Queenstown Activities

Queenstown is where people come to do things that make their families nervous. Bungee jumping off the Kawarau Gorge Bridge (the original commercial bungee site on the planet, 1988, AJ Hackett, 43 metres above the river). Skydiving over the Remarkables. Jet boating through a canyon so narrow you'll wonder how the driver is staying calm.

It earns the reputation. Genuinely.

The bungee situation

Queenstown has three bungee sites and they are not the same experience. The Kawarau Bridge is 43 metres above the river and is where it all started, so there's history in the jump. The Ledge is 400 metres above the town and you're looking out over Lake Wakatipu when you go. The Nevis is 134 metres and is the biggest bungee in Aotearoa New Zealand. If you're doing one, the Kawarau is the classic. If you want to go bigger, the Nevis is the answer.

Skydiving over the Remarkables

A Queenstown skydive drops you over one of the more dramatic backdrops on the South Island: Lake Wakatipu below, the Remarkables and Coronet Peak behind, and the full spread of the Southern Alps on a clear day. Tandem jumps run from 9,000 to 15,000 feet. The 15,000-foot option gives you about 60 seconds of freefall. Book early in summer, it fills up.

Jet boating (it's louder than you expect)

The Shotover River Canyon runs the most famous jet boat route in the country. The canyon walls come to within metres of the boat and the driver spins 360 degrees in spaces that look physically impossible to spin in. The Dart River jet boat up in Glenorchy is a different vibe, longer and more scenic, through Lord of the Rings country if that means anything to you.

Skiing and snowboarding

The Remarkables and Coronet Peak are both within 45 minutes of town and both have proper terrain for all levels. Coronet Peak has night skiing, which is a very specific kind of good time. The season typically runs June to October. Cardrona and Treble Cone are also within range if you want more options or fewer crowds.

The luge, the paragliding, everything else

Skyline Queenstown runs the gondola up the hill above town, and from there you can luge back down, paraglide off the top with an instructor, or just eat at the restaurant with the most unreasonable view in the city. The luge sounds low-key and is genuinely more fun than it has any right to be.

Paragliding tandem flights launch from the Skyline and land on the lakefront. About 10 minutes in the air. Worth every second.

When you need a day off from the adrenaline

Queenstown's food scene is legitimately good for a town this size. The waterfront is walkable. Glenorchy is 45 minutes up the lake and is the kind of place that makes you want to stay longer than planned. And Milford Sound is four hours from here, so a day trip to the fiord is a real option from a Queenstown base.

Getting to Queenstown and getting around

Queenstown has its own international airport with direct flights from Australia. Most South Island guided tours and hop-on hop-off bus passes include a Queenstown stop. It's central enough to work as a base for a big chunk of the lower South Island. Most people budget three to five nights here and still feel like they ran out of time.

Browse Queenstown activities above, check the Adrenaline Activities page for the full rundown on adventure options, or get in touch and we'll help you figure out what to actually do with five days here.