COMBO Admission: Puzzling World, Wanaka

Puzzling World, 2km north of Wanaka on the main highway, has been drawing visitors since 1973 with a mix of puzzles, illusions and hands-on challenges. This combo admission gives access to everything on site, making it easy to explore at your own pace.

At the centre of the experience is the Great Maze, described as the world’s first multi-storied maze. It is built around problem solving as much as fun, so expect a challenge rather than a simple walk-through. The Puzzle Café adds another layer, with brain-benders set out on the tables so you can keep testing yourself between activities.

The Illusion Rooms take the experience in a different direction. Across six rooms, you will encounter fully immersive glow rooms, following faces, a shrinking room, sculptures that appear to defy physics, and displays where objects seem to glide uphill. Even the bathrooms continue the visual trickery, so the sense of disorientation does not stop when you leave the main exhibits.

Puzzling World is designed for people of all ages and balances entertainment with active participation. If you are looking for a Wanaka attraction that is playful, unusual and built around sensory surprises, this long-running site delivers exactly that.