Glenorchy is a short trek away from Queenstown, but the journey is one of the most famously beautiful drives across New Zealand. With natural sights so stunning it looks like it was taken from a fantasy, you won’t regret taking the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road.
There are plenty of well-known stops on the way and some hidden gems you don’t want to miss. Our complete guide is here to help you get the most out of your time in Queenstown, Glenorchy and the Mount Crichton area.
Need a ride for your trip? Book a hire car at the GO Rentals branch in Queenstown Airport! We’ll help you find the rental that perfectly matches you and your travelling party’s needs.
With our one-way rental program, you don’t have to worry about coming back to Queenstown to drop off your vehicle. Finish your road trip at any GO Rentals branch and enjoy complete Kiwi freedom on your journey.
Trip distance: 46 km
Days: 1-2
Car recommendation: Large cars/SUVs or Hybrid vehicle
Suitable for: Families, couples, nature lovers, film fans and hikers
Heading straight to Glenorchy from Queenstown is 46 km and should take a little under 40 minutes without any stops.
You’ll be driving along Lake Wakatipu the moment you leave Queenstown. You can find simply delightful vistas all along the shoreline of the lake, as well as hiking paths and a few filming locations from The Lord of the Rings movies! We recommend giving yourself a full day or more to enjoy the trip without any stress.
Whether you want to immerse yourself in a natural hike or simply enjoy the mountain views, the Queenstown to Glenorchy route offers something for everyone.
Kia Ora from our award-winning employees! We are passionate about New Zealand and have put together our insider local tips to GO the extra mile for our customers!
Queenstown is a must-visit destination with breathtaking mountain scenery and endless activities to enjoy. From skiing on world-class slopes to cruising on the historic Earnslaw or exploring the vibrant town centre with its incredible food scene, there’s something for everyone!
Wilsons Bay is beautiful, and in summer the water is slightly warmer than Queenstown so it makes for a good spot to swim or Paddle Board!
If you’re driving from Queenstown to Glenorchy, a great spot to take a break is Little Paradise Garden in Creighton. It’s a charming, well-maintained garden with beautiful flowers and a peaceful atmosphere – a perfect spot to stretch your legs and soak in the scenery. It’s a hidden gem that makes your drive a little more special!
This is a small little town 45km away from the main town of Queenstown. It has amazing views and a lovely little spot near the boat house at the Glenorchy Wharf to take beautiful photos. If you prefer a scenic walk then there are some hiking options and if you are feeling a bit adventurous there is Zipline as well. There is a lovely local Café that offers handmade goodies called Mrs Glens Café.
Before you set out on this short but rewarding road trip, don’t forget to explore everything Queenstown has to offer first.
Enjoy a day out full of outdoor activities with Skyline Queenstown. The Queenstown Skyline Gondola is the southern hemisphere’s steepest cable car, giving you a thrilling view of Bob’s Peak. Try a guided walk around the mountain, go biking or take a night trip to gaze at the stars away from the lights of the city.
When you’ve hit the top, why not have some fun on the way down? The Queenstown luge is a fun and fast activity suitable for the whole family. A cross between a go-kart and a toboggan, the luge is a winding, gravity-fueled ride through dips, tunnels and corners at thrilling speeds. It’ll be too much fun to go only once!
Kiwi Park is a 5-acre wildlife centre right in the heart of Queenstown. The park is one of the only places in New Zealand where you are guaranteed to see the national bird. This family-owned business is dedicated to conserving New Zealand's local or endangered species, like the iconic Kiwi or the only mountain parrot in the world, the Kea.
From Kiwi encounters to conservation shows to self-guided tours, Kiwi Park is your chance to experience rare New Zealand fauna firsthand. Be sure to try a taste of local wild honey at the Honeybee Centre.
Take a moment in nature by heading to Queenstown’s closest climb. Ben Lomond, a mountain just outside Queenstown, offers a challenging hike with stunning rewards. The Ben Lomond hike will take you past fir plantations, the Remarkables, bike paths and more.
At the peak, you can see an interpretation panel to guide you on the other nearby peaks. Please keep in mind that descending the summit can take as long as climbing it. Be sure to head out early so there’s plenty of daylight on your climb.
Discover a hidden gem at Deer Park Heights. Deer Park Heights is a scenic drive through a working deer farm just a short trek away from Queenstown Airport. The park offers a completely unobstructed view of the Wakatipu Basin and a chance for up-close animal encounters.
Feed local wildlife like deer, goats and sheep on your way to charming picnic grounds or two breathtaking Summit Lookouts. The deer park is also home to over seven filming locations for The Lord of the Rings!
