Wanaka: Experiences by the lake and in the mountains

Wanaka offers a range of ways to spend your days by the lake, on challenging hikes and enjoying varied activities. At Lake Wānaka, you can get out on the water; nearby, you’ll also find the Roys Peak Track and Wānaka Lavender Farm. When choosing a holiday rental, it can help to first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: active excursions, time by the water or a mix of different experiences.

Planning and getting your bearings in Wanaka

Wānaka i-SITE offers local visitor advice, maps and booking services for experiences in Wānaka and beyond. The DOC visitor centre in Wanaka provides up-to-date information and local knowledge about recreation opportunities in Central Otago and the Tititea/Mount Aspiring National Park area. The services have different focuses: one centres on advice, maps and booking services, while the other provides information about recreation opportunities across a wider area. This can be useful when choosing and comparing possible activities.

Nearby, the Roys Peak Track is a challenging, full-day hike with panoramic views of Lake Wānaka. Set aside a full day for this hike. Seasonal restrictions and conditions can change; check the latest DOC guidance before setting out. This makes the time required for the hike a clear part of your planning.

Experiences among the lake, trails and flower fields

Nearby Wānaka Lavender Farm offers walks through flower fields; visitors can also meet the farm’s animals. The farm’s appearance varies with the season, so the time of year shapes the experience. Puzzling World offers a different kind of activity: The Great Maze invites you to race through the maze.

Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards can be hired at the Wanaka lakeside, and guided tours with experienced guides are also available. Cycling options range from scenic road rides to challenging single tracks and mountain-bike trails in the highlands and mountains. Guided cycling tours and helibiking also take visitors to remote trails off the beaten track. Each activity has a different focus—water, roads or challenging trails—and can shape how you plan your day.

Nearby Wānaka Airport is ten minutes from town and offers scenic and charter flights.

More perspectives on the Queenstown Lakes District

The Queenstown Lakes District also offers its own cultural and landscape highlights. In Queenstown, Te Kararo Queenstown Gardens is a significant public space in the town centre for locals and visitors to explore and enjoy. In Arrowtown, the public Arrowtown Chinese Settlement commemorates the Chinese presence on the goldfields of Central Otago. It is classified as a Category 2 Historic Place and is considered the last relatively intact Chinese settlement remaining in Otago. The Lakes District Museum houses artefacts, photographs and films about the region’s Māori and Chinese settlers, as well as the pioneering gold rush; a visit offers insight into the history of Queenstown and the Southern Lakes District.

Hikes in the Queenstown Lakes District also vary in the time they take. The challenging Ben Lomond Track starts in Queenstown and makes for a full-day hike, with 1,438 metres of elevation gain and panoramic views of Queenstown, Lake Whakatipu and the surrounding ranges. The Queenstown Hill Time Walk starts on Belfast Street and takes two to three hours to return to the car park; along the way, you’ll find views and the Basket of Dreams sculpture. This comparison highlights the difference between a challenging, full-day mountain hike and a shorter stated walking time.

The Hāwea River Track connects Albert Town with Hāwea and forms part of the Te Araroa Trail. It passes through kānuka scrub and open flats before following the river upstream to Domain Road. Access parking is available at Albert Town campground and on Domain Road. Alongside Wanaka’s highlights, the Queenstown Lakes District offers its own trails, each with its own scenery and route.

Discover more destinations: Makarora, Dingle Burn, Queenstown, Glenorchy, Lower Shotover, Kingston, Cardrona, Hawea Flat.

For the broader travel overview: Queenstown Lakes District.