5 Day Wānaka Winter Itinerary

Norwegian goldminers first introduced skiing to the district, making rustic skis to get to their diggings through the winter snows. But it wasn’t until 1968 that Wānaka’s first commercial ski area opened at Treble Cone, with Cardrona following in 1978. Today Wānaka ski resorts also include Snow Farm, a cross-country ski park with a line-up of other fun, snow activities.

Winter sports aren’t the only thing Wānaka has to offer. This five-day itinerary introduces you to the alpine landscapes and epic mountain culture of this laid-back rohe (region) of the Southern Lakes. Explore Wānaka’s many winter delights from memorable hiking to delicious dining paired with wines crafted by passionate, local winemakers.

Day 1: Arrive and chill

Recover from your travel with a relaxing day in Wānaka. Once you’ve checked into your accommodation, take a walk down to the lake, before acquainting yourself with Wānaka’s independent boutiques and cosy eateries.

Get your bearings with a lake stroll

Head down to the lake shore and stretch your legs while gazing at the surrounding snow-covered mountain ranges. If you turn right from the town, you can take the Eely Point track, a gentle 1km stroll that takes in spectacular views.

Turn left for the Waterfall Creek track. You’ll pass the Wānaka willow tree, Edgewater and Rippon Vineyard – where a cellar door and wine tastings are available – and on to Waterfall Creek with views of Ruby Island. This gentle 2.5km stroll takes about an hour there and back.

Boutique Wānaka shopping

Wānaka’s got a knack for attracting people who love the finer things in life—and you’ll see why as soon as you wander into town.

Wilson & Dorset is a must-visit for lovers of beautiful, functional design. Inspired by the Wānaka landscape, they create luxurious, 100% New Zealand wool products, from stone-shaped rugs to versatile furniture designed to transform everyday spaces into relaxing sanctuaries. Their showroom is a calming space that blends nature, texture and style.

For a knowledgeable intro to who’s who in New Zealand fashion, drop into 47 Frocks for a brilliantly curated collection of Aotearoa’s most stylish. Think NOM*d, Kowtow, Twenty Seven Names, Zambesi, and Marle, as well as locally designed handbags and jewellery.

For clothes with high-country soul, head to Perriam. Founded nearby on Bendigo Station, the Perriam collection stars classy merino knits made in New Zealand. They also make covetable blankets so you can wrap yourself in Central Otago warmth wherever you are.

Locals love “Wasties” — officially known as Wastebusters Wānaka — for its ever-changing trove of pre-loved treasures. From designer clothes and retro furniture to kitchenware, books, and even skis and snowboards, this community enterprise is a goldmine for secondhand finds and sustainable shopping.

Cosy Wānaka dining 

Ready to refuel? Wānaka’s got plenty of cosy spots where the welcome’s as warm as the food.

Bistro Gentil is a short 15-minute stroll from central Wānaka overlooking the lake. Mid-winter favourites include French onion soup, succulent Lumina lamb, and local venison, and they’re celebrated for their crème brûlée. Go early to try a few wines at the Maude Tasting Room, then settle in for dinner while watching the sun set over the snow on Roy’s Peak.

Set in a rustic, stone building with an open fire and candle-lit tables, the Cow is all about atmosphere. Peel off your layers by the fireplace and settle in. The simple, tasty menu of pizza and pasta has plenty of crowd pleasers, and the fun, relaxed après ski vibe is great for families and groups of friends.

Arc envelops you visually with its beautiful interior crafted from recycled native Rimu. Choose from a monthly set degustation menu or order from a selection of share plates. Arc’s chefs are big on celebrating seasonal offerings from local farmers, hunters, and fishermen, and their creative menu is paired with local wines.

Day 2: Take to the slopes

Whether you're carving your first turns or just keen to soak up the mountain vibes, Wānaka’s got you covered with two awesome ski areas just 30 minutes away. You can ski at both mountains on the same pass too.

Skiing at Cardrona and Treble Cone

Treble Cone is the closest ski area to Wānaka and the park for off-piste powder hunters. There’s plenty of terrain to explore over 4 basins and 550 hectares of patrolled, protected ski area. 700m of vertical also makes for some the longest groomed trails in New Zealand.

Cardrona Alpine Resort is 35km from Wānaka. A shuttle leaves from the lakefront car park at 7.50am and returns from Cardrona at 4.30pm. You can also drive to the base carpark and take a free shuttle up to the slopes.

Cardrona’s wide, gentle slopes are an ideal place to find your ski legs, with easy surface lifts, a cabin-style ski lift and ski lessons for anyone needing a boost. If you’re into park, Cardrona is also home to a huge terrain park, and hosts the Freestyle Nationals and the Freestyle Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup. You may see a few pros training for the champs.

After a day on the slopes, head for a local beer at the Cardrona Hotel. One of the oldest pubs in New Zealand, the hotel was built during the Central Otago gold rush and is reputedly haunted by the ghost of a landlord who couldn’t bring himself to hang up his hat. Another après ski option is a visit to Cardrona Distillery for a taste of their gin or single malt.

Snow play at Snow Farm

Just 45 minutes away from Wānaka, Snow Farm is New Zealand’s only cross-country ski-field. Traverse the gentle slopes and peaceful valleys of the Pisa Range on 55 km of trails groomed for cross-country skiing. The park has trails for all levels, and if you’ve never cross-country skied before it doesn’t matter, because they also offer lessons.

Not a skier? No worries—there’s still heaps of fun to be had at Snow Farm. The park is a mid-winter playground with 24km of snowshoeing trails, a Snow Fun Zone with a 150m long slope for tubing and sledging.

