Great Experience! Cruise ride, buffet, show and farm animals!…read more We did they evening bbq dinner (not Texas bbq, don't expect bbq sauce, they mean grilled meats) Cruise: the was relaxing, they had a bar areas with snacks, drinks and food options to buy Dinner: There are a wide variety of food (salads, bread cheese, appetizers, meats and desserts) you'll find something you'll like. It was a buffet style, the meats were lamb, chicken and venison Show: they sheer a sheep in front you and give you background knowledge Animals: once the show is done you can head to the gift shop or see the animals Overall great evening dinner experience HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Taking a leisurely cruise on the TSS Earnslaw along the majestic Lake Wakatipu is something not to…read moremiss while visiting Queenstown. The TSS Earnslaw is a 120+ year old coal steamship that is maintained almost exactly to how it was at that time. It's quite a large vessel at 48 meters long with two levels. You can access almost the entire ship. There's a top view the engine room to see the coals being shoveled into the furnace while also feeling the heat! There's a cafe where you can purchase food, coffee, and drinks with a good amount of tables to sit, a small museum/photo gallery of its history, and just where ever you are on the ship, you will always have amazing views of the pristine Lake Wakatipu and the mountain range. It can be windy, and the stairs can be steep and slippery, so be careful. You can purchase tickets on their website, or at the RealNZ Visitor Centre ticket counter located at the wharf along Beach Street. There are other activities you can add on with your cruise, such as the Walter Peak Farm Tour (with afternoon tea), a Gourmet BBQ Dinner at Walter Peak's Homestead Restaurant, or an Eco Experience where you tour the farm's gardens and grounds. In other words, the TSS Earnslaw's destination is Walter Peak High Country Farms, which you can partake in activities, or walk around yourself and catch the next ride. Overall, this was a very fun and enjoyable experience, and a must do while visiting Queenstown. The whole cruise was 90 minutes. It was a smooth ride, and the food and coffee is more than acceptable. The staff were friendly.

My girlfriend and I had an awesome morning with Erwan (the guide) and his mountain shredders! In 5…read moreminutes on the training area, we were already trying wheelies and drifting it! He then took us to an amazing track in between a wineyard. The sun was shining, the air was pure, the landscapes amazing and the FUN was real! I recommend it to anyone looking for an adrenaline rush or even for a family cruise as the speed is easily controlled.. Thanks Erwan, and see you next time!!

From the owner: Come on an exciting tour in Queenstown on the new Mountain Shredders which are a crossover between…read morea Skateboard , a standup Jetski and a Tank. The tracks are fun and you will have some amazing views of Queenstown. We will pick you up from The Station .

We just finished the Routeburn Track with Angelo G. As our guide. He picked us up at our hotel in…read morethe morning and explained the area history, flora and fauna along the way to the National Park. This is the best hike we have been on. Angelo was very professional and well versed in the demands of the trek. He is very knowledgeable about the plants and birds we encountered along the way. We learned a lot and enjoyed ourselves through the whole day. I highly recommend this tour! Thank you Angelo and Nomad Safaris.

We took the Lord of the Rings Glenorchy tour. We went to 5+ filming locations, our guide had a…read morebunch of anecdotes and facts to share, and we got to see pictures from the films to help us realize where we were. I won't ruin the surprise, but there is a very cool photo opportunity at the end of the tour as well. Essential for Tolkien fans!

