Queenstown Travel Tips. An article sharing travel tips about visiting Queenstown. How to get there and more…

Mark Ford, Founder of Plus1 Travel

It’s great to have you here searching for Queenstown travel tips. The city of Queenstown is located in the middle of New Zealand’s South Island. Here you can visit beautiful fjords, glaciers, ski resorts and vineyards. The idyllic seaside town has become known as the country’s adrenaline capital. As the morning sun warms the earth and the fog lightens, see Lake Wakatipu’s bright colors next to the city of Queenstown. The Māori call the lake “the giant’s hole” And according to legend, it was created by a dormant, terrifying mountain giant. The lake’s water rises and falls rhythmically throughout the day- and it is said to be the giant’s heart that beats. 

Queenstown is truly the beating heart of the South Island. It is the pulse of the city that gives the distant land end a youthful energy. New Zealanders come from Polynesian warriors and European settlers and the mind for adventure is something they have in their blood. If you want to know more about the lake and the area’s early colonizers you should board the TSS Earnslaw in Steamer Wharf. She is called “Lady of the Lake” and steamed for over 100 years. She has transported livestock and passengers to and from the High Country. When you’re back in Queenstown, you can enjoy the sun on a sandy beach or walk through idyllic Queenstown Gardens which stands out in the lake.

Queenstown Travel Tips – How To Get From The Airport To Queenstown

Queenstown is served by Queenstown airport. The airport handled a little over 2 million passengers in 2018 and is located 8 kilometers from the city center. When searching for Queenstown travel tips and how to get from the airport to Queenstown there are a number of good options getting you from there as convenient as possible. Let’s look closer at those options and the various prices. 

Bus

Flights to Queenstown

Orbus is the bus company that operates at Queenstown airport and the bus ride to the city cost $10 and will get you to the city center in around 25 minutes. Tickets are available to buy from the driver. 

Shuttle

An airport shuttle is a simple way of getting to the center of town. The shuttle cost around $10 per person and is often shared with other passenger groups. The ride takes around 30 minutes to the city center depending on the traffic situation. 

Taxi

Taxis are readily available outside the terminal and the ride to the city center from the airport takes around 15 minutes and cost around $45. Uber is also operating in Queenstown. 

Queenstown Travel Tips – How To Get Around Queenstown

Queenstown’s compact downtown area makes it easy to get around with plenty of restaurants, attractions and hotels within walking distance. When searching for Queenstown travel tips there are a number of ways of getting around the city. Let’s have a closer look at those options now. 

Queenstown

Bus

Queenstown has a public bus system that links the suburbs with the city center. The ticket price for the public bus system is $2 for a single ticket.

Rental car

If you want the maximum freedom and be able to explore the city and beyond on your own terms, renting a car is your best option. Queenstown is beautiful and the nature that surrounds the city and the island is perfect for a road trip. 

Campervan

If you want to take it even a step further and live the van life, renting a campervan or a motorhome is easy in Queenstown. It’s a perfect way to explore the island and nature on your own schedule and with maximum freedom. 

Best Places To Stay In Queenstown

Queenstown is situated near Lake Wakatipu and is surrounded by beautiful nature with lakes and mountains nearby. It’s a great place for adventure sports and outdoor experiences and the city has a lot of nice areas to stay in. When searching for Queenstown travel tips it’s not always easy to know where to stay, that’s why we’ve put together this simple guide on the top three areas to stay in Queenstown. 

Queenstown Hill is the place to stay if you want to live in nature with stunning views. The area is located at the foot of the 907 meter mountain and Lake Wakatipu. An amazing place to stay if you’re a nature lover.

Recommended Hotel: Melbourne Lodge

Queenstown Downtown

Downtown Queenstown is located in the heart of the city and is a great place to stay if you’re into adventure sports, want to live close to restaurants, bars and nightlife. There are a number of reasonably priced hostel options in the downtown area which makes it a popular place to stay.

Recommended Hotel: The Glebe Apartments

Shotover Street is the neighborhood where the backpackers gather. Here you’ll find many hostels, bars, restaurants, art galleries and adventure tourism. It’s beautifully located near the lake and a great place to stay for a younger crowd and adventures types.  

Recommended Hotel: Queenstown Lakeview Holiday Park

Top 7 Experiences You MUST Have In Queenstown

1. Lake Wakatipu surrounds Queenstown with its beautiful S-shape and is a great place to experience the city by going on a boating, fishing or kayak tour. The boat TSS Earnslaw is a classic boat from 1912 that offers 90-minute tours of the lake and is a great option to enjoy Queenstown from the lake. 
   

   Skippers Canyon

2. Skippers Canyon is a 22 kilometer long canyon that is located around 20 kilometers from Queenstown. This canyon was once home to thousands of prospectors after gold was discovered in 1892 in the Shotover River, which runs through the gorge. A great option to explore Skippers Canyon is to take a Skippers Canyon 4WD Tour, a half day adventure including hotel and pick up.
3. On the 75 kilometer long Shotover River you can experience one of the most popular tourist attractions; the Shotover Jet. A fast paced speed boat ride down the narrow river is an exciting way to take in the beautiful scenery. 
4. Around 28 kilometers from Queenstown is the mountain range known as The Remarkables. This is the place to go to experience some incredible ski slopes, with world class skiing facilities. Although there’s no accomodation near the ski slopes, there are shuttle bus services directly from Queenstown.
5. Skyline Queenstown is a cable car that runs from the city center to the 446 meter summit of Bob’s Peak. From here you’ll get to experience the most incredible view of the city, Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables and there are also attractions at the peak such as mountain biking trails, a luge experience and shopping.
   

   Lake Wakatipu

6. Queenstown Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden that sits near Lake Wakatipu and was originally laid out in 1867. It’s a great place to relax, unwind and take in the beautiful oak trees and incredible rose garden. 
7. If you’ve never tried Bungee Jumping or want to try it again, Queenstown is the place to do it. Located 23 kilometers northeast of the city is AJ Hackett Bungy with their 43 meter Kawarau Bridge bungy jump experience. If that doesn’t sound scary enough, there’s a 134 meter jump near the Nevis Point at Queenstown Nevis Highwire Bungy Jump. Do you dare to do it? 

Queenstown Travel Tips Video

Accreditation: Going Awesome Places

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Mark Ford – Founder of Plus1Travel.com – For More Travel Tips > Go Here