Private Arrowtown tour
A gold-rush town and the country that made it.
Private Arrowtown tour
A gold-rush town and the country that made it.
From NZD $200 per person
Every tour is private, for your party alone, and runs on demand.
The day in brief
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Duration
Half day, approx. 4 hours
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Departs
Either 9:00 am or 1:00 pm, door to door
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Activity
Easy, with gentle strolling
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Lunch
Not included
The best preserved gold town in the country
Arrowtown is the best-preserved gold-rush town in the country, a place of tree-lined streets, stone cottages and a history that runs deep. Twenty minutes from Queenstown, it sits among some of the loveliest country in the region, and this half day takes in the town on foot and the two places closest to it, Ayrburn and Lake Hayes, each a few minutes' drive from the last.
The town on foot
The town comes first, at walking pace. Your guide tells the story as you wander, from 1862, when gold was found in the Arrow River and a canvas town went up within weeks, to the Chinese miners who settled on the edge of it and whose restored huts and store still stand by Bush Creek. Buckingham Street keeps its original miners' cottages, now boutiques, galleries and cafes beneath an avenue of trees, and the Lakes District Museum is there for anyone who wants to go deeper.
Ayrburn
Ayrburn is a few minutes down the road, a farm first worked in the 1860s whose stone buildings have been restored and reopened as a cluster of restaurants, bars and gardens along Mill Creek, each named for the job the building once did: the Woolshed, the Dairy, the Manure Room. It is the newest address in the district and already among the most talked about, and it is where the morning or afternoon tea that comes with the tour is taken, at a table in the gardens when the weather allows.
Lake Hayes
Lake Hayes lies just beyond, a small, sheltered lake that on a still morning holds the mountains around it in reflection, and long one of the most photographed stretches of water in the south. There is time for a short stroll along the shore before the run back to Queenstown.
An easy half day
It is an easy half day with gentle walking on flat streets and paths, at its most spectacular in autumn when the avenues turn gold and red, and it pairs naturally with a wine tour to make a full day. If the party would like and the day allows, the road home can take in the original Kawarau bungy bridge or the lookout at Coronet Peak.
Included in your tour
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Your own vehicle and guide
A private luxury vehicle and dedicated driver-guide for the half day.
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Door to door
Hotel pick-up and return in Queenstown.
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Arrowtown on foot
A guided wander through the town, with the story as you go.
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Ayrburn and Lake Hayes
Both within a few minutes of the town.
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Morning or afternoon tea
Taken at Ayrburn, in the gardens when the weather allows.
Not included: lunch, and museum entry if you choose to go in.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Arrowtown half day?
How long is the Arrowtown half day?
About four hours door to door. It runs either in the morning, from 9:00 am, or in the afternoon, from 1:00 pm.
How much walking is there?
How much walking is there?
Gentle strolling on flat streets and paths, at your own pace.
When is Arrowtown at its best?
When is Arrowtown at its best?
Autumn, when the avenues turn gold and red, although the town and its story stand up in any season.
Can we make a full day of it?
Can we make a full day of it?
Yes. It pairs naturally with a half day wine tour, and the road home can take in the original Kawarau bungy bridge or the lookout at Coronet Peak.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the half day around you.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the half day around you.
