Top 3 Self-Drive Day Trips From Queenstown

Silver-screen scenery, valleys of tussock grasslands, snow-capped peaks, and alpine lakes that reflect your soul; Queenstown is a spectacular springboard for daytrippers. Buckle up, some of New Zealand’s (and the world’s!) most beautiful self-drive day trips start in the South Island’s adventure capital.

Cruise high mountain passes and gold-rush towns, and languish lakeside walks or sashay through a vineyard - these three self drive day trips from Queenstown are dotted with coffee caravans, scenic panoramas, film locations and historic inns, putting them in the hall of fame as the top three self-drive day trips from Queenstown.

Queenstown → Glenorchy → Paradise (return)

It’s just a 45-minute drive to Middle Earth which, if you’re not channelling Lord of the Rings, is known to the rest of the world as Glenorchy. Here, nature flicks the switch to 100 percent with the greenest hills, the goldest leaves, the bluest water, and the whitest snow. Everything is pure – the water, the air, the colours. It’s nature, writ large.

Petite and perfect, the Queenstown to Glenorchy drive takes 45 minutes, hugging the fringe of New Zealand’s longest lake, the shimmering Lake Wakatipu.

You could do this as a quick, half-day drive, but you won’t. You’ll be out of the car getting photos of the glaciers of the Southern Alps. And the glimmering sheen on the lake. And those cute sheep. And more snowy mountain snaps. More sheep etc…

And then you’ll drive to Paradise, one of the most scenic drives from Queenstown. Twenty minutes from Glenorchy on gravel roads, the appropriately named town of Paradise lets you step into your childhood bookshelf; the town has been the body double for ethereal Narnia from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the magical elven haven of Lothlórien (hello again Lord of the Rings lovers), and has even seen some Wolverine action.   

Locals Love: Stretch the legs on the half-hour loop walk to Bob’s Cove jetty for the classic snap of the breathtaking Lake Wakatipu, or take the 10-minute walk from the carpark to Bennett’s Bluff lookout for knockout panoramas. If you’re hunting for a top picnic spot, put the Glenorchy Lagoon boardwalk into your GPS and bag a picnic bench along the 3.2km circuit.

Queenstown → Arrowtown → Crown Range → Wānaka → Cardrona Hotel → Queenstown

Heaven is driving the high mountain roads between Queenstown and Wānaka. Possibly the best self-drive day trip from Queenstown, this loop on sealed roads heads north-east from Queenstown to small-town charmer Arrowtown, through the Crown Range and on to Wānaka, returning home on the State Highway 6 with a stop at Kawarau Gorge.

The 40-minute drive from Queenstown to the summit of the Crown Range is New Zealand’s highest main road. Hug the switchbacks and they’ll hug you back; park the car and look down to spy little Arrowtown – keep an eye out for cheeky kea (mountain parrots) at play.

Go quick and cheesy or tuck in for lunch: it’s an easy refuel at one of Wānaka’s food truck parks – grab a coffee or crepe, bagel or burrito at the Brownston Street food truck market. Otherwise, cosy up in the most photographed building in the country (at least, that’s what they say around here). The Cardrona Hotel was built in 1863 in the heat of its gold rush; pull in for a bite of local produce and a Cardrona Ale.

With Treble Cone, Cardrona, and Snow Farm ski resorts nearby, Wānaka oozes an outdoorsy vibe; if you’re not snow playing or chasing that iconic mountaintop photo on the Roys Peak Track, mosey 20 minutes along the flat track from the town centre to Eely Point and the swimming spot of Bremner Bay for lake views without the schlep.

Then, break the 90-minute drive home at Kawarau Gorge, bungee jumping’s OG, for a snap from the spectator platform.

Locals Love: Who doesn’t love the flush of gold? Too-cute Arrowtown still flashes its gold-rush roots on its historic main street; try Provisions of Arrowtown, an old miner’s cottage now dishing up plant-based and gluten-free dishes to all; kids, dogs, and caffeine snobs welcome.

Queenstown → Gibbston Valley wine loop → Kawarau Gorge → Roaring Meg lookout → Queenstown

Flip a coin and cross your fingers you’re not the designated driver on this loop drive through Gibbston’s Valley of the Vines. Make it an easy half-day or a full-day drive, heading east from Queenstown toward Cromwell, stopping in at the region’s top wineries along the way. Lost the toss? Your consolation prize is a few bottles, bought along the way, stashed in the car boot.

Pinot noir lovers, this is a homecoming. Take a slow drive through the vineyards, popping in to Mt Rosa Winery  for a guided wine tasting, or the family-run Brennan Wines, which sources and makes all its wine on site. Dramatic Peregrine Winery likes to make an architectural statement, its hard-to-miss, celebrated cellar door was inspired by the karearea (native falcon).

Gibbston Tavern heats up the wood-fired pizza oven for lunch, and also does tasters of the region’s wines, gins and ports, and if you’re behind the wheel, get amongst the alc-free shopping at the Gibbston Valley Cheesery & Deli.

Shake down all that wine and cheese and feel the power of the waterfall at the Roaring Meg Lookout, in the Kawarau Gorge. Fun fact: this is also where the world’s first commercial bungy jump took off, way back in 1988. It’s still going loud and strong, with spectator platforms for those who like to watch.

Locals Love: Little Kinross is a collection of five small wine producers set on the old Kinross Station; book ahead for lunch in the Wine Garden, or recharge with coffee at its general store.

All roads lead to the Mercure Queenstown Resort, the ideal base for road trips from Queenstown. Whether you’re up bright and perky for an alpine buffet brekky at Rises Restaurant, or slowing down for the day at South Eatery Restaurant, your table will always feature Central Otago’s seasonal produce. And your dining companions are always Lake Wakatipu and the remarkable Remarkables mountain range, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. 

Kick-start the day in the gym or with a dip in the outdoor pool to flex those driving muscles ahead of your self-drive day trips from Queenstown, and wind down afterwards in the bar with the region’s wines. Close to the Glenorchy road, the 148-room Mercure Queenstown Resort is the sweet spot to park up, stretch out, and watch as dusk spills over Lake Wakatipu. 

Moke Lake: One of New Zealand’s prettiest short walks is just a 20-minute scenic drive from Queenstown, at little Moke Lake. Reached via a well-maintained, partly unsealed road, park the car and lace up the boots for the lake’s loop track. Budget at least 90 minutes to walk the flat, 7km track, but slow down, speedster. Moke Lake is a pool of calm, a mirror that reflects the snowy mountains all around. Soak it up.

Shotover River canyon lookout: You’ll hear them before you see them, the bright-red Shotover Jets skimming through the Shotover River Canyons. It’s a 10-minute drive north from Queenstown to the jetboat viewing platform on Arthur’s Point Road where you’ll see the Māori-owned jets on their white-water ride.