Heli Tours is probably one of the greatest ways to see Milford Sound, beautiful Queenstown, and…read moreglaciers so quickly! It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the $$$$! We booked our tour through Happy Travels in downtown Queenstown for the fly+cruise+fly package! Our tour details: 9am - We called ahead to make sure the weather was good to fly and our trip was not going to get canceled. There was a Heli Tours van that picked us up from our hotel in Queenstown! 9:15am - We got to the Heli Tours office and waited for 2 more people to arrive. 9:30am - Our tour was suppose to start at 9:30am sharp, but the other folks never showed up. 9:45am - Only 4 of us, including the pilot (Ben)! It was so awesome!! There was a quick safety briefing. We got on the heli and we were all super excited to be in a heli for the very first time! Ben did some commentary, but it was honestly difficult to hear everything he was saying. Also the window had our reflections so it was a bit difficult to take pictures through the window clearly. We flew over many beautiful rivers and mountains. 10:25am - When we landed in Milford, Ben escorted us onto the bus that took us to where the boats were. We hopped onto a small boat for our 10:45am departure with about 20 other people and they had a sectioned off area for the Heli Tours group inside the boat!! There was free tea/coffee and chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed the cruise through Milford Sound and because we were on a smaller boat, we got to go up close to the waterfalls!! Got a free shower too! LOL! 11:45am - After the cruise, Ben escorted us back onto the bus heading back towards the helipads! 12:30pm - Landed on a glacier! Took a bunch of photos! It was quite the experience! The fluffiest powder of snow I've ever felt and stepped in! It was so fresh!!! Unbelievable! 1:00pm - Headed back and flew over towards Queenstown 1:30pm - Arrived back at the Heli Tours office by the airport 1:45pm - Got a van ride back to our hotels 2:00pm - Arrived at our hotel It was definitely one of the greatest experiences ever. If you can afford a helicopter ride to see Queenstown/Milford, it's by far the best way to see so much in a short amount of time! This tour was really great because we got escorted throughout our tour and we were well taken care of! Ben was a great pilot and he made everyone get a chance to sit up front! I only wished they somehow had a Milford/Doubtful Sound tour! That would be so worth it since I haven't seen any tour group have both in one day! TIPS: - If you do book this tour, I recommend booking it thru Happy Travels. - Wear sunscreen and apply frequently (I got sunburned) and bring sunglasses! Wear appropriate shoes for the wet boat ride and the snowy glacier. Layer because it gets hot inside the helicopter and then it's quite cold outside the boat and on the glacier!

We're on our New Zealand "taster's" tour, and the only place we're staying on the South Island is…read moreQueenstown. And if you're going to visit Queenstown, you're going to want to visit Milford Sound (it's actually a fjord, but whatever). And if you want to visit Milford Sound and you have a time constraint, the fastest way to get there is by air (35 minutes one-way). Our travel people booked the flight out via Air Milford. Normally, I'm nervous about these things. I like my planes to have at least two sources of propulsion and yet are preferred to propellers. And honestly speaking, I'm not prone to having such adventures. Nonetheless, today was an amazing Queenstown day, and the conditions were right for the flight. The weather is temperamental around here, so the procedure was to call in the night before and call in this morning. We didn't have to call in this morning as Air Milford called us and told us the trip was a "Go!" The communication was open and informative. We got picked up in front of our hotel by a Queenstown taxi and were ferried to the airstrip. Check-in was simple. Antony came out and briefed us in front of a map. We loaded up the plane fully, and off we went. The flight was flawless. Antony told us all the landmarks and what we were seeing. Can't say I was completely calm, but Antony flies the Cessna as you or I would commute to work. We saw lakes, rivers, valleys, mountains, grasslands... everything that Frodo saw, except from the sky.... so I guess as you would were you riding a giant eagle with seat belts. On the way into Milford Sound, you fly to the Tasman Sea and turn back. You make a small turn and then plop into the air strip. On the way out, Antony had everyone (who wanted to) take pictures with the plane, and my wife even got to ride the co-pilot. The flight home was less nervous. It was a continuous stream of pictures. In short, If you like adventure... If you're time-constrained... If you like supporting family-owned, small businesses... If you like excellence in an amazing experience. You should book with Air Milford.

