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U.S.FTC GUIDELINES PLEASE NOTE: we act as an affiliate for several companies that feature on our website. In some cases we may earn a commission from referrals to those companies. For further information please refer to our Privacy and Disclaimer policies which can be found in the "US" tab.
Plan Your Queenstown New Zealand Holiday (Adventure or Pure Relaxation)
Kia Ora, welcome to Queenstown New Zealand.
We’re Dave, Kim and Tim Curran—and for 20+ years we’ve been helping visitors plan unforgettable Queenstown and New Zealand holidays.
Start by choosing what you want to book first—tours and activities, places to stay, day trips, or transport. Use our guides to decide, then book with our trusted partners when you’re ready. Prefer a little help? We can also build a custom itinerary for you.
Why Queenstown New Zealand?
Queenstown New Zealand is a place we’ve loved since we first came here almost 30 years ago. We still remember walking into our hotel and just stopping in our tracks at the views through the huge picture windows at the Mercure at Fernhill.
Ready to book the essentials?
• Compare Queenstown hotels.
• Check car hire prices.
Wherever you are in Queenstown, the scenery tends to steal the show. The
pristine waters of Lake Wakatipu sit beneath the snow-capped peaks of
The Remarkables, and it’s the kind of place that makes you slow down
without even trying. A lakeside walk in the morning is one of our
favourite no-cost pleasures—and later in the day we love relaxing
somewhere fun and easy like Perky’s Floating Bar.
Even arriving
is part of the experience. The flight into Queenstown has been rated as
one of the world’s most beautiful landings, and once you’re here it’s
easy to see why our tagline is “Adventure awaits, serenity beckons.”
If
you want adrenaline, you’re in the right place—experiences like the
iconic Shotover Jet are a big part of why Queenstown is known as the
“Adventure Capital.” But if your version of a perfect holiday is slower
and more scenic, we also love drives out to Wanaka (via the Crown Range Road)
or Glenorchy—both are stunning and feel like a real “escape” from the
busy world. In
2025, respected travel company Travelbag rated Queenstown as one of "The World's Most Tranquil Destinations".
That mix is what makes Queenstown such a special
holiday base: you can keep it simple, or pack every day with
once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Visitors and friends regularly tell us about their amazing holiday experiences here. Like our friends that flew on a helicopter to a snowy mountain peak for some wonderful wedding pictures. Or others that conquered their fears and took a bungy jump from the original AJ Hackett site (of course we had to try it for ourselves - see Kim in the picture above). Or a travel group of ours that shared an afternoon simply relaxing with a game of lawn bowls at historic Queenstown Bowling Club (boy are they a competitive bunch), and were blown away by the local hospitality. We’ve even organised golfing tours for our friends, who rave to us about the variety and selection of golf courses close to Queenstown.
what we do
Planning a Queenstown holiday should feel exciting — not overwhelming. We make it easier with practical local guides to help you decide on things like where to stay, the best time to visit, and what to see and do. We can also help to take the stress out of booking those essential bits like cars, hotels and activities.
Just choose what suits you best:
1) Book the essentials first (most people start here)
- Compare Queenstown hotels.
- Check car hire availability.
2) Build your itinerary (then book with confidence):
Use our guides to pick the right neighbourhood to stay in, how many days you need, and the best day trips and activities for your style of travel.
3) Want a hand?
If you’d like, we can help you put together a simple, custom itinerary based on your dates, budget, and must-dos.
We can work with you to help you build your perfect itinerary, with suggestions on where to stay, and what to see and do. Once you are happy with your holiday plan, you can then make any bookings that you need.
Or, after helping you to develop your itinerary, we can take care of those important bookings/reservations for you. When we do this, we book direct with the suppliers, and charge you a flat once only fee based on the length of your holiday. We can even help if you want to expand your holiday beyond Queenstown (check out some of our itineraries in the Nav Bar).
You can find out more about our bespoke service here.
And if you have any questions, please ask us. We would love to hear from you.
Happy Planning
Dave, Kim and Tim
Vacation Queenstown
* Please note: we may receive a commission from our partners for any completed bookings made by you through the links on our website.
Suppliers may have their own cancellation policies which you will need to be aware of. We take no liability or responsibility for any cost incurred by you as a result of the policies or practices of our suppliers. Please read our terms and conditions here.
Start with the essentials, then choose your adventures
Find the best area to stay, then check availability and prices.
Compare car hire options and prices for your travel dates.
Our "Advanced Specialist" status
If you are planning your Queenstown New Zealand holiday, it's important to deal with someone that knows their stuff.
You need someone with local knowledge.
With over 30 years experience in the local area, we are perfectly placed to help you with all of your Queenstown holiday plans.
And that's why New Zealand's official tourism body, Tourism New Zealand, have recognised us with their highest rating of “Advanced Specialist”.
It’s an acknowledgement by them of our skills and experience, so you can be assured that you are in good hands with Vacation Queenstown.
Check out our free 120 page New Zealand holiday guide
Need some holiday planning help? Not sure how long you will need? What you should see and do while you are here? How to travel around within New Zealand?
You've heard all about the amazing scenery, fantastic food and wine, and our friendly locals, and you want to experience it for yourself.
Perhaps you've seen some travel shows on television, or have spoken to friends? All you know is, you have to come here.
But now that you've made the decision, and it's time to start planning your holiday, there's so many unanswered questions, right?
Our 120 page guide, "Our 40 Year Holiday in Aotearoa" could be just what you need.
You can view and download your FREE copy here.
Ready to book your queenstown stay?
If you’ve got your dates in mind, the fastest way to move your trip forward is to lock in your accommodation first, then sort transport.
Already booked? Jump back up and choose a day trip or activity from the guides above.
