Ice skating & Ice bumper cars

Queenstown has a covered ice arena located in the Queenstown Gardens, providing fun for all ages and abilities. Have a go at ice skating, ice hockey or ice bumper cars. The ice hockey season runs through winter and the local team the Southern Stampede have a very loyal following!

Ice Bumper Cars at Queenstown Ice Arena

Skiing or snowboarding

With four ski resorts within 90 minutes of downtown, Queenstown is the perfect place to let you kids experience the snow for the first time. Our ski fields have a range of family-friendly ski packages that will ensure you all have a fantastic time on the snow. You'll be amazed at how fast your kids pick skiing up! 

Ski lessons at Cardrona Alpine Resort

Discover our wildlife

Get close to wildlife at the Kiwi Park and working farms across Lake Whakatipu. In Queenstown you have the chance to meet a real-life dinosaur, the tuatara, or get up close and personal with brand new spring lambs, highland cattle, llamas and deer.

Meeting native wildlife at Kiwi Park

Ice, ice baby

Have an Antarctic adventure when you visit one of Queenstown’s three ice bars, all at temperatures way below zero. Enjoy a non–alcoholic beverage from an ice glass, and see who can stay inside for the longest!

Family friendly mocktails at Minus 5º Ice Bar

Rock climbing

There’s an indoor climbing wall located at the Queenstown Events Centre (minimum age 8 years old), and at Basecamp Adventures Indoor Climbing Centre. Or in the summertime, try an outdoor climbing experience with Climbing Queenstown for kids of all ages, but be careful you might start a hobby!

Rockatipu Climbing Wall at the Queenstown Events Centre

Horse trekking

Saddle up and join a horse riding adventure in Glenorchy, Walter Peak, Arrowtown or Ben Lomond; our horse trek operators and scenery are second to none.

High Country Horses, Glenorchy

Paddle up

Book a kayak or funyak trip with an experienced operator and paddle along the lakeside at your own pace. Older kids can paddle their own kayak, while younger ones will be able to sit in front of mum or dad and help! Or try something new and give aqua-biking a go with the family along the Queenstown waterfront.

Funyaks on the Dart River

On your bike

Try out the Queenstown Trail, a scenic network of cycle trails for all abilities, it's a great way to see more of Queenstown and you can do as much or as little as you would like! If you don't have your own bikes with you, there are plenty of bike hire options around too for families. For biking of a different kind, take your kids off road on a guided quad bike or buggy adventure, with trips tailored for young explorers.

Biking around Queenstown Gardens

Indoor thrills

For downtime or rainy days there’s plenty of indoor fun including cinema, swimming pools and trampolines to keep everyone occupied and happy. Get competitive as a family with go karting, laser tag, paintless paintball, or head into Kingpin for a world of VR, karaoke and arcade, all without stepping outside. For the brave, wind your way through a haunted house or try indoor skydiving in a wind tunnel!

Indoor fun at SITE Trampoline