Queenstown is a town that seems to wrap you up in a big familiar woollen coat from the moment you first catch sight of those perfectly iced peaks. There’s a familiarity in the New Zealand accent, an ease of moving around the village, and a casual appeal that makes it a very popular destination for Australians, in particular. It’s easy to plan a Queenstown winter holiday because there are simply so many things to do in Queenstown in Winter. Here is our detailed guide to this bewitching New Zealand town.
We circled the snow-capped mountains as the plane made small anticipatory hops to match those of our four-year-old clawing at the chilled cabin window.
As I watched her draw careful outlines of the mountainscape below with her little pointer, nostalgia hit. We’d been to Queenstown before. But, coming to Queenstown with kids offered something completely new.
It was a chance to see this incredible place and all it has to offer with fresh eyes. So, let’s start there, at the beginning.
Coronet Peak is the pick of Queenstown ski fields for its closeness to the village. © Skye Gilkeson
Things to do in Queenstown in Winter
Where is Queenstown?
Contents
Queenstown is a resort town on the North-West coast of New Zealand’s South Island.
Central Queenstown wraps around the shores of Lake Wakatipu and it is the ideal place to base yourself, particularly on your first visit.
In town, there are ample cafes fine dining restaurants, fun Queenstown activities for kids, and plenty of rowdy and upmarket bars for those keen to stay out late.
Planning Your Queenstown Winter Trip
One of the reasons Queenstown is such a popular destination with Australian travelers is that it is such an easy place to reach from Australia.
It only takes 3 hours to fly from Sydney to Queenstown which is particularly great news for those travelling with babies or toddlers.
Click here to search for airfares to Queenstown.
I highly recommend booking your rental car and/or your airport transfers as soon as you decide to visit. Especially in peak season cars will book out and taxi numbers are limited.
Don’t forget to book a big enough car for all of that extra snow gear, and get full insurance as you’ll be driving on slippery roads, and parking in some pretty precarious spots on the mountain. Also, don’t forget snow chains.
Make sure you get travel insurance, including the cover you need for snow sports. Click here for ski and snowboard insurance prices.
It’s just a 20-minute drive from Queenstown airport into town.
It is also important to pre-book your restaurants if you are traveling to Queenstown in winter peak times (like the school holidays).
The village is buzzing with people. Make a reservation or you’ll quite literally be left out in the cold (even if you try to get a table early).
How cold does it get in New Zealand in winter? The weather in Queenstown winter isn’t as chilly as in Canada or Japan (it gets down to about 5C during the day and at night that will drop to -1C or -2C).
Accommodation in Queenstown
If you don’t have a car you will want to book accommodation in Queenstown city centre.
There are buses to Frankton and the ski resorts from town and being in a central location will make it much easier at the end of the day when you’re tired and the temperature drops and you need to go get groceries or venture out for dinner.
We stayed at a 5-star hotel in Queenstown by Accor, Hotel St Moritz which was a short 5-minute walk to the village.
We booked an Alpine Suite (1 bedroom Lake View with a balcony). The room had a small kitchenette area with a sink and fridge and coffee and tea.
If a 2-bedroom had been available it would have been a better option for us. I would also have preferred a kitchen with a cooktop.
Otherwise, we had gorgeous views of the lake over to The Remarkables and really enjoyed watching the sunset each night. The staff was friendly and the breakfast was excellent.
There are a number of other big 5-star hotels in Queenstown such as The Sofitel, The Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa, and the QT Queenstown, among others.
The Eichardt Private Hotel is a boutique 5-star property on the lakefront that would be my pick for a splurge stay if I were travelling as a couple. We went to the cocktail bar in this stunning boutique hotel numerous times and it quickly became our favourite Queenstown bar.
The Novotel and the Crowne Plaza are 4-star Queenstown hotels right in the heart of the village.
We spent one night at the Crown Plaza. The location of this hotel is amazing, right across from Steamer Wharf, the room was clean and the breakfast was good with a clear view straight across to the lake from the dining room.
Click to search Queenstown hotels
While there are a few hotels with family rooms, the best Queenstown family accommodation would probably be a rental house or apartment within walking distance of town.