Day 3: Adventures beyond the snowy slopes

Get a different perspective on the mountains with a scenic flight or an unforgettable winter hike into the dramatic alpine landscape surrounding Wānaka.

Scenic flights into the wilderness

You can fly from Wānaka to the fiords of Milford Sound, the slopes of Aoraki Mount Cook, or the remote wilderness of Mount Aspiring National Park. Book a scenic flight in a helicopter or a high-wing aircraft for views of the snow-clad ranges below.

Touch down on a glacier —an icy relic from the Ōtira Glaciation that shaped this landscape over 14,000 years ago. Or book the Siberia Experience, where you fly on a buttercup yellow Cessna into a remote valley in Mount Aspiring National Park, walk out, and then jet boat the last lap. You can even take the controls and be the pilot yourself.

Wānaka hikes

It may be winter, but there are still plenty of great places to hike below the snowline. With Central Otago’s reputation for blue sky midwinter days, hitting the trails is one of the best ways to explore our alpine paradise.

The Glendhu Bay Track follows the shoreline of Lake Wānaka, before climbing through native bush from Waterfall Creek to Damper Bay. The track continues to Glendhu Bay with breathtaking views of Mount Aspiring. It’s a 15km one-way trail that takes around three to four hours—perfect if you book a water taxi back and make it a one-way adventure. Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain are only 20 minutes from town. The Diamond Lake Circuit Track is an easy 2.5km, 45 minutes return. Take a short, steep 2km track up to a lookout deck with views of Diamond Lake and the surrounding ranges. If you want a longer walk, try the Lake Wānaka Lookout for panoramic views of the lake, or, if the weather is safe, climb to Rocky Mountain’s 775-metre summit via the 7km loop track.

Wānaka is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, part of Te Wahipounamu, the UNESCO World Heritage Area. Walk up the West Matukituki Valley to the historic stone Aspiring Hut. The 10km hike is easy and on a well-made track, yet it takes two-three hours each way so make sure you leave plenty of time to make it back before dark.

Browse more half-day hikes near Wānaka and check the Department of Conservation website for current conditions. The biggest risk in New Zealand is changeable weather, so dress for the conditions and make sure you know the Outdoor Safety Code.

Day 4: Wine, local heritage, and wellness

After a couple of big adventure days, you might be ready to slow it down with something a little more indulgent. How about a vineyard lunch followed by unwinding in one of Wānaka’s lakeside saunas? Or tour the vineyards with local tangata whenua – the Māori people of the land – to connect with this place in a deeper way.

Lunch at a Wānaka vineyard

Nanny Goat Vineyard is 15 minutes from Wānaka. Their intimate cellar door has long tables with comfortable leather chairs and a roaring fire. Sample their range of pinots and chardonnays with a delicious grazing platter as you enjoy the views over the winter vines.

Open four days a week August to November, Paddon’s Paddock is less than 5kms from Wānaka. Sip and sample their tasty menu of pizzas and platters. Even on a winter’s day this beautiful cellar door surrounded by vines and snow-capped mountains is often in full sun.

Learn about wine and the Māori history of the region

Māori people have inhabited the Wānaka region for over 800 years. Kāi Tahu established pā (strongholds), kāika (settlements), and nohoaka (camp sites) by the lake.

WanaHaka offer Central Otago wine tours combined with local Māori history. See the landscape in a whole new way as you discover local Māori traditions, archaeology, and stories. Who better to explain how the local landscape and microclimates contribute to the flavour profile of Central Otago wines than our tangata whenua, or people of the land.

Take the short tour and visit wineries in the Wānaka area or book a full day adventure that heads further afield into the wider Central Otago wine regions.

Unwind with a spa day

Ilu Hub is the Wānaka spa for natural, organic treatments, and delicious sustainable, ethical skincare brands. Sanctuary Day Spa is great for a soothing massage, facial, or body treatment. Silver Sixpence in Three Parks offers massage and spa treatments, with an infrared sauna for extra relaxation.

Day 5:  Sightsee from the lake

Start your last day in Wānaka with a hearty brunch before taking a cruise. Seeing the town from the vantage point of the lake is the perfect way to appreciate Wānaka’s exquisite natural setting and bid farewell to the region till you return.

Wānaka brunch spots

Big Fig serves slow-cooked food inspired by the founders’ Lebanese heritage. Their menu is a treasure trove of flavour, from gozleme, and Egyptian beans to granola with poached fruit, sweet labneh, cardamom and orange blossom. They’re single-use cup-free, offer different serving sizes to cut food waste, and a discount if you bring your own takeaway containers.

Local lakefront institution. Relishes is a relaxed sunny space. Their Central Otago ingredients include local goat and lamb, and they smoke their own sensational hot-smoked salmon. Brunch includes classics like a hearty cooked breakfast and eggs bennie, as well as a breakfast green salad. They brew locally roasted organic fair-trade coffee.

Cruise Lake Wānaka

The first visitor activity in the Wānaka region was a boat trip. In 1883, the paddle steamer Theodore began to take people out on the lake. Today, Wānaka Cruises operate daily.

Trips include a guided nature walk on bird sanctuary island Mou Wahou, and a guided walk to a secluded beach on Stevenson’s Island, followed by afternoon tea. The Happy Hour Cruise every evening is a friendly pre-dinner cruise with wines, beers and tasty cheeseboards enhancing the lake views.

Plan your Wānaka winter adventure

Winter in Wānaka is truly spectacular. This guide to Wānaka winter activities has plenty more ideas to help you plan your stay.