The little lakeside town of Wanaka, perched in the heart of New Zealand’s south island, was our home for a wonderful 3 days. Picture a sleepy town flanked by impressive mountains on all sides. The Lake Wanaka stretched out vastly before the town, with the streets and lakeside lined with bright deciduous trees. We visited at the end of April, meaning New Zealand was mid-autumn. These trees were exploding with vibrant colours, particularly golden yellows and oranges. The entire scene was a delightful spectacle!
Wanaka is a lovely mix of adventure, relaxation and a great café/eatery scene. The adventure feel of the town reminded us of similar destinations we have visited around the world like El Chalten (Patagonia) and Henningsvaer (Lofoten). The mountain and hiking town vibes are something we have grown to love, and Wanaka has plenty of this! Combine this with dreamy lake and mountain views, calm walks, and a plethora of places to stop and admire the view.. it’s a great place to unwind! Mix in some excellent café’s, cute bars, tasty food trucks and some great eateries.. these hospo scene is awesome! And.. to top it off, Wanaka is only a ‘stones throw’ away from Queenstown.
Can you tell we enjoyed our stay in Wanaka? Read on for over 10 of the best things we think you should definitely do when you visit Wanaka and the surrounding regions!
Here’s 10 of the best things to do in Wanaka!
Hike Roy’s Peak
This is the obvious.. and a must do in our opinion! Roy’s Peak is the ‘bucket list’ hike you’ve likely seen on your social media feeds. Boasting views of Lake Wanaka and the surrounding mountains, it is one of the more spectacular hikes we have done.. and this is saying something (we’ve hiked in Switzerland, Norway, Patagonia, Poland and more). However, don’t expect this hike to be easy. Think 16kms round trip, 1.3kms of leg burning elevation, for a total of 5-7 hours all up. Is it worth it? Definitely! However you need to have the physical fitness, and be prepared for a tough hike. See our experience of Roy’s Peak and a few tips here!
Relax by the waterfront of Lake Wanaka
The lakefront is just spectacular in Wanaka. Lined with trees on the shore, a vast expanse of lake, and mountains as far as the eye can see. The light is particularly gorgeous at sunrise and golden hour, but we enjoyed the views every time we walked along the foreshore and promenade. In warmer months, a swim in the lake is a popular activity (we did see some people braving the cold when we were there). Watching the sunset along the lake is worth it. And just stopping to ‘take it all in’ is highly recommended. Plus.. don’t forget to walk up to check out the famous ‘Wanaka tree’.. is it a tourist trap but still worth taking a look for the novelty of it.
Sample the cute cafes of Wanaka
We were pleasantly surprised by the café scene in Wanaka. Tourist towns typically don’t have to put effort into good café culture.. there’s a transient and captive market, however when a location does have great café’s, we’re impressed! We sampled a few of the numerous café’s, listing our favourites below..
- Kamino: Located in the heart of the town, this café has a cute terrace and good coffee!
- Velo: Located a little out of the town, the drive to this café / beer garden is worth it. Boasting views and a great vibe, this was our top pick.
Try the pies in Albert Town at Pembroke Patisserie
We’d be advised to seek out some country baked pies during our visit, and this bakery fit the bill perfectly. We sampled their ‘pie of the month’, a delicious country style chicken and leek pie.. an easy 8.5/10!
Don’t miss walking along the Lake Wanaka Outlet Track (Albert Town End) at the river nearby, where the autumn trees fan out along the rivers. A narrow trail winds alongside the river, and locals jump into the fast flowing waters to cool off. It’s a gorgeous little ‘escape’ and one of our favourite parts of our visit to the region.
Stay in a gorgeous accommodation with bucket list views
The entire region has no shortage of stunning views! This leads to a multitude of accommodation options which have really leant into the natural beauty. We have a recent habit of adding a gorgeous ‘bucket list’ accommodation onto our trips (e.g. think Woodnest Odda, Mountain View in Peru).. and this was another great chance to have a cute stay!
From winery stays to cute cabins, we have listed a few great options below to consider near Wanaka and the Queenstown region..
- Archway Motels and Chalets
- Lakeview Luxury Vista
- Cottages by Kinross
- Hawea Hotel
- Marsden Lake Resort Central Otago
Visit a nearby winery in the Otago region!
We love a good local wine, and the Otago region is known for producing some excellent cool climate wines (especially Pinot Noir). We stopped at the charming Kinross Winery for an afternoon vino and lunch. The sun was out, their terrace was shrouded in vibrant autumn leaves, and the service was excellent. Highly recommend! We passed dozens of larger and smaller wineries in the regions.. so there’s lots of great options!
Have an ‘après’ post hike in one of the many bars!
One can simply not hike without having a well deserved après after.. or something like that! The feeling of enjoying your beverage on tired legs with a sense of accomplishment is something we treasure. We visited a few of the bars, and enjoyed Verve (in the town) and Velo (located 10minutes out of town) the most.
Head up to Hawea Lake!
There are no shortage of gorgeous lakes in the region! We think the 15-20 minute drive from Wanaka up to Hawea Lake is worth it. Not only is the drive spectacular from a scenery perspective, the lake is charming, and calmer than Wanaka. You will likely have the lake almost to yourself, and it is easy to feel ‘small’ when at the shorefront of the bright blue water and impressive mountains.
Note: be prepared for Hawea Lake to be a little windier than the more sheltered Wanaka.
Sample great cuisine at the food trucks and eateries!
Wanaka has a bustling food truck market which was busy every time we visited or drove past. Home to some excellent options, we loved the burrito truck aptly named Burrito Craft. Get in early, order online, or be prepared to wait!
We also loved the Big Fig eatery. Home to slow cooked medeteranean eats, this was our favourite meal of our stay in New Zealand. Choose your protein, mix it with salads, and enjoy! A must when in Wanaka.
Check out the many neighbouring regions and hikes!
Wanaka is well located, with a multitude of other excellent hikes, day trips, and adventure activities nearby. We have listed some other great options below.
- Rob Roy Glacier – one of the more popular hikes in the region!
- Blue Pools Track – located only an hour from Wanaka.
- You’re so close to Queenstown!
- Able to head up to Mount Cook in only a few hours
- Wineries! Wineries! Wineries!
- Lakes nearby – this is a gorgeous lake region!
- Mountain biking – Head to Bike Glendhu for those adventure lovers!
- The Secret Sauna – Hawea Lake – this is a hidden gem!
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