introduction to the adventure sports that Queenstown is famous for.

After our morning spent in Queenstown town centre, we decided to do something a little more out of the ordinary (for tourists), but is so classically kiwi, which is a “hut mission”. New Zealand is home to an incredible network of backcountry style huts, each uniquely built to fit their landscape. We have had the privilege of adventuring to many of these during our hikes in New Zealand, like our awesome day trek to Mueller Hut. Backcountry huts are generally quite basic, sometimes with fires or very rudimentary cooking facilities, and of course, the iconic “Long Drop” toilet. I knew that I wanted my brother and sister-in-law to experience a taste of this classic kiwi experience, but maybe without the long hike to get there. Luckily, there are also lots of “back-country style” huts around the South Island. These are generally maintained by private entities, meaning you can get a backcountry experience with a touch more luxury than hiking in your full overnight pack. I chose one that we could drive our car to, meaning we were able to take essentials (like wine!) with us. My favourite thing about where we were is that there was no signal - there is nothing I like more than being forced to turn off from the world of social media and the perpetually online presence we all tend to have these days. It let us really connect and enjoy each other’s company in a magical place. We had an absolutely incredible afternoon and evening enjoying nature - cooking, chatting, sitting around the outdoor fire and eventually watching the stars on an epic clear night.

Day 3 - The Adventure Capital: Jet Boats and Bungys!

After our evening in nature, we headed back into Queenstown to get the adrenaline party started and first up was jet-boating. Jet boat rides are extremely popular in Queenstown, and there are a few different operators to choose from - the most common being K-Jet, Realnz and Shotover. Elle and I have had a chance to trial all three of these options over the course of the past year, and we decided on our favourite - the Shotover - for Martin and Sara’s visit. Although the Shotover jet boat trip is both shorter and more expensive than the K-jet and Realnz options, it is the only jet boat that has access to the Kawarau River gorge. The exclusive access to this stunning scenery is what makes it really stand out to me as the best option, in comparison to the jet boat rides on Lake Whakatipu. Additionally, Elle and I both found that twenty-five minutes is more than enough time to enjoy the ride, without getting “spin fatigue” from 360 jet boat turns as can be the case with the hour-long trips. The other perk of the Shotover Jet is that it’s right next to one of our favourite food/drink spots - a brewery called Canyon. After your ride, you can chill with a locally made hazy IPA, a great pizza and enjoy the views.

For Martin, Elle and Sara, the jet boat ride was a warm up for what was to come next. We has a quick stop to re-charge and fuel up, and then we headed out to our next stop - the Kawarau Bridge bungy. Although not originally on our schedule for this week, emboldened by our jet boat and luging excursions, Martin and Sara had begun to settle into the spirit of Queenstown. After a few back and forths, and some gentle, well-spirited peer pressure - “I’ll jump if you jump” - they were signed up and getting into their harnesses.

I couldn’t quite get on board this time, but I’m stoked to say that I have now also done the jump since, and it really is a great experience.

The team at the Kawarau Bridge could not be better at what they do. They encourage you with a calm and positive attitude, and maintain complete professional standards throughout. Martin, Sara and Elle all finished their jumps with the biggest grins and were on a high for the rest of the day.

Obviously, Queenstown is home to many different options when it comes to jumping from high places. For the more extreme, the Kawarau Bungy also operates the Nevis Bungy, which is the highest NZ bungy jump. With 8.5 seconds of free-fall it’s not for the faint-hearted, but if you’re braver than us I’m sure it’s operated at the same excellent standard. There are also multiple sky-diving options (still on Elle’s to-do list) and the Shotover Canyon Swing (terrifying but so much fun!), all within about twenty minutes of Queenstown CBD - it really is an adventurer’s playground!

Day 4 - Bike the Wineries: Must do for wine lovers!

On Day 3, we were handed a bit of a curve ball to our plans. Martin and Sara’s scenic flight to Milford Sound had been cancelled due to wind. A top tip for travellers is to always book Milford Sound trips towards the start of your trip. This means that the operators have plenty of time to work with if they need to re-book you later in the week. Due to it’s remoteness, Milford Sound can often be affected by adverse weather, and although the operators do a great job of keeping the trips going, there are some things that are out of their hands. This meant that we were suddenly left with a day free and nothing scheduled. Luckily, Elle and I have a go-to activity for a clear day - bike the wineries! If you have a moderate level of fitness, and you like wine, I cannot recommend this enough.

There are a couple of operators, but we chose to go with Around the Basin who we have used a few times. They pick you up from Queenstown, and drive you to Arrowtown, the old gold mining settlement. After taking some time to explore Arrowtown, it’s rich history, and the best coffee stop in the region (Wolf Coffee), we headed off along the almost fully pedestrianised bike trail to the wineries. We also used our time in Arrowtown to call ahead to some wineries to book in for tastings (using our handy guide provided by Around the Basin). This isn’t essential as only some wineries require bookings, but in peak summer it can be a good idea to secure a spot at the more popular destinations like Kinross and Mount Rosa.

