Two Amazing Days in Wanaka, New Zealand: A Two Day Itinerary
Welcome to Wanaka, one of our favorite places in the world! Situated on beautiful Lake Wanaka and surrounded by the Southern Alps, there is a lot to see and do in this picturesque town. With this itinerary, we share how to plan out two amazing days in wonderful Wanaka!
Where is Wanaka?
Wanaka is a small town located about one hour north of Queenstown on the south island of New Zealand. The town sits on beautiful Lake Wanaka surrounded by the breathtaking Southern Alps. From epic hiking trails, to a delightful lavender farm, as well as an array of vineyards to visit for wine tastings, your time will easily be filled while in Wanaka. Wanaka is easy to get around on foot, with a gravel walking path around the lake and sidewalks throughout town. Mike and I walked everywhere while here, from restaurants to the grocery store to a local cinema. We only drove to Roy’s Peak car park and to the vineyard we visited outside of the town center.
When we went
January/February 2025. This is the height of summer in the southern hemisphere and we experienced warm days and comfortable nights.
Where we stayed
We stayed at Lakeside Apartments and loved our time here. We had a huge one bedroom suite with a full kitchen and a washer and dryer. Additional amenities on site include a swimming pool, outdoor grills, and a private garage parking space.
Two Amazing Days in Wanaka New Zealand: Two Day Itinerary
DAY 1
On Today’s Agenda:
- Arrive in Queenstown, pick up rental car, drive one hour to Wanaka
- Check in to lodging
- Get groceries
- Visit Nanny Goat Vineyard
- Visit Wanaka Lavender Farm
Upon arriving in Queenstown and picking up our rental car we set out to drive about one hour north to Wanaka. The views on the drive were incredible! We stopped at lookouts a few times to take in the views. Welcome to beautiful New Zealand!
The drive from Queenstown to Wanaka
NOTE ABOUT DRIVING: You drive on the opposite side of the road (and opposite side of the vehicle) from the US in New Zealand. This coupled with the very windy roads makes it imperative that you take it slow and careful!
The roads are very windy as they snake through the mountains – drive carefully!
Once we arrived in Wanaka and checked in to Lakeside Apartments, we walked to the New World grocery store. With groceries in tow, we walked back to our hotel to drop the groceries off before heading out for a wine tasting.
We reserved a wine tasting at Nanny Goat Vineyard for 4:00 pm, their last slot of the day.
The vineyard | Nanny Goat Vineyard
During the wine tasting, we picked five local wines over the course of our tasting while taking in the peaceful scenery around us.
Wine tasting | Nanny Goat Vineyard
After our tasting, we picked two bottles of our favorites to take back with us to our hotel. This was a great relaxing way to end the day.
On your way back from Nanny Goat Vineyard, you will pass the Wanaka Lavender Farm. If you have time, stop in for a visit. The setting is beautiful and the smell of luscious lavender is phenomenal.
Wanaka Lavender Farm
Back at our hotel, Mike grilled steaks while I prepared a charcuterie and poured one of the bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from Nanny Goat Vineyard. We enjoyed this delicious New Zealand meal outside on our deck and watched the sun set over the lake. What a great first day!
DAY 2
On Today’s Agenda:
- Hike Roy’s Peak
- Rest and recharge
- Get a bite to eat at The Water Bar
- Take in a movie at Cinema Paradiso
Today we were up early, packing our hiking bags and preparing a picnic lunch. We had a big hike ahead of us today!
We arrived at Roy’s Peak car park around 7:40 am. While the first lot was already full, we found parking in the overflow area just beyond.
The car park at 8:00 am | Roy’s Peak
The hike up Roy’s Peak is about 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 4,000 feet. It took us exactly 5 hours and 55 minutes, including several smaller rest breaks and a 30 minute picnic break. Hiking Roy’s Peak is not to be missed! The views of Wanaka and the Southern Alps are absolutely incredible and made the difficulty of the hike well worth it.
Some snaps from Roy’s Peak
We go in depth on the hike including stats, things to know before you go, as well as lots of photos in our article on Roy’s Peak, linked below.
Our full article, Hiking Roy’s Peak in Wanaka, New Zealand: A Photo Journey, documents our entire hike up and back down the mountain with stats, helpful tips, things to know before you go, and lots of photos.
After our hike, we were pretty exhausted so we rested for a bit back at our hotel. Building in time to recharge is imperative when traveling. Not only do you get much needed rest, but time to reflect on the great things you have seen and done!
In the late afternoon, we walked to The Water Bar for an early dinner. We enjoyed our meal paired with New Zealand wine while taking in the lovely views of Lake Wanaka. After dinner, we walked about 15 minutes along the gravel path that runs along Lake Wanaka.
Beautiful Lake Wanaka
We came to a small crowd on the gravel beach and knew we arrived at #ThatWanakaTree! Yep, this lovely willow tree has its own hashtag, thanks to its popularity on social media. When we visited in the evening, it was low tide so #ThatWanakaTree was on a small isthmus of land leading into the Lake Wanaka.
#ThatWanakaTree
In high tide it looks like #ThatWanakaTree is floating in the water, a beautiful scene for sure. After a couple minutes of snapping pics, we walked back to town as we had a movie time to meet at Cinema Paradiso.
Cinema Paradiso is a small, cozy cinema located just behind the New World grocery store.
The iconic movie cinema in Wanaka, Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso features an array of movies with popcorn, candy, sodas, and local wines available from the snack bar.
Cinema Paradiso
What made this place unique is that they stop the movie, call intermission, and at that time you collect a fresh baked cookie you pre-ordered before the movie started. Simply line up, turn in your ticket, and collect your cookie. Then return to the theatre for the remainder of the movie!
This was a great way to spend the evening after such an active day. We loved the local wine and fresh cookie while watching the American movie, A Complete Unknown, with locals in New Zealand!
The iconic Cinema Paradiso
Our two days in Wanaka were over as we left the next morning. As sad as we were to say goodbye to such an awesome place, we had more adventure ahead of us. We will soon be publishing our guides on our time in Te Anau, in Fjordland National Park, which is where we headed next. Stay tuned for lots more to come!
Read More!
For more information on travel in New Zealand see the guides below:
Hiking Roy’s Peak in Wanaka, New Zealand: A Photo Journey
Hiking Roy’s Peak in Wanaka, New Zealand: A Photo Journey Roy’s Peak is an incredible hiking trail located in Wanaka, New Zealand. Featuring jaw-dropping views,
Guide to Cruising the Milford Sound in New Zealand
Guide to Cruising the Milford Sound + Driving Milford Road With its narrow fjord, tall verdant mountains, rainforest, and rushing waterfalls, Milford Sound is one
Great Things to do in Te Anau, New Zealand
Great Things to do in Te Anau, New Zealand Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland National Park on New Zealand’s South Island. It is
