New Zealand · BOAT TOURS IN QUEENSTOWN
Good boat tours in Queenstown fill up over summer; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Enjoy a Lake Whakatipu cruise, a wood-fired Walter Peak BBQ buffet, and a working farm dog show in one easy Queenstown outing.
“The whole trip was excellent a lovely trip on the steam boat followed by a delicious varied lunch and then a very interesting talk and display of sheep shearing. Would thoroughly recommend.”
Speed through the Shotover River canyon in a small-group jet boat, with 360 spins, rapids, and guided stories, from Queenstown.
“SO FUN, you don’t get as wet as you’d think but you definitely get sprayed. Loved every minute of it”
Small-group Milford Sound day from Queenstown by premium Mercedes, with scenic stops, a picnic lunch, and an included 1h45 cruise.
“Amazing day visiting Milford sound! We were blessed with a rare sunny day and our guide made extra stops for us to admire the beauty! At the end they also offer for you to fly back via Venice flight if weather permits, DO IT. Absolute highlight of the experience and trip!”
Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound, enjoy a 1h45m cruise, then fly back with Southern Alps views.
“True South was extremely professional, well organized and out pilot was fantastic. They did a great job of communicating in advance (multiple times) including the same day reminder. They add plenty of details along the journey regarding the scenery and then they connect it back to the greater area of New Zealand and its history. But probably the most important thing to note is that they were safe. As a former aviation mechanic for a larger commercial airline, this is very meaningful to me”
One hour of high-speed jet boating from Queenstown, racing Lake Wakatipu then up the Shotover and Kawarau Rivers with 360 spins.
“this was a thrilling experience where our guide made many 360 spins that is quite heart stopping yet safe. we had so much fun and also got to sight see the area. never a dull moment...”
Queenstown to Milford Sound by glass-roof coach and 2-hour cruise, with photo stops, wildlife-spotting, and live guiding.
“The trip started from the main office of RealNZ with check in and introduction of our guide Brandon. He was just the right guy for that journey. During the trip he shared curious and historical facts, provided us with the beautiful opportunity to get photos of the stunning scenic nature along the way to Milford Sound, which additionally enriched the whole experience. At Milford we embarked the “Milford Monarch” cruise ship, on which we could experience the ultimate beauty of Milford Sound. The sceneries were just stunning. Its hard to describe what the eyes could see and the heart could feel at that beauty…simply captivating. Thank God for the nice…”
Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound with guaranteed window seats, then enjoy a 2-hour cruise close to waterfalls and wildlife.
“One of the best experiences of our holiday. only way to do Milford sound i think. Amazing”
90-minute Lake Wakatipu scenic cruise from central Queenstown with live captain commentary, photo stops, and onboard bar drinks for $49.03.
“The captain Troy was friendly, knowledgeable and a lot of fun. We saw a different part of the lake than we’d seen before which was well worth seeing.”
Ride the coal-powered TSS Earnslaw on a 90-minute Lake Whakatipu cruise from Queenstown, with engine-room access and onboard tea.
“A bit hard to hear the guide at times otherwise fabulous ! Breathtaking scenery and awesome to see the stokers down below…. exceeded our expectations!”
Shotover River extreme jet boat from Queenstown: a 25-minute white-water rush with 360 spins, up to 90 km/h, and optional shuttle.
“It was a super fun experience in a beautiful canyon with a friendly guide.”
Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the vintage TSS Earnslaw, enjoy a gourmet BBQ lunch at Walter Peak, and watch sheep shearing and farm dogs.
“The boat trip is amazing! Gorgeous views Buffet lunch at the farm is fantastic - lots of variety, great quality, beautifully presented. Staff were exceptionally attentive - great experience overall The farm show was disappointing - but you can simply enjoy the garden and the view until the boat goes back”
Cruise Lake Whakatipu to Walter Peak Farm for a guided animal tour, sheep shearing and dog herding, plus freshly baked tea in about 3.5 hours.
“Awesome few hours on the farm - Josh was excellent, and the afternoon tea was great. Highly recommend if you love animals - they’re all absolutely adorable”
Ride from Queenstown to Milford Sound by coach, then cruise the fiord by catamaran with lunch, coffee, and plenty of photo stops.
“Driver gave a very monotonous and zero energy tour. Seems like he’s overworked. Poor guy. Other than that the sites were good however raining. He also mentioned that he was indeed overworked and couldnt wait to go home 😂 honest of him. Wished we had a different driver so we can have a better experience.”
Skippers Canyon Road drive plus a fast Shotover River jet boat, with gold-mining history, photo stops, and adrenaline 3-hour return from Queenstown.
“Boat ride was awesome and our guide Tom on the bus was great!”
Fly Queenstown to Milford Sound, cruise the fjord with live commentary, and enjoy lunch, all in about 5 hours with reserved seats.
“Excellent all the way around. Highly recommend. Staff was friendly, tour was informative, and scenery was amazing.”
From the fiords to the geothermal belt, sorted by what you want to do with the day.
