A trip to New Zealand wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Queenstown. Whether you are here for one day or ten days there is something for everyone with ski fields, wineries, hiking trails, adventure activities, amazing food, shopping and spectacular views right on your doorstep. In fact there is so much on offer that it can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to fit it all in.
Don’t worry, I can help you with that. If you’re wondering how to spend 5 days in Queenstown I’m going to share the the perfect 5 day Queenstown itinerary based on our own experiences. It is filled with alternative options so you can chop and change to suit your preferences and budget.
It is also easy to scale down for a shorter stay, just choose your absolute favorite activities, or build up for a longer stay by adding in some of the alternative options that I’ll be sharing.
I haven’t focussed on skiiing in this article but if you are visiting in winter and keen to hit the slopes, The Remarkables and Coronet Peak are fantastic for skiing and snowboarding so you can dedicate as many days to the ski fields as you wish.
Queenstown has so many great places to eat so I couldn’t resist including lunch and dinner options in this Queenstown 5 day itinerary. You can mix and match any of the options I’ve included depending on your appetite and budget. There are so many options you may even see something you’d rather try once you are there. You can’t go wrong.
So let’s get to it. Here is your guide to an incredible adventure filled Queenstown itinerary!
The Ultimate 5 day Queenstown Itinerary!
Day 1 – Adrenaline and Relaxation
Morning
Get amongst the adventure and book in your adrenaline fix for the morning. There are many options to choose from including skydiving, parasailing, bungee jumping and the Shotover Canyon Swing. Many of these activities are weather dependent so booking in for the first day gives you time to re-book for another day during your visit should the weather not play nice.
Not keen on adrenaline activities, perhaps you’d like to swap it out for a food and wine tour. You’ll head out in a small group to some of the region’s best boutique wineries. The tours usually start at 12noon and run for about 4-4.5 hours so you can skip the lunch in Queenstown and swap out the afternoon activity for a morning soak, before heading off to some stunning locations for lunch and to sample the region’s best wine.
Lunch
After an adrenaline filled morning head for lunch at Fergburger, Queenstown’s famous burger joint. The burgers really are as good as everyone says. Their fries and aioli are also really delicious.
Afternoon
An afternoon at Onsen Hot Pools is the perfect way to wind down from a busy and adventure filled morning. Onsen Hot Pools is a kiwi take on this wonderful Japanese tradition where you can soak in cedar-lined hot tubs perched in the mountains overlooking the Shotover River Canyon.
You can book in for a classic hot tub session for an hour long soak in the warm relaxing water or include a spa treatment for the ultimate indulgence. After a 45 minute soak in the tub you’ll receive a face or body treatment of your choice in one of the day spa rooms. They even offer a complimentary shuttle service from central Queenstown.
Onsen Hot Pools is one of my favorite hot tub experiences of all! I highly recommend squeezing this into one your 5 days in Queenstown!
Dinner
Flame Bar & Grill is our favorite place for dinner in Queenstown. We usually eat here at least a couple of times when we visit. They specialize in NZ & South African-style meat dishes, and their signature ribs are the best! I’ve tried several of their dishes and it is consistently good food every time.
Day 2 – Jet Boating and Shopping
Morning
Spend the morning jet boating through Queenstown’s Shotover river at high speed for an exhilarating start to the day. It is a fun experience as you spin around 360 degrees and reach speeds up to 90 km (56 mph). There are several operators to choose from, each occupying different parts of the Shotover River. The scenery is incredible down in the canyon and you’ll have an absolute blast!
Lunch
Next door to Fergburger is Fergbaker and their pies are absolutely delicious. They offer a variety of flavors including steak, chicken, vegetarian, pork belly, lamb and venison. The pastry is nice and flakey and always fresh.
Afternoon
After a pretty active start to the week how about a change of pace with an afternoon spent exploring downtown Queenstown. The main shopping area can be found in the area called The Mall. It’s the center street running down the middle of Queenstown center with lots of individual shops to explore.
There are more great shops in the surrounding streets as well and it’s a lovely town to walk around. You can find some unique handmade items which are great for souvenirs.
