How do you get to Queenstown?
Getting There4.4/10Harder to reach than about 65% of cities
- Main airport
- Queenstown Airport (ZQN)
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: newzealand.com, queenstownnz.co.nz
Good to know
Good to Know
- Located 15 minutes from downtown Queenstown, the Queenstown Airport services the region with daily domestic flights operated by Air New Zealand and Jetstar
- You can buy a Bee Card online, at the PaperPlus store in the airport terminal, at the Otago Regional Council office in Frankton (during business hours), or with cash on the bus
- We drive on the left-hand side of the road, meaning the driver's seat is on the right-hand side of the car. New Zealand roads can be narrow and winding with varying conditions
- It is also possible to encounter sheep and cattle on rural roads in New Zealand and ice or snow on the roads in winter
- If you are traveling during the winter months you'll need to carry and be able to fit snow chains in order to pass through the Crown Range Road. It is steep with sharp turns in sections and as New Zealand's highest mountain road conditions can change quickly
Airport
- Name
- Queenstown Airport (ZQN)
- Location
- Located 10 minutes' drive from the town centre, in the suburb of Frankton
Flights
- Domestic Airlines
- Domestic flights are operated by Air New Zealand and Jetstar; they link Queenstown with Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch
- International Airlines
- Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia
- International Destinations
- The top international destinations from here are Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL)
Ferry Services
- Route
- Orbus Ferries operates a daily scheduled ferry service between Queenstown Central, Bayview - Kelvin Heights, Queenstown Marina and the Hilton
- Schedule
- From Queenstown - Hourly from 8.45am until 9.45pm. From Hilton - Hourly from 8.15am until 9.15pm
- Description
- Orbus Ferries Queenstown is a regular scheduled ferry service connecting central Queenstown with Kelvin Heights and Frankton
Day Trip Access
Nearby Towns
Arrowtown
- Transport
- If you don't have a car, you can take the number 2 bus from Queenstown to Arrowtown. It'll take a bit longer than driving yourself, but it's very affordable
- Distance Time
- Only 15 mins from central Queenstown, Arrowtown was built at the height of the gold rush
Wanaka
- Distance Time
- Many tourists still make the hour's drive (68 km/ 42 miles) to Wanaka from Queenstown on a day trip
Gibbston Valley (Wine Region)
- Distance Time
- The Gibbston Valley is a world-famous wine region renowned especially for its delicious Pinot Noir variety. And what's great is that it's just a 30-minute drive (30 km/ 18 miles) from Queenstown
Glenorchy
- Highlights
- Horse trekking, jet boating and kayaking are popular activities; Glenorchy is also the gateway to some of New Zealand's best hiking trails
- Distance Time
- Glenorchy is only an hour's drive from Queenstown, but plan for longer as there are so many incredible stops along the way
Milford Sound
- Distance Time
- Because it's quite a long drive from Queenstown (3.5 hours/ 288 km each way), you will need to allow approximately 12 hours for this day trip
Mount Cook (Aoraki)
- Distance Time
- Distance from Queenstown = 3 hours and 20 mins, 263km
Ground Transport
- Rental Cars
- Major rental car companies operate from the terminal building. Bookings are strongly recommended
- Taxi Ride Share
- Taxis and rideshare services, including Uber, operate from Queenstown Airport and provide direct transport to your destination
Public Bus
- Details
- With stops across Queenstown and Arrowtown, our buses are simple to use and easy on the wallet
- Operator
- Orbus
- Fare Cash
- NZ$12
- Frequency
- Our public transport route runs every 15 minutes throughout the day—from 6 a.m. until midnight
- Fare Bee Card
- NZ$2.50
- Bee Card Setup
- There is a one-off cost of $5 to buy a Bee Card, but once you have it, you'll have ongoing access to the $2.50 fare
Airport Shuttle
- Fare
- NZ$10
- Details
- Discounts apply if two or more people are travelling together. Shuttles are normally shared with other passenger groups. The journey can take up to 30 minutes at peak traffic times or when there are several drop-offs along the way
- Description
- A shuttle is a cost effective way to travel into the centre of the town
Rail Connections
- Multi Modal Option
- With connecting scenic coach services, you can travel south from either Greymouth or Christchurch to the West Coast Glaciers, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Invercargill, Mt Cook/Aoraki, Invercargill (for ferry services to Stewart Island), Dunedin or from Auckland to Paihia in the Bay of Islands and the thermal wonderland of Rotorua
- Note
- New Zealand's scenic passenger trains run select routes, but there is no rail line to Queenstown
Long Distance Bus
- Operators
- There are daily buses to Queenstown from Wanaka, Dunedin, Invercargill and Christchurch to Queenstown as well as scheduled coach tours and backpacker tour buses
- Main Provider
- InterCity operates scheduled daily departures between Queenstown and most destinations across the South Island
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this getting there & away research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.newzealand.com
- 2.queenstownnz.co.nz
- 3.queenstownairport.co.nz
- 4.flightsfrom.com
- 5.queenstownferries.co.nz
- 6.orc.govt.nz
- 7.orc.govt.nz
- 8.newzealand.com
- 9.vacationqueenstown.com
- 10.newzealand.com
- 11.queenstownnz.co.nz
- 12.myqueenstowndiary.com
- 13.journeybybackpack.com
- 14.sandaltanman.com
- 15.realnz.com
- 16.newzealandwanderer.com
- 17.theinvisibletourist.com
- 18.myblondebucketlist.com
- 19.queenstownairport.co.nz
- 20.queenstownairport.co.nz
- 21.queenstownairport.co.nz
- 22.orc.govt.nz
- 23.tradingeconomics.com
More About Queenstown
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.