How to Spend 3 Days in Queenstown

Queenstown is a breathtakingly beautiful town – it’s built on Lake Wakatipu, one of the largest and bluest lakes in the country, and no matter what direction you look, you’ll find mountain scenery that seems to have sprung from the pages of a travel magazine!

You’re here because you want to know the best things to do in 3 days in Queenstown – and I feel I’m a great person to tell you about those. Because I’ve been living in Queenstown for a couple of years and worked in a luxury hotel here, so, I’ve tried out almost every Queenstown activity! I’m also used to putting together Queenstown itineraries for my guests. So, you’re definitely in good hands.

In this piece, you’ll see that I’ve included the can’t-be-missed activities – things like the TSS Earnslaw, the Shotover Jet, and the Skyline Gondola. But, I’ve also written about a few off-the-beaten-path gems here – like Bob’s Cove and Moke Lake. Which remain two of my favorite parts of Queenstown!

Related Read: If you have more time, allowing 5 days in Queenstown is the perfect itinerary!

Is Three Days Enough in Queenstown?

Yes, 3 days is enough time to spend in Queenstown. But, I’ll be honest, if you can extend your stay to 5 days, that would be my preference! Thankfully, you can pack a lot in three days in Queenstown if you pre-plan! For example, you’ll get to tick off Queenstown’s top activities like the Skyline Gondola and the TSS Earnslaw. In 3 days in Queenstown, you’ll also be able to squeeze in a day trip to Glenorchy and an evening visit to Arrowtown.

Day 1 – Wander downtown, Skyline Gondola & Arrowtown

Morning – Breakfast at Bespoke Kitchen and wander the town

Before breakfast, we recommend taking a stroll to Queenstown Beach first to watch the first light of the day fall on the surrounding mountains. Then, head into downtown Queenstown before it gets too busy. Start by walking along Queenstown Mall, aka the main pedestrianized thoroughfare in town. As you’ll see, it’s lined with lots of restaurants, Cafes, clothing stores, and souvenir stores.

Then make your way up towards the Skyline Gondola but first its time for breakfast in a local-favorite spot. I love Bespoke Kitchen, which is located on Isle Street, just below the Skyline Gondola. It specializes in healthy goodness and is open for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast here will set you back approximately $15-$20 NZD. And the coffee here is awesome, too.

Afternoon – Skyline Gondola

Your next stop is the world-famous Skyline Gondola, which climbs 450 meters above Queenstown. The views along the ride and from the top are wow-worthy! An adult pass (including 3 luge rides) is $81 NZD per adult and $57 NZD per child.

Once at the top, be sure to take lots of photos/selfies from the viewing platform. And watch the famous AJ Hackett Ledge bungy in action. You can even give it a go if you’re feeling brave. A combo ticket for this heart-stopping bungy and its exhilarating swing is $295 NZD per person.

Then grab a coffee from their onsite cafe before making your way up to the surprisingly fast luge. Which is similar to a go-kart but without the engine! It goes surprisingly fast, believe me!

This is definitely one of the best things to do in Queenstown with kids! You could spend several hours here, high up above it all.

If you’re an adventure nut, you may just have the time today to indulge in some paragliding. Yep, you can go paragliding from the top of Bob’s Peak – how cool! This tandem paragliding experience takes 1.5 hours all in, and costs from $339 NZD. It’s very well-rated and so safe!

Evening – Arrowtown

Arrowtown is a cute, picture-perfect town about a 20 minute drive from Queenstown. That’s especially stunning in the fall. And it’s here we recommend coming for dinner on your first day in Queenstown.

But before dinner, be sure to take a walk along the town’s main street – Buckingham Street. It looks like something from a movie set and many of the storefronts here have been maintained from the town’s gold rush days.

Yep, Arrowtown was at the center of the mining boom in the South Island in the late 1800s, and its mining past is evident on a stroll around town. First, you have the Chinese Settlement built along the banks of the Arrow River, this is where Chinese miners lived at the height of the boom. In pretty bad conditions, mind. You should stroll along here before dinner for a glimpse into the town’s fascinating history.

You can even go panning for gold in the Arrow River, which is a family-favorite Arrowtown activity!

For dinner, there are loads of great restaurants here in Arrowtown. But our personal favorites include Aosta a fine dining Italian eatery on Buckingham Street and Slow Cuts also on Buckingham Street and specializes in juicy burgers and slow roasted meats.

