Rainy Day Activities for Queenstown Business Events

Here in Queenstown, the New Zealand cliche of four seasons in one day can ring true. Hardy locals have developed a wide range of memorable adventures to enjoy, rain or sun. Build some all-weather experiences into your schedule or have a Plan B up your sleeve for rainy days. Whether you’re organising a conference in Queenstown or a business incentive trip, bookmark this guide to rainy day Queenstown activities for your business event.

Fun outdoor experiences rain or shine

A Cruise on the TSS Earnslaw

This historic steamship is one of Queenstown’s quintessential adventures. First launched in 1912, making it the same age as titanic, the TSS Earnslaw has only ever sailed the waters of Lake Whakatipu. After 56 years ferrying cargo and passengers between Queenstown and Kingston, the Lady of the Lake now cruises to Walter Peak high country farm. Your guest can visit for afternoon tea or a barbecue feast, accompanied by an entertaining introduction to New Zealand station life.

Tour Local Wineries

Central Otago is the world’s southern-most wine growing region, packed with award-winning wineries to visit. Only a 25-minute drive from Queenstown, Gibbston is home to the region’s oldest vineyards, where the Central Otago pinot noir phenomenon all began.

 A guided wine experience is the perfect rainy-day activity. Introduce your guests to local varietals and vintages while they taste the difference distinctive microclimates and soils make to our wines. Gibbston cellar doors also serve up delicious food, and there are plenty of non-wine options for non-drinkers as well. Alpine Luxury Tours, Altitude Tours, and Appellation Wine Tours all offer relaxed wine itineraries for groups.

Recharge & Relax with Spa & Hot Pool Experiences

It doesn’t matter what the sky is doing when you’re soaking in a hot pool or hurling yourself into the alpine waters of the lake after baking in a sauna. In fact, if anything, stormy weather adds to the fun. If your guests fancy something more sheltered before or after conference sessions, Queenstown is also home to luxurious spa experiences.

• Watershed Sauna. Book this floating sauna on Lake Whakatipu for a Finnish sauna experience with breathtaking alpine views, followed by an invigorating lake plunge.
• Onsen Hot Pools are a must-do Queenstown experience. Soak in cedar lined pools above the Shotover River before a relaxing massage or treatment at the onsite spa.
• The Bathhouse Spa brings new innovations in thermal wellbeing to central Queenstown with hot soaking pools, steam room, Finnish sauna, infrared saunas, and a cold plunge.
• Book the elegant treatment rooms at Sofitel Spa with L’Occitane for your team to relax in the steam rooms and infra-red sauna, before a massage using precious greenstone.
• The Spa at Millbrook is set in a beautiful villa in the hotel grounds. Your guests can use the swimming pool and hot tubs before a massage or an indulgent treatment.

Indoor Queenstown activities ideal for a team

Take to the Air with iFLY Indoor Skydiving

This exhilarating indoor skydiving experience makes flying possible for every one of your guests, no matter their age, fitness, or physical abilities. Some people can build confidence by pushing their personal boundaries – this technology is used for training by the world’s top skydivers – while others may prefer to simply lean into the thrill of experiencing flight. A 360º viewing platform lets your whole group share the fun.

Try an Art Adventure to Create a Memento of your Event

The Art Adventures studio at Country Lane offers painting classes – their paint, pizza, and pinot experience is a fun time. Book your guests in for a few hours drawing and painting with step-by-step instruction from local artist Raquel Carter. Your group will learn some easy painting techniques and take home a finished piece. A great activity for small teams and incentive groups seeking an experience inspired by the beauty of the region.

Blend a Scent at Miller Road Fragrance Studio

Book a private workshop at Miller Road Fragrance Studio where your guests will blend their own signature scent. This studio in the historical Mountaineer building is part luxe boutique, part science lab, and all unforgettable. A scent design specialist will guide your group through a formula for a balanced perfume, before giving them the chance to craft a bespoke perfume using 60 fragrance notes including rose, jasmine, sandalwood, and oud.

High Energy Thrills at Game Over

Bring a high-energy element to your business event with go-karting and laser tag at this indoor entertainment hub. Follow some good-natured competition with a visit to the arcade, with over 40 arcade machines

Aim for a Strike at Kingpin Bowling

This bowling alley gives this classic group game a modern twist. The latest bowling tech allows your group to personalise their scores, talk with other lanes, with great food and drink packages. Make an evening of it with Kingpin’s escape rooms, karaoke, and arcade games. Whether you’re looking to whip up some inter-team competition or encourage socialising, Kingpin is ideal for welcome events and casual delegate downtime.

Bond your Team with a Group Quest

Break the ice and encourage collaboration with a problem-solving group adventure. Escape Quest’s 1860s gold rush themed escape room is perfect for team building, as your guests rush to crack codes and solve puzzles to escape in time. Thrillzone offers several fun VR experiences, their Putt’N’Glow indoor glow in the dark-mini-golf designed in collab with local creatives, a Race Car Simulator, and a 12D Motion Theatre. Fear Factory bonds your team in terror, as they walk the dark hallways of a haunted hotel under siege from the dead.

Chill at an Ice Bar

For a playful start to an evening of festivities, Queenstown’s ice bars combine dramatic ice carvings, moody lighting, and cocktails. Choose from Queenstown Ice Bar’s Scandi-inspired cocktail lounge, shots in ice glasses at Below Zero Ice Bar, or commission personalised ice sculptures for your guests at Minus 5 ICE BAR. Cosy winter coats keep your guests warm.

Organising Queenstown Incentives & Conferences is Easier With Local Experts on Your Team

If you’re planning a business event in Queenstown, our local event management companies excel at designing team-building programmes flexible enough to adapt to any weather conditions. Tap into their local expertise to plan a rain-proof programme of activities.

Need support deciding on rainy day activities for your Queenstown business incentive trip or conference? The Queenstown Convention Bureau team is here to help. Get in touch.