Best things to do in Queenstown

Situated an easy five minute walk from central Queenstown, Skyline Queenstown carries visitors high above the city to the Skyline complex. The best views in the region are found here, spread out in a spectacular 220-degree panorama, with breathtaking views. Get your fix of fun with Skyline Luge, a worldwide favorite and a must do activity while in Queenstown. Treat yourself to delicious cuisine in Stratosfare Bar & Restaurant, serving iconic New Zealand fare infused with international influences and using the freshest locally sourced produce. Alternatively, discover the hidden world of the Southern night sky with expert astronomy guide on the nightly stargazing tours.

Experience New Zealand's untouched wilderness by cruising Milford Sound, a fjord located within a World Heritage Site encompassing four national parks. Moved by the sight of rocky cliffs rising out of perfectly still water, writer Rudyard Kipling once described this fjord as the eighth wonder of the world. Mitre Peak, one of the most photographed mountains on the planet, towers over the sound. Most of the area's half a million annual visitors arrive by one of many bus tours from Queenstown offering easy access to this pristine natural world. Numerous operators also offer flights from Queenstown, drastically reducing transit time and giving you extra time for additional activities that day. If you're staying closer to the national park, you can reach the fjord by hiking a 50 km (31 mi) walking trail starting at Lake Te Anau.

Experience a heart-pumping outdoor adventure as you race across fjords and glacial-fed rivers on a speedboat tour from Queenstown. Hold on to your seat and let an expert captain navigate narrow canyons, maneuvering the boat into 360-degree spins. To enjoy the beautiful landscapes of World Heritage-listed Mount Aspiring National Park, opt for a combo that includes an adrenaline-packed boat ride and a scenic helicopter flight above Skippers Canyon. A guided nature walk, a whitewater rafting trip, and an off-road expedition can also be part of this wilderness safari into Queenstown's backcountry. These tours can last from 25 minutes to 10 hours.

Make your visit to New Zealand's outdoor adventure capital as exciting as possible by joining one of its adrenaline extreme tours. Not for the faint-hearted, the wide selection of these experiences spans from bungee jumping and swaying on the world's largest swing above the Nevis River, to tandem skydiving and paragliding. Pair up with your experienced pilot and soar over Queenstown as you soak up views of glistening Lake Wakatipu, or touch the surface of the dazzling Kawarau River as you plunge 43 m (141 ft) from the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge. Depending on the type of the activity, your tour can last from 45 minutes to 4 hours.

A helicopter tour from Queenstown allows you to soar over the region's landscape and admire bird's-eye views of glaciers, fiords, cascading waterfalls, and snowcapped mountain peaks. During a shorter 1-hour tour, the pilot can take you to the heart of Fiordland National park, landing several times--atop a glacier and on a beach. A longer 4- to 5-hour tour can include cruising on a boat all the way to the Tasman Sea, nature walks, whitewater rafting, and a picnic lunch.

At Queenstown Gardens you can admire the native and exotic plant life, and then play a game of tennis or go ice skating. The garden offers relaxing lake and mountain views from its location on a peninsula of Lake Wakatipu. First founded by the Borough Council of Queenstown in 1887, it has since been an important site for community and sporting events. Athletic types should be sure to make a stop here, where they can play a favorite sport or try something new like lawn bowling or frisbee golf.

Occupying a crater carved by glaciers, Lake Wakatipu resembles a lightning bolt in shape. Surrounded by towering mountain ranges, the lake draws tourists looking for an adrenaline rush along nearby ski fields, paragliding spots, and bungee jumping sites. Because of its unusual shape, the lake has a strange tide that rises and falls by 10 cm (3.9 in) every 25 minutes; Maori legends link this to the heartbeat of a huge monster named Matau. The beaches here serve as popular swimming spots during the summer and the lake itself offers year-round trout fishing. For those looking just to sightsee, a vintage steamboat, the T.S.S. Earnslaw, cruises the lake every day.

Get a sense of the uniqueness of New Zealand nature at Kiwi Park, a zoo and wildlife conservation center that's home to 23 species of birds and reptiles found only in this country. Take a self-guided walk or free audio tour of the bird-filled forest and grounds, or explore the model village to see how Maori communities lived on the island 500 years ago. The park has a full schedule of events, including four kiwi feedings daily, special encounters with other resident creatures, and wildlife and conservation shows where visitors can learn about actions taken to protect these special animals.

Kepler Track allows visitors to trek from the beech-forest shores of lakes Te Anau and Manapouri to the very top of Mt. Luxmore. Traverse rocky mountain ridges, wander through tall mossy forests, and cross deep gorges and fast-flowing rivers on swinging suspension bridges. Explore the region's caves, featuring finger-like stalactites and stalagmites, or take a brisk dip in an icy waterfall. Well-constructed bridges, boardwalks, and steps make for a moderately difficult 60 km (37 mi) walk, usually done in two to four days. Each night, enjoy the comfort of running water and a roof over your head at the trail-side huts. Visit during the optimal season between October and April, and book your hut accommodations in advance.

Head up Ben Lomond Track to take advantage of some of the finest views in all of New Zealand. The walkway allows climbers to reach the summit of Ben Lomond, a 1,748 m (5,735 ft) mountain near Queenstown. As you hike up this demanding route, you can take in scenic vistas from several lookouts. The best views await at the very top, offering a 360-degree panorama of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountain peaks. This route is a full day's hike, so make sure you have plenty of daylight hours to complete the climb and go back down. Be prepared for steep terrain and shifty weather, and avoid visiting in winter unless you already have extensive alpine experience.