- 1For a first visit with Milford Sound by road, we suggest three to four days, because a coach trip to Milford Sound alone runs 12 to 14 hours return.
- 2Two days covers Queenstown itself: the gondola or the Tiki Trail, the lake, Arrowtown or Gibbston, and one adventure ride.
- 3Fly cruise fly makes Milford Sound about half a day, but flights depend on the weather, so keep a spare day if you plan to fly.
- 4Add two or three days for Wānaka, and a week or more for a Great Walk or an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound.
01 / Short answer
plan two days for the town, more for Milford Sound and Wānaka
How many days in Queenstown? Our suggestion is three to four days for a first visit that includes Milford Sound by road, because Air Milford describes a coach trip there as typically a 12 to 14 hour return excursion. Two days covers Queenstown itself without Milford Sound. Flying in and out of Milford Sound takes about half a day, but flights depend on the weather. Add two or three days for Wānaka, and a week or more for a Great Walk or an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound. For a plan laid out day by day, read our 5 day itinerary.
02 / By trip
How many days suit which kind of trip?
| Your trip | Our suggestion | What the days allow |
|---|---|---|
| A first look at the town | 1 day | The gondola or the Tiki Trail, a lakeside walk and the 1.5 hour TSS Earnslaw cruise. |
| Queenstown without Milford Sound | 2 days | Add one adventure ride and Arrowtown (19 km) or Gibbston (25 km). |
| First visit, Milford Sound by road | 3 to 4 days | A coach trip to Milford Sound typically takes 12 to 14 hours return, so it fills a whole day. |
| First visit, Milford Sound by air | 2 to 3 days | Fly cruise fly takes about half a day; keep a spare day in case the weather stops the flight. |
| Queenstown and Wānaka | 5 to 6 days | Wānaka is about an hour over the Crown Range; two or three days there leave room for a long walk. |
| A ski trip | 4 to 6 days | Four ski areas: Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone. |
| The wider region | A week or more | Time for the Routeburn Track (2 to 4 days) or an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound from Manapouri. |
03 / Milford Sound
How does Milford Sound change the number of days?
By road, Milford Sound takes a full long day. DOC gives the drive from Queenstown as about 4.5 hours one way without stops, and RealNZ's coach day runs about 5 hours each way with a 1.5 to 2 hour cruise. Fly cruise fly is much shorter: 4 to 5 hours with Milford Sound Scenic Flights and RealNZ, about 5 hours with Air Milford, and 5 to 5.5 hours from check in with Glenorchy Air. Flights depend on the weather. Air Milford says flights to Milford Sound operate about 250 days a year, so a spare day gives a cancelled flight somewhere to go. Our Milford Sound planner covers the road day in detail.
04 / One or two days
What fits into one or two days in Queenstown?
Each of these takes part of a day, in or close to town.
Up the hill
Gondola or Tiki Trail
On foot
Lakeside walks
On the lake
TSS Earnslaw
Day two
Arrowtown or Gibbston
Day two
One adventure ride
05 / Extra days
What do extra days add to a Queenstown trip?
Each of these needs a day or more of its own, so add days for the ones you want.
- Wānaka
About an hour from Queenstown over the Crown Range, Destination Queenstown says. Two or three days there leave time for a long walk and the lake.
- Roys Peak
DOC gives the Roys Peak Track near Wānaka as 16 km return and 5 to 6 hours, climbing over 1.2 km of vertical height. DOC closes it for lambing from 1 October to 10 November each year and suggests the Isthmus Peak Track instead. Check DOC for current status.
- Glenorchy
Destination Queenstown describes it as a 45 minute drive northwest from Queenstown.
- Ben Lomond
DOC calls the climb to the 1,748 m summit a full day's hike, 6 to 8 hours return. The shorter option, from the top of the gondola to Ben Lomond Saddle, is 7 km and 3 to 4 hours return.
- Routeburn Track
DOC lists the Routeburn as 33 km over 2 to 4 days, and most walkers take 3 days and 2 nights. Day walks such as Key Summit give a shorter taste.
- Doubtful Sound
RealNZ's overnight cruise starts and ends at Pearl Harbour in Manapouri, not Queenstown, and returns at midday the day after it leaves.
06 / Ski trips
How many days does a Queenstown ski trip need?
Our suggestion is four to six days, so you can ski more than one area and still lose a day to weather. Destination Queenstown lists four ski areas: Coronet Peak, about 20 to 25 minutes from Queenstown, The Remarkables, about 45 minutes, Cardrona, about 60 minutes, and Treble Cone near Wānaka, about 90 minutes. The season typically runs from mid-June to early October, weather dependent, and July and August are the peak period. For a longer stay laid out day by day, read our 10 day itinerary.