Right from the beginning safety talk they were professional and reassuring. Explaining what to…read moreexpect and what could happen dependent on weather. The pilot was very competent (I sat in the co pilots seat on the return flight and could see what he was doing and could listen to the radio transmissions, and while not a pilot have flown in smaller sized aircrafts with commercial airline pilots). Great scenic flight and then on to the boat for more spectacular views and complementary beverage and muffin! The boat captain narrated at times and got us close enough to walls to see details and one waterfall so close that those of us on the bow got way wetter that I expected!! (good thing my camera is weather sealed)

Decided to join this tour last minute after original plans were cancelled due to weather…read more Not only were the beers really good but Lewis simply made the tour. He was extremely personable, knowledgeable and made the tour very personalized in a group setting. Adding a stop between the breweries also added to the special nature of his tour. Would recommend to anyone visiting with a free 3-4 hours.

From the owner: Great day out trying Queenstown's best Craft Beers. Enjoy 13 tastings over three different stops…read morewith an included beer and food matched lunch. Visit at least 3 breweries over three stops on your afternoon out. Try a brew with a view today!!

WOW! Fantastic helicopter ride to land on a glacier! Pilot was informative, friendly, and very…read morenice. The helicopter takes 6 people and we had a turn sitting in the front on the way back. The views even from the back, were spectacular. I would thoroughly recommend this company. They do pickups from hotels, or there are a few parking spaces right outside their building. It was a wonderful experience, lasted about an hour, and I'm so glad we did it!

Completely agree with the previous reviews from Tas & Timothy, Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters…read morewas a once in a lifetime experience that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Queenstown. We arranged a roundtrip helicopter flight to Milford Sound with a two hour cruise ($945.00 NZ) in early January 2017. There high reviews, perfect safety record, and updated helicopter fleet were some of the main reasons we decided to go with them. Our initial flight was canceled, however, Glacier Southern was able to have us rebooked for the following afternoon flight with the caveat that it was unlikely we would do a glacier landing, but instead do some sort of alpine landing. Upon checking in, we were introduced to our "special" pilot, Alfie Speight, who was the filming pilot for several Hollywood movies - The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings. Flight over the mountains from Queenstown was beautiful, and the views over Lake Wakatipu and Glenorchy were amazing. Alfie pointed out various sights/trails along the way, and was more than happy to answer any questions regarding the helicopter, terrain, landmarks, or films he had been involved in. The highlight of the flight was landing on a glacier, where we spent 15-20 minutes enjoying the views and snow. We continued our journey towards Milford Sound with an amazing approach to the airfield with what seemed like just a few feet over the tree tops. We spent the next two hours on a two hour cruise that heads out to the Tasman Sea. Views were amazing on the cruise. Do bring a jacket as it was a little chilly going out with the wind coming towards us. The return had us stopping to see New Zealand Fur Seals and a large waterfall. After the cruise we all hopped back into the helicopter for the return journey to Queenstown. The helicopter trip to Milford Sound with Alfie and Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters is not to be missed. These guys were truly professional the entire way!

We did the quickie tour because there wasn't a lot of free time on the schedule and it was totally…read moreworth it. Quick out to the top of a mountain/hill. Quick opportunity for photos. Quick trip back over the lake. Great experience. Well organized and very safe. Pilot was great. Office was great. Transportation to and from was great. Would do a longer trip with them sometime if possible. Note that they cancel a lot of flights. Book early in your stay as you could get postponed due to weather and probably will. Enjoy!

I mean, it's just, I... Here the thing: I'm a wordy person who enjoys speaking in hyperbole, and…read moreeven I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to describe just how amazing this experience was. First off, the weather could not have been better. And the helicopter pilot could not have been more informative. And with each of the three landings (the first on a bluff overlooking the reason that Lord Of The Rings was filmed here, the second at Milford, and the third on a snowy glacier) I realized exactly why we had spent so much money to do this. It was expensive. And worth every penny. In fact, we did it again the second time we came to Queenstown. And we'll probably do it the next time as well. If you can swing it in your budget, this is an absolute MUST DO.