There are only a few spots where the road is shared by both bike and car, but all of these are on extremely quiet country roads and feel extremely safe. If, like us, you want the cruisiest time on your bike trip, do yourself a favour and opt for e-bikes. This was by far the best decision we made, and meant that we could fully relax on our ride, not worrying too much about timings or effort to get to our important wine destinations.

We managed to make it to four wineries during our day, starting at Gibbston Valley Winery. This is the oldest and most classic winery in the region, and in my opinion has the best spread and presentation of tasting options. We then headed on to Gibbston Tavern (where we grabbed food - the pizza here is incredible!), Kinross Winery and finally Mount Rosa (booking essential at both). We had the best day pretending to be wine connoisseurs, and ended the day just a little more wobbly than we started.

The best part about Bike the Wineries is that the operator comes to pick you up at the end - no tipsy cycles home required! You simply give them a call and let them know where your final stop is, and they kindly come and grab you and your bike and take you all the way back to Queenstown - easy as!

Day 5 - #thatwanakatree

For Day 5 of their travels, we sent our visitors a little further afield. We decided to sit out of this one, as both Elle and I had dwindling annual leave at our jobs. Wānaka is a sleepier, smaller town that you access via the Crown Range. It’s a great day trip to see a little bit more of the Otago region. The drive itself through the Crown Range is stunning, passing the iconic Cardrona Hotel, “Bra-drona” - literally a fence full of Bras left by locals and tourists alike that has become something of a tourist spot and a hub for raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness, and the entrances to both Cardrona Ski Field and Snow Farm.

Wānaka itself is a very chill lake town, with nice breweries and wineries of it’s own (check out Rhyme X Reason Brewery which is our personal fav). There are lots of walks and hikes in the area, such as Roy’s Peak (popular as a sunrise hike) to short strolls to the Blue Pools, and of course, #thatwanakatree. My sister-in-law, Sara, had heard about the famous floating tree in Wānaka, which is now a popular tourist spot. She was quite excited to see what all the fuss was about, and even avoided photos beforehand. We warned her not to get her hopes up - I promise you it’s just a tree in the water. Fun for the hashtag, but don’t worry if you don’t quite make it there.

Day 6 - The one and only Fergburger

If you’ve done any research at all into food and drink in Queenstown, there’s one name that always comes up - Fergburger. This iconic burger joint first appeared in the Lonely Planet guidebook, and has since gained notoriety in Queenstown with celebrity visitors such as Ed Sheeran and Jason Mamoa. I worked in a shop just next to Ferg when I first came to New Zealand, and we regularly had queues past our doors all for a taste of the iconic Ferg burger. Now, any local will tell you that it’s not the first place we tend to go - who wants to wait 40 minutes for a burger on the regular? BUT I’m also not going to knock it - the burgers are definitely tasty, and it’s fun to say that you’ve done “the thing to do”. Sometimes tourist spots are popular for a reason!

We used today to have a chill one - we went to a spa (with a hot tub overlooking the gorgeous Shotover river) and then we meandered about town. We grabbed our Fergs, and headed for a drink. Top tip - Perky’s, the floating bar at the lakefront, allows you to bring food on board. This makes it, in my opinion, the best spot to come with your burger - get away from the hoards of people outside Ferg and enjoy it on the lake with a drink - perfect!

We continued our night with drinks on Searle Lane, one of the most popular nightlife streets in Queenstown. We wanted to take Sara and Martin to one of the more silly spots in town - Cowboys - a loosely american themed bar with a mechanical bull to boot. There are a ton of great spots in Queenstown, from Margaritas at Margo’s to Rooftop Parties at Sundeck. But be warned, it’s not a cheap town and you might wake up with an emptier wallet than you would like.

Day 7 - The Eighth Wonder of the World: Milford Sound

Martin and Sara’s last day in Queenstown luckily brought with it a chance to rebook on to their Milford Sound flight & cruise. Milford Sound is a truly spectacular spot in Fiordland, and not one to be missed if you come to the South Island. Of course, you don’t have to fly there - Elle and I never have. There are lots of options to get there either by self drive or by coach. I would absolutely recommend coach over self drive, so that you are able to really soak in all the beauty of the area as you enter. The benefit of the flight, despite it’s higher cost, is that the whole excursion is MUCH faster, so if you’re tight on time, this is your best option. While the drive in and out takes at least a full day (and potentially an overnight in Te Anau if you don’t want to rush), you can complete the flight and cruise in only 4 hours, skipping straight over the tops of the mountains and straight to the Sounds.

Either way, this area is beautiful. Once you are on your cruise, you can see why this has been dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. Majestic waterfalls tumble from towering clifftops all around you, and you truly feel the ruggedness and remoteness of New Zealand. For an even more remote experience, there is also Doubtful Sound, another hidden gem in Fiordland which I think boasts an even greater sense of wonder.

A return flight to Queenstown from Milford Sound brought us close to the end of our week with Martin and Sara. We went down to the lakefront to grab some final pictures before driving them to the airport for a final goodbye. The great thing about Queenstown Airport is that it is small and near the centre, so you don’t need to much time to get there and get checked in. We were able to spend a full final evening together before waving them away to their next stop - Australia. We had the most incredible week and I knew they would be hard pressed to top their week in Queenstown during the rest of their travels.

Until next time,

Haere rā

Highlights