Queenstown is one of the more expensive destinations in New Zealand, which is really saying something. But it’s a total must-visit for anyone who likes the mountains and a bit of adventure. While you should definitely splurge on one of the more adrenaline-inducing things to do in Queenstown, not everything has to cost a fortune. I’ve been down here for several weeks collecting a list of budget-friendly activities (and food and drinks!) under 50 bucks.
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All prices are in NZD.
Things to do in Queenstown under $50
I’m not going to count things to do in Queenstown that are entirely free, like hiking or going for a swim. You’re smart, you can do that on your own. But if you’re lazy, you’re in luck — I’ve covered them at the verrrry end of this article, too.
These are the activities that are unique to the area and won’t cost an arm and a leg.
Time Tripper
Regular price: $15
Sometimes discounted on BookMe as low as $7.
Time Tripper is so underrated IMO. It’s just a quick 15-minute experience and one of the cheapest things to do in Queenstown. You’ll learn the local legend about how Lake Wakatipu was formed and some of the geography behind it. More importantly, they show you which dinosaurs used to live there!
The best part is that it’s right on the jetty and built into the lake. So you’ll get to see the fish, ducks, and eels swimming about below the surface once the movie is over.
I’ve been 3 times (don’t laugh) and it’s never been busy, so you just might get the mini theatre all to yourself.
Hilton Pools - one of the most luxurious things to do in Queenstown
Artbay and Lightworx Galleries
Regular price: Free
You don’t have to be a major art aficionado to appreciate the local works of art on display in the Artbay Gallery. It’s teeny tiny so it’ll only take you a few minutes to breeze through, and it’s just steps from the waterfront.
The Lightworx Gallery across the street is even smaller, but since they’re so close together and free, it’s easy to visit both!
Ice Bars
Regular price: $40+
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — I’ve seen it as low as $1 for entry and $10 for entry & a cocktail.
It’s a bit of an experience rather than a regular bar. And you can tell it’s quite the hit in Queenstown because there are now THREE different ice bars. They give you all the coats, gloves etc. that you need and you can enjoy a drink while watching ice carving or exploring the entirely frozen space. Imagine working here?!
The three ice bars to choose from are Queenstown Ice Bar, Minus 5, and Below Zero. The regular price is pretty outrageous, so I definitely recommend looking for a discount online.
Rent Bikes
Regular price: $49 (half day)
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — I’ve seen deals at $36 for a full day hire.
There are tons of beautiful trails around Queenstown and you can cover more ground with a bicycle. Check out the Jack’s Point Trail, the Frankton Track, and the Queenstown Trail.
You can also get electric bikes which would be a dream and helpful to get up some of the hills around here. But they’re more expensive and the cheapest I could find was about $80 for the day — yikes! BookMe once had an electric bike deal at $57, though.
Fear Factory - one of the tackiest things to do in Queenstown
Regular price: $35
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — I’ve seen it at $20.
I personally wouldn’t prioritize this, but it’s a great activity for a rainy day if you love to have your socks scared off. They have a “live show” with actors in freaky costumes as you go through, making it even scarier than your regular haunted house experience.
There’s a hilarious picture of Ed Sheeran outside the venue when he visited, and you can go see that for free!
Disc Golf / Frisbee Golf
Regular price: $5+
This is like a thing in Queenstown. You can rent a disc and follow a map of these weird little chain metal goal posts around Queenstown Gardens. There’s also a course in Jardine Park (Kelvin Heights), and Tucker Beach. It’s $5 each to rent the discs and you can buy a map/scorecard for $3, but there’s also a map in Queenstown Gardens and we just kept score on my phone.
Check out these places to rent a disc: Queenstown Ice Arena or Small Planet.
Kiwi Park
Regular price: $52
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — I regularly see it at $32.
So yes, at a first glance this doesn’t deliver on my promise of “under $50.” But it’s so close and you can find good deals that put it in the affordable bracket!
It’s a great opportunity to see a kiwi bird IRL, because they’re nearly impossible to spot out in the wild. You’ll also find other native birds and New Zealand’s living dinosaur, the tuatara.
Escape Room - one of the best things to do in Queenstown on a rainy day
Regular price: $40—49
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — It’s often up to 50% off.
We did the Prince of Wales Hotel theme and loved it. I always love an escape room as something to have in the back pocket for a rainy day or just a fun indoor activity. The price changes based on how many people you go with, but no matter how you cut it, it’s just under $50 each.
There’s also a VR escape room but it’s usually $59, so it can’t make this list. However, check it out on BookMe where I’ve seen it at $35 per person.
I do not recommend the outdoor escape room. Tech was bad, story was boring, just overall pretty lame.
Million Dollar Lake Cruise - one of the most scenic things to do in Queenstown
Regular price: $59
Sometimes discounted on BookMe — It’s usually around $35, but I’ve seen it for $20.
Another one that’s not technically under $50, but it seems like it’s always available on BookMe. So regardless of what the discount is at the time of your booking, it should be easy to find it for under 50 bucks.
Rent a kayak, paddle board, or aqua bike
Regular price: $35+
Get out on the water with a paddle! Or use pedals to push a weird floating tractor-like thing around the lake.
Paddle Queenstown has single and double kayaks to choose from as well as paddle boards for $35, and aqua bike rentals are right on the $50 mark. But that’s only $25 if you share it with a friend!
Read more: Where to Find Unreal Kayaking in New Zealand
Food & drink experiences under $50
I plan to cover more of the best cheap eats and drinks in a separate article, but here are three great deals I couldn’t not mention.
