We have scoured the stunning mountain and lakeside town of Wānaka to discover the best in eating, drinking, shopping, and more. Explore our favourite places in our guide.
Formerly known as Pembroke, this lakeside town was originally formed during the Gold Rush of the 19th century. Fast forward 100 plus years and although locals may no longer be digging for gold, they’ve certainly found it in the lifestyle that is living in Wānaka.
History has it that Māori came here to hunt and fish during their stop-offs on the way to the West Coast to find pounamu, and current dwellers will tell you that the love of the great outdoors hasn’t diminished since.
The mountains surrounding Wānaka are world-renowned spots for climbing, biking, and skiing, so it’s no wonder Wānaka is home to many super sportspeople.
When the locals aren’t out and about in the forests, hills, or lakes, you’ll find them in town at one of the many fantastic eateries or bars, thanks to a steadily increasing number of entrepreneurs who are providing food and wine done with class.
Stay A While: Why Wānaka Rewards Those Who Slow Down
Those classic scenes: towering peaks, the tree, coffee by the lake. Wānaka's icons have earned their status, but this stunning corner of our country has a knack for revealing much more to those willing to stay a while. With over 750 kilometres of trails connecting townships, lakes, and high country, you could spend weeks here without retracing your steps, and without hardly making a mark as you go: two-wheeled or two-legged transportation is both highly encouraged and highly catered for in these parts.
Gift Guide 2025: Neat Gifts from Neat Places in Aotearoa
Welcome to the Neat Places Gift Guide 2025, packed with beautiful, practical, and interesting finds from local businesses across Aotearoa.
3 Wānaka Creatives & The Places That Inspire Them
A landscape that would give Monet and Van Gogh something to paint about, it’s hardly surprising that Wānaka is home to a rich community of artists and big thinkers, feasting off its beauty to fuel their own creative ideas.
Wet Your Whistle: A Guide to Wānaka’s Local Artisan Brewers, Winemakers & More
Wānaka’s endless adventures have a way of working up a thirst. After a day of skiing, biking and hiking, there’s nothing quite like cracking open a cold one or revelling in a world-class glass of red. Ahhh.
Explore our Directory
View AllSofi
Showcasing the best of Wānaka from its perch on Ardmore Street, Sofi is a Mediterranean dream near the shores of the lake.
The Green Luggate Village
Sitting happily in sunny Luggate Village is The Green, an unassuming collection of modern sheds, which happens to be one of Wānaka's finest wee retail precincts.
Crumb Bakehouse
Definitely the most stylish bakery you'll see all week, Crumb Bakehouse on Helwick Street has become the place to indulge and unwind in downtown Wānaka.
Aspiring Guides
As if plucked from a ridgeline and planted straight onto McDougall Street, Aspiring Guides are an adventuring outfit at the heart of one of New Zealand's great playgrounds.
Get your Pocket Guide for Wānaka
We have scoured the stunning mountain and lakeside town of Wānaka to discover the best in eating, drinking, shopping, and more. Explore our favourite places in our guide.
Edgewater
Fitting seamlessly into the southern shoreline of Lake Wānaka, Edgewater is a classic, understated resort that proves working with the landscape is always the most elegant...
Francesca
A Wānaka favourite for many years, Francesca on Ardmore Street has been reimagined by Sean Smith (also behind Mediterranean neighbour Sofi) and his team.
Verve
A short stroll from the lakeside, Verve is the newest bar to join Wānaka’s downtown scene. The concept here is simple but enticing: good beer and good wine.
Thieving Kea
Perched along Wānaka’s picture-perfect lakefront, Thieving Kea is a family-run boutique that captures the heart of Aotearoa’s artisan culture and natural beauty.
Heatwave
Located on Dunmore Street in Wānaka, Heatwave is a community hub as much as it is an outdoor lifestyle store.
The Camp
Aotearoa, land of the great outdoors, is unsurprisingly a land of a long list of incredibly scenic sites to spend a night, too.
Alice Herald
Couture is a word most often associated with high-end fashion, but down Wānaka’s sleek laneway, The Precinct, you will find a window displaying Alice Herald’s...
The Secret Sauna
Picture this: an off-grid, wood-fired sauna sits peacefully on the shore of a glacial lake, smoke softly puffing out of the chimney while through the generous window, a...
Paloma
Creators of authentic Mexican fare, Paloma has a simple (but by no means easy) mission: to make the best possible tacos in Wānaka using New Zealand ingredients.
Curbside Coffee & Bagels
If the letters spelling out ‘Coffee & Bagels’ overhead aren’t an obvious enough announcement of your arrival at Wānaka's Curbside, then the aroma of...
General Service
Tucked down an alleyway in the heart of Wānaka is a place where the inhabitants look forward to coming to work each day.
