Queenstown
A lake, the Remarkables, and every way of throwing yourself off a mountain.
Queenstown sits on Lake Wakatipu under the jagged range called the Remarkables, at the centre of New Zealand's South Island adventure country. Commercial bungy jumping began here; skiing, jet boats, hiking and wine followed. Milford Sound's fiord, the vineyards of Central Otago and the Routeburn track are all within a day.
Why go
For the landscape, which is as dramatic as the films that used it: the lake and the mountains from the gondola, the road to Glenorchy, the fiords of Fiordland. And for the range of things to do in it, from a gentle lakeside cycle to a canyon swing.
And for the seasons: skiing on four fields in winter, walking the great tracks in summer, gold and red poplars in autumn, and pinot noir in the cellar doors of Gibbston and Bannockburn all year.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The gondola and the view
Up Bob's Peak above the town for the view of the lake, the Remarkables and Cecil and Walter Peaks, with a luge track, walks and a paraglide launch at the top.
02Milford Sound
The fiord with sheer walls and waterfalls dropping straight into the sea, reached by a long road through Fiordland or a scenic flight, and seen from a boat or a kayak. A full day.
03The adventure sports
The original bungy at the Kawarau bridge, the jet boats up the Shotover, rafting, skydiving and the canyon swing.
04Glenorchy and the head of the lake
The road along the lake's western shore to the village at its head, with mountains on three sides, wetlands to walk and the Routeburn track beginning nearby.
05The wineries of Central Otago
Pinot noir in the Gibbston valley and at Bannockburn, with cellar doors along the road to Cromwell and a bike trail linking several of them.
06Arrowtown
The old gold-mining town with its miners' cottages, autumn colour and the Chinese settlement by the river, a short drive from Queenstown.
07The ski fields and the tracks
Coronet Peak and the Remarkables for winter skiing near the town, Cardrona and Treble Cone towards Wanaka; the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford tracks for multi-day summer walks.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Queenstown centre
Hotels and apartments around the bay and the town, with restaurants, bars and the booking offices on foot.
Frankton and the lake shore
Near the airport with lake views and easy roads to the ski fields.
Arrowtown and Gibbston
Cottages and lodges among the vineyards and the old gold town, a quieter base.
When to go: Queenstown
- SummerDecember – February
- Long, warm days for the lake, the tracks and the fiords. The fullest season; book early.
- AutumnMarch – May
- Golden poplars and willows around Arrowtown and the lake, still days and thinner crowds. A favourite time.
- WinterJune – August
- Snow on the ranges and skiing on four fields, with the town full of skiers and the winter festival in June.
- SpringSeptember – November
- Changeable, with late skiing and early hiking, blossom and lambs in the valleys and rivers running high.
Getting there
Airports
One airport in our search serves Queenstown. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- ZQNQueenstown
Distance from
- SYDSydney1,940 km
- SINSingapore8,160 km
- JNBJohannesburg11,140 km
- BOMMumbai11,940 km
- DXBDubai13,750 km
- JFKNew York15,030 km
- CDGParis18,880 km
- LHRLondon18,940 km
Getting around: Queenstown
The airport is a few minutes from town; shuttles and taxis meet flights. The town itself is walked, and buses run to the suburbs and Arrowtown.
A hire car makes the region: Glenorchy, the wineries, Wanaka and the ski fields. Milford Sound is a long day's drive or a coach tour; flights and helicopters shorten it.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Currency
- NZD · New Zealand Dollar
- Languages
- English and Māori
- Time zone
- New Zealand Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +64
The atlas
Queenstown in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Queenstown, month by month
- Jan16°
- Feb16°
- Mar14°
- Apr10°
- May6°
- Jun3°
- Jul3°
- Aug5°
- Sept7°
- Oct9°
- Nov12°
- Dec15°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
No month is both mild to warm and not wet, on these averages.
Mean highs run from 3°C in July to 16°C in January, with about 1,279 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for QueenstownModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
The model's grid cell sits about 635 m higher than the town, so real temperatures there run a little warmer than these.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBQueenstown
13,750 km
16 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
From AUHQueenstown
13,750 km
16 hrs 55 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Queenstown
Plan this trip: Queenstown
Open the trip builder with Queenstown already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