Related Read: If you do have 5 days in Queenstown then going from Queenstown to Milford Sound is a must-do. Going on a Milford Sound Cruise was one of my best ever experiences in New Zealand!

Day 2 – Glenorchy, Bob’s Cove, Moke Lake, Fergburger for dinner

Morning – Glenorchy

The drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy generally takes 40 minutes to complete. However, given how unbelievably beautiful the scenery is, don’t be surprised if it takes you two or three times as long as that!

Along the way, you can stop at plenty of stunning viewpoints (our favorite is Bennett’s Bluff) and remote beaches like Bob’s Cove (which you’ll read more about below), where you can take Insta-worthy photos and generally immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of the area.

You might recognize Glenorchy from the Lord of the Rings movies. Close to Glenorchy, you can see easily recognizable filming locations from the movie franchise, including Isengard Lookout, Lothlorien Forest, and Ithilien. In fact, you can even sign up for a Lord of the Rings Locations Tour if you’re a fan of the film franchise.

Even if you’re not into Middle Earth, there is plenty to do in Glenorchy, including checking out its famous red shed – a former building for the NZ Railways Department. That’s oh-so-photogenic!

You can also take a speedy jet boat ride along the Dart River or walk the scenic Glenorchy Walkway.

Afternoon – Moke Lake & Bob’s Cove

Around 20 minutes from Glenorchy is one of my favorite places in all of Queenstown – Bob’s Cove. A turquoise water paradise surrounded by native bush. Here, you can simply laze on the lake beach and take it all in or walk the steep hill up to Picnic Point for the epic views.

On your drive back into Queenstown, swing left down Moke Lake Road to witness the Lord of the Rings-esque scenery of Moke Lake. It is a gravel road so drive slowly, plus there’s lots of lambs and rolling green hills on your drive in that I’m sure you’ll want to photograph. Spend an hour taking photos along the edge of the lake.

If you want to hike around Moke Lake, it will take you about an hour and a half. It’s one of the best (& thankfully easiest hikes in Queenstown). More of my favorite hikes in the area include the Queenstown Hill hike, Wye Creek track, and Lake Alta track on top of the Remarkables.

Evening – Fergburger for dinner and catch the sunset

Our night two dinner recommendation is easily the most famous food spot on the South Island. Fergburger, I’m sure you’ve heard of it – this delicious hole-in-the-wall burger joint is always jam-packed and has attracted many celebrities over the years. In my years living here, I’ve tried Fergburger countless times and never been disappointed. That’s the sign of a good spot, isn’t it? Even the locals eat here despite the queues.

My go-to order here is the Tropical Swine, an NZ beef burger with streaky bacon, cheese, and pineapple. While, my husband loves the Big Al – a double burger that comes with egg, bacon, cheese, and aioli. A burger here costs around $16.50 NZD so it’s the perfect choice if you’re on a budget in Queenstown.

My recommendation is to get your order to-go and head to Perky’s Floating Bar. This boat is permanently docked in the lake where you can bring your own food & purchase reasonably-priced drinks. Laze on a beanbag and watch the madness of Queenstown around you. Perky’s is also a great place to chat to the locals.

Day 3 – TSS Earnslaw, Shotover Jet, Dinner at Rata, Sunset from Fernhill

Morning – TSS Earnslaw

One of the most popular tours from Queenstown is the TSS Earnslaw, a historic steamship (it was built in 1912) that chugs across Lake Wakatipu a couple of times a day to Walter Peak Farm. The Earnslaw is a Queenstown icon, and hopping on board is one of the best ways to see Queenstown in all its glory (from the water).

The return journey is 1.5 hours, and during the ride, you can watch the giant steam engines at work. If you wish, you can hop off at Walter Peak for an early lunch and watch a farm tour. If you have the time, we highly recommend doing this as the food is amazing (my husband said it’s the best meal he’s had in Queenstown) and the farm tour is so interesting. You’ll get to witness a sheep-shearing demonstration and watch the sheepdogs round up the sheep.

We advise booking the 11 am tour – should you opt for just the boat cruise you will be back in Queenstown for 12:30 pm. While if you choose the lunch and farm tour option, this is 3.5 hours long, so you’ll be back in Queenstown at 2:30 pm.

Prices for the TSS Earnslaw cost from $89 NZD per person.

BOOK the TSS Earnslaw Lunch & Farm Tour option here!

