The 11 Hiking Tours in Queenstown That Earn Their Price

1.Cardrona High Country Pub Trail Horse Riding Trek (Intermediate+)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 261 reviews · from $365Our pick

Ride through Cardrona’s high country, cross the river, learn gold-rush history, and stop for a drink at the historic Cardrona Hotel.

“This was such a great trip! My daughter’s (20 and 11) and I did this trek and it was great. My 11 yr old and I have never been on a horse, Emily was so helpful and careful with my daughter. She was scared to keep going after the first time we startRead more”

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2.Walter Peak Horse Trek & Queenstown Lake Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 151 reviews · from $134Best value

Ride across Walter Peak farmland, cruise Lake Whakatipu, and enjoy tea on a 3.5-hour Queenstown outing for all riding levels.

“Ferrie ride was great. We did the Walter Peak Horse Ride. Looked after us as we had not been on a horse many years. The afternoon high tea was delicious.”

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3.Gold Discovery Trail Horse Trek Cardrona – Most popular!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 151 reviews · from $309

Ride through Cardrona’s gold-rush country, cross streams, climb mountain trails, and enjoy wide views with a friendly small-group guide.

“Activity provider refused to provide any service after a 30 mins late, at meanwhile they also refused to provide any refund or reschedule which seems illegal”

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4.Half Day Walter Peak Horse Trek and Cruise from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 101 reviews · from $142

Cruise Lake Wakatipu on the TSS Earnslaw, enjoy tea at Walter Peak, and take a gentle guided horse ride with Remarkables views.

“It was beautiful but the guides were just walking on foot in front of us the whole way so it was slow and not particularly exciting.”

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5.Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike Tour from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $1,178

Ride from Queenstown to Tasman Glacier by plane and helicopter, then hike through blue ice caves with guides, crampons, and mountain views.

“The photos speak for them selves Definitely a must do while in the South Island of New Zealand. A special thanks to plane pilot and helicopter pilot for sharing their knowledge of the landscape along the way.”

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6.Mt Cook Small Group Tour & Heli Hike Combo from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · from $750

Review of the Mt Cook heli hike from Queenstown, with glacier flights, guided stops, costs, weather risks, gear, and practical booking advice.

“The driver and the tour guide, "Plate" (the sound of his name) was trying to create a positive atmosphere for this Mt Cook tour on a cold and rainy day (5th April, 2023) He's knowledgeable and introduced related background information about the things we saw along the route to Mt Cook. The cafe in Omarama that we stopped for a break was fantastic and we had a lovely hot chocolate and sandwiches for morning tea there. (much better than another cafe in Omarama which is chosen by InterCity) He also kept us up-to-dated to the weather condition that might affect our helicopter flight to glacier (was cancelled due to the…”

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7.Golden Hills Horse Trek in Central Otago

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · from $142

Ride through Central Otago orchards and hills on a small-group horse trek with lake and mountain views, suitable for beginners and families.

“My friend and I really enjoyed this, it was my first time riding a horse and my friend had been horse riding years ago. We both felt very relaxed and Karo made it enjoyable as she was super friendly. Time went pretty quick too for the 2hr session”

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8.Routeburn Track Guided Hike (Full Day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · from $257

Review of Nomad Safaris’ full-day Routeburn Track hike from Queenstown, with guide, lunch, fitness tips, costs, and practical advice.

“It was such an amazing and happy trip. Sunlight, wind, and fresh air were perfect gifts of nature for us.”

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9.Franz Josef Glacier Hike & Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 6h 30m · from $1,015

Fly from Queenstown to Franz Josef, land by helicopter, and hike across glacial ice with a guide on this full-day South Island adventure.

“Amazing trip. View was amazing on the plane to Franz Josef. Lily is an amazing pilot. Glacier hike was an a great experience. Sarah is great guide and I felt safe the whole time”

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10.Cardrona Valley: Horse Trekking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 2 hours - 210 minutes · from $298

Ride gentle horses through Cardrona Valley with private lessons, mountain views, and small-group trails for beginners and confident riders.

“Det är en jätterolig tur med Hanna som instruktör. Mycket galopp och fantastiska ridvägar . Hästarna kändes väldigt fina och välskötta.”

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11.Full-Day Small-Group Routeburn Valley Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $293

Hike the Routeburn Valley from Queenstown with a guide, scenic transport, rainforest trails, Glenorchy views, and a small group of 10.

“Great hike with Charles! Beautiful views, very knowledgeable about plant and bird identification. Had our own private vehicle and guided time for 4.”

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