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

Rata

Josh Emett's modern NZ fine-dining flagship in a courtyard off the mall — the most awarded restaurant in Queenstown and a national Cuisine Restaurant of the Year alumnus.

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

Visit website

// Browse 39 categories

Pick a category to explore Queenstown

Top 10 Real Estate Agents in Queenstown

The agents selling the most lakefront, alpine and lifestyle property in the basin.

~/guide/real-estate Live · 202610 listed

The agents selling the most lakefront, alpine and lifestyle property in the basin.

Queenstown is one of the most competitive property markets in the country, and the agencies here lead on different parts of it — lakefront, alpine, lifestyle blocks and the Frankton growth corridor are genuinely different specialisms with different buyer pools. Ask an agent what they have actually sold in your street or your price band in the last year, rather than judging on the size of the brand.

Queenstown real estate
Queenstown property
lakefront Queenstown for sale

Top Pick

New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty

The dominant luxury and lakefront brokerage in the basin — global marketing and the most $5M+ sales in Queenstown each year.

Beach Street

Visit Maps

Bayleys Queenstown

Full-service residential, lifestyle and commercial — strong on rural Wakatipu basin lifestyle blocks.

Camp Street

Visit Maps

Harcourts Queenstown

NZ's biggest brand with the deepest local team — strong rentals, sales and property management coverage.

Stanley Street

Visit Maps

Ray White Queenstown

Modern auction-led marketing, particularly strong on Jack's Point, Hanley Downs and Lake Hayes Estate.

Beach Street

Visit Maps

Queenstown Real Estate (Locations)

Long-running independent brokerage focused on Wakatipu basin — known for lifestyle and lakefront listings the chains do not get.

Camp Street

Maps

Premier Real Estate Queenstown

Boutique team with strong off-market network — particularly active in Sunshine Bay and Closeburn.

Frankton Road

Maps

NAI Harcourts Queenstown

The commercial real estate arm — retail leases, hotel sales and large-format Frankton industrial.

Frankton

Maps

LJ Hooker Queenstown

Strong on first-home and investor stock around Frankton Flats, with a dedicated property management team.

Frankton

Maps

Colliers Queenstown

International brand for hotel, resort and large commercial deals — the firm behind many of the basin's largest transactions.

Beach Street

Maps

#10

Tall Poppy Queenstown

The flat-fee challenger — the same listings on TradeMe and realestate.co.nz, lower commissions, growing fast.

Online · Q-town

Maps

Browse Real Estate by suburb

Real Estate in Queenstown Central (6)Real Estate in Frankton (3)

Real Estate in Queenstown — common questions

Yes. Agents, branch managers and salespeople must be licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act 2008, and the Real Estate Authority maintains the public register along with any disciplinary history. It is worth a search before you sign an agency agreement.

It depends on the buyer and the property — the Overseas Investment Act sets the rules and some purchases need consent. This is the single most common complication in this market, and it is a question for a property lawyer before you make an offer, not after.

Body corporates, alpine and leasehold titles, and short-term-let zoning all appear far more often here than nationally, and each one changes what a property is worth to a given buyer. Local experience is worth more in this market than in most.

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Keep exploring Queenstown

4 hand-picked

Lawyers

Conveyancing partners

Accountants

Tax on your sale

Solar Installers

Add value before listing

Web Design

Launch the brand online

// Same list, other cities

Best real estate agents 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

Queenstown — frequently asked questions

// NZ City Guides Network

One network. Every great Kiwi city.

Editorial Top 10 rankings — written locally, ranked on merit. Four cities, one editorial standard. A ranking position is never for sale.

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Auckland
City of Sails
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Wellington
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Rotorua
Geothermal capital
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Queenstown
Adventure capital

More cities coming soon · Want your city listed? Get in touch

Rata

Pick a category to explore Queenstown

Top 10 Real Estate Agents in Queenstown

The agents selling the most lakefront, alpine and lifestyle property in the basin.

New Zealand Sotheby's International Realty

Bayleys Queenstown

Harcourts Queenstown

Ray White Queenstown

Queenstown Real Estate (Locations)

Premier Real Estate Queenstown

NAI Harcourts Queenstown

LJ Hooker Queenstown

Colliers Queenstown

Tall Poppy Queenstown

Browse Real Estate by suburb

Real Estate in Queenstown — common questions

Are New Zealand real estate agents licensed?

Can overseas buyers purchase property in Queenstown?

What makes Queenstown property different from other NZ markets?

Keep exploring Queenstown

Best real estate agents in Auckland, Wellington & Rotorua

Popular Queenstown suburbs

Proudly partnered with great Kiwi brands.

Queenstown — frequently asked questions

How are the Queenstown Top 10 lists ranked?

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

How do I get around Queenstown without a rental car?

What are the best free things to do in Queenstown?

When is the best time to visit Queenstown?

Can I advertise my Queenstown business on Best Queenstown?

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

Who is behind these Best Queenstown guides?

One network. Every great Kiwi city.

Auckland

Wellington

Rotorua

Queenstown