Queenstown in 4 days without a car
Four days in the Great Walks season: the town, a Routeburn or Glenorchy day on the track bus, Arrowtown, and the Frankton Track. Out of season, swap the track-bus day for Milford.
Published 4 September 2026 · Last checked 18 September 2026 · Corrected 18 September 2026 · By Queenstown Pocket
In short: Four days without a car covers the town and Queenstown Hill, a day at the head of the lake (the Info & Track bus to Glenorchy or the Routeburn Shelter runs November to April), Arrowtown for $2.50 each way, and the Frankton Track with Route 1 home. Fares about $12.50 with a Bee Card plus the track bus ($85 Glenorchy return package or $140 Routeburn return, listed, plus 10 percent at checkout). From May to October, put Milford Sound in the track bus's place.
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 | Routeburn day walk. In season, the track bus makes the Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats and back a full day without a car. | $140 listed return plus 10 percent at checkout |
| Day 3 | Arrowtown by bus. 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 |
| Day 4 | The Frankton Track, then the airport. Flat lakeside gravel from the Gardens to Kawarau Falls Bridge, the bridge, and Route 1 or Route 3 home. | $2.50 to $5 in fares |
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: Routeburn day walk
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Out | Info & Track bus from 37 Shotover Street at 8:00am to the Routeburn Shelter, listed at $70 adult one way plus 10 percent at checkout. |
| Walk | Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats Hut and back on the Great Walk's first section (7.5 km each way of the 33 km track); beech forest and the flats, no alpine exposure. |
| Back | Bus from the Routeburn Shelter at 2:15pm to Queenstown. Bookings are essential and the service needs two passengers to run. |
Day 3: Arrowtown by bus
| 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. |
Day 4: The Frankton Track, then the airport
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Walk | Frankton Track from the Gardens: 8.5 km one way, Grade 2, 1.5 to 2 hours on foot along the Frankton Arm to Kawarau Falls Bridge (a footpath detour on Frankton Road applies through 2026). |
| Add | Carry on over the bridge on the Kelvin Heights Trail (9.3 km, Grade 2) to Jardine Park for the sculpture trail and the view of Cecil and Walter Peak. |
| Home | Route 1 from Frankton Hub or Route 3 from Kelvin Heights, $2.50 with a Bee Card; Woolworths at Five Mile (Route 3, Grant Road) for dinner supplies. |
| Leave | Route 1 from Frankton Hub straight to the airport, $2.50 with a Bee Card, 4 to 6 minutes; lockers at the terminal are $7 to $20 per 12 hours. |
Booking the parts that sell out
These are the things this trip tells you to book before you arrive, at the price klook.com showed on 2026-09-10. Every operator also sells them on its own page for the same money, which earns us nothing.
Glenorchy and Paradise half-day tour
Half day from Queenstown
From NZ$189 per person on Klook, price checked 2026-09-10
We earn a commission if you book through this link.
Onsen Hot Pools and Spa
Up to 3 hours · free cancellation
From NZ$122 on Klook, price checked 2026-09-10
We earn a commission if you book through this link.
Questions people ask
Can you get to the Routeburn Track without a car?
In the Great Walks season, yes: Info & Track runs a scheduled bus from 37 Shotover Street to the Routeburn Shelter at 8:00am and 11:15am, listed at $70 adult one way plus a 10 percent adjustment at checkout, with return buses at 9:45am and 2:15pm. Outside November to April it is private charter only.
What is the best 4-day plan for Queenstown without a car?
Town and Queenstown Hill on day one, a Routeburn day walk or Glenorchy on the track bus on day two, Arrowtown by Route 4 on day three, and the Frankton Track with Route 1 to the airport on day four. Outside the Great Walks season, put Milford Sound on day two.
How much does 4 days in Queenstown cost without a car?
Bus fares about $12.50 with a Bee Card, the Routeburn return bus $140 listed (plus 10 percent at checkout) or the Glenorchy return package $85, the museum $14. Everything else in this plan is free; beds and food are the real spend.
Get the Thursday email
One expensive Queenstown decision a week, settled with dated prices and the free alternative, plus three things the week favours. Free. It also carries the one launch email, so you are on the app waitlist too.
One email every Thursday at 6am: one Queenstown decision settled with numbers, and three things the week favours. Plus one email when the app launches. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Related guides
- Queenstown to Glenorchy: road, stops and what works offline
46 km, one road, no Orbus. The stops, the costs, and the offline map you will want.
- Where to leave your bags in Queenstown
Airport lockers $7 to $20 per 12 hours, Info & Track $5 a day in town, freight to Te Anau, what to do with a car.
- The Routeburn Track from Queenstown: getting there and what it costs
DOC hut and campsite fees for 2026/27, the track bus from Shotover Street, bag storage, the one-way logistics.
- The Queenstown Trail, section by section
Ten sections, over 150 km, with the Trails Trust's distances, grades and times, and the $2.50 bus back from each end.
Sources: Otago Regional Council, Orbus Queenstown fares and routes (opens in a new tab), Info & Track, Queenstown transport timetable (opens in a new tab), DOC, Routeburn Track (opens in a new tab), Queenstown Trails Trust (opens in a new tab) and Lakes District Museum (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.