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Queenstown is located at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island. The town is set on Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by layers and layers of snow-capped mountains. This detailed itinerary for 5 days in Queenstown includes exploring Queenstown and the other close-by regions. Each area is as stunning as the next and I have included a mix of recommendations like road trips, adrenaline-seeking, hiking, & a little bit of time to relax.
There’s literally so much to do in Queenstown so 5 days won’t be enough time for everyone, but if you don’t have an endless amount of time or budget to spend in Queenstown, 5 days is an awesome amount of time to see heaps of highlights & not feel rushed.
The weather in New Zealand is always unpredictable, even in the middle of summer. I was there in January and the week before we arrived it was sunny & 30 degrees. Then overnight a cold southerly blew up, dropping temperatures below 10, covering the mountain tops with snow.
These freezing temperatures weren’t something we were prepared for but so thankful as it meant seeing all the mountain tops covered in snow, making the views even more beautiful.
The Best Time of Year to Visit Queenstown…
This would entirely depend on your interests and reason for visiting. Summer is perfect for hiking and winter for snow sports. With some of the best skiing in the southern hemisphere, this makes winter the peak season. But I’m sure whenever you go you’ll have an amazing time.
How to Get Around For Your 5 Days in Queenstown
Getting around town is easy because downtown isn’t big so you’re able to walk everywhere. A lot of Queenstown attractions and tours also offer free pick-up service from accommodation in town, making things like bungee jumping super easy to get too.
But I’m all for hiring a car for at least a couple of days. Especially in places like Queenstown where there are so many stunning places to stop at. Nothing gives you the flexibility & freedom like having your own vehicle.
Renting a Car
If you’re staying right in town, especially at a backpacker’s, chances are they’ll be no parking on site. But don’t let that deter you from hiring a car in Queenstown for these 5 days. A lot of the streets on the outskirts of town (and only a couple of blocks away) have plenty of free street parking, where you could safely leave your vehicle overnight. For the below 5 days in Queenstown Itinerary, you’ll definitely need to hire a car for at least days 3 and 4.
How to Spend 5 Awesome Days in Queenstown;
DAY 1, Start your adventure with Jet Boating & cocktails at the Ice Bar.
Once you’ve checked into your accommodation spend time getting to know the town. It really isn’t very big so walking everywhere is the way to go. Make sure you check out the Remarkable Sweet Shop.
Then afterward it’s time to get your first taste of Queenstown thrills with Jet boating. There are a number of companies that operate jet boat tours in Queenstown. We booked with Go Orange as they were the cheapest and departed from the jetty right in town (in front of Absoloot Hostel). They have the option of 25 or 60-minute trips. Jet boating is so much fun but you will get pretty wet so don’t take your good camera or anything.
Check out all the Jet Boat options with Viator tours!
And, to make your first night in Queenstown really memorable book in for a few drinks at Below Zero Ice Bar. Inside will be -12 degrees & everything is completely made of ice. There are 2 options for ice bars in town; Minus5 and Below Zero. We booked with Below Zero primarily because it was much cheaper and both bars look very similar.
The price includes at least 1 drink, and the use of warm gloves, boots & jacket. The bars operate in session times, starting on the hour so it’s best to book ahead. I definitely felt freezing inside and I had to walk out a couple of times to defrost, but this was awesome and such a fun & unique experience.
DAY 2, Hike Bob’s Peak, cruise Lake Wakatipu & enjoy dinner at Fergburger.
Rise & shine and get your hiking shoes ready! You’ll notice Bobs Peak is the backdrop to Queenstown and even though it looks very steep I promise this is an awesome hike, (even kids can do it).
To hike Bobs Peak you’ll take the Tiki Trail which starts next to the Gondola and this is just behind the cemetery. The hill does look extremely steep but don’t let that deter you, the trail zigzags across the front of the hill and it isn’t as steep as it first appears. We got to the top in about one hour. Just check the weather before you start, if there’s going to be a lot of rain the trail could get very slippery.
