How much does a trip to Queenstown Cost?
The Cost of a Trip to Queenstown
A trip to Queenstown for one person usually costs between $46 and $215 per day and $92 to $431 for two people. This is a wide range of costs, and the daily average per person from our data is $105 (NZ$175) per person. This average includes food, accommodation, sightseeing, and local transportation expenses contributed from other travelers. Prices can vary based on travel style and activities. While the overall price for a trip to Queenstown is dependent on your personal travel style and the specific places you visit, if you book standard accommodation and travel with an average level of convenience, then your budget should be somewhere close to this average cost. Later in this article, you can find a breakdown of travel expenses by category, plus a general price range of accommodation and activity costs for your visit. Also, the prices for individual attractions and hotels may vary, but generally fall somewhat close to the price ranges described in this article.
How much money should you budget for your trip to Queenstown?
Budget travelers to Queenstown often spend around $46 per day. This usually includes a stay at a hostel and meals at affordable restaurants around town. Many budget travelers also prefer free activities over those that cost too much money. If you have a bit more money to spend, you should budget around $105 (NZ$175) per day. This average includes a mid-range hotel and more meals in restaurants, along with a higher budget for entertainment and activities. Luxury travelers should plan to spend around $215 a day which includes higher-end accommodations, restaurants, tours, and activities. For more details, see our average travel costs for Queenstown here.
Average Daily Costs, Per Person, by Category
| Budget | Mid-Range | Luxury | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation1 | $24 | $56 | $112 |
| Local Transportation1 | $5 | $10 | $19 |
| Food2 | $15 | $36 | $81 |
| Entertainment1 | $9 | $22 | $43 |
| Souvenirs1 | $1 | $1 | $1 |
| Communication2 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Living Expenses2 | $22 | $22 | $22 |
| Alcohol2 | $4 | $9 | $18 |
| Tips and Handouts1 | $4 | $4 | $4 |
How much does a weekend trip to Queenstown cost?
Travelers spend, on average, $315 per person on a three-day trip to Queenstown. This includes sightseeing, hotels, food, and local transportation. You can stick close to this average price by staying at mid-range hotels and eating at mid-level restaurants, while also paying for some entry tickets to popular attractions. If you wish to travel cheaper, it's possible to find lower-cost accommodations, eat at less expenive restaurants, and find more free activities. It's also common for many visitors to have a much higher travel budget, as many high-end hotels and restaurants can be found around town.
Queenstown, New Zealand
How much does a five day trip to Queenstown cost?
With five days in Queenstown, you can expect to spend about $525 total, not including transportation to and from the city. It's possible to stay close to this daily average by booking mid-range hotels, eating at normal restaurants, and paying for some entry tickets to popular attractions. It's possible to find lower-cost accommodations, eat at less expenive restaurants, and find more free activities if you want to spent less money.
How much does a one week trip to Queenstown cost?
Most visitors spend between $324 and $1,508 for a one week trip to Queenstown, with the average being $735. This includes sightseeing, local transportation, food, and hotels. One week is enough time to have a more in-depth experience in Queenstown. Also, one week allows you to be more flexible with your time and money, so you can potentially save money on some aspects of your trip while spending more on others.
Hostel Prices in Queenstown
With more than 10 hostels in Queenstown, the average price is $26 per night for a dorm bed. The cheapest hostel costs $1 and the most expensive is $39. Usually popular with younger travelers, hostels are a great way to save money while also being social. But not all hostels are the same, and we've analyzed the prices of both dorms and private rooms to find the average prices and best places to stay. You can see more details about the hostel prices in Queenstown here.
Here are a few sample prices from popular hostels in Queenstown.
- $33 for a dorm bed at Nomads Queenstown in Queenstown
- $39 for a dorm bed at Adventure Queenstown Hostel in Queenstown
- $23 for a dorm bed at Absoloot Hostel Queenstown in Queenstown
Hotel Prices in Queenstown
The average price for a hotel room in Queenstown is $222 per night. This average is based on our detailed analysis of available hotels in the area. If you want to save money, or if you're planning a more luxurious trip, it's important to look at hotel prices based on the overall star-rating as well as guest reviews. Also, prices can vary by location and amenities. You can see more details from our analysis of hotel prices in Queenstown here, and below is a breakdown of hotel prices by star-rating.
Hotels by star rating in Queenstown
| Rating | Number of Hotels | Average Hotel Price |
|---|---|---|
| 5 stars | 21 | $539 |
| 4 stars | 52 | $205 |
| 3 stars | 29 | $195 |
| 2 stars | 5 | $20 |
Should you do a tour in Queenstown?
You'll find a wide range of guided tours in Queenstown and many visitors enjoy the convenience of having an expert guide leading them through the chosen activity. Tours range in price from $23 for the Gibbston Valley Wines - Winery Tour to $424 for the Queenstown Helicopter Wine Tour.
- Guided eBike Tour 'Ride to the Sky': $124
- Half-Day Queenstown Photography Tour: $231
- Highlands Taxi - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park: $90
- Mustang V8 U-Drive - Highlands Motorsport and Tourism Park: $240
- Private Tour Half Day Queenstown and Beyond Photography Tour: $149
- Private Half Day Photography Tour of Queenstown | Skippers | Glenorchy: $219
- Queenstown Hop-on Hop-off Evening Beer Tour: $54
- Queenstown Highlights - Half Day Tour - Arrowtown, Winery, Bungy, Local Sites: $78
More for Queenstown
If you're planning a trip to Queenstown, New Zealand, check out these other informative travel guides.
We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.
1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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