Our first day in New Zealand proved to be quite the adventure. Andrew picked us up right on time, a…read morekind and informative guide. We visited Gibston Valley, Brennan and Kinross. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Queenstown. Thank you Andrew for truly going above and beyond from the minute we "hopped" on your bus to follow through the next day. You truly made our experience a great one.

Queenstown Wine Trail was a very enjoyable experience!…read more We were picked up by Grant in Queenstown and took a 45 minute drive to our first stop on the 'Wine and Food sampler'. Our Fist stop was Wild Earth winery where we sampled three Pinot Noirs (the type of wine Central Otaga is most famous for, a Riesling, and a Pinot Gris. Each was paired with delicious, and well presented food items made in a unique wine barrel smoker - very cool! Our second stop was to the Gibbston Vally Winery were we toured their wine cellar cave. The cave was very fascinating, it housed at least one hundred barrels of wine and has a cut out where at least one bottle from each vintage is locked up in a special room. The cave is a constant 56 degrees Fahrenheit year round (amazing for a region with such drastic temperature changes throughout the year). We tasted some fantastic cheeses and wines! Grant then dropped us off back in Queenstown after a quick scenic tour and stop at a beautiful viewpoint. Overall, I highly recommend the tour!

We ended up with a free afternoon on our short visit to Queenstown and was able to arrange a…read morelast-minute private wine tour of the Gibbston Wine region with a few emails back and forth with Matthew. This small company, only 3-people, is able to be flexible and deliver a bespoke, high-quality experience tailored to the needs of its clients. With our excellent guide Matthew we visited Three beautiful and unique wineries customized to our interests. We had asked him to take us to small, boutique wineries where the passions of the winemaker combine with terroir to produce something special. His recommendations did not disappoint and we tasted a wide number of varietals across the wineries in the Gibbston sub region of Otago Valley. He picked us up promptly at the promised time in a comfortable van provisioned with fruit, chocolate and water and even took care of shipping some wine back to the states for us. We were only 2 in the van but it could comfortably hold 8. He is VERY knowledgeable about wine in the region and beyond and provided us with some great information throughout the tour. Plus he's such a personable guy. We even stopped off at the charming city, arrowtown, on our way back (reminiscent of Carmel CA) for a short walking tour. Beautiful. Highly recommended

Jake runs the most informative wine tour that I've ever done. His education in Oenology and…read moreprevious experience working in the local wineries shows through. Not only is the overall tour he provides highly illuminating, but if you ask him specific questions, there is clearly great depth to his knowledge. There are several tour options. We did the Degustation Tour which includes food pairings with the wine. This is an excellent way to taste Pinot Noir, which is really meant to be enjoyed with food, and is the specialty in the Queenstown area. We also tasted Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, and Gewurztraminer. The first stop includes a wine and appetiser pairing at a winery cellar. The second stop is a full lunch with several pairings. After that, there were two more stops at wineries. You will taste about five wines at each stop, for a total of 20 wines.

Had a great day out around Queenstown's wineries. Our driver was very friendly and helpful and the…read morewine was superb. Mt Rosa was our favourite. My partner and I would definitely do it again

From the owner: Join our flexible & hassle-free local winery shuttle service. Departs daily from Queenstown at…read moremidday/12.00pm. With no set timetable & no stress, you simply discuss with your friendly onboard wine guide, the options of where you'd like to be dropped off to & picked up from. You will be well entertained with lots of freedom at an array of winery restaurants & tasting rooms, all highlighting our amazing Central Otago wines. There’s lots to do, such as wine & cheese tastings, or enjoying a local craft beer. All the wineries are very close together making it easy to give you the best day out & we'll have you back in town by 6pm approx. Our Wine Hopper service offers you the easiest way to enjoy the wineries at your own pace, in your own way, on the day. Check out our reviews & give us a call if you have any questions. Our Wine Hopper Bus is proudly locally owned & operated by a wine-only specialist company in Queenstown NZ.

Wonderful sport to sip and shop your favorite local and Australian wines. Purchase by the oz, 2 oz…read moreor 6 oz options of Reds , whites, blends and bubbles!

I came here for the whiskey and man, was it worth it. The card driven tastings were very appealing…read moreand so easy to manage. The whiskey selection here, although small, was of great quality. The wine selection is massive though, and they have good food selection to pair with your libation. Highly recommend stopping here for a few hours to drink.

We spent 2 days with Lee, the owner of Alpine, as our tour guide around Queenstown. First of all,…read morehis personality is great and we really enjoyed our time with him. Second, our first day with him was rainy and he had already decided and planned swapping activities for the day. He is very knowledgable about the area as he grew up there, and this was evident at some of the wineries we went to with him since the owners spent extra time with us and made the experience that much more fun! If you are looking for someone to plan your time in Queenstown you should definitely contact Alpine! There is so much to do in this area that it can be overwhelming to narrow it down and Lee can help steer you to the activities that would work best for your age, activity and interest levels.

From the owner: Alpine Luxury Tours operates luxury private tours and experiences with private guides based in…read moreQueenstown. We show people New Zealand in ways they never thought were possible. Our experienced team of local experts go above and beyond to provide truly unforgettable, luxury experiences. Based in Queenstown, our local knowledge enables exclusive access to some of New Zealand's most stunning destinations. Through the eyes of our local guides, we love being able to share them with you Family owned and operated, we take pride in luxury and environmental practices above all else. Our bespoke tours regularly see guest take to the skies and the seas in privately chartered helicopters, planes and cruise vessels - each available at a moment's notice. Because when your trip to Queenstown is an all-access-pass to stunning vistas and adventurous activities, who better to show than people who have called it home for decades?

As I was planning activities to do while in Queenstown, I stumbled upon this place that offers bike…read moretours that had really positive reviews. However, since I have never really done long distance biking before, I was hesitant to sign up for one of the tours that takes you further in and you bike back to the shop in downtown Queenstown. I decided to just rent an e-bike for half a day which would allow me to go at my own pace and return when I wanted to. Honestly, it was one of the best days of my life-the breathtaking scenery of Queenstown and the comfort of my own solitude exploring the bike paths overlooking Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown trail, Shotover bridge/river, Kawarau River... The person helping me at the shop was really friendly-helped walked me through how to use an e-bike (it was my first time using an e-bike but thought it would be the safest option in case I tired myself out later) and helped to adjust the seat as well when I had some trouble. The e-bike had different levels of support (eco, medium, and high)-I used eco mode for most of the time but used medium and high on my way back and it hardly used any of the battery life at all (there is a level usage on the screen). They provide you with a map which I used along with my phone to ensure I was on the right path but there are also many signs along the way, so I would say it would be hard to get lost. I would totally recommend this bike shop if you want a little adventure during your stay in Queenstown -something not as crazy as bungee jumping but will give you a thrill and some amazing views.

VISIT: end of February 2020 TOUR: Bike the Bridges -…read moreArrowtown to Gibbston Supported Tour VIEWS: 5 stars HELP FROM TOUR GUIDE: 5 stars SUITABLE FOR ALL ENDURANCE LEVELS: 4 stars DEALS: I found them through Chase Ultimate Rewards and several other sites MEETING SPOT: close to Fergburger and Fergbaker This tour was an honest pleasant surprise for us. The videos online looked cool, but mostly we got to experience so much that I don't think we would have seen. I would have never made a special trip to Arrowtown or Gibbston just based on the research I did, but what a beautiful way to view this amazing country! You meet at their meeting spot where the tour guide will drive you to your starting point. The tour guide stayed with everyone until they were comfortable on which path they were following and made sure that bikes and helmets were all sized appropriately. Our tour guide even gave special care to someone in our group that didn't speak English. You can leave items in the van, if you'd like, but my husband and I just had everything in our backpacks as the van is only there during certain check points. After that you are pretty much on your own with the bike tour, which was refreshing that you could go at your own pace. You see your tour guide at regular intervals along your track and that's always refreshing, in case you get tired you can always hop in the van. Along the way, you ride by the AJ Hackett bungee jumpers which was a nice stop to watch and use the restrooms and grab snacks, if you need. Then our tour ended at the Gibbston Winery which was just a nice treat after a good workout. ACTIVITY LEVEL: one of my biggest tenets is that the company dubs the Bike the Bridges tour a relatively easy ride and although it was, I was personally surprised at how much of a workout was. There was a good amount of inclines/declines and I workout regularly and have an active job, so I was relatively surprised. However, I realized after being in New Zealand that many of their residents are so active that I'm sure this would be an easy ride. For those on the fence, they do have electric bikes for rent, so that might be the way to go. NAVIGATION: the navigation is very easy and the trails are clearly marked. As mentioned above, your tour guide also makes sure he's waiting at regular intervals along your trail, so I wouldn't let that deter you I WOULD 100% DO THIS AGAIN: I am not a typical tourist that would return to do things again, but I cannot begin to explain how magical this was. Plus the tour was a half day, so we actually booked this the afternoon of our first full day in New Zealand to give us time to adjust to jet lag and the long tour the day before

A beautiful winery set amidst soaring mountains producing elegant pinots, Pinot Gris and more…read more We visited Peregrine as a part of a tour with Matthew from NZ win tours. We had asked him to take us to small, boutique wineries where the passions of the winemaker combine with terroir to produce something special. This was our first stop. They specialize in Bio-dynamic farming techniques which you can taste in their wines. The award-winning Soaring building looks like the hideout for Dr No or some othe Bond character with a distinctive angled roof. Inside the tasting room is sleek and modern with a long tasting bar. We had the opportunity to taste quite a variety of wines including a delicious rose-that was delicious with fresh strawberry and was a light pink hue-would be perfect for summer. In addition we tried the Pinot Gris-signature wine-very refreshing; Chardonnay-buttery not my favorite and several Pinot noirs including 2011 and 2015 (fresh and ready to age)-promising. Finally we tasted the Saddleback pinot 2016 -much more red fruit, a bit jammy-great for a summer bbq. All in all a great winery with nice wines in a distinctive setting. Recommended

Probably our favorite stop today. The grounds are well manicured and the building design has…read morereceived architectural awards. It is very modern and sleek although not cozy like some of the other tasting rooms so it makes you feel like you can't really linger. Anyway, our tasting was free since we bought a bottle. The Rose was crisp and refreshing after riding bikes a few hours. This pinot was also quite tasty. 2 Reislings...one was the typical super sweet while the other was more balanced. In any case, we purchased a bottle of the Rose. Service was great. A must stop on the wine trail.

We had a wonderful day with Sam Kuprus doing an out and back hike on the Routeburn Track. He was…read moredelightful and very knowledgeable! We are American and he taught us so much about the unique flora and fauna of NZ, discussed conservation and anti predation efforts. He also answered many questions we had about this beautiful and welcoming country. What an amazing and gorgeous forest walk, with epic waterfalls at the top, the azure waters of the Routeburn accompanying us most of the way!

Paula and Phil planned out a fantastic day of wine touring during our visit to Queenstown. We had…read morenever been to New Zealand prior to our trip and they did a wonderful job of recommending places to visit and eat and we took their advice on several stops. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our day with them!! Thanks again from the guys from Austin, Texas!!

Great Experience! Cruise ride, buffet, show and farm animals!…read more We did they evening bbq dinner (not Texas bbq, don't expect bbq sauce, they mean grilled meats) Cruise: the was relaxing, they had a bar areas with snacks, drinks and food options to buy Dinner: There are a wide variety of food (salads, bread cheese, appetizers, meats and desserts) you'll find something you'll like. It was a buffet style, the meats were lamb, chicken and venison Show: they sheer a sheep in front you and give you background knowledge Animals: once the show is done you can head to the gift shop or see the animals Overall great evening dinner experience HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Taking a leisurely cruise on the TSS Earnslaw along the majestic Lake Wakatipu is something not to…read moremiss while visiting Queenstown. The TSS Earnslaw is a 120+ year old coal steamship that is maintained almost exactly to how it was at that time. It's quite a large vessel at 48 meters long with two levels. You can access almost the entire ship. There's a top view the engine room to see the coals being shoveled into the furnace while also feeling the heat! There's a cafe where you can purchase food, coffee, and drinks with a good amount of tables to sit, a small museum/photo gallery of its history, and just where ever you are on the ship, you will always have amazing views of the pristine Lake Wakatipu and the mountain range. It can be windy, and the stairs can be steep and slippery, so be careful. You can purchase tickets on their website, or at the RealNZ Visitor Centre ticket counter located at the wharf along Beach Street. There are other activities you can add on with your cruise, such as the Walter Peak Farm Tour (with afternoon tea), a Gourmet BBQ Dinner at Walter Peak's Homestead Restaurant, or an Eco Experience where you tour the farm's gardens and grounds. In other words, the TSS Earnslaw's destination is Walter Peak High Country Farms, which you can partake in activities, or walk around yourself and catch the next ride. Overall, this was a very fun and enjoyable experience, and a must do while visiting Queenstown. The whole cruise was 90 minutes. It was a smooth ride, and the food and coffee is more than acceptable. The staff were friendly.