How are the Queenstown Top 10 lists ranked?

Each list is ranked independently using real Google review ratings and review volume, sense-checked by people on the ground in the Wakatipu basin. We are not pay-to-rank — businesses can't buy a higher position. Lists are kept current for 2026.

What's the number one thing to do in Queenstown?

The Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak is the iconic first stop for its panoramic Lake Wakatipu and Remarkables views, the luge and the Stratosfare buffet. For adventure, the original AJ Hackett Kawarau Bridge bungy and the Shotover Jet are the bucket-list classics.

How do I get around Queenstown without a rental car?

Use the $4 flat-fare Orbus network (tap on with a Bee Card), Super Shuttle for airport transfers from Queenstown Airport (ZQN), the Snowline ski buses in winter, lake water taxis, and rideshare apps. Queenstown's town centre is also very walkable.

What are the best free things to do in Queenstown?

The lakefront walk, Queenstown Gardens, the Queenstown Hill Time Walk, Bob's Cove, the Lake Hayes loop and the Arrowtown heritage trail are all free. You can also watch the bungy jumpers off Kawarau Bridge for nothing.

When is the best time to visit Queenstown?

Winter (June–October) is ski season for Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona. Summer (December–February) is best for hiking, biking, lake swimming and Central Otago wine. Autumn brings golden Arrowtown colours; spring is quieter and great value.

Can I advertise my Queenstown business on Best Queenstown?

Yes. Local businesses can take a featured placement at the top of their category, a sponsored slot on the homepage, or a network-wide campaign across all four NZ City Guides cities (Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua). Sponsorships are flexible and monthly, and everything is enquiry-based — send the form on our Advertise page and we'll share current availability for your category.

How do I get featured or listed higher in the rankings?

The editorial Top 10 rankings can't be bought — positions are earned on editorial judgement and on-the-ground checks. We publish no star ratings or review counts of our own. Advertising is kept separate and clearly labelled: featured and sponsored placements sit alongside the independent lists so readers always know what's paid. To enquire about a featured spot, visit our Advertise page.

Who is behind these Best Queenstown guides?

Best Queenstown is part of the independent NZ City Guides network, curated by Amit Sharma — an award-winning New Zealand marketer. The network is supported by genuine partners and Amit's free tools, which keeps the guides free and independent.

How are the Queenstown Top 10 lists ranked?

Each list is ranked independently using real Google review ratings and review volume, sense-checked by people on the ground in the Wakatipu basin. We are not pay-to-rank — businesses can't buy a higher position. Lists are kept current for 2026.

What's the number one thing to do in Queenstown?

The Skyline Gondola to Bob's Peak is the iconic first stop for its panoramic Lake Wakatipu and Remarkables views, the luge and the Stratosfare buffet. For adventure, the original AJ Hackett Kawarau Bridge bungy and the Shotover Jet are the bucket-list classics.

How do I get around Queenstown without a rental car?

Use the $4 flat-fare Orbus network (tap on with a Bee Card), Super Shuttle for airport transfers from Queenstown Airport (ZQN), the Snowline ski buses in winter, lake water taxis, and rideshare apps. Queenstown's town centre is also very walkable.

What are the best free things to do in Queenstown?

The lakefront walk, Queenstown Gardens, the Queenstown Hill Time Walk, Bob's Cove, the Lake Hayes loop and the Arrowtown heritage trail are all free. You can also watch the bungy jumpers off Kawarau Bridge for nothing.

When is the best time to visit Queenstown?

Winter (June–October) is ski season for Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona. Summer (December–February) is best for hiking, biking, lake swimming and Central Otago wine. Autumn brings golden Arrowtown colours; spring is quieter and great value.

Can I advertise my Queenstown business on Best Queenstown?

Yes. Local businesses can take a featured placement at the top of their category, a sponsored slot on the homepage, or a network-wide campaign across all four NZ City Guides cities (Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua). Sponsorships are flexible and monthly, and everything is enquiry-based — send the form on our Advertise page and we'll share current availability for your category.

