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    9 guides · South Island

    Wānaka

    Hub

    Wānaka is Queenstown's calmer lakeside neighbour, about 1 hour 15 minutes away over the Crown Range. It is a hiking base, with Roys Peak, Rocky Mountain and Rob Roy Glacier, and a gateway to the Haast Pass and the West Coast. Roys Peak closes for lambing from 1 October to 10 November each year.

    HikesCities and TownsWhere To StayRoad TripsWhen To GoAdventure Activities

    Quick facts

    From Queenstown
    About 70 km, 1 hour 15 minutes (estimate)
    From our Things to do in Wānaka guide
    Roys Peak
    16 km return, 5 to 6 hours; closed 1 October to 10 November
    From our Roys Peak track guide
    Easier view
    Mount Iron, 4.5 km loop, 1.5 hours
    From our Things to do in Wānaka guide
    Rainy day
    Puzzling World
    From our Things to do in Wānaka guide

    Plan it:Queenstown to Franz Josef via Haast PassThe 14-day South Island road tripThree weeks in New Zealand

    Wānaka on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)

    Drive times are routing estimates without stops. Prices and rules were checked for each guide; follow the link for the official sources.

    Start here

    Cities and Towns
    That Wānaka Tree, a lone willow growing out of the water of Lake Wānaka with mountains behind on a calm day Wānaka

    Things to do in Wānaka: lakes, hikes and a slower alternative to Queenstown

    8 min read · Updated November 2026
    Where To Stay
    The Roys Bay shoreline of Lake Wānaka on a clear summer day, with a jetty, beach and lakeside houses below pine-covered hills Wānaka

    Where to stay in Wānaka: lakefront, budget and holiday parks

    7 min read · Updated November 2026

    Coming up in Wānaka

    See the events calendar
    1. Music festival
      A big crowd in front of the main stage at Rhythm and Alps Wānaka

      Rhythm and Alps

      30 to 31 December · Wānaka
    2. Sport
      Triathletes running into Lake Wānaka at the swim start of Challenge Wānaka Wānaka

      Challenge Wānaka

      Sat, 20 February · Wānaka · Free
    3. Rural and show
      Merino sheep being judged at the Wānaka A&P Show Wānaka

      Wānaka A&P Show

      12 to 13 March · Wānaka
    4. Arts and culture
      Wānaka

      Wānaka Festival of Colour

      3 to 11 April · Wānaka

    More Wānaka guides

    Hikes
    A hiker standing on the Roys Peak ridge above Lake Wānaka as the sun goes down Wānaka

    Roys Peak track: timing, parking, closures and alternatives

    8 min read · Updated November 2026
    Road Trips
    Clear blue Lake Wānaka with mountains on the far shore under a cloudless sky Nationwide

    Three weeks in New Zealand: the both-islands itinerary

    19 min read · Updated November 2026
    When To Go
    Snow-covered slopes at Roundhill ski area looking down to Lake Tekapo and the snowy Mackenzie Basin under a blue sky South Island

    NZ ski season guide: ski fields, passes and where to stay

    7 min read · Updated November 2026
    Road Trips
    Deep blue Lake Hāwea with golden hills and mountains on the far shore beside State Highway 6 on a sunny day West Coast

    Queenstown to Franz Josef via Haast Pass: stops and drive times

    11 min read · Updated November 2026
    Where To Stay
    Lake Wānaka seen from a scrubby hillside, with blue water stretching to distant mountains under a bright partly cloudy sky Queenstown

    Queenstown vs Wānaka: where should you base yourself?

    7 min read · Updated November 2026
    Adventure Activities
    A tandem skydiver in freefall high above the mountains and lakes near Queenstown on a clear day Nationwide

    Skydiving in NZ: where to jump, heights, prices and what to expect

    8 min read · Updated November 2026
    Road Trips
    A road winding through a valley towards snow-capped mountains in the South Island South Island

    The 14-day South Island road trip: day-by-day route, drive times and what to book

    38 min read · Updated November 2026
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