Why a Queenstown Family Holiday is the Best Winter Family Holiday

A family holiday destination that balances adventure with ease, Queenstown is even more magical in winter. The compact town centre with so many family friendly activities nearby, makes entertaining the kids easy and stress free.

Queenstown is full of variety for all ages, a place where kids and parents can enjoy themselves and parents can even take a moment to relax. Here’s your guide to some of the best things to do in Queenstown with kids this winter.

Snow Experiences for Every Age & Stage

You don’t need to be an expert skier to enjoy skiing and snowboarding in Queenstown. There’s something for everyone, with ski school and lessons for kids who are brand-new beginners, and a massive range of runs for all abilities, even the most advanced.

Snow-curious families don’t even have to ski at all, with activities like snow shoeing, sledding, and snow play for big and little kids alike. With the new Snow Factory at Coronet Peak, Queenstown visitors are guaranteed snow from the 30th of May for the first time.

Four Ski Resorts

Just a short drive or ski bus ride from central Queenstown, Queenstown's four ski resorts, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone all offer ski lessons for kids. For preschoolers, instructors combine skiing with games and indoor play. For older kids, instruction begins on the learner slopes and your kids will progress up the hill as they develop their skills.

For parents, ski school means you can head out for a few blissful hot laps, kid-free, before rejoining your little ski students to see how much they’ve progressed.

Snow Fun

If you’re not interested in skiing, you can still have fun in the snow. Take a sightseeing chairlift or gondola up Coronet Peak, the Remarkables, or Cardrona and see the snow-capped peaks up close. While you’re there, visit the snow play zone and try tobogganing, build a snowman, make snow angels, or have a snowball fight. Kids often think playing in the snow is the best part of visiting a ski resort.

Snowshoeing

Keen to get out on the snow but not a skier? Snow shoeing offers an exciting day of alpine fun for the whole family. Snow Farm in the Pisa Range near Wānaka, will hire you snowshoes, so you can explore their snowshoe trails in the dramatic wintery landscape. Snow Farm also offers cross-country skiing, which is an entirely different and far less intense experience than learning to downhill ski. Family packages are available for ages 5+.

So Much to do Beyond the Slopes

Queenstown is a hive of winter activity, With so many things to see and do, every day can be different. There’s absolutely no pressure to ski all the time, or even at all.

Arts, Culture & Heritage

The Dreamery is an immersive, multi-sensory experience that’s equal parts art and adventure. Kids will love interactive gallery experiences like the clouds room, where the weather changes around you, and the dynamic waterfall that reacts to your touch.

Local arts space, Te Atamira, runs plenty of kid-friendly classes and workshops with local artists and artisans like drawing, painting, clay skills, and fun crafts. If you’re in town over the July school holidays, check out their extensive arts programme for kids.

The Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown is a firm favourite with kids, who love the three historic buildings, including an 1880s schoolhouse, and the display of old Arrowtown with a butcher’s shop, saddle maker, blacksmith, and bakery.

Scenic Experiences

Winter days in Queenstown are often clear and crisp. Dress up warm and get out into nature. Queenstown is full of alpine landscapes to discover on foot, with short walks that take an hour or two. Queenstown Hill is a steep but rewarding walk with fairy houses hiding in the trees and breathtaking views at the top. For something less strenuous, take a stroll around Queenstown Gardens. The kids will love the extensive lakeside playground, and exploring the winding tracks out among the trees.

For a scenic adventure to get the blood pumping, hire bikes for the whole family and explore the network of off-road trails. The Queenstown Trail connects all the main centres and weaves its way alongside the lakes and riverbanks, with stunning scenery around every corner. Warm up afterwards with hot chocolates (or mulled wine for Mum and Dad).

Wildlife & Family Attractions

Kiwi Park is eight acres of forest wildlife sanctuary in central Queenstown. Kids can have a close encounter with New Zealand’s most iconic bird in the Kiwi House and learn about conservation and endangered wildlife at the entertaining 30-minute free flight show. 

Hop aboard vintage steamship the TSS Earnslaw for a cruise to a working high-country station. Enjoy views of the mountains and lake and see the inner workings of the coal room on the way. At Walter Peak, meet sheep, cows, goats, and alpaca, feed the animals, and see sheep dogs in action, before enjoying an old-school high-country tea.