How do I get featured or listed higher in the rankings?

The editorial Top 10 rankings can't be bought — positions are earned on editorial judgement and on-the-ground checks. We publish no star ratings or review counts of our own. Advertising is kept separate and clearly labelled: featured and sponsored placements sit alongside the independent lists so readers always know what's paid. To enquire about a featured spot, visit our Advertise page.

Who is behind these Best Queenstown guides?

Best Queenstown is part of the independent NZ City Guides network, curated by Amit Sharma — an award-winning New Zealand marketer. The network is supported by genuine partners and Amit's free tools, which keeps the guides free and independent.

BestQueenstownNZ City Guides

Adventure capital · Editorial Top 10s

The best of
Queenstown. Ranked.

Bungy, ski fields, fine dining, lake cruises and après — the adventure capital ranked Top 10 across every category by people on the ground.

39+ categories
Top 10 lists
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39categories39ranked lists24/7live updates

Tāhuna · Live

Curated by locals

Advertising·Hero spot available·1 sponsor / month · buys visibility, not rank·Enquire

LIVEZQN#1 ADVENTURESkyline Gondola#1 BUNGYKawarau Bridge#1 RESTAURANTRata#1 BURGERFergburger#1 CAFEVudu#1 INDIANMantra#1 HOTELEichardt's#1 SKICoronet Peak#1 GYMCityFitness#1 DETAILERKawash#1 SOCIALAmit SharmaREFRESHDAILY · NZTLIVEZQN#1 ADVENTURESkyline Gondola#1 BUNGYKawarau Bridge#1 RESTAURANTRata#1 BURGERFergburger#1 CAFEVudu#1 INDIANMantra#1 HOTELEichardt's#1 SKICoronet Peak#1 GYMCityFitness#1 DETAILERKawash#1 SOCIALAmit SharmaREFRESHDAILY · NZT

413

places ranked across 39 categories

independent Top 10 lists

Frankton Pharmacy

Big-format pharmacy with the cheapest brand-name vitamins in the basin.

Why today: Ski season — book ahead and expect the town to be full.

// Browse 39 categories

Pick a category to explore Queenstown

Top 15 Hairdressers & Barbers in Queenstown

Colour specialists, fades and boutique salons across the basin.

~/guide/hair-barbers Live · 202615 listed

Colour specialists, fades and boutique salons across the basin.

hairdresser Queenstown
barber Queenstown
hair salon Queenstown
colourist Queenstown

Top Pick

Crew Stylists

Tucked upstairs in the Mall on Ballarat Street since well before Queenstown got trendy, Crew pairs serious colour and cutting chops with a dedicated Barber-zone for the guys. A genuine one-stop for couples and wedding parties alike.

Queenstown CBD (The Mall)

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Gents Barber Shop

The original Gents on Shotover Street turned barbering into theatre back in 2018 — a fully licensed whisky bar and cigar lounge alongside the chairs. Cut-throat shaves, sharp fades and a night-out atmosphere in one sitting.

Queenstown CBD (Shotover Street)

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Queenstown Hair

A women-owned, LGBTQ+-friendly salon on Camp Street with a loyal local following and international-trained stylists. Known for nailing exactly what clients ask for, from precision kids' cuts to bold colour work.

Queenstown CBD (Camp Street)

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Violet's Hair Design

A Church Street fixture prized for its fun, unpretentious energy and stylists who genuinely listen. Master technicians on the floor mean precision cuts and colour corrections without the usual salon stiffness.

Queenstown CBD (Church Street)

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Bro Barbershop

Owner Milton runs this Trade Precinct barbershop like a neighbourhood lounge — sip a coffee, chat, and get a properly unhurried skin fade or beard shape from someone who treats the craft like art, not a conveyor belt.

