Queenstown in 2 days without a car
Forty-eight hours on the $2.50 bus and your own feet: the lake, the hill, Arrowtown, and a flex day for weather. Every price and time is on the linked guides, with its source.
Published 4 September 2026 · Last checked 18 September 2026 · Corrected 18 September 2026 · By Queenstown Pocket
In short: Two days is enough for the town and Arrowtown without a car: Route 1 from the airport, Queenstown Hill on day one, Route 4 to Arrowtown on day two, and Route 1 back to the terminal. Total fares about $10 with a Bee Card; the only paid attraction in the plan is the $14 museum. Milford and Glenorchy need a third day.
The plan at a glance
| Day | What | Spend (fares and entry) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive, the lake and Queenstown Hill. Route 1 from the terminal, a supermarket stop at Remarkables Park, then the town on foot and the hill for the view. | About $2.50 in fares; the Bee Card itself $5 plus top-up |
| Day 2 | Arrowtown, then the airport. Route 4 direct from the centre, the Chinese Settlement, the museum, the Arrow River, and back for $2.50 each way. | $5 in fares, $14 for the museum |
Fares are $2.50 with a Bee Card on every Orbus route ($4 cash, $10 cash at the airport); the card is $5 with a $5 minimum top-up and transfers are free within 45 minutes. The Bee Card guide covers where to buy one.
Day 1: Arrive, the lake and Queenstown Hill
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Airport to town | Orbus Route 1 from the terminal stop, $2.50 with a Bee Card ($10 cash), roughly every 15 minutes, 16 to 21 minutes to Stanley Street by the ORC timetable. Buy the Bee Card first if you can ($5, $5 minimum top-up). |
| Groceries on the way | New World and Pak'nSave are a short walk from the terminal at Remarkables Park (7am to 10pm); shop before the bus and skip town-centre prices. |
| Afternoon | The Gardens and the lakefront on foot, then Queenstown Hill from Belfast Terrace: 5.4 km, about 500 m of climb, 2 to 3 hours return, the best view for no money. |
| Evening | Fergburger lists 7am to 2:30am every day on its own site (read 18 Sep 2026); the Night 'n Day stores on Shotover and Church Streets are 24 hours if you land late. |
Day 2: Arrowtown, then the airport
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Out | Route 4 from Stanley Street to Arrowtown by Arthurs Point, 21 to 23 minutes, $2.50 with a Bee Card. Route 1 to Frankton Hub and Route 2 is the alternative with a free transfer within 45 minutes. |
| Morning | The Arrowtown Chinese Settlement (DOC, free) and Buckingham Street; the Lakes District Museum is $14 adult, daily 9am to 5pm. |
| Afternoon | Walk the Arrow River Bridges Trail as far as you like (13.7 km one way to the bungy bridge, Grade 2; check the Trails Trust for closures first) or the Lake Hayes loop (8 km) from Arrowtown Road, then Route 4 home; the last Route 4 leaves Arrowtown at 9:42pm. |
| Leave | Route 2 from Arrowtown to Frankton Hub connects with Route 1 to the airport (free transfer within 45 minutes), or Route 4 back to town first. |
Questions people ask
Can you see Queenstown in 2 days without a car?
Yes: the town, Queenstown Hill, the lakefront and Arrowtown are all on foot or on the $2.50 Orbus network, and the airport bus (Route 1) runs every 15 minutes or so. What two days will not fit is Milford Sound or Glenorchy, which need a tour or the seasonal track bus.
How much does 2 days in Queenstown cost without a car?
Fares are about $10 with a Bee Card ($5 for the card plus $2.50 a ride), the Lakes District Museum is $14, and everything else in this plan is free. Food and beds are the real cost; the supermarkets guide and the where-to-stay guide cover both.
Is Queenstown Hill worth it?
Yes, and it is free: 5.4 km, about 500 m of climb, 2 to 3 hours return from Belfast Terrace, with the whole basin laid out at the top.
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Related guides
- Queenstown bus routes & fares
All six Orbus routes, the $2.50 airport bus, Bee Card vs cash fares and the ferry.
- Queenstown Airport to town: bus, taxi, shuttle or rental
The $2.50 bus, what a taxi costs, shuttles, and when a rental car makes sense.
- Free things to do in Queenstown
Twelve free things, and the $2.50 bus that gets you to each one.
- Arrowtown by bus: $2.50 from Queenstown or the airport
Route 4 from town, Route 2 from Frankton, $2.50 with a Bee Card, and the last bus back.
Sources: Otago Regional Council, Orbus Queenstown fares and routes (opens in a new tab), Lakes District Museum (opens in a new tab) and Queenstown Airport, transport options (opens in a new tab), retrieved 3 September 2026. Every fare, price and time in this itinerary is published with its source and date on the guide it links to; check those pages for changes before travelling. This independent guide is published by Tally Sphere Limited, a New Zealand company. Spotted a change? Report a problem with this page and the page address comes with your email.