Travelling to a popular tourist destination offers some advantages. First off, you’ll be able to find your way and arrange your itinerary, easily. There will be plenty of information about the city on the internet and you’ll be able to take advantage of online reviews of attractions and accommodation. Queenstown is one of the top travel destinations in New Zealand. In this exciting city, you’ll find a varied number of unforgettable experiences, as there are a lot of interesting spots to see and visit. Do you want to know more? Here are the 10 best things you can do during your trip.
1. Shotover Canyon Swing & Canyon Fox
Do want to get your adrenaline pumping? Here is the place that will give you an experience of a lifetime. This place is located on Shotover River, Queenstown and, if you are brave enough, you can try the highest cliff jump here. There are a lot of jumping styles you can choose from, such as backward, forwards, sitting down or standing up. The launching point is about 109 metres (357.6 feet) over the river and you can swing from a 200 metre (656.2 foot) height, as well.
Shotover Canyon Swing & Canyon Fox
Address: 34 Shotover St, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 8AM–7:30PM
Duration: around 3 hours required
Website: Shotover Canyon Swing & Canyon Fox
Contact: +64 3-442 6990
Shotover Canyon Swing and Fox Experience in Queenstown
2. Relax in Queenstown Gardens
If you are a nature lover, visiting the Queesntown Gardens could be one of the best things you can do during your visit to Queenstown. This place has a wide variety of plants and trees and, because of this, the gardens have drawn interest from many people who come for a picnic, to relax or to enjoy the views of one of the largest lakes in NZ, Lake Wakatipu.
The best time to go here is during the summer or autumn, as you’ll witness the beauty of flowers that are blooming in these seasons. Moreover, there are some interesting activities you’ll find here, such as tennis, lawn bowling, skateboarding, disc golf, ice skating and ice hockey. The gardens are also open for public events.
Queenstown Gardens
Address: Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 24 hours
Duration: around 2 hours required
Contact: +64 03 450 9109
3. Spend a weekend at the Queenstown Ice Skate Arena
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Do you love exercising indoors when travelling? If you do, you may want to go to the Queenstown Ice Skate Arena. Here, you’ll experience the wonderful activity of ice skating. And, if you are still new to the sport, you can start by hiring an experienced instructor to give you some guidance. Don’t forget to wear warm clothes and gloves and, if you need a helmet, wrist guards, and knee pads, they will provide them, for free.
You can also try ice hockey or rent some equipment here or even watch an ice hockey game in the arena. Enjoy some food and drink at the cafe, located inside.
Queenstown Ice Skate Arena
Address: Queenstown Gardens, 29 Park St, Queenstown, 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 10AM–5PM
Duration: around 2 hours required
Website: Queenstown Ice Skate Arena
Contact: +64 3-441 80009
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4. Explore the Remarkables Ski Area
The Remarkables is one of the well-known ski fields in the area, that you can easily reach within 37 minutes from downtown Queenstown. Whether you are a first-timer or an expert skier, you just need to go to this wonderful place. Bring your family or friends here and spend a wonderful time. You can also find nice spots to relax here, as there are a lot of cafes and mountain bars on the mountain.
The Remarkables Ski Area
Address: The Remarkables Ski Area, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 9AM–4PM
Duration: around 3 hours required
Website: The Remarkables Ski Area
Contact: +64 800 697 547
5. Hike the Ben Lomond Trails
Ben Lomond is a mountain located close to Queenstown, New Zealand. The summit of this mountain reaches a height of 1,748 metres or 5,735 feet. There are some beautiful views available from the top of the mountain, such as Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables Mountains, Cecil Peak and Walter Peak.
There are a lot of walking, biking and hiking trails on Ben Lomond. Most of the trails are located in the area around the base, called the Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve.The trails can be accessed by foot, bike or you can choose to ride the popular Skyline Gondola, to get to the top.
6. Explore Lake Wakatipu
Lake Wakatipu is about 84 km (52.2 miles) long and the longest lake in New Zealand. Moreover, it’s also the third largest lake in this country. Its name comes from the Maori name, Whakatipu wai-māori, which means “growing bay” or “bay of spirits”. When you go to this lake, there are a few ways to enjoy your time. You can try paddleboarding or kayaking here but be prepared if you want to go for a swim, as the water is very cold, at about 8-10 degrees Celcius (46.4-50 degrees Fahrenheit), even during warm weather. You can also sail or take a cruise here, ride a jet boat or enjoy a spot of fishing.
7. Visit Kiwi Birdlife Park
Most people know that the kiwi is a flightless bird species, originating in New Zealand. One of best things to do during your visit to this country is visiting the Kiwi Birdlife Park. The park area is about 5 acres (2 hectares) and you can find over 20 endangered species of animals here.
It is open every day, from 9 am to 5 pm. There are a lot of interesting activities that you can do in this park, such as kiwi feeding, watching the conservation show, exploring the park with a private audio guide, doing the forest walk, or stopping by the Kiwi Cafe and buying some souvenirs in the gift shop.
Kiwi Birdlife Park
Address: Upper Brecon Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 9AM–5PM
Duration: around 3 hours required
Website: Kiwi Birdlife Park
Contact: +64 3-442 8059
8. Explore wonderful Moke Lake
Moke Lake is a small lake, located around 15 km (9.3 miles) from the centre of Queenstown. Just take a 25-minute drive from the city and you’ll find this beautiful area, well-known for its campsites. People also love to go here for the beautiful view. Cycling and walking can be some of the fun ways you can explore this place.
During the warmer days, fishing is one of the popular things to do and other than this, you also can take a dip in the lake to experience more adventure.
9. Going for a wine tour at the Chard Farm Winery
Located around 20 km (12.4 miles) from Queenstown, this place is worth a visit. The Chard Farm Winery is a small, family-owned winery that produces cool climate wines. It has become one of the pioneers of wine in Central Otago, an area that is quite well-known as the commercial wine growing region of New Zealand. When you come here, you’ll be amazed by the beauty of the mountain scenery that surrounds this place.
Chard Farm Winery
Address: 205 Chard Road RD 1, Gibbston 9197, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 10AM–5PM
Duration: around 2 hours required
Website: Chard Farm Winery
Contact: +64 3-442 6110
10. Eating Fergburger and Fergpie
If you a food lover, don’t miss a taste of a delicious Fergbuger during your trip to the city. You may have to queue to get the burger, but it’s really worth a taste. You can also buy some gourmet desserts and pies at Fergburger’s sweeter sister, the Fergbaker. It is well-known in the Queenstown area for its coffee, donuts, apple pie, and chocolate cake.
Fergburger
Address: 42 Shotover St, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Opening Hours: 8.30AM–5AM
Website: Fergburger
Contact: +64 3-441 1232
Let's explore this beautiful town...
Queenstown is surely one of the best places you could visit on your trip to New Zealand. It has many wonderful spots to visit and you’ll be enchanted by its amazing mountain scenery. So, what are you waiting for? Plan your trip now and get ready to explore this beautiful city.
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