Afternoon – Shotover Jet

Another one of the most popular tours in Queenstown is the heartstopping Shotover Jet. It takes place in the Shotover Canyon, and the specialized jetboat speeds through the narrow twists and turns of the canyon at 85 kph!

When the driver goes slower, you’ll be able to take in the stunning natural beauty of this spot – but when he puts his foot down, you’ll need to hold onto your hat (literally)! The driver will also throw in a couple of 360-degree turns for fun, and just a warning – you likely will get wet!

A ticket costs from $159 NZD per adult, and there are various departure times throughout the day.

BOOK the Shotover Jet here!

Evening – Dinner at Rata and watch the sunset from Fernhill

For your final evening in Queenstown, we recommend having dinner downtown. Our recommended restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Queenstown! Rata is a fine-dining eatery tucked away down a little side street in the center of Queenstown. The interior is modern and light-filled, and oh boy, is the food bucket-list-worthy. If New Zealand did Michelin stars, Rata would definitely have one.

Their dishes use only the freshest quality produce and ingredients from the South Island, and so the menu here is seasonal. Their wine list is also exceptional. You’ll definitely need to book a table here in advance.

After dinner, we recommend heading for Fernhill to catch the sunset from the lovely Kamana Lakehouse – a hotel/bar/restaurant that offers insane views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. It’s the perfect spot to end your 3 days in Queenstown. Grab a cocktail or whatever you fancy from the bar and head out to the balcony for sunset!

You can burn off your dinner by walking here, and it will take around 35-40 minutes. But it is a steep incline! Alternatively, you can hop on the number 1 bus up to Fernhill or grab an Uber or cab.

Renting a car in Queenstown

For the above 3 days in Queenstown itinerary, we really recommend hiring a rental car as public transport in Queenstown is limited and booking lots of guided tours will work out to be very costly! Luckily, driving in Queenstown is fairly straightforward – there are no big motorways, just single-lane highways, and it’s considered a safe place to drive.

We tend to always book our rental car through Discover Cars – which is a search engine for rental cars and allows you to filter by price if you’re on a budget or by vehicle type if there’s a specific car you’re after. I’ve tried many times to rent directly with the companies, and it took me a long time to filter through each company. 

Be sure to check out our detailed guide to renting a car in New Zealand before you go!

Where to Stay in Queenstown

• Kamana Lakehouse – High up in Fernhill, around a 25 minute walk or short bus journey from Queenstown CBD is Kamana Lakehouse. This hotel has arguable the best view of any hotel in Queenstown on account of its steep position. The rooms here are modern and funky, and some come with balcony’s overlooking the lake. You can even book the Lakeview Luxe Suite which comes with its own private hot tub. A room here will set you back around $241 NZD per night.

• Sherwood Queenstown – Situated in Frankton, around a 20-minute walk into Queenstown, is the very cool Sherwood. We actually stayed here twice and loved its cozy boho decor. And it’s actually one of the most sustainable hotels in the world! Again, it boasts spectacular lake views and the rooms are spacious, stylish and comfortable. The on-site restaurant is excellent and is a local-favorite! A room here costs around $240 NZD per night.

• Ramada Queenstown Central – If you’re looking for a reasonable prices hotel in downtown Queenstown look no further than the Ramada, which has rooms starting from $200 NZD. The rooms here are stylish and sleek and some offer views of the Remarkables, Lake Wakatipu, and Kelvin Heights Peninsula. The hotel only opened in 2020 so it’s very modern both inside and outside. There’s an on-site restaurant and bar.

• Glebe Apartments – centrally located (next to Queenstown Gardens in the CBD) these stylish apartments are a great option. You can choose from Studio, One; Two or Three bedroom apartments.

• Apartments at Spinnaker Bay – luxurious apartments with great lake views, these apartments are located on Frankton Road. You can walk the Frankton Track into the CBD – taking about 25 minutes. The apartments here are very stylish – choose from One, Two or Three bedroom apartments.

Thanks for reading my blog!

I hope you enjoyed reading my guide to 3 days in Queenstown! 3 days is just enough time to scratch the surface of this incredible town – there are so many awesome things to do here!

Before you go! You may also enjoy some of other most popular blog posts, like –

Tips and tricks for moving to New Zealand

How to find the Milford Sound Swing

Milford Sound self-drive: our top tips

Last Updated on August 13, 2024 by snaphappytravel