Once you reach the top you’ll be at Skyline Queenstown, and the views are insanely beautiful. Up there is the Luge, restaurant, gift shop, and the Gondola station where you can get a ride back down to the bottom.
Gondola Price; $29 for adults & $17 for children, one-way. You can also purchase packages that include multiple goes on the luge.
If you want to continue hiking, you can walk to the Parapente Takes-off point. Here you’ll be right at the top of the peak and the views are amazing & this area was much quieter. Although the path to the top isn’t very well signed, I just made sure I stuck to what I assumed was a path and continued walking up, I made it after 30 minutes.
So I recommend hiking up Bob’s Peak and getting the Gondola down, I loved doing it this way and experienced the best of both.
After this head back to town for a quick lunch before a cruise on Lake Wakatipu.
Spirit of Queenstown Scenic Cruise starts at $39NZD and leaves from the same area as the Jet Boat.
It was so beautiful seeing Queenstown from the water. I hadn’t realized how many layers of snowy mountains surrounded the town. And, this will be a perfect way to relax after your hike.
For dinner, you have to check out Queenstown’s famous burger joint, Fergburger. Opened in 2001, originally as a little hole-in-the-wall type restaurant, busiest at 3 am when everyone was on their way home from the bars. Today it’s super popular and I heard that in peak times it’s possible to stand in line for over an hour, just to place your order. 😳
We waited in line for about 10 minutes, then our order was up about 15 minutes later. You can call ahead to make your order but if they’re really busy they may not even answer the phone.
The menu was awesome with heaps of variety, everything I saw looked so big and delicious. Thankfully they also have vegan options and I honestly think I had the best vegan burger of my life there.
Most likely they’ll be no tables available in the restaurant so I recommend getting takeaway and taking it over to Perky’s Floating Bar. This is located right behind the Absoloot hostel. The Floating Bar was awesome and it’s such a cool idea. It’s a two-level boat that is permanently moored, equipped with plenty of tables and chairs, bean bags, blankets, and heaters. We took our Fergburgers there and ate as the sun went down behind the mountains. The bar is free entry, you can bring any food you like, but you’ll just have to purchase a drink at their bar.
Perky’s Floating Bar opens from 12 noon to 11 pm.
DAY 3, Explore Wanaka, Arrowtown & Lake Hawea.
Unfortunately when I did this day the weather was rubbish so the views weren’t as amazing as what I’d seen in photos. But I still recommend it all because it was beautiful and through the cracks in the cloud I could see how awesome this would be on a clear day.
So, today jump in your rental and explore Wanaka, Arrowtown & Lake Hawea.
We started our day early and headed straight to Wanaka. Notable sights in the area are “That Wanaka Tree” (the lone tree growing out of Lake Wanaka), Glendhu Bay Track, (walks ranging from less than 1km to 13.7km), and the Wanaka Lavender Farm.
From Wanaka, we kept driving towards Lake Hawea. So much good scenery along these roads, at one stage the road is hugged by the two lakes. An hour north of Wanaka is the Blue Pools Track, even in the rain, this was so pretty. The car park at the beginning of the track is very well signed and the walk to the pools was only about 30 minutes. I just wish the rain hadn’t turned the water brown! I was really hoping for the aqua blue color I’d seen on google.
Afterward, start heading back down toward Queenstown, and 20 minutes before town you’ll see the turn-off for Arrowtown.
Arrowtown is a small historic mining town with beautiful architecture and a few cool shops. The New Orleans hotel was an awesome place to grab a late lunch.
DAY 4, Scenic drives & discover Glenorchy.
Today head in the opposite direction out of Queenstown towards Glenorchy. This area is a lot less developed so you won’t find too many shops and restaurants, I recommend packing lunch for this day out.
This direction is all about beaches and incredible views. Even if it’s freezing it’s still worth checking out the beaches! Crystal clear water surrounded by snow-capped mountains was just stunning! You’ll see a few little bays along this drive but the two I found the most beautiful were Wilsons Bay & Sunshine Bay.
Glenorchy is a 40-minute drive from Queenstown and the road winds along the lake so the whole drive was very scenic. It’s actually in the top 10 best drives in New Zealand.