We had a wonderful day with Sam Kuprus doing an out and back hike on the Routeburn Track. He was…read moredelightful and very knowledgeable! We are American and he taught us so much about the unique flora and fauna of NZ, discussed conservation and anti predation efforts. He also answered many questions we had about this beautiful and welcoming country. What an amazing and gorgeous forest walk, with epic waterfalls at the top, the azure waters of the Routeburn accompanying us most of the way!

Paula and Phil planned out a fantastic day of wine touring during our visit to Queenstown. We had…read morenever been to New Zealand prior to our trip and they did a wonderful job of recommending places to visit and eat and we took their advice on several stops. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our day with them!! Thanks again from the guys from Austin, Texas!!

As I was planning activities to do while in Queenstown, I stumbled upon this place that offers bike…read moretours that had really positive reviews. However, since I have never really done long distance biking before, I was hesitant to sign up for one of the tours that takes you further in and you bike back to the shop in downtown Queenstown. I decided to just rent an e-bike for half a day which would allow me to go at my own pace and return when I wanted to. Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life-the breathtaking scenery of Queenstown and the comfort of my own solitude exploring the bike paths overlooking Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown trail, Shotover bridge/river, Kawarau River... The person helping me at the shop was really friendly-helped walked me through how to use an e-bike (it was my first time using an e-bike but thought it would be the safest option in case I tired myself out later) and helped to adjust the seat as well when I had some trouble. The e-bike had different levels of support (eco, medium, and high)-I used eco mode for most of the time but used medium and high on my way back and it hardly used any of the battery life at all (there is a level usage on the screen). They provide you with a map which I used along with my phone to ensure I was on the right path but there are also many signs along the way, so I would say it would be hard to get lost. I would totally recommend this bike shop if you want a little adventure during your stay in Queenstown -something not as crazy as bungee jumping but will give you a thrill and some amazing views.

VISIT: end of February 2020 TOUR: Bike the Bridges -…read moreArrowtown to Gibbston Supported Tour VIEWS: 5 stars HELP FROM TOUR GUIDE: 5 stars SUITABLE FOR ALL ENDURANCE LEVELS: 4 stars DEALS: I found them through Chase Ultimate Rewards and several other sites MEETING SPOT: close to Fergburger and Fergbaker This tour was an honest pleasant surprise for us. The videos online looked cool, but mostly we got to experience so much that I don't think we would have seen. I would have never made a special trip to Arrowtown or Gibbston just based on the research I did, but what a beautiful way to view this amazing country! You meet at their meeting spot where the tour guide will drive you to your starting point. The tour guide stayed with everyone until they were comfortable on which path they were following and made sure that bikes and helmets were all sized appropriately. Our tour guide even gave special care to someone in our group that didn't speak English. You can leave items in the van, if you'd like, but my husband and I just had everything in our backpacks as the van is only there during certain check points. After that you are pretty much on your own with the bike tour, which was refreshing that you could go at your own pace. You see your tour guide at regular intervals along your track and that's always refreshing, in case you get tired you can always hop in the van. Along the way, you ride by the AJ Hackett bungee jumpers which was a nice stop to watch and use the restrooms and grab snacks, if you need. Then our tour ended at the Gibbston Winery which was just a nice treat after a good workout. ACTIVITY LEVEL: one of my biggest tenets is that the company dubs the Bike the Bridges tour a relatively easy ride and although it was, I was personally surprised at how much of a workout was. There was a good amount of inclines/declines and I workout regularly and have an active job, so I was relatively surprised. However, I realized after being in New Zealand that many of their residents are so active that I'm sure this would be an easy ride. For those on the fence, they do have electric bikes for rent, so that might be the way to go. NAVIGATION: the navigation is very easy and the trails are clearly marked. As mentioned above, your tour guide also makes sure he's waiting at regular intervals along your trail, so I wouldn't let that deter you I WOULD 100% DO THIS AGAIN: I am not a typical tourist that would return to do things again, but I cannot begin to explain how magical this was. Plus the tour was a half day, so we actually booked this the afternoon of our first full day in New Zealand to give us time to adjust to jet lag and the long tour the day before