Queenstown · DART RIVER AND GLENORCHY DAY TRIPS
32 tours
The Southern Lakes reward a little planning, and dart river and glenorchy day trips are where a first trip usually goes wrong. These 15 are the ones worth the money, with prices, running times and who each one suits.
Dart River jet boat from Glenorchy with a naturalist guide, Mt Aspiring National Park views, and Queenstown pickup options.
“Fun experience. Definitely get the splash jacket because the way back is chilly if you are wet. Driver Andrew made the route interesting.”
Small-group Middle-earth tour from Queenstown to Glenorchy, film locations, Mount Aspiring scenery, costumes, tea, and photo stops.
“it was awesome. Decided a day earlier to do the tour (was lucky there was a spot left). Amy has been a wonderful guide. She was knowmedgeable and funny. Additionally to the background of the movies, the scenery was mesmerizing and honestly the drive along the lake has moved to my most favorite scenice drives on the first place. Thank for this great morning”
Half-day Glenorchy and Paradise tour from Queenstown with Māori stories, filming locations, costumes, and tea, plus lake views and photo stops.
“This was an incredible tour. Our Guide Do, made our visit/tour amazing. The details she provided during our tour were the icing on the cake. She brought the magic of the movies to life with custom views and music on our van. I highly recommend this tour to any Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan. You won't regret it!”
Jet boat upstream and funyak canoeing downstream on the Dart River. Includes gear, picnic lunch, and a coach from Queenstown.
“Just magnificent. Highlight of the trip. Highly recommended. Super fun upstream with Pedro in the jet boat. Incredible scenery. We joined the funyaks as a raft because of the wind, which was fine - social and relaxing. Ella our guide was ace. The side trip to the canyon was amazing. Super pro crew, fun, social, great lunch. Don’t miss - great value x”
Half-day Glenorchy and Paradise tour from Queenstown with Lord of the Rings film sites, scenic drives, and Kiwi-style morning tea.
“Our guide Kevin was great. He switched it up a bit because of high winds, very accommodating. Pic is lunch was yummy! We are not Lord of the Rings fans, but still enjoyed the tour.”
Half-day Glenorchy Lord of the Rings tour from Queenstown with 4WD filming stops, Isengard and Lothlorien views, and tea, cake, hot drinks.
“This was a great experience, especially for our 20+ year old daughter who is a big fan of the LOTR series. The four of us were on an exclusive tour with Rachel, the tour guide, in a 4WD. She drove us through some fantastic landscapes, identifying the various locations in which Peter Jackson shot the movies. It was exciting to imagine those on-screen moments amidst the real natural spectacle -- the beautiful lakes, the Remarkables mountain range, and the forest landscapes. Wish the tour had begun an hour earlier to account for the early sunset. Otherwise, full marks to Rachel for conducting this tour.”
Queenstown helicopter flight over Skippers Canyon and Mt Aspiring glaciers, with Earnslaw Burn hanging glacier and a possible ice landing.
“Amazing! Couldn’t have asked for any better, Luke our pilot was incredible- knowledgable, funny and made us feel very safe. The views were out of this world, one of the best moments of our month trip!”
Jet boat speed, a Funyak canoe paddle, and wilderness lunch in Mt Aspiring National Park from Queenstown with transfers.
“JJ and Matt were friendly and knowledgeable. I had a small back strain and JJ cheerfully made sure I was comfortable and not in danger of further injuring myself. The scenery was gorgeous and we got a good amount of time out on the river, with some nice landmark guidance should we want to go back out in the area for activities like the Routeburn Track. Even the drives between Queenstown and Glenorchy were beautiful and the driver pleasant. Glenorchy was charming and I would have gladly spent another couple of hours hiking nearby if I had had the time.”
50-minute Queenstown helicopter flight with a snowy glacier landing over Mt. Aspiring, Skippers Canyon, and Earnslaw Burn valley.
“Alfie our pilot was amazing. He saw how much fun everyone was having on the glacier and did not rush us through anything. Great pilot, amazing views certainly the highlight of our trip. The snow was up to our knees.”
Queenstown jet boat adventure on glacier-fed Dart River with guides sharing Maori legends and Lord of the Rings scenes. Jackets included.
“It was a great time, but I'd recommend doing your best to try to schedule on a day with little to no rain in the forecast.”
A half-day coach trip from Queenstown to Glenorchy with comfy seating, Maori mythology stories, and 1.5 hours to walk by Lake Wakatipu.
“one of the best tours we’ve been on ! Guide was super friendly and even made extra stops for us because he had time ! Really knowledgeable and welcoming and would highly recommend it to everyone ! Made our morning (: It’s a short and fulfilling tour !”
Fly Queenstown to Milford Sound with a local pilot, explore the shore on short walks to Lady Bowen Falls, then fly back.
“This was a truly incredible experience. Jim was an amazing pilot and made the flight a ton of fun!!!”
A budget-friendly half-day group trip from Queenstown to Glenorchy with lake views, Maori storytelling, photo stops, and 2 hours to wander.
“We had a great time. We really enjoyed the trip including our elderly parents and teenage nephew. Guide was friendly, and the pre recorded audio on the history of the place was informative”
Glenorchy Air flies you from Queenstown to Aoraki Mount Cook, landing at the village for Hooker Valley Track time and pilot commentary.
“James was our pilot and ZK-KDK was our plane! Weather was fantastic. It was a great day! Smooth plane ❤️❤️❤️!”
4WD Glenorchy half-day from Queenstown, visiting LOTR filming locations, using replica props for photos, with Lake Wakatipu views.
“Our guide was very friendly and offered lots of interesting information. It was great seeing iconic locations and having our pictures taken with movie props.”
