Items | Queenstown to Wānaka: A Self-Guided Gibbston Valley Driving Tour
Queenstown to Wānaka: A Self-Guided Gibbston Valley Driving Tour
Queenstown
About
Discover Central Otago on this scenic self-guided audio tour drive from Queenstown Airport to Wānaka, tracing routes once travelled by Māori and gold miners. Pass through the Kawarau Gorge, birthplace of bungy jumping, past Gibbston Valley’s vineyards, and the towering Nevis Bluff. End beside the iconic “That Wānaka Tree.”
During this two-hour drive, you’ll: • Hear about Bannockburn’s wild gold rush past • Admire Cromwell’s orchards, giant fruit sculpture, and Lake Dunstan’s new landscape • Learn why pinot noir flourishes here, what makes lavender fields glow, and why real fruit ice cream is a summer tradition • Glide past the Pisa Range and through Luggate and Queensberry
Blending history...
Highlights
From 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
From 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Audio and written English Guide
Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
App for Android and iOS
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
Smartphone and headphones
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Food and drink
Transportation
Meeting Points
Departure
Queenstown Airport
The tour starts at Queenstown Airport, Terminal Parking A, near the Rent-A-Car building. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading
Return
The Wanaka Watersports Facility
The tour end in the parking lot of The Wanaka Watersports Facility.
Important Information
•
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
•
The total tour time includes walking the route and passing by the attractions
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
•
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
•
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
•
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
•
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
•
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
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Queenstown to Wānaka: A Self-Guided Gibbston Valley Driving Tour
Queenstown
Select Date & Travelers
From
$8.00
Price varies by group size
About
Discover Central Otago on this scenic self-guided audio tour drive from Queenstown Airport to Wānaka, tracing routes once travelled by Māori and gold miners. Pass through the Kawarau Gorge, birthplace of bungy jumping, past Gibbston Valley’s vineyards, and the towering Nevis Bluff. End beside the iconic “That Wānaka Tree.”
During this two-hour drive, you’ll: • Hear about Bannockburn’s wild gold rush past • Admire Cromwell’s orchards, giant fruit sculpture, and Lake Dunstan’s new landscape • Learn why pinot noir flourishes here, what makes lavender fields glow, and why real fruit ice cream is a summer tradition • Glide past the Pisa Range and through Luggate and Queensberry
Blending history...
Highlights
From 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
From 2 hours to 2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Audio and written English Guide
Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
App for Android and iOS
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
Smartphone and headphones
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Food and drink
Transportation
Meeting Points
Departure
Queenstown Airport
The tour starts at Queenstown Airport, Terminal Parking A, near the Rent-A-Car building. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading
Return
The Wanaka Watersports Facility
The tour end in the parking lot of The Wanaka Watersports Facility.
Itinerary
1
Lake Hayes Pavilion
Pass by this scenic gem, known to Māori as Waiwhakaata or “water that reflects", a stunning lakeside venue with breathtaking mountain views, perfect for unforgettable. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
2
AJ Hackett Kawarau Bungy Centre
Drive by the world’s first commercial bungy jump, an iconic adventure site where thrill-seekers leap 43 metres from a historic bridge over the stunning Kawarau River Gorge, and find out how the idea traces back to ancient tradition. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
3
Gibbston Valley Winery & Restaurant
Pass by and learn about award-winning wines and gourmet cuisine, nestled among dramatic vineyards in Central Otago’s “Valley of the Vines,” home to New Zealand’s oldest commercial wine cave. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
4
Kawarau Gorge
Travel through a corridor that has carried countless journeys long before yours. Sheer cliffs, a restless turquoise river, and rocky terraces make it feel untamed, shaping the stories of Māori, European settlers, and even movie-makers.
5
Roaring Meg
Drive by what, at first glance, might look like just another mountain stream tumbling down to join the Kawarau River, but appearances are deceptive.
6
Goldfields Mining Centre
Drive back in time at this historic Mining Centre, where you can explore historic gold mining sites, try gold panning, and discover how early miners lived and worked along the Kawarau River. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
preserves the remains of a once-bustling gold miners’ village, offering a glimpse of the tough, makeshift lives of those who rushed here chasing fortune.
7
Bannockburn Sluicings Historic Reserve
Pass by and find yourself learning about one of the most extraordinary landscapes in Central Otago, and the legacy of 1800s gold mining. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
8
Lake Dunstan
Drive along this entirely man-made lake, formed in the early 1990s, which flooded the Cromwell Gorge and forever reshaping the landscape.
9
Jackson Orchards
Pass by this popular shop and learn how ice cream is a Kiwi summertime staple, with New Zealanders famously ranking among the highest consumers per capita in the world. Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
