The Complete Wellness Guide to Queenstown

Look for the blue sign on Camp Street, leading you into the home of Bound, an independent book and record store. There’s endless shelves of books, art and stationery, as well as boxes of vinyl to trawl through, so make sure you set aside a good hour and only visit accompanied by fellow bookworms and record fanatics. The lake’s edge or nearby café makes the perfect setting to devour your page turner.

A multi-purpose arts and cultural space in Frankton, Te Atamira is all about embracing creativity into your every day. Offering a wide range of exhibitions, workshops and community events, you’re bound to find your new favourite hobby – be it pottery, dance, life drawing, theatre or piano.

Providing a home for the treasures of over 80 New Zealand artists, you can’t help but get inspired inside Frank’s Corner. In an old cottage on the corner of Camp and Isle Street, an eclectic collection of ceramics, art, candles, handblown glass, jewellery and knitwear fill the space with so much charm. Head to their second store in Glenorchy and add on a bonus visit to Mrs Woolly's General Store.

Spend a creative afternoon crafting earrings, rings and necklaces, perfect for filling your own jewellery box or gifting to friends. The Bead Shop on Shotover Street is a fun and family-friendly spot to create bespoke pieces from a huge range of beads, as well as New Zealand Jade, Greenstone and Paua. Down Country Lane in Frankton, Studio 42 is a boutique design studio offering more in-depth jewellery classes, from beginner's workshops to advanced courses.

Round up your mates and head to a local bar to sway along to some sweet tunes. Over in Arrowtown, Blue Door Bar hosts regular live music sessions from local and international artists in their cosy and intimate space. Back on Queenstown’s main drag, Yonder has a hefty calendar of music events during the week, including live bands, silent discos and open mic nights. Writers of original songs and poetry get together to perform at Sherwood every last Thursday of the month. It’s a low-key and wholesome evening with the community that we highly recommend popping along to.

From easygoing tracks to clear your mind after a busy day to challenging routes to test your fitness, there’s always a new lakeside path or steep alpine trail to discover in the region. To help you find the one to suit your level and mood, we’ve put together 10 of our favourite walks in Queenstown—including where to treat yourself after.

After all that adventuring, it’s nice to know that there are many movement studios in Queenstown offering an inclusive environment to restore, build your strength, mobility and mental health. CLUTCH Reformer Pilates in Lake Hayes breathes fresh air into the fitness space, adding a fun and modern spin on classic pilates movement, with classes for all ages and levels. At Align Studios, the classes have been designed to spark joy and connection in every move. The timetable features reformer pilates classes, stretch and meditation, HIIT, barre, pre- and post-natal classes.

Mountain biking is a must if you're in Queenstown for the action. Queenstown Bike Park offers a class trail network of over 30 km of riding for all levels. Plus, there's the bonus of a Gondola lift back up the hill. Don’t have a ride? Not to worry. The town is full of local bike shops to get you on two wheels pronto. For more info and inspiration, check out Mountain Bike Club Queenstown.

With action-packed adventures on your doorstep, life in Queenstown can be pretty fast-paced. Sometimes it pays to slow down, breathe, and make your way into downward facing dog. Sherwood, Nadi Wellness, and Studio Sangha are just a few local studios offering a welcoming place to roll out your mat. Whether you’re looking for a restorative yin yoga class or invigorating vinyasa flow, you’ll find it here.

Roll up your sleeves, pick up a shovel and take part in a planting day organised by the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust. Every year, this community-led conservation project sees approximately 10,000 native trees and shrubs planted. It’s a meaningful thing to be part of – and anyone can get involved, gardening experience or not. If you’re looking for more conservation projects, check out our full guide to Queenstown businesses focused on sustainability.

The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club gets together outside Wynyard Bike Park every Wednesday at 6pm to build and maintain the trails. Everyone is welcome to come along, meet other keen riders and get stuck into preserving the tracks that give so much joy in return. Tools, guidance and post-dig fish and chips are provided to all helpers.

While some prefer slow and lazy Saturdays sipping coffee in bed (guilty as charged), the parkrun is a great way to kickstart your morning with a 5km course around the Queenstown Gardens. Walk, run, jog, spectate… However you choose to participate, you’re sure to meet some other friendly (but possibly competitive) faces. Pop into Odd Saint after for a well-earned coffee.

Switch up your supermarket shop and pick up local produce directly from the source at either the Remarkables Farmers’ Market or Arrowtown Farmers’ Market. These special markets run over winter and showcase a selection of artisan products, ranging from baked goods, fresh vegetables and artisan cheese to knitwear, jewellery and skincare. There’s not a disposable cup, plate or utensