Walks and hikes in Queenstown: from the lake shore to the tussock tops

Where the walks start

Four walks start in or beside the town centre. The Frankton Track follows the lake shore east from Queenstown Gardens. The Tiki Trail climbs from the gondola base on Brecon Street to Bob's Peak, where the Ben Lomond Track carries on to the saddle and summit. Queenstown Hill rises from Belfast Terrace, north-east of the centre. The other four need a car or a lift: the Kelvin Peninsula across the lake; Moke Lake and Bob's Cove off the Glenorchy road to the west; and the Routeburn, far beyond Glenorchy, off the edge of the map.

What it's like

Walking here is mostly a matter of climbing out of the trees towards the lake. The walks from town start steep and wooded: Destination Queenstown says the Tiki Trail offers few viewpoints until the top. Higher up, DOC describes Ben Lomond leaving the Douglas fir at about 800 metres for alpine tussock and open views over the ranges. The walks further out keep low and stay close to water. On every walk the weather sets the terms. DOC calls Ben Lomond an exposed alpine track where conditions change quickly.

Your options

Eight walks cover what most visitors are looking for, numbered as on the map. Each has the figures in a table and its character on a card. Every grade belongs to the body that manages the trail: DOC's track categories, or the Queenstown Trail's numbered grades, where Grade 2 is Easy. We grade nothing ourselves.

Walks from town

* Time is the agreed figure; distances disagree. Queenstown Hill is given as 5.4 km return by Destination Queenstown and 4.2 km by Tourism New Zealand. DOC gives Ben Lomond as both 11 km and 14 km return. Read 15 and 16 October 2026.

1. Frankton Track

The lakeside path from the town's gardens round the Frankton Arm to the beach at Frankton. Turn back wherever you like; it is the gentlest walk on this page. The catch: cyclists share it.

2. Tiki Trail

The way up Bob's Peak on foot, climbing through forest with few views until the top station, where the town and the lake open out below. You can ride the gondola down. The catch: downhill mountain bikers cross the track at speed.

3. Queenstown Hill / Te Tapu-nui

A steady climb from the edge of town, past a small tarn ringed with bog pine and the Basket of Dreams sculpture, to open tops with views all the way round. The catch: the car park at the start is small.

4. Ben Lomond

Up through Douglas fir and out onto alpine tussock, to the saddle and then the summit, where DOC says the views reach Mount Earnslaw and Mount Aspiring. The catch: it is steep near the summit and exposed to the weather all the way. Our Ben Lomond Saddle guide has the full route to the saddle.

Walks that need transport

† Destination Queenstown gives 3.5–4 h return. Read 15 and 16 October 2026.

5. Kelvin Peninsula Trail

A trail round the edge of the peninsula across the water from town, with the lake beside you most of the way. Reach it by car, water taxi or bike. The catch: it is popular with cyclists and runners, so expect company.

6. Moke Lake loop

A circuit of a small lake through what DOC calls grassland surrounded by mountains, a short drive from town. The catch: you need a car, the road in ends in steep, winding gravel, and bikes are barred from part of the loop.

7. Bob's Cove

Along the shore of Lake Wakatipu through native bush and past ancient marine sediments, to a cove whose Māori name is Punatapu. A side track joins the Mt Crichton Loop. The catch: roadside parking that DOC says needs extreme caution.

8. Routeburn to Routeburn Flats

The opening stretch of one of New Zealand's Great Walks, gently winding, DOC says, beside the crystal-clear Route Burn. The catch is the drive: the track starts far beyond Glenorchy on a partly unsealed road.

Which walk is for you?

With the eight in front of you, the choice usually turns on time, fitness, transport and season:

Limits and risks

The lakeside walks are easy and the hill walks are steep, but on the high tracks the decisions are yours. DOC warns that hypothermia is a real risk on Ben Lomond even in summer.

Before a long walk, tell someone where you are going and when you expect back; AdventureSmart has a form for it. Destination Queenstown notes that personal locator beacons are for hire in Queenstown. In an emergency, call 111. In winter and spring, check the NZ Avalanche Advisory before going high.

Walking in the mountains carries risk that no page can remove. We have not walked these tracks and cannot judge conditions on the day. You walk at your own risk, so check the managing body's page that morning, and check that your travel insurance covers tramping.

Costs and getting to the start

Walking here costs almost nothing. Your money goes on getting to the start.

New Zealand dollars, read 16 October 2026.

Walks 1 to 4 all start in or near town. Brecon Street is a short walk from the centre, and our Queenstown guide covers the buses and the Bee Card. For Moke Lake, Bob's Cove and the Routeburn you need a car or a booked lift.

Weather, season and the day itself

Destination Queenstown gives October to April or May as the best time for Ben Lomond. DOC's Great Walks season on the Routeburn runs from 1 November to 30 April. RealNZ, which runs the lake cruises, gives typical summer temperatures of 19 to 29°C (December to February) and winter ones of 5 to 10°C (June to August).

On anything longer than the lakeside paths, carry food, a warm windproof layer and sun protection. A lakeside walk takes an hour or two. Queenstown Hill fills a morning, Ben Lomond's summit a full day, and the Routeburn a full day once the driving is counted. If you are choosing where to base yourself for walking, our where to stay guide compares the areas.

If a big climb isn't for you

The view is the prize, and you can have it without the climb. The Skyline gondola rises 480 metres, Skyline says, to the same outlook the Tiki Trail earns; our Bob's Peak guide covers it. The Frankton Track keeps the lake beside you at an Easy grade. In Arrowtown, the Arrow River Trail is an easy hour's return. At Glenorchy, a boardwalk crosses the wetlands, with views of Mount Earnslaw.

More to do in Queenstown, and more walking

Bungy jumping in Queenstown

The Kawarau Bridge, the Nevis and the canyon swing, with their limits and costs.

Bob's Peak and Ben Lomond

The gondola, the luge and the hill the Tiki Trail climbs.

Glenorchy

The head of the lake, its short walks and the road to the Routeburn.

Arrowtown

The gold town, the Chinese Settlement and the river trails.

Wānaka

The base for Roys Peak and the Rob Roy Glacier walk.

The Kepler Track

A Great Walk from Te Anau, for when a day is not enough.