Looking to stay in Queenstown for a little longer? Sunshine Bay has great accommodations that place you right next to Queenstown’s greatest attractions. From easy walks that give you an incredibly scenic view of the lake to lazy days down by the shore, Sunshine Bay is a great place to relax in between your South Island adventures.
Just a short drive away from Queenstown is a ski area famous for its beauty, height and friendly atmosphere. The Remarkables is a ski area suitable for both seasoned experts and first-timers, with a large learners area and plenty of extreme ski runs.
The Remarkables also offers tubing, sledding and a terrain park. With a new lodge and over 4 chair lifts, the Remarkables is your chance to enjoy a wonderful winter adventure.
Get your heart pumping on your way out of town! Fear Factory Queenstown is one of the town's best indoor activities. Challenge yourself or your friends to experience a haunted hotel with thrills around every corner.
With a special effects-filled live horror show for the truly courageous and a terrifying haunted tour, The Fear Factory is the perfect day out for horror fans.
The Road to Glenorchy is a natural feast for the eyes. From old filming locations to mountainsides and hiking paths, simply driving through the area is a delightful ride. There are also tons of exciting activities to enjoy along the way.
The Twelve Mile Delta is a camping ground right next to gorgeous filming locations and river rides. Enjoy a night in the mountain wild with fully functioning toilets, picnic tables and clean running water.
With a large car park and close proximity to stunning scenery, Twelve Mile Delta is the perfect camping base for your Queenstown adventures.
Over 5 scenes of Peter Jackson's Lord of The Rings trilogy were filmed in the Otago region. Be sure to see the sights of Middle Earth for yourself while you’re in the area.
The Ithiline Lookout is a hiking trail that will take you to one of the filming locations for the Two Towers film. A short walk away from the Twelve Mile Delta camping site, the hike will take you through charming forest greenery and the sounds of local birdlife.
While you won’t be seeing any Oliphaunts on the trail, the lookout will give you a view fit for a king.
Lake Wakatipu is your constant companion on the road to Glenorchy. Wakatipu is ew Zealand's longest lake, and is wide, clear and utterly beautiful. It offers many adventurous activities like paddle boarding, para flights and jet boat rides.
While on the road, you can take a second to appreciate the water at many different stops, suchas Rat Point or Paradise Wharf.
Originally built in the 1930s, Sam Summers Hut is your chance to get hands-on experience with New Zealand's history. You can find the hut on the Mt Crichton Loop track, a three-hour walk across old gold mining territory. The hut presents a unique look into the lifestyle of the gold prospectors.
Through the hut and its surroundings, you can see Chinese ceramics, mining tools, a ‘tail race’ tunnel for carrying water and a large sluicing canyon. Be transported to the past like never before as you take a rest from hikes across the mountain.
Pass through native bush and birdlife on your way to this lovely little gem. Bob’s Cove is a walk through tui, bellbirds and wood pigeon territory that takes you past a historic lime kiln made during the 1800s. The Bobs Cove track is one of the easiest hiking trails around Queenstown, making it perfect for children and beginners.
Be sure to bring your swimming clothes for a quick dip in the lake when you go!
Enjoy one of the true hidden gems of Mt Crichton in Paradise Valley. This small locality is well-named for its vistas and natural allure. Every inch of Paradise Valley is an incredible delight, from the most stunning reflections of the sky in the lake to the colours of the trees and fields harmoniously blending. You’ll always remember your first sight of paradise.
Look between the shores of Lake Wakatipu and Pig Island while you’re on the road and you’ll see Pigeon Island as you approach Glenorchy. The Island can only be accessed by boat, kayak or helicopter and is famous for the Pigeon Island Hut.
Pigeon Island is surrounded by towering mountain vistas reflected on the water. The hut can also be booked for an overnight stay, but be warned, slots fill up quickly.
It is one of the few locations where you can see Weka, a rare flightless bird native to New Zealand. This gem on the water is a must-see destination for anyone fascinated by New Zealand's exceptional nature.
Need to stop and stretch your legs on the way to Glenorchy? Bennetts Bluff Lookout is a beloved track that is easy to reach. Since 2021, there has been a new trail leading from the car park to the lookout point. It’s a quicker walk that continually gets prettier the higher you go.
At only 15 minutes there and back again, Bennet’s Bluff Lookout is a perfect place to give you a short and sweet break from the road.
Just as you reach Glenorchy, you’ll find the Dart River Valley stretching through the town and towards Mount Aspiring National Park. The valley offers a whole new set of adventures and activities while you are in Glenorchy. Whether you’re in a kayak, helicopter or jetski, you won’t struggle to find something to do in the Dart River Valley.
