- 1For a guided half day, Altitude Tours' Glenorchy Scenic Tour takes about 4.5 hours, leaving at 9am or 2pm, and Queenstown Expeditions' Kiwi Special leaves daily at 1pm and returns at about 5pm with about 1.5 hours in Glenorchy.
- 2For the Dart River, Dart River Adventures' Wilderness Jet is a 2 hour jet boat trip with free transport from Queenstown on selected departures, and its Funyaks day floats back downriver by inflatable canoe, about 8.5 to 9 hours from Queenstown.
- 3For film locations or the air, Pure Glenorchy's half day goes to Paradise in about 4 to 4.5 hours, and Heli Glenorchy flies a 25 to 30 minute snow landing from the Glenorchy Airstrip, a 45 minute drive from Queenstown.
- 4The table and the booking cards on this page show the current booking price for the tours you can book through a link here. Prices change, so check before you book. Glenorchy is about 46 km from Queenstown, and Altitude Tours allows about an hour for the drive with stops.
Tours that fit this guide
- Altitude Tours' small group half day to Glenorchy and Paradise, at most 16 people.
- Dart River's 2 hour jet boat trip from Glenorchy, about 4 hours with the road from Queenstown on selected departures.
- Dart River's jet boat and inflatable canoe day; Dart River says allow about 8.5 to 9 hours from Queenstown.
Check dates, pickup and inclusions on the booking page. We may earn a commission if you book.
01 / Compare
Which Glenorchy tour from Queenstown should I book?
| Operator and product | What you do, how long and how you travel | Price and, in our view, best for |
|---|---|---|
| Altitude Tours: Glenorchy Scenic Tour | Small group Mercedes van, at most 16 people, from outside the Station Information Centre on the corner of Camp and Shotover Streets to Glenorchy and Paradise. Total time: about 4.5 hours, leaving at 9am or 2pm. Kiwi morning or afternoon tea included. | Check price on the booking pageBest for: A morning or afternoon of scenery with a guide and no activity on top. |
| Queenstown Expeditions: Kiwi Special | Luxury vehicle from Queenstown with storytelling on the way, then about 1.5 hours free in Glenorchy. Total time: 4 hours, leaving daily at 1pm and back at about 5pm. | Check price on the booking pageBest for: An afternoon, with free time in Glenorchy. |
| Dart River Adventures: Wilderness Jet | 2 hour jet boat trip from Glenorchy up the Dart River into Mount Aspiring National Park. Morning and afternoon departures, with free transport from Queenstown on selected departures. | Check price on the booking pageBest for: The Dart River by jet boat, the longest ride in the region according to Dart River. |
| Dart River Adventures: Funyaks | Jet boat up the Dart River, then a guided float back downstream by inflatable canoe. Total time: about 8.5 to 9 hours from Queenstown, leaving at 8:30am, or about 6.5 hours from Glenorchy. Return transport included. | Check price on the booking pageBest for: A full day on the water, if you are comfortable in water and can swim. |
| Pure Glenorchy: half day Lord of the Rings tour | 4WD van from Queenstown to Glenorchy, Paradise and the Dart River Valley, with costumes for photos. No children under 5. Total time: about 4 to 4.5 hours, leaving at 8:00am or 1:30pm. | Check price on the booking pageBest for: Film fans, or anyone who wants Paradise with a local guide. |
| Heli Glenorchy: Snow Landing flight | Helicopter from the Glenorchy Airstrip to a snow landing. Total time: 25 to 30 minutes. Allow a 45 minute drive from Queenstown. | Best for: A short snow landing flight from Glenorchy. |
| Rippled Earth Kayaking: Glenorchy Island Safari | Guided double sea kayak from near Glenorchy to Pigeon or Pig Island, an easy 45 minute paddle each way with a short walk on the island. Coach from Queenstown leaves at 8:00am or 1:00pm, or you can self drive. | Check price. Best for: Paddling and wildlife, for everyone 8 and over. |
02 / Scenic
Which Glenorchy scenic tour suits a half day?
Two of the operators compared here run general scenic half days from Queenstown.
- Altitude Tours
About 4.5 hours from 9am or 2pm, at most 16 people, in Mercedes vans of 6 to 19 seats, and it also offers a full day with a Dart River jet boat. It offers child rates on this tour, and picks up only from outside the Station Information Centre, not from hotels. It can arrange a car seat for a fee if you contact it 48 hours before your tour.
