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Glenorchy & Paradise Half-Day Scenic Tour from Queenstown

Offered by Altitude Tours

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$189.00 per person

4.9 (423 reviews)

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Booking handled by our partner, Viator

4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) Mobile or paper ticket accepted Offered in: English

Half-day tour from Queenstown Town Centre to Glenorchy and Paradise Valley via Lake Whakatipu, with film sites, photo stops and Kiwi-style tea.

Tour Overview

Meet your guide in Queenstown Town Centre before travelling the lake edge road to Glenorchy. This scenic drive follows Lake Whakatipu, with photo stops and commentary from your local guide about the lake and its legends. A stop at Bennett's Bluff gives wide views across the lake, with your first glimpse of Glenorchy and Mount Aspiring National Park beyond.

In Glenorchy, a small township of around 400 permanent residents, you will have time to look around the lakefront and see the red boat shed. From here, the route continues along the Glenorchy-Paradise Road, a one-way dirt track into the national park. The road passes farmland, native beech forest and river beds as you head towards Paradise Valley.

This half-day tour focuses on the landscapes and film history of the area. Your guide points out well known filming sites used in LOTR and other productions, and there is also a chance to dress up as a Middle Earth character for a light-hearted photo.

During the tour, a Kiwi-style morning or afternoon tea is served at a scenic location, with cheese rolls, ginger cake, L&P and Whittaker's chocolate. After Paradise, you return through Glenorchy before the drive back to Queenstown Town Centre.

What's Included

  • Costumes onboard for a unique photo opportunity
  • Māori storytelling and history
  • WiFi on board
  • On board Kiwi music
  • Morning Tea
  • Professional guide & live commentary onboard
  • Famous movie locations
  • Complimentary central Queenstown transfers

Not Included:

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

What To Expect

  1. 1

    Glenorchy-Queenstown Road

    Begin your day meeting your friendly guide in the Queenstown Town Centre. Starting with a spectacular scenic drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy along the lake edge, with scenic photo spots and entertaining stories from your local guide about Lake Whakatipu and its legends.

    45 minutes

  2. 2

    Bennetts Bluff Viewpoint Walking Track

    As we travel along this incredible drive, we will stop and take in the amazing views from Bennett's Bluff. From here you can catch your first glimpse of Glenorchy and the Mount Aspiring National Park sitting beyond it.

    15 minutes

  3. 3

    Glenorchy Wharf & Viewpoint

    Glenorchy township is home to approx. 400 permanent residents and the gateway to Paradise Valley and the Mt Aspiring National Park. Once we arrive in this quaint country town, you will have the chance to explore the picturesque lakefront including the iconic red boat shed.

    20 minutes

  4. 4

    Glenorchy-Paradise Road

    From Glenorchy we join a dirt track, a one-way road into the National Park. The Glenorchy-Paradise Road travels past rich farmland, through native beech forests and across river beds. Not many live up in this direction, with its most famous residents being the mystical characters from LOTR and other movies, TV series, and commercials.

    1 hour

  5. 5

    Paradise

    Your guide will show you famous filming sites, with even the chance to dress up as your favorite Middle Earth character for a fun photo opportunity. While exploring the area, In true Kiwi South Island hospitality, we will prepare a morning/afternoon tea at a picturesque location, complete with cheese rolls, ginger cake, L&P, and Whittaker's chocolate.

    45 minutes

  6. 6

    Glenorchy

    After Paradise we will return back through Glenorchy, where we will have a brief stop, before allowing you to sit back and relax and enjoy the sights then being dropped back in the Queenstown Town Centre.

    10 minutes

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Marmolada Cafe

43 Camp Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand

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The pick up will be from the bus stop by the bench seats outside Marmolada Cafe on Camp Street.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Specialized infant seats are available
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.