Queenstown is in the heart of New Zealand’s adventure capital, the Otago region. It is located about seven hours from Christchurch, has its own airport, and is absolutely stunning. This town is surrounded by the snowcapped Southern Alps and is located on a crystal blue lake.
We stopped in Queenstown on our two-week NZ road trip after passing through Christchurch, Lake Tekapo, and Arrowtown.
Upon arriving in Queenstown, we could immediately notice a difference—the quaint and historic side of New Zealand was replaced by a strange air of young partygoers, ski bunnies, and tourists.
This tourist town will surprise you though; behind the glitz of tours for young, kid-free travelers are some exciting family-friendly activities for those traveling with littles. You may find you appreciate this side of New Zealand more than you thought you would.
Queenstown, known by the Maori as Tāhuna, is on the stolen and occupied lands of the Maori.
Top 5 things to do in Tāhuna Queenstown with your kids
1. Cruise along Lake Wakatipu in the TSS Earnslaw Steamship
~NZ$80/adult; ~6 hours
The short ride on this historic coal-oiled steamship is an adventure on its own, complete with live piano music and incredible views of the Remarkables mountain range and Cecil Peak.
The trip takes you west along Lake Wakatipu, ending at Walter Peak High Country Farm. Once you dock at the farm, you’re shepherded with the rest of the tour group to a live sheep shearing and sheep herding demonstration.
We decided to brave a half-day adventure on this tourist boat, even though it was in the middle of naptime, because my husband saw this tour included an “all-you-can-eat” BBQ buffet, and he could not pass up that kind of challenge! Lucky for him, the buffet did not disappoint! It had an incredible selection of meats and veggies, all displayed so elegantly in a restaurant located right on the lake. Our toddler spent the entire lunch gnawing on one giant beef rib that was about the size of her head.
It was an expensive trip (~$NZ80 for adults, free for children under 5) but felt like a reasonable expense for all that it included—a boat ride, tour, and fancy lunch. Click here for more information.
2. Take a walk through Queenstown
Stroll through the adorable Queenstown with your little ones. You’ll notice a creek running through town that is full of happy ducks and surrounded by grassy areas that are perfect for picnicking and toddling around.
Our toddler loved feeding the ducks and jumping in puddles. Good thing I packed rain boots…
3. Go for a hike
~2-3 hours
The Queenstown Hill Time trail starts near the town’s center and takes you up a steep 1.5 km hike to a beautiful view of the surrounding lakes and mountains.
The hike takes about 2-3 hours and was easy for us to do with our toddler in the hiking backpack. Check out the infamous ‘Basket of Dreams’ sculpture at the top.
4. Ride the gondola to Bob's Peak
~2-3 hours
The gondola ride up to Bob’s Peak is considered “the steepest gondola ride in the Southern Hemisphere” by Skyline Queenstown. Take your family on a ride up 480 meters to the top of Bob’s Peak for an awesome view of the Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu, and all of Queenstown.
After the ride up, my partner and I enjoyed the view from the cafe and bar at the top while sipping on a glass of local wine.
Tickets are NZ$42 for adults, NZ$33 for kids ages 6-14, and free for kids under 5.
5. Play at the beach
The beach at Queenstown Bay is a five-minute stroll from town and has spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and peaks along Lake Wakatipu.
The icy lake is cold year-round, so you may be doing more sandcastles on the shoreline than swimming.
If you feel like getting out on the lake, there are places to rent kayaks and paddle boards.
Where to Eat
My family loves noodles, especially our toddler. While walking through Queenstown’s Steamer Wharf we stumbled upon Saigon Kingdom, an adorable Vietnamese-style restaurant with ample outdoor seating, friendly staff, and lots of delicious noodle options on the menu.
My favorite dishes were the Pho Ga (NZ$17) and the Shaken Beef (NZ$28).
Something Sweet
Patagonia’s Ice Creamery & Chocolaterie
The Patagonia’s Ice Creamery & Chocolaterie caught my eye immediately. Not only do I have a soft spot for anything “Patagonia”—it is a favorite clothing brand and a favorite tourist destination of mine—but it also had “Ice Cream” in the title, so I was sold.
Once inside you’re greeted with options for ice cream, chocolate, fudge, including an option to create your own “ice cream on a stick.” I had never heard of creating my own popsicles at an ice cream shop! We followed the instructions on the sign to first choose our ice cream, then choose our coating (chocolate, caramel, white chocolate), and toppings (sprinkles, chips, and more!).
It was so fun to make and delicious that my toddler devoured most of our “shared” ice cream on a stick.
Where to Stay
Crowne Plaza Hotel Queenstown
~$225 USD
Although there is no shortage of hotels and Airbnb’s in Queenstown, we prioritized proximity to the town’s activities because parking was quite a challenge.
We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Queenstown, a centrally located hotel that had everything we needed for one night in town.
It was clean, within walking distance of all of our main activities in town, offered ample parking, and had blackout curtains!
Queenstown was a little touristy for my taste. I did enjoy the food and the activities, but I missed the quiet of the New Zealand countryside I had grown accustomed to by this point in our two-week NZ road trip.
I can imagine enjoying this city more if I was without children and able to hop on an adventure tour from my hostel every day. As a mama with a young baby, though, that was not my priority nor my ability! We had to pick and choose our activities as to what would make sense for our family and what made sense for the two short days we had to visit the town.
Have you taken your young kids to a place that felt designed for college kids? How did you find your place? Share in the comments below.
This post is part of a series of posts about visiting the South Island of NZ with kids. Continue the adventure with us here:
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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