Is Queenstown worth visiting?

It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in New Zealand, but is Queenstown worth visiting?

There are some amazing things to do in Queenstown, but there are also a lot of people who’ll say that you should skip Queenstown. The main objections to the question:

Are…

It’s too crowded
It’s expensive.
The traffic is a nightmare.

There are better alternatives.

Let’s address these objections one by one.

Queenstown is too Crowded

Sure, Queenstown can be crowded compared to the majority of the South Island, and even rush hour in places like Wellington and Auckland. But there are heaps of towns similar to Queenstown in Europe that have a resort town setting and people are packed into the main area.

Because the population density of NZ is small across the board, it makes Queenstown feel more crowded than it is. And it really doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to walk away from the heart of the city to somewhere you’ll find is a lot more relaxing.

Queenstown is Expensive

Yes, you can make your trip to Queenstown expensive. But it’s a place you can make as cheap or as expensive as you like…some people say car rentals are expensive, but with sites like Capital One Shopping offering discounts on Hertz and other major brands, you can find good deals.

Accommodation can be tricky during peak times (Christmas/New Year, School Holidays, and Public Holidays) but there’s usually a solution. There is no shortage of hostels in Queenstown, and places like Jucy can even be affordable for families when you can book out entire dorm rooms at a reasonable rate (an there are heaps of Airbnb’s).

Foodwise, if you want to eat at fancy restaurants, that’s all on you. At least have a look on BookMe and FirstTable to see if you can get a discount. Every night of the week different restaurants have specials on, and at worst you can thrive on Domino’s and food from Fresh Choice.

The Traffic is a Nightmare

This is one I can agree on, and it’s sometimes unavoidable. Once international tourists start to arrive again, it’s going to be interesting how the traffic queues are handled. That said, it’s easy to get around on foot to most places in Queenstown, and if you’re going to the surrounding suburbs, there are plenty of bike trails you can use. And other than that, avoid peak hours…and it’ll never be horrendous.

There are Better Alternatives

This is all speculative. There’s so many amazing places to visit in the South Island, it’s not like everyone is going to have Queenstown as there favorite place. But as you’ll see below, it’s a pretty special place and for me, Queenstown is worth visiting!

So they’re the main reasons people seem to argue against the topic of ‘Is Queenstown worth visiting?’

As you can tell, I’m definitely on team Queenstown. Having lived in Queenstown for over a year…these are some of the reasons I love Queenstown and think it’s worth it.

There are so many ‘extreme’ sports you can do here: My primary sport is trail running which Queenstown is a mecca for (1000+ people in this group) and means I’ve got weekly runs on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays…that’s half the week of socialising sorted right away.

But there are also lots of people who are always kayaking, packrafting, mountainbiking, swimming, hiking, river rafting, slacklining…you name it and there’s likely a group of people doing that in Queenstown. I love it.

It’s easy to find social groups: Jump on Facebook and start searching through some of the different groups and events pages and it won’t be long until you find activities that’ll interest you. And if you ask around, there’s a host more that are based on Facebook and Watsapp group chats.

It’s a great hub for adventures: I recently had to go to Dunedin which is a four hour drive away. Sure that’s not long, but it felt like a long way! The great thing about Queenstown is there are so many adventures within a two hour drive. You could be exploring for years and still have new small towns and peaks on your bucket list to explore.

It has most of the amenities of a bigger city: You won’t find any skyrises in Queenstown, but it’s a rare occasion that you’ll need to go to Christchurch/Dunedin to get an errand done. When I;m working in Macpac, I’ll often chat with people who are saying they’re coming to Queenstown for the day from Wanaka/Alexandra/Te Anau and a bunch of other places. Why? To get life admin done.

So is Queenstown worth visiting?

It’s a yes for me!

But it won’t be for everyone. That’s totally ok. If you’re on the fence, give it at least a night, and if you’re a fan you can always extend your stay! It’s easy to spend 3 days in Queenstown.

If you’ve got any questions about Queenstown, leave a comment below.

Is Queenstown worth visiting?