Take the kids to tour a mānuka honey farm at Buzzstop Bee & Honey Centre. Try your hand at being a beekeeper, or make beeswax wraps, candles, and honey soap. Take the honey spinning tour to spin, filter, and bottle your very own jar of honey to take home. Country Lane used to be a farm, and the kids can meet horses, sheep, goats, and rabbits, while playing on an old tractor and in a sandpit converted from a water trough.

Suitable for all Weather

While we get many clear, crisp winter days in Queenstown, winter in the mountains can also mean changeable weather. When the clouds roll down, or you want to escape the winter cold for a few hours, Queenstown has plenty of indoor activities.

Indoor Activities

For a wintery activity in the heart of town, try ice skating or the ice bumper cars at the Ice Arena in Queenstown Gardens. A snow machine runs on the ice every half hour for bonus midwinter vibes. A 20-minute quick-start lesson is enough to get newbies up on the ice.

Head to Frankton to bounce at Site Trampoline, a room packed with super tramps, with a foam pit, wall jump, and skate ramp. The facility is designed to help kids progress in snow sports, skate, bike, and parkour. Even if you’ve never bounced on a tramp before in your life, the team can teach you a few moves and you’ll be flipping out in a flash.

Also in Frankton, test your climbing skills at Basecamp Adventures. The bouldering wall has routes for all levels. Clip ‘N Climb has a variety of climbs from easy routes for preschoolers to climbing challenges for older kids. No experience is required. Full training is provided.

Pools & Indoor Play

Alpine Aqualand is a spacious indoor swimming complex with family changing facilities. There’s a lap pool, a leisure pool, a lazy river, and two hydro slides for the kids. A toddler’s area with a shallow pool is ideal for the littles, and there’s a hot tub as an adult retreat.

Chipmunks in Frankton is an indoor playground for kids aged 0-11 years. Huge foam blocks, inflatable slides, and a ball pit make this an excellent place for little kids to burn off steam. Hours of fun for them, while you take a well-deserved breather in the café.

For more immersive indoor experiences, journey through the out-of-this-world Odyssey Sensory Maze. If you have teens you can test their scare limits at Fear Factory.

Explore beyond Queenstown

Arrowtown

Arrowtown is an easy day trip with historic charm. Start with a stroll along the banks of the Arrow River. The kids will love the rope swings hanging from the surrounding willow trees.

Check out the historic Arrowtown Chinese miners settlement, where you can duck inside the historic stone huts and read all about the history of these early gold miners. Or hire gold pans from the Lakes District Museum and try your hand at making your fortune from the river, before a warming treat from one of Arrowtown’s charming cafes.

Glenorchy

Glenorchy is a good time for families with scenic landscapes and space to explore. Pack a picnic and do the Glenorchy Lagoon Walkway to see how many birds you can spot. This gentle stroll is ideal for little kids, and only a few minutes from the Glenorchy township.

Give the kids a bite-sized taste of a New Zealand Great Walk. Glenorchy is the gateway to the Routeburn. The Routeburn Nature Walk gives you a feel for the start of the track while interpretation panels introduce you to local plants and birds.

10 minutes’ drive from Glenorchy, the Paradise Ziplines guided tour flies you through the forest with stunning mountain views and across an fast-flowing alpine stream. The tour is suitable for children aged 10 years and older who weigh over 30kg.

Why Queenstown is Perfect for a Winter Family Holiday

Easy Compact & Stress Free

A walkable town centre and short travel distances to activities and attractions in and around Queenstown means less stress. There’s so much to do in town you don’t even have to go further afield. Minimal logistics means more time for enjoying your holiday together.

If you’re in town to ski and don’t want to hire a car, there are shuttles from downtown Queenstown to the ski fields. If you do drive but don’t want to mess around with snow chains, free mountain shuttles will take you to the base facilities at both Cardrona and Treble Cone.

Recharge Time for You as Parents Too

We know what it’s like to come back from holiday even more tired than you left. This Queenstown family holiday may be all about making magical winter memories, but you deserve a break too. Pop the kids in ski school, or book them into one of the many winter school holiday programmes, from trampoline training to indoor sports and creative arts. Then take a day to yourself to recharge, with a spa day, a wine tour, or some ski time for adults.

