If you’re looking for fun day trips from Queenstown there are plenty of options.

Most of the places below can be visited for a few days after Queenstown in their own right. But that’s not the point of this post.

Let’s get into these Queenstown day trips, and what you can do (and eat) there.

THE 8 DAY TRIPS FROM QUEENSTOWN

1. MILFORD SOUND
2. DOUBTFUL SOUND
3. GLENORCHY (& PARADISE)
4. ARROWTOWN
5. WANAKA
6. CROMWELL
7. CARDRONA
8. GIBBSTON
9. PIGEON ISLAND

1. MILFORD SOUND

Distance/time from Queenstown by car: Nearly 300km away which is a 3.5 to 4-hour drive minimum (the weather conditions play a role).

A day trip to Milford Sound is the marquee option of these Queenstown day trips. As one of biggest bucket list activities in NZ it’s a trip you’ve probably thought about already.

If you’re on the fence about the trip, the majority of people say Milford Sound is worth visiting. So while you can stay there for a couple of days, most will only visit Milford Sound as a day trip from Queenstown.

But from Queenstown, it’s a loooong day! With at least 8+ hours of driving there’s not a whole lot of time for other activities outside of the cruise when you get there.

That’s why it’s not a bad idea to book a trip with one of the several companies who offer day trips to Milford Sound. A few of the options include:

• Southern Discoveries
• Great Sights
• Jucy Cruise

Each offering is more or less the same (you could always fly there and back with Air Milford [Book here on Viator.com]) with the cruise on the sound the core part of the trip.

I’d suggest you make a list of the things that are important about visiting Milford Sound to work out how you get there from Queenstown.

Back to the top

2. DOUBTFUL SOUND

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: ~175km and a 2 to 2 hour 20 minute drive.

While Milford Sound gets all the attention, the Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise with Real Journeys is underrated.

The benefits of Doubtful Sound vs Real Journeys is:

• the shorter driving time to Manapouri where tours depart.
• the chance to cruise Lake Manapouri in addition to Doubtful Sound
• there are fewer tourist activities happening in the area (cruises and air traffic etc.)

The downside? It’s not Milford Sound, and the fear of missing out is real.

A day trip from Queenstown to Doubtful Sound is a bit more expensive at $229 (which includes transport from Queenstown) compared to $150 – $200 for the Milford trip.

Personally, I think the Doubtful Sound trip is the way to go!

Back to the top

3. GLENORCHY (& PARADISE)

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: ~45km and 45 minutes on the beautiful Queenstown to Glenorchy Scenic Road (related: other ways to get to Glenorchy from Queenstown).

Across the board, people love love love Glenorchy. As a day trip from Queenstown, Glenorchy is perfect…and if you’re there on the first Saturday of the year, go to the Glenorchy Races!

The drive is super beautiful and has plenty of places to stop along the way. And once you’re in Glenorchy you have a bunch of options for how to spend your time. Including visiting all the Lord of the Rings filming locations in the area.

Glenorchy is small so you can see everything in a couple of hours. Grab a pie from Mrs Woolly’s if you want to eat on the go (there are places offering coffee too), then head down to the wharf where you can take in the historic/photogenic boatshed.

From there you’ve got the easy Glenorchy Lagoon walk. Hopefully, the water is calm and you get some nice reflections of the surrounding mountains.

And then you can head over to Paradise for a scenic walk. It’s the name of the ‘town’, but many people do feel like it’s Paradise 🙂

In addition to all the day walks on the Routeburn you can do (you can do the whole track in a day), there’s a few day walks close to Glenorchy you can do like the:

• Mount McIntosh Track
• Mount Judah Track
• Lake Sylvan Loop

I love the Earnslaw Burn Track, but it’s better as an overnight trip from Queenstown.

Finish up your day with a meal at the Glenorchy Hotel where you can often find a few of the locals having a beer. Or for something a bit fancier, head over to Kinloch Wilderness Retreat.

Back to the top

4. ARROWTOWN

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: ~19km and a 15 to 20 minute drive (related: other ways to get to Arrowtown from Queenstown).

The best part about a day trip to Arrowtown from Queenstown is the minimal drive time involved. That often leads people to spend just a few hours in Arrowtown before returning. But there’s easily enough things to do in Arrowtown for a full day trip.