Glenorchy is a quiet little town but famous for its gorgeous scenery, this is where a lot of scenes from the Lord of the rings were filmed. There are also heaps of walking trails, but definitely check out the lakes wharf & the “Instagram famous” Glenorchy red shed.
Then keep driving past Glenorchy towards Diamond Lake. The roads here aren’t complicated but at times I lost mobile signal and some of the roads weren’t sealed, so just map it out before you leave town.
This area is all so beautiful. 🤩
Tonight if you’re lucky enough to have clear skies after dark drive to Moke Lake for star gazing!
DAY 5, Adventure activities in Queenstown.
Since Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand and actually the place where bungee jumping first began, you need to get the blood pumping and do something terrifying before you depart.
Check out GetYourGuide and see what epic adventures you’d be most up for.
I hope you have to most epic 5 days in Queenstown and found this New Zealand itinerary helpful? And, now that you have all the fun stuff planned, you’ll need to find somewhere to sleep…..
Where to Stay in Queenstown
There’re heaps of accommodation options in Queenstown and so many located right in town. But with lots of the activities in Queenstown being really expensive, I personally opted for cheaper accommodation so I had a bigger budget for my adventures.
There were 6 of us traveling on this trip and we booked a private room at Absoloot Hostel. We had three bunk beds and an en-suite. The hostel also had a huge kitchen/dining room that overlooked Lake Wakatipu and a T.V/games room.
I’ll link below to a few well-rated accommodation options located in town;
Absoloot Hostel
Budget, 3 Star.
Nomads Queenstown Hostel
Budget, 2 Star.
Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown
3 Star.
Novotel Queenstown Lakeside Hotel
4 star.
Before traveling to Queenstown I had heard so many positive things, this made me wonder if it’ll live up to the hype. And, I definitely think it did, the landscape is gorgeous, the people are so friendly and it’s very easy to get around as a tourist.
Thank you for reading.
After Queenstown, if you’re keen to check out New Zealand’s beautiful capital city, Wellington, click here to read my travel guide; The Best Free Things to do in Wellington New Zealand.
Happy Travels.
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Elyse is the author & content creator behind A World To Live. After traveling to over 40 countries, she has a passion for discovering new places. Elyse is a money-conscious traveller who loves writing independent travel guides to help her readers get the most out of their travels.
I hopped back and forth between New Zealand and Australia petsitting for two years and never made it to Queenstown – can’t believe it! Now I want to go back just so I can visit Queenstown and have the world’s greatest vegan burger! And for the scenery too, of course. The photo of you and the tree in the water is awesome. (I assume that’s you.) Excellent article. I’m inspired to get back to hang with the kiwis.
wow that would have been an incredible two years Barbara. But yeah you definitely need to go back, especially for the burger haha. And, yes that’s me… Thank you so much
Such fantastic things to do in Queenstown. New Zealand is still high on my bucket list. Queenstown just has to be in it, when I finally get to visit.
So many, hopefully, the borders open soon! I’m sure you’ll love it
Queenstown looks so pretty! Can’t wait to go!
That’s awesome, such a stunning location
Hopefully New Zealand will let visitors in soon! It looks like a fabulous trip!
Oh I hope so too, I miss having tourists around
Thank you for all the travel tips, you’ve made planning my trip to NZ much easier.
That’s awesome, thank you so much Peter
Great post! It’s on my bucket list to go! It’s good to know that around five days is a good time frame too! I really want to try and visit the north too when I go!
Thanks so much. Yeah the north island is great too but, probably best in summer as it can just be a bit cold and miserable in winter lol
Adding Queenstown to the bucket list!
I need to get to New Zealand! It looks beautiful with so much to do!
I love how you have clubbed nature and city fun in a single trip. The floating bar sounds exciting and the views are breathtaking!
Oooh I would love to spend more time in Queenstown! We explored the area and spent a couple of nights in Wanaka, but we only really had half a day in Queenstown (we went up Bob’s peak, so at least we did one thing right!!)
I have never been towards Glenorchy – that area sounds fabulous too!