Places
Queenstown in summer: the weather, the long evenings and the best things to do
Queenstown in summer, December to February, means days of 20 to 22°C, nights around 9 or 10°C, and sunsets after 9pm. It is the town’s busiest season, and for good reason: the walks are clear of snow, the lake is blue, and you can fit a jet boat, a gondola ride and a dinner cruise into one long day. The one thing it is not is a swimming holiday; Lake Wakatipu stays at about 10°C all year.
Below is the summer weather month by month, the things worth doing with real prices, where to swim, the season’s events, and how to get there. Queenstown is on 366 of our itineraries, more than anywhere else in the country.
The weather, month by month
Averages for Queenstown Airport from NIWA’s climate tables, 1991 to 2020, with sunset times for the middle of each month.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Wet days | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 20°C | 9°C | 60 mm | 9 | 9.16pm on the 1st, 9.34pm at the solstice |
| January | 22°C | 10°C | 72 mm | 8 | about 9.33pm |
| February | 22°C | 10°C | 51 mm | 7 | about 9.00pm |
Mountain weather moves fast. A blue morning can turn to cold rain by afternoon, and the tops can see snow in any month, so carry a warm layer and a rain jacket on any walk above the town. The UV is extreme in summer; sunscreen even on cloudy days.
The best things to do on a summer day
Book the Milford Sound trip and the dinner cruise first: they are the ones that sell out in January. Prices are adult fares from the operators’ own sites, checked in October 2026.
| Activity | How long | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotover Jet | 25 minutes | NZ$199 | Jet boat through the Shotover canyons, from Arthurs Point |
| TSS Earnslaw cruise | About 90 minutes | NZ$129 | Coal-fired steamship from 1912, from Steamer Wharf |
| Walter Peak dinner cruise | Evening | NZ$175 | Earnslaw across the lake to a high country farm barbecue |
| Milford Sound day trip | 12 to 13 hours | NZ$319 | Coach about 5 hours each way, plus the cruise |
| Ben Lomond Track | 6 to 8 hours return to the summit | Free | Or 3 to 4 hours to the saddle from the gondola top |
| Queenstown Hill | 2 to 3 hours return | Free | A steep climb from Belfast Terrace; the best view of town for the effort |
| Arrow River Bridges ride | 2 to 3 hours by bike | Bike hire | An easy 13 km trail with suspension bridges, towards Arrowtown |
| Gibbston River Trail | 1 to 2 hours by bike | Bike hire | Easy riding past the wineries of the Gibbston Valley |
The DOC page for the Ben Lomond Track is worth reading before you go: there is no water above the gondola, and hypothermia is a real risk even in summer. Trail sections on the Queenstown Trail close for repairs from time to time, so check the trust’s status page on the day.
Swimming in Lake Wakatipu, and the warmer options
Lake Wakatipu is fed by snowmelt and stays cold: Destination Queenstown puts it at around 8 to 10°C all year, and it rarely reaches the low teens even on the hottest days. A dip off the Queenstown Bay pontoon is a summer ritual; a long swim is for the hardy.
- Queenstown Bay: five minutes from town, with a pontoon.
- Frankton Beach: shallow and a little warmer, with barbecues and a playground.
- Lake Hayes, at Mill Creek: warms up more than Wakatipu in summer, a short drive towards Arrowtown.
- Moke Lake: smaller, and warmer in peak summer, a short drive from town.
- Onsen Hot Pools at Arthurs Point: private hot tubs, open 9am to 11pm, for when the lake is too much.
LAWA advises staying out of the water for 48 hours after heavy rain.
Summer events in and around Queenstown
| Event | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Queenstown Marathon | Saturday 14 November 2026 | Queenstown |
| Kepler Challenge | Saturday 5 December 2026 | Te Anau, on the Kepler Track |
| Rhythm and Alps festival | 30 and 31 December 2026 | Cardrona Valley |
| Challenge Wānaka triathlon | Saturday 20 February 2027 | Wānaka |
| Motatapu | Saturday 6 March 2027 | Wānaka area |
| Wānaka A&P Show | 12 and 13 March 2027 | Wānaka |
Last summer the central Queenstown and Wānaka streets were alcohol-free from Christmas Day to 6 January, and New Year’s Eve ended with fireworks over Queenstown Bay. Event weekends fill the town, so check the calendar before you fix dates.
Getting there, and booking ahead
Queenstown Airport has nonstop flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, about three hours, plus connections from Auckland and Christchurch. Our guide to flights from Australia lists every route. The airport closes at 10pm, and crosswinds or fog occasionally divert flights, so leave a night’s buffer before a tour or a Milford trip.
Summer is the peak: Queenstown Lakes recorded 549,000 guest nights in January 2026, up on the year before, and its hotels charge the highest room rates in the country. Book beds and the big-ticket activities early. 67 of our tours start in Queenstown, from NZ$1,170 (about A$973) per person this week; see them all in our Queenstown guide.
Quick answers
Trips that fit
Journey from Queenstown to Christchurch, with Glaciers and TranzAlpine Train
3 days across the South Island, from Queenstown through to Christchurch, no driving and no guide, with every connection booked for you. Strong on family touring.
The Interisland Experience
7 days across both islands, Queenstown to Wellington, at your own pace behind the wheel. Strong on adventure.
New Zealand Panorama 27/28
7 days across both islands, from Queenstown through to Auckland, fully escorted, so every day just happens. Strong on Māori culture.
