Queenstown has hundreds of activities for your team to enjoy, but that’s not what makes this place so special. It’s the blend of adventure, relaxation, and opportunities to get involved in this community that makes a Queenstown business event such a meaningful experience.
Craft an unforgettable event for your team. Encourage them to push their limits, forge stronger bonds with each other, and connect with people and local culture.
1: Visit Gibbston and Explore Central Otago Wine Country
Central Otago is the world’s southernmost winegrowing region. Gibbston, the valley of vines, is a 25-minute drive from Queenstown. Learn about the terroir of the region, meet local wine producers, and become a Pinot Noir connoisseur with a Queenstown winery tour.
Make a day of it and cycle around the wineries. The Gibbston River Trail is around 9km of flat, easy riding, passing various cellar doors and other attractions. Bike tour operators can drop you at the start of the trail and pick you up at the end. Or you can start from Arrowtown and cycle 14km into Gibbston along the Arrow River Bridges Trail.
2: Head up the Gondola then Race Down the Luge
A five-minute walk from central Queenstown, the Skyline Gondola takes you up Bob’s Peak for unbeatable panoramic views of Queenstown, Coronet Peak, the Remarkables and across Lake Whakatipu to Cecil and Walter Peak.
The Skyline Luge is a thrilling 800m ride round banked corners, through tunnels, and over dips. If competition gets your juices flowing, the Skyline Luge Racing Simulator allows you to race a real-life Luge cart against your team down immersive virtual tracks.
3: A Guided 4WD Adventure or Jetsprint Boat Thrills
Explore Queenstown’s backcountry with a guided four-wheel drive tour. Nomad Safaris can take you on a 4WD expedition to Skippers Canyon along a rugged road hacked by hand by goldminers into the sheer cliff sides of the Shotover River Valley. Or travel to the abandoned goldmining village of Macetown, crossing and recrossing the Arrow River 25 times along the way, before trying your hand at panning for gold.
Oxbow Adventure Co. in Gibbston has the world’s only commercial jet sprint boats, 4WD off-road buggies, and clay bird shooting. Their 4WD off-roaders have a low centre of gravity which allows you to make the most of the custom-built course with vertical hill climbs, rock features, and other hair-raising yet exhilarating obstacles. The boats designed by world jetsprint champion Peter Caughey can reach 100kmh in two seconds. Make a day of it and book catering onsite to make the most of the bar and hangout area, before playing a round of mini golf or a few games of cornhole to wind down after your thrills.

4: Cruise Lake Whakatipu in Style
Queenstown's iconic steamship, the TSS Earnslaw, has been sailing the waters of Lake Whakatipu since 1912. The steamer started life as part of the New Zealand Railways network, ferrying goods and livestock to and from the rail terminus at Kingston. In 1969, the boat began offering cruises. Today you can board this vintage beauty and steam across the lake to Walter Peak High Country Farm to enjoy afternoon tea or a gourmet BBQ, followed by a display of life on a high country farm.
For something more intimate and luxurious, hire the Pacific Jemm – Queenstown's only luxury superyacht. Run by the team who operate Eichardt’s Private Hotel, the Pacific Jemm shares the same polish and sophistication. Explore the hidden coves and beaches of the lake before enjoying the scenery with canapes and champagne. Or dine on board, with a seasonal, local menu curated by your private chef.
5: Soar Through the Forest Canopy on a Zipline
Exhilarating zipline eco-adventure Ziptrek Ecotours is Queenstown’s first net zero carbon tour operator. Glide through the forest on ziplines with views across Lake Whakatipu, while your guides tell stories about local ecology and conservation. Then try the world’s steepest zipline, where you descend 30 storeys at speeds of up to 70kph
Paradise Ziplines near Glenorchy and in literal ‘Paradise’, flies you through native beech forest with stunning mountain views. You’ll launch off a cliff, cross a fast-flowing alpine stream, and zip through a narrow canyon over a waterfall.