What to Pack for Winter in Queenstown
You will need to dress appropriately as many Queenstown activities in winter are enjoyed outdoors under the clear-blue winter skies.
These are a few of the basics you should pack for Queenstown;
Take a down jacket each. We got these reversible down jackets for our kids and layered them with thermals, wool knits, and polar fleece tops, depending on the weather and time of day.
Thick warm socks, a scarf, a beanie, and gloves, especially when skiing or walking around in the early hours and once the sun drops.
We also got snow boots for our kids. They wore them on and off the mountain.
Thermals are essential when packing for Queenstown (we prefer Merino to synthetic fibers as they breathe).
Thankfully, New Zealand has some high-quality Merino brands if you forget to pack them.
There are also charming boutiques if you are shopping in Arrowtown or Wanaka where you can buy wool and alpaca knitwear and other clothing made by local makers and artisans.
Read Next | Where to Eat in Queenstown
The Hubby and our children outside Coronet Peak Skiwiland. | © Skye Gilkeson
Things to do in Queenstown in Winter
Most of these Queenstown winter activities can actually be done year-round. That’s the beauty of Queenstown – it’s a destination that draws visitors for the whole year, similar to Whistler in Canada.
It’s easy to see why some people go on a Queenstown vacation and never leave.
Skiing and Snowboarding in Queenstown
It should come as no surprise that leading the list of Queenstown winter activities are the winter sports it is famed for. There are four snowsports mountains within reach of the town.
Choosing which ski resort to visit, may come down to how close each is to your accommodation, the commute, the apres scene, night ski sessions, or which runs they have open at the time of your visit.
Now, more than ever it’s important to buy your lift passes early if you can. The mountains are trying to manage overcrowding by controlling capacity. That means they are tightening up on ticket sales and making you specify which mountain you want to ride on.
Buying your Queenstown lift passes early generally means you get a better deal with early bird lift pass packages too.
Ski, board, and gear hire is available on all the mountains and in the snow shops in town. This can also be pre-booked and may save you time waiting when you arrive.
Coronet Peak
Queenstown to Coronet Peak only takes about 20 minutes by car.
There is also the ski bus that leaves from the Man St Carpark (follow the crowds of kitted-up skiers with coffee in hand).
Coronet Peak has 3 chairlifts, 1 t-bar, and a few surface lifts.
For apres, join those in the know at Heidi’s Hut for a fireside drink or pizza, located near the Rocky Gully T-Bar.
Keen skiers will also be enticed by Coronet Peak’s famous Night Ski sessions when the mountain is lit up and the apres game is on full tilt.
We loved Coronet Peak ski fields as they cater to first-time skiers well and importantly they have a daycare and ski school for kids, Skiwiland. Book in early for Skiwiland as they cater to limited numbers.
We booked our son into the early childhood offering at Skiwiland. He did both indoor activities and outdoor winter activities like snow play and absolutely loved it.
Our daughter was part of the older program for 3 to 5-year-olds that includes beginner ski lessons at Coronet Peak. She had such a positive experience. Our kids were at Skiwiland for 3 days and that was enough time on the snow for them.
The beauty of Coronet Peak for non-skiers in Queenstown is that your family can ski for a half-day from the first tracks at 8 am and you can easily collect them with time to make lunch in town afterward. This is something we did a couple of times.
Read more about Coronet Peak here.
The Remarkables
‘Remarks’ as the locals like to call it is a little further from town. Queenstown to the Remarkables is a 45-minute drive.
This is another good Queenstown ski resort for beginners, with an easily accessible, wide, protected learning area. I have done a snowboarding lesson at Remarkables and loved the conveyors and ample area for learning those first turns.
There are 4 conveyor lifts in total and 4 chairlifts.
Non-skiers can try their hand at tobogganing or riding a Yooner (a cross between a ski and a sled), snowshoeing or even catching a chair to hike Shadow Basin to enjoy the view. The mountain has cheap lift passes known as sightseeing passes with limited access and hours if you aren’t skiing.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a childcare service at the Remarkables. However, they do offer lessons for 4 years and up. They also have a Parent Pass option where each parent can take turns to ski, while the other spends time with the kids.
Read more about The Remarkables ski fields here.