Queenstown (Trade Precinct, Glenda Drive)

Maps

Hall of Fades Barbershop

A community fixture since 2020 serving locals and tourists off the same chair with equal care. Consistency is the calling card here — clean fades and polished finishes that don't vary whether it's your first visit or fiftieth.

Queenstown CBD (Earl Street)

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Iron + Ivy Hair Studio

Led by award-winning colourist Lauren McMurray-Sherwin, Iron + Ivy has built its name squarely on blondes, balayage and tape-in extensions. The go-to Frankton studio when you want a proper lightening job done right.

Frankton (Queenstown Central)

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Revolver Hair Studio

Iron + Ivy's sister studio brings the same 25-years-deep colour expertise to a historic Arrowtown shopfront on Buckingham Street. Precision cuts and lived-in colour worth the short drive from town.

Arrowtown (Buckingham Street)

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Cutting Edge Hair & Hair Care

Twenty-five years in business and still going strong at The Landing shopping centre, with an international team handling everything from keratin smoothing to foils. Longevity that speaks for itself in a town with high staff turnover.

Frankton (The Landing)

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#10

Wild Daisy Hair

Owner Haley Bower brought sixteen years of European colour training home to Five Mile, building a salon around blended blondes and glossy, lived-in colour rather than quick in-and-out cuts.

Frankton (Five Mile)

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#11

Pure Hair Studio

Sarah Mickan's studio takes a patient 'low and slow' approach to colour correction and transformation work, backed by real fashion-week styling credentials. Also the name locals call for bridal hair across Central Otago.

Queenstown (Hylton Place) / Wanaka

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#12

Hairon

Operating in Queenstown since 2005, Hairon runs both a salon and an attached Queenstown Barber arm across CBD and Five Mile sites. Two decades of local trade means a stylist for nearly every hair type and budget.

Queenstown CBD & Five Mile (multiple locations)

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#13

Frankton Hair

A no-fuss, fully equipped Frankton salon that welcomes walk-ins for men, women and kids alike, with late-night and Saturday hours that actually suit shift workers and tourists on tight itineraries.

Frankton

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#14

Hair By Shiyee

Seventeen-plus years of hands-on experience behind the chair at this Frankton Road studio, where returning clients book directly with Shiyee rather than whoever's free — a sign of real trust built one cut at a time.

Frankton (Frankton Road)

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#15

Arrowtown Hair Company

Set in the middle of Central Otago's prettiest township, this small team leans into exceptional client care over volume — the kind of unhurried, warm service that keeps Arrowtown locals from ever driving into Queenstown for a cut.

Arrowtown

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Browse Hair & Barbers by suburb

Hair & Barbers in Queenstown Central (6)Hair & Barbers in Frankton (5)

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Keep exploring Queenstown

4 hand-picked

Nails & Beauty

Sister beauty list

Dentists

A confident smile too

Weddings

Bridal hair & styling

Wedding Photographers

Photo-ready before the shoot

// Same list, other cities

Best hairdressers & barbers in Auckland, Wellington & Rotorua

Ranked to the same editorial standard as this page, by the same team.

Popular Queenstown suburbs

Best of Queenstown Central (127)Best of Frankton (87)Best of Arrowtown (16)Best of Gibbston (8)Best of Arthurs Point (4)

// Sponsored · Our partners

Proudly partnered with great Kiwi brands.

Paid placements. These brands sponsor the network and their support keeps the guides free — sponsorship buys visibility here, never a position in any Top 10.

NCP Group

NZ's premium electronics & smart-home distributor.

Circle K

24/7 convenience, Frosters & coffee across NZ.

Indo Kiwi Travel

Bali, Indonesia & Asia travel specialists.

Infinity Supplements

NZ's source for protein, pre-workout & performance supps.

Sponsored · NCP brands:Reolink Soundcore UGreen Konka Konic Amazfit Lockly Tymo

// Good to know