- Queenstown Expeditions
4 hours from 1pm, back at about 5pm, with about 1.5 hours to walk, eat or sit by the lake in Glenorchy. Bookings are essential, and its terms say it does not charge for child booster and baby seats.
- On your own
The road itself needs no tour: Altitude Tours gives the distance as about 46 km, about 45 minutes without stops and about an hour with them. Our Glenorchy day trip guide covers the stops and walks if you drive.
03 / Dart River
Jet boat or Funyaks on the Dart River?
Dart River Adventures runs both trips from Glenorchy into Mount Aspiring National Park. Free return transport from Queenstown comes with the Funyaks and with Wilderness Jet departures from September to April; from May to August it runs for the afternoon Wilderness Jet only.
- Wilderness Jet
A 2 hour guided jet boat trip with morning and afternoon departures. Minimum age 3, and children must be over 1 metre tall, which may rise to 1.2 metres in some river conditions, and travel with a paying adult. It says the trip is not suitable for pregnant women or people with back or neck injuries, and asks you to contact it before booking; you also need to fit into one of its life jackets.
- Funyaks
A jet boat ride upstream, then you float back in an inflatable canoe through side streams. Leaves Queenstown at 8:30am and returns at about 5 to 5.30pm, or leaves Glenorchy at 9.30am. Minimum age 5, with the same height rule, and it says the trip is not suitable for people weighing over 120 kg. It recommends the trip for people comfortable in water and able to swim.
- Check in
Check in is 15 minutes before departure at its Queenstown booking office or the Dart Visitor Centre in Glenorchy. If you drive, Dart River recommends allowing at least an hour each way.
04 / Quiet options
What about film locations, kayaking or a flight from Glenorchy?
Pure Glenorchy's half day includes costumes and swords for photos, with a walk of about 15 minutes at most, and Rippled Earth Kayaking paddles to a predator free island with a short walk and refreshments on the beach, for everyone 8 years and older. Heli Glenorchy, based at the Glenorchy Airstrip, flies from Glenorchy, a 45 minute drive from Queenstown, and it says its Earnslaw Burn flight has exclusive landing rights. Our comparison of Lord of the Rings tours sets out the film tours in more detail.
05 / Weather
What happens if the weather turns or I cancel my Glenorchy trip?
Each operator has its own rules, read on 10 November 2026.
- Dart River Adventures
It operates whenever weather and river conditions are safe, and does not run in fog or torrential rain. For direct bookings, cancelling more than 24 hours before the trip brings a full refund, and if it cancels for weather or low numbers you also get a full refund.
- Altitude Tours
For standard daily tours, cancelling more than 48 hours before departure brings a full refund; inside 48 hours there is no refund.
- Queenstown Expeditions
Cancelling more than 7 days before brings a full refund, 2 to 6 days before is a 50% charge, and inside 24 hours, or a no show, is a 100% charge. If weather or road closures cancel a tour, it offers an alternative trip.
- Pure Glenorchy
It runs in all weather when safe, and a road closure on the day means a full refund. Cancelling more than 48 hours before departure brings a full refund; inside 48 hours there is no refund.
- Rippled Earth Kayaking
Trips may be cancelled or postponed for bad weather or lake conditions. It gives a full refund if you cancel more than 24 hours before departure.
- Booked through a link here
A tour booked through a link on this page has the terms shown on its own booking page, which can differ from the operator's own, so read them before you pay.
06 / Decide
How do I choose a Glenorchy tour from Queenstown?
- A morning with a guide
Altitude Tours' Glenorchy Scenic Tour, at 9am.
- An afternoon
Queenstown Expeditions' Kiwi Special, or Altitude Tours at 2pm.
- Jet boat
Dart River Adventures' Wilderness Jet, 2 hours, for children aged 3 or over and over 1 metre tall.
- The whole day on the river
Dart River Adventures' Funyaks, about 8.5 to 9 hours from Queenstown.
- Film fans
Pure Glenorchy's half day, or a full Lord of the Rings tour.
- Your own car
In our view, drive yourself and book only the activity at Glenorchy, since Dart River and Rippled Earth both start there or nearby.