Some of the activities you’ve got to do in Arrowtown are:

• walk through the town’s streets (and stop off at the Remarkables Sweet Shop and Patagonia)
• visit the Old Chinese Settlement
• try gold panning in the river

If you fancy a bit of golf, you’ve got a few amazing golf courses in the immediate area:

• Arrowtown Golf Club
• Jack’s Point
• Milbrook Resort

Enjoy hiking/walking? You might like to do one of the walks in Arrowtown. There’s one for all abilities. Some can take a day all on their own.

And for grabbing a meal and a beer? La Rumba, The Fork and Tap, and Slow Cuts have a good reputation. Coffee? Try The Goldie Cafe.

If it’s a Sunday evening you’re there, head to the Blue Door for some live music.

Back to the top

5. WANAKA

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: 70km and a little over an hour via the Crown Range (related: other ways to get to Wanaka from Queenstown.

You might have been trying to decide if Wanaka or Queenstown would be the best place to visit on your trip. Well, with a day trip from Queenstown to Wanaka you can tick off both boxes.

In my experience the most popular reason people do a day trip to Wanaka is to do the Roys Peak Track (popular alternative walks are , and Mount Walks – read about more walks in Wanaka here).

Once you factor in the drive time, to and from Queenstown and the walk, that’s going to be a big chunk of the day taken up.

Other popular things to do in Wanaka to complete your day trip may include:

• Visit that Wanaka Tree (and spend time by the lake)
• Visit the Lavender Fields
• Take a trip to Mou Waho Island
• Grab an ice cream from Patagonia or Black Peak…or both 😉
• You can always make this the place of your first skydive too

And as part of your day trip from Queenstown, you can include a stop in Cromwell and/or Cardrona (mentioned below) on the way to/from Wanaka.

Back to the top

6. CROMWELL

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: About 60km which will take 45 to 55 minutes (related: other ways to get to Glenorchy from Cromwell).

Cromwell is probably a day trip you haven’t thought too much about given the popularity of the day trip destinations.

But there are some epic activities in Cromwell that are big enough that you can base your trip around them. They are:

• Bannockburn Wineries
• Lake Dunstan Trail
• Highland Motorsport Track

If one of these activities is particularly appealing to you, then you can add in other things to do to make for one of the great day trips from Queenstown.

Back to the top

7. CARDRONA

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: A little under 50km which will take 45 to 60 minutes.

Cardrona is most well known for a day trip from Queenstown for its ski fields, but even if that’s not your thing it might be worth a visit.

• For those who like funny tourist sites, the bra fence is one you need to tick off.
• Fancy your spirits? Head to the Cardrona Distillery where they have some great cocktails, and you can join a tour of the distillery too.
• For the hikers/walkers out there, the 14km return trip to Meg Hut is a nice day hike with great views.
• I’ve yet to try this, but the mountain carting in summer looks insane.
• And of course, there’s the famous Cardrona Hotel for a feed and beer.

Well there you go, there’s no shortage of things to do in Cardrona to make for one of the best day trips from Queenstown.

Back to the top

8. GIBBSTON

Distance/time from Queenstown ​by car: About 25km which usually takes 25-30 minutes. But there are heaps of ways to get from Queenstown to Gibbston.

Gibbston Valley is most famous for its wineries (I think) which are a great way to spend a couple of hours in the afternoon. But with a little bit of planning, you can easily make a day trip from Queenstown to Gibbston and end up with a full itinerary.

You’ve got the adrenalice junkie activities like canyoning or bungy juming which you can do early in the morning. Alternatively go for a walk up Mt Rosa and/or the Glenroy Water Race Track.

In the afternoon it’s time to hit up the wineries and cellar doors. If you like riding bikes this can be a great fun way to get between the wineries.

And then you’ll be knackered. Well me for sure. It’s a great day trip from Queenstown for groups, singles, and couples really. Wineries unite all 🙂

You can learn more about Gibbston’s activities here.

Back to the top

8. PIGEON ISLAND

A day trip to Pigeon Island is something a lot of people in Queenstown talk about, but not many do. You do need to kayak to the island from Lake Face Creek (on the road to Glenorchy).

It’s a 2km kayak, but once you’re on there you can enjoy the beach to yourself, walk around the loop on the island, have a picnic, and just relax with in all likelihood no one else on the island. It’s a super fun random adventure, but magic. Just pick the weather well!

Back to the top

---

And there we go, what do you think is the best day trip from Queenstown?

If you have any questions about these day trips from Queenstown, let me know in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.