The Dart River Valley also offers two ravishing but difficult hikes through a unique mountainous landscape. The Rees and Dart track will take challengers through creeks, shelters and townships in journeys that can take between 8 hours and 4 days.
Once you’ve soaked in everything the Glenorchy-Queenstown road has to offer, it’s time to settle into Glenorchy. This township might be smaller than Queenstown, but it has just as much character, natural beauty and adventure.
While in Glenorchy, make sure you give yourself a day or two to experience everything you can.
Just as you get into Glenorchy, you can find this small spot overlooking Dart River. Glenorchy Wharf is a charming wooden pier overlooking the river that’s perfect for a quick pit stop. If you’re lucky, and depending on the time of year, you can also find purple lupin flowers along the shore that perfectly complement the colours of the setting sun.
25 km from Glenorchy you can find this world-famous walk. Routeburn is a multi-day hiking experience made up of three tracks. Each track will take you through historical sites, swing bridges, sparkling lakes and deep valleys. You’ll find over three public service facilities on the trail.
From Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake McKenzie to the Divide, you’ll trail across blooming forests and greenery to high peaks with unforgettable views. The Routeburn Track is an outstanding walk that’s well worth the effort.
The Glenorchy Animal Experience is your chance to get some hands-on experience with friendly and local animal life. Feed and pet alpacas, llamas, miniature horses, native Kune Kune pigs and more. The farm is home to more than 100 animals, and there are self-guided tours through the ponds and open paddocks for you to enjoy.
You can even see sheep shearing, lambing and haymaking happening around the farm, depending on the time of year. Get away from it all with some fur therapy while you’re in Glenorchy.
Here’s your last chance to enjoy a scenic location from the Lord of the Rings films. On the Routeburn Track, you’ll find this stunning overview of the Dart River Valley and the mountains around Glenorchy. Peter Jackson found the view so alluring, that it was used to represent the natural majesty of Isengard in the first film.
With clouds and mists forming across the valley without warning, fans can instantly recognise the lookout even without any magical towers in the distance.
While Glenorchy's scenic drive may be short, we advise being ready before you hit the trail. Here are some things to keep in mind while you’re driving in the South Island.
Our Snap Happy Photo Competition has customers revv’d up about how far they can go in a modern car hire in New Zealand! Submit a cool photo of your GO travel memory and be in with a chance to WIN up to $500 back from your booking too.
Driving towards Glenorchy, a piece of NZ paradise!! Driving through mesmerizing snow-capped mountains and glacial rivers took our breath away. The drive was so comfortable and enjoyable in 4WD!!
Thanks to our GO Rentals car we were lucky enough to drive to Glenorchy from Queenstown to appreciate the breathtaking landscape and views used in the Lord of the Ring’s movies. I captured some great shots but this one is my favourite, showing my two boys being silly and having fun. My youngest first plane trip and first time in the snow this week. It took a lot of saving but I’m happy to have created these memories with my kids.
Hired a RAV4 from GO Rentals for our holiday in Queenstown and used it to travel very comfortably to Milford Sound, Arrowtown, Glenorchy and everywhere in between. Here is a photo of our RAV4 parked at Glenorchy near the Red Shed.
This was our first overseas family holiday. Our GO Rentals car allowed us to explore so much of the South Island. This photo was taken on the last day of our holiday. We decided to do the short drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy. So glad we did, it certainly didn't disappoint!!
The best part of a Kiwi road trip is the freedom of the open road. With One-Way Rentals, you can gear up for a stunning South Island trip, without stressing about returning to your starting point in time for drop-off.
If you’re stopping your journey in Glenorchy, pick up a one-way Christchurch to Queenstown hire car for your drive. Or, you can continue the road trip vibes by heading down to our Invercargill branch for drop-off with a Queenstown to Invercargill one-way rental.
One-way rentals are a great way to get the most out of your road trip before you have to hit the brakes.
The Queenstown to Glenorchy drive is an unforgettable experience. As soon as you hit the road, you’ll see why so many adventurers, hikers, and filmmakers are obsessed with its beauty.
However, even on a short, straightforward trip, it’s natural to be nervous driving on unfamiliar roads. That’s why, at GO Rentals, we do everything we can to give you greater confidence and peace of mind on your journey.
We offer 24-hour roadside assistance and basic car insurance included with each car rental. Our Total Road Care package also covers government road taxes and the price of any toll roads you drive on. This means you can focus completely on your New Zealand adventure.
Why not use our GO Rentals Trip Planner to make things even smoother? We’ll help you plan out the perfect itinerary for your vacation so you don’t miss a thing.
Book with us today and enjoy a breathtaking New Zealand road trip. Where will you GO next?