Grab a gelato or hot chocolate at Patagonia Chocolates. Their artisan chocolates come in all sorts of unique flavors and make a great gift to bring back for family and friends.
Dinner
For a warm, cozy and casual dinner I highly recommend Winnies conveniently located right in The Mall. They have an open rooftop terrace great for people watching below and their gourmet pizzas are excellent.
Day 3 – Skyline Gondola and Hiking
Morning
The Skyline Gondola is an iconic must-do experience in Queenstown. It’s the steepest gondola in the Southern Hemisphere that takes you to the top of Bob’s Peak. Once at the top there are a range of activities to choose from. The main viewing platform offers 220 degree views of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountain ranges.
I’m going to give you a couple of options for how to spend the morning once you get to the top of the gondola.
There is a choice of activities to do at the top including the luge, paragliding, bungy jumping and the bungy swing. You can purchase tickets for the luge when purchasing your gondola tickets. Skyline Queenstown offers a range of package deals. G Force Paragliding and AJ Hackett Bungy and Swing share the space at the top of Bob’s Peak but are not part of Skyline Queenstown. So you will need to contact those companies directly to organize paragliding or bungy activities.
If hiking is more your thing and you are visiting outside of the winter months, then I highly recommend the Ben Lomond track which starts from the top of the gondola. This is an advanced 6-8 hour hike to the summit so you will need to start early, have a decent level of fitness and take the appropriate gear for the hike. It’s an out and back track so even if you don’t go all the way to the summit and turn around at the saddle you will be rewarded with the most incredible views for the effort. I don’t recommend this trail in winter as conditions can be icy and dangerous.
Lunch
Whether you spend the morning enjoying activities at the top of the gondola or head out on the Ben Lomond track, the Market Kitchen Cafe or Stratosfare Restaurant located at the top of the Skyline Gondola complex are both good lunch options.
The Market Kitchen Cafe is a casual option with indoor and outdoor seating and the Stratosphare Restaurant is a buffet style option with specific seating times. A reservation for the Stratosphare Restaurant is highly recommended to ensure you get a booking for your preferred day and time. Both have amazing views overlooking Queenstown.
Afternoon
A shorter alternative to Ben Lomond and another great hiking option that also offers incredible views for a lot less time on your feet is the Queenstown Hill Walk. It starts from Belfast Terrace right in downtown Queenstown and will take about 2-3 hours to complete. So, you can spend the morning on Bob’s Peak and enjoy this non-technical, well-maintained track in the afternoon. The view from Bob’s Peak and the Queenstown Hill Walk are similar but with different perspectives. The Queenstown Hill Walk has a loop around the top which offers more panorama views of Queenstown and surrounds.
Dinner
For dinner I’m going to recommend two options to fit in with either lunch options. If you opted for the full buffet lunch at the Stratosfare Restaurant then Erik’s Fish and Chips is an easy budget friendly dinner option. We love grabbing some fish and chips and sitting along Lake Wakatipu to eat. Another great option is Pedro’s by the Lake. It’s the ultimate location right along Lake Wakatipu with indoor or outdoor seating and a tapas style menu so you can order as little or as much as you like.
Day 4 – Day trip to Glenorchy
Morning
Glencorchy is a quiet little town about a 45 minute drive from Queenstown on the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road. It’s seriously cute and worth a visit. You will need a car to get here or you can opt for one of the many different tour options that are available.
If you are driving yourself, Bob’s Cove is a great little track to stop for on the way. It’s an easy out and back 2km (1.2 mile) trail with picturesque views over the turquoise waters of Lake Wakatipu. As you head along the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road look for a small parking lot on your left hand side about 14kms (8.5 miles) from Queenstown. There are other trails such as the Twelve Mile Delta that connect to this trail but Bob’s Cove has the best views and will only take about 30-60 minutes to complete.
Once you arrive in Glenorchy head to the Glenorchy Wharf to visit the famous little red boat shed and beautiful lakefront. It can get busy so you may need to be patient to get some photos without other people around.
After you’ve visited the Glenorchy Boat Shed and Wharf, The Glenorchy Lagoon Scenic Walkway is a super easy 3.2 km (2 mile) loop walk that will take you around the lagoon.