Some hotels offer in-house babysitters so you can enjoy dinner together for a change. This guide to family accommodation in Queenstown has ideas for places to stay.

A 5-Day Family Queenstown Winter Itinerary

We know how overwhelming it can be planning a break with kids. Here’s a simple five-day family-friendly Queenstown winter itinerary to help you imagine some of the fun things you can do in Queenstown with kids this winter.

Day 1: Explore Queenstown

Arrive at your accommodation, check-in, and drop off your bags. Then head up Skyline Gondola to get a feel for the lie of the land with lake and mountain views for miles. Kids will love the ride up – and they’ll love the luge at the top even more.

After this dramatic introduction to Queenstown, stroll down to the lakefront, and take a lakeside walk. If your kids are old enough, we recommend a round of frisbee golf in the Queenstown gardens. You can hire discs from the Queenstown Ice Arena.

Otherwise, let the kids loose at The Bathhouse Playground on Marine Parade as you enter the Queenstown Gardens, and let them go wild on the slides, climbing nets, seesaws, and swings, while you grab a restorative coffee at the Bathhouse Café.

Day 2: Ski or Snow Play

All Queenstown ski resorts offer lessons for kids and you can hire all the gear you need. Children five and under ski for free at Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. Warm up on the lower slopes then gradually progress up the mountain as you all get into your groove. This guide to planning a family ski holiday in Queenstown is full of great advice.

Basecamp Adventures specialise in alpine trekking and offer family friendly snowshoeing adventures in the Remarkables if you like the idea of a guided snow adventure instead.

Day 3: Indoor Fun & Relaxed Exploring

Queenstown has plenty of indoor fun. Thrillzone is a wonderland for kids and big kids alike with glow-in-the-dark mini golf, and laser tag. There’s also a race car simulator, a sensory 3D movie adventure, virtual reality gaming, and virtual reality escape rooms. There’s also a supervised kids’ club if you’d like a few hours to explore Queenstown without the kids.

If the day is fine, walk part of the trail from Queenstown Gardens to Frankton Marina. This easy trail runs beside the lake with spectacular views across to The Remarkables and towards Walter Peak. It’s 6km to Frankton, but you don’t have to go the whole way. This track is currently closed for infrastructure upgrades, due to open in December 2026. 

Day 4: Day Trip to Arrowtown

Jump on the bus and head to Arrowtown for the day. Hire bikes and cycle the Millennium Trail along the Arrow River. This family-friendly 3.25km trail takes about an hour. You start at historic Dudley’s Cottage in Arrowtown and walk or cycle beside the Arrow River.

After exploring Arrowtown stop off at the Ayrburn Winter Wonderland on the way back to Queenstown. In June and July this dining precinct on a historic farm has spectacular light displays, firepits, music, an open-air ice rink, and delicious treats for all ages, from hearty burgers and hand-churned ice-cream for the kids, to wine tasting for you.

Day 5: Revisit Your Favourites

A chance to revisit favourite places to eat and take one more walk along the lake. This guide to where to eat with kids in Queenstown will sort you out for your whole stay. This Queenstown shopping and walking trail is full of inspiration if you want gifts or treats.

If you haven’t already checked out the Time Tripper Underwater Experience, this fun animated show in central Queenstown takes you back in time to meet dinosaurs, learn about the geological formation of Lake Whakatipu, and hear the Māori legend of the lake. After the show, the theatre becomes an underwater observatory where you can see eels and trout.

On your way out of town, the Boat Shed Café is a great spot for some food for the road, while watching boats navigating in and out the marina, and planes flying overhead.

Get more from your family winter trip to Queenstown

Queenstown truly is a family holiday destination that delivers for everyone, with ease and variety for parents and kids alike. In fact, there’s so much to do here in winter that this guide only scratches the surface – you’ll have to visit more than once.

We do encourage you to plan ahead, especially if you’re coming during peak winter season in July and August. The July school holidays can be busy and we’d hate you to miss out on things you really want to do.

Visit Queenstown this winter for a holiday your kids will remember for years, and as you explore Queenstown together, share your experiences with us on Instagram by tagging #QueenstownLive.