Espresso martinis at The Ballarat - one of the most delicious things to do in Queenstown
Regular price: $12
It’d be hard to miss this pub on the main pedestrian street, but just look for the “$12 Espresso Martinis All Day Every Day” sign. The Ballarat opens every day at 4pm and all its outdoor seating makes it perfect for people watching!
You’ll be hard pressed to find another cocktail in Queenstown for under 20 bucks, so 12 is a real steal.
Gin tasting
Regular price: $25
Gin is really having a moment right now, eh? This is a fun alternative to the many wine tasting opportunities there are here in Otago. Broken Hearts Gin is a local distillery with a great reputation, and you can enjoy your flight in their charming “Gin Garden” on a nice day.
BookMe often has a deal on for around $20, and, for an added bit of fun, it comes with a tarte flambé! (aka flatbread)
The Winery
Regular price: $3+
There’s a unique self-sampling system at The Winery that let’s you help yourself to samples from all over the Otago region and other parts of New Zealand. And it’s all done with the tap of a card and the push of a button. Samples start at about $3 for a small pour.
Here’s the catch though — you can’t pre-pay or top-up the card, it just tracks everything and you pay at the end. So you kind of have to watch yourself! But if you remain mindful of your sampling, you can definitely have a nice tasting experience for well under $50. They’ll even print a record of all the wines you tried at the end if you ask nicely.
There’s a bigger location in Arrowtown that you could spend hours in. But please plan ahead and make sure you have a DD to get back to Queenstown safely.
Wings and pool
Regular price: $20
We found a great price on wings at Crew Room, also on the main pedestrian street. A “full” plate was $18, but the portion was massive. Add a bowl of chips and that’s dinner for 2. The bar also does nightly specials including FREE wings on Monday if you buy a drink (omg) $6 tacos on Tuesdays, a pub quiz on Thursdays, and more.
I’ve counted the regular price as $20 because it’s $18 for a huge portion of wings and you can play a round of pool for $2. They also have a cute modern iPad-like free jukebox system where you can queue songs you want to listen to.
Swap this for that: alternatives to popular and expensive things to do in Queenstown
You don’t have to completely skip out on the top attractions just because you’re on a budget! Here are some great alternatives to popular things to do in Queenstown:
Instead of booking a boat cruise, take the water taxi
Million Dollar Lake Cruise: $59 | TSS Earnslaw Cruise: $99 | K-Jet: $135
Water taxi: $10-14
The water taxi goes between the Queenstown Marina, Bayview (Kelvin Heights), Frankton, and the Hilton. You’ll get to enjoy the views from the water at a fraction of the cost.
If you’re taking the water taxi more than once, or also plan to use the bus, it’s worth it to get a Bee Card. If you pay with debit/credit the water taxi is $14, but the Bee Card reduces the rate to $10. It does cost $5 to get a Bee Card, so it’s only worth it if you’re doing 2+ trips.
Note: the water taxi does not accept cash on board.
Instead of taking the gondola to the Skyline, walk the Tiki Trail
Skyline Gondola: $52 (return)
Tiki Trail: Free
The Tiki Trail takes about 1 hour from the base of the gondola up to the Skyline where you’ll be treated with amazing views. Walking costs nothing and you’ll feel way more accomplished when you get to the top!
Everything is going to be expensive once you get up there, so consider bringing some snacks.
Instead of the Onsen Hot Pools, go to the Hilton Spa
Onsen pools: $97.50+ | Nugget Point Hot Pools: $99
Hilton Spa access: $34
You’ve totally seen the photos of the private pool overlooking the mountains and winding Shotover River. The Onsen Hot Pools are incredible, but the experience is definitely overpriced for what it is — a big ol’ bath with a view.
Sure, the Hilton’s pool is just a bigger bath, but it’s also literally one third of the price!
I’ll also note the private hot pools at Nugget Point are sometimes discounted for $64 for two people on… you guessed it! BookMe. But it’s a bit of a drive, whereas you can access the Hilton on the water taxi.
Instead of a day at the wineries, go to The Winery
Hop On Hop Off Wine Bus: $90
Average sample at The Winery: $3-5
You can save tons of money by trying a couple local wines rather than spending a full or even half day out at the local wineries. The Winery is also a great alternative if you’re only in Queenstown for a short time and don’t have the time for a full day of winery tours.
Things to do in Queenstown that are always free
Hiking trails: Check out Queenstown Hill, Tiki Trail, Ben Lomond, Bob’s Cove, Mount Crichton, Lake Hayes Loop, Wye Creek, and Queenstown Trail.
Queenstown Gardens: Follow the path along the water around the little peninsula from town. Less of a hike and more of a casual, leisurely stroll.
Swim in Lake Wakatipu: Yes, you can swim in the lake!
Fudge samples at Remarkable Sweet Shop: Wander in to take a look around and they’ll probably offer a sample without you needing to ask. But if they don’t, they always have a little sample of every flavour behind the counter so don’t be shy.
Queenstown Trail section in Kelvin Heights
Watch the TSS Earnslaw: If you can’t afford the $100+ price tag to actually step aboard, you can still watch the steamship set sail from the shore. It’s the… “the only hand-fired, commercial passenger-carrying steamship in operation in the southern hemisphere,” which I think they should put on T-shirts. A very niche tick for your “most” bucket list!
Browse the Queenstown Market (Saturdays only): This one is hard to keep “free” because you’ll want to buy something. But it’s super cute and if you have willpower you can just window shop!
The Art Bay and Lightworx Galleries: I already covered these above, I know. Everything else in this section of free things to do in Queenstown is a little more obvious (hiking is always free, watching a boat, obv free). But I thought these were worth highlighting.