6: Tear Downriver on a Jet Boat or Kayak Gently Downstream
Jetboating began as an adventure activity right here in Queenstown. Today it’s a must-do experience combining speed and excitement with stunning scenery as you rocket down glacial rivers. Shotover Jet takes you through the Shotover canyons. KJet blasts across Lake Whakatipu and down the Shotover and Kawarau River, while Dart River Adventures Wilderness Jet takes you down the Dart River near Glenorchy.
From spring until early autumn, you can also book The Dart River Adventures Funyaks experience. Start with a jet boat ride up the Dart River into the natural beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage area. There, you’ll be introduced to your inflatable Funyak canoe, before gently drifting downriver, exploring side streams and chasms on your way. After your paddle downstream, your team will be driven back to Glenorchy, passing filming locations for The Lord of the Rings and X-Men.
7: Experience Backcountry with a Heli Flight
See Queenstown from above, land on remote mountain tops or glaciers, or venture further afield to Fiordland and the West Coast with a heli flight.
Toast a successful year with champagne on Cecil Peak. Book a heli wine tour, or heli gin tour. Or go all out and fly your team across the Southern Alps to the West Coast for fish and chips in the remote beauty of Jackson’s Bay. A heli flight is an ideal Queenstown conference activity as local tour companies have helicopter fleets to transport large groups.
8: Adventure Playgrounds and Scavenger Hunts
Designed for big kids of all ages, The Playground is a riot of fun activities – an adult sized version of the best adventure playgrounds you remember from your youth. Choose from paintballing, bubble soccer, archery, human foosball and rope challenges. Corporate Team building is The Playground’s forte, and they’re happy to customise a programme of activities to your group.
Thrillzone’s Escape Adventure is a next-level combo of scavenger hunts and escape rooms, set around Queenstown. Team up and explore Queenstown’s surrounds while solving puzzles and cracking codes enhanced with fun augmented reality features and geolocation technology, all while racing against the clock. They’ve an indoor version for rainy days.

9: Recharge at a Spa or Formulate Your Own Scent
Queenstown has a line-up of luxurious day spas, where you can book a massage or a beauty treatment, or simply spend time relaxing in a hot tub enjoying the view. Unwind after a busy business event or get a glow-up before the big conference dinner.
- Onsen Hot Pools are photogenic cedar-enclosed hot tubs. Enjoy glorious views across the Shotover River while sampling delicious local cheese and wine.
- Well Spa at Eichardts specialise in luxury facials with mānuka honey, relaxing massages, and a range of spa treatment in the heart of Queenstown.
- The Spa at Millbrook offers beauty and body treatments, along with access to the Resort gym, lap pool, outdoor spa pools, and saunas.
- Eforea Spa at the Hilton gives treatments designed to bring balance and wellness, as well as use of the hotel pool, hot tub, fitness centre, saunas and steam rooms.
- So Spa at the Sofitel has French facial treatments, steam rooms, an infra-red room, and a relaxation space where you can unwind over a freshly brewed tea.
- Body Sanctum give remedial deep tissue massages for muscles sore from hiking or biking. They’re known for their blissful face massages and treatments too.
Miller Road Fragrance Studio run workshops where people can create their own fragrance. Scent experts will guide your team through blending your choice of 60 fragrance notes to make a balanced perfume. Create your own signature scent, or a souvenir to evoke your Queenstown trip.
10: Connect with the Local Community to Leave Your Mark
Choose an activity that enriches your team by connecting them with local people, and projects to protect and restore Queenstown. Take a conservation walk around Bob’s Cove and learn about Queenstown’s unique environment. Book a cruise across the lake followed by tree planting with the Walter Peak eco experience, or visit a wildlife conservation show at Kiwi Park.
Volunteering is another great way to meet local people, see parts of Queenstown you might not ordinarily see and leave a positive legacy from your business event. Local environmental action trust Love Queenstown regularly partners with the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust and publishes a schedule of local volunteer events.
We’re Here to Help you Plan Your Event
The Queenstown Convention Bureau is here to help you plan your Queenstown business event activities. Get in touch with our team of event experts for free, impartial advice, and create an unforgettable business event with an activity programme inspired by Queenstown nature.