From the Glenorchy Boat Shed, turn right and keep on walking until you see DOC signs for the trail near Lake Wakatipu on Mull Street. You’ll make your way through wetlands on a well maintained track with beautiful views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Lunch
For lunch I recommend the Glenorchy Hotel Pub & Restaurant located on Mull Street for that quintessential kiwi pub experience. They offer a range of food options with local and international beer, including craft beer, on tap.
Afternoon
After lunch take a drive out toward Paradise and check out the beautiful scenery of Mount Aspiring and some of the LOTR filming locations. If you prefer, you can take a half day tour which will organize everything for you and you can even dress up in costumes and play with replica swords.
On your way back to Queenstown, stop at Bennetts Bluff Lookout for beautiful views of Lake Wakatipu and surrounding mountain ranges. You will see the turnoff for the parking lot on your right hand side about 20 minutes from Glenorchy as you head toward Queenstown. Sunset can be magic if you are lucky and time it right with beautiful pink hues reflecting in the sky and water of Lake Wakatipu.
Dinner
It’s been a big day so for an easy dinner option grab a burger at Devil Burger. A favorite amongst the locals, their gourmet burgers are delicious. I also love their magic mushroom side dish which are crumbed whole button mushrooms fried to perfection with aioli dipping sauce. So yum!
Day 5 – Moke Lake, Queenstown Gardens & TSS Earnslaw
Morning
A stroll around the picturesque Moke Lake is the perfect way to start your final day in Queenstown. Moke Lake is an easy 6.5km (4 mile) loop track just outside Queenstown in a suburb called Closeburn. You will head the same way as you did for day 4 toward Glenorchy, it’s about a 20 minute drive from Queenstown center on the Glenorchy-Queenstown Road and Moke Lake Road. Once you turn off onto Moke Lake Road, the road will eventually become unsealed and narrower as you approach the lake so drive with caution.
The Moke Lake Loop trail will take you right around the lake on a relatively flat well maintained track that is surrounded by mountains. On a still day you can see the mountains reflecting in the lake which is absolutely stunning.
Lunch
For lunch I’m recommending my favorite cafe in Queenstown, Balls and Bangles. They have the best bagel sandwiches! Be sure to save room for dessert. Their freak shakes and gourmet donuts are sugary works of art and so so good!
Afternoon
A stroll around Queenstown Gardens or leisurely cruise along Lake Wakatipu on the historic coal fired steamship the TSS Earnslaw are two great options to wind down the afternoon. Both options are located in central Queenstown and will take you about 90 minutes to complete.
A trip to Queenstown wouldn’t be complete without a stop in the Remarkable Sweet Shop located on Beach Street. They also have a shop in the airport if you’re short on time. It’s an old fashioned style candy store offering a selection of lollies from around the world. Their homemade fudge is amazing and comes in a large selection of unique flavors. Luckily you can sample the options to help decide which flavors to get.
Dinner
Since it’s the final night in Queenstown I’m going to recommend two great restaurants to celebrate a wonderful trip. Both are fine dining establishments with a comfortable atmosphere and fresh food cooked to perfection.
The Grille By Eichardt’s is located on Marine Parade in Queenstown and a stone’s throw from the shore of Lake Wakatipu. It has a bistro style atmosphere with a French flair to the menu. The food is fresh, locally sourced and delicious!
Rata is located on Ballarat Street and surrounded by native trees offering a tranquil backdrop. For top notch New Zealand cuisine in a warm vibrant atmosphere with exceptional service I highly recommend giving Rata a try.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. The ultimate 5 day Queenstown itinerary. I hope this helps you plan a spectacular 5 days in Queenstown to make the most of this beautiful region. There truly is something for everyone and this itinerary can be shortened or expanded to suit the amount of time you have. It’s in no way an exhaustive list, there is just so much to choose from, but it’s some of our favorites and I hope you enjoy Queenstown as much as we do!
If you’ve hired a car and have time to explore more of the region, I highly recommend a trip to Arrowtown. Don’t miss my top 7 fun things to do in Arrowtown for a great day trip.
Heather is a travel enthusiast living in New Zealand with her family. She writes about living in and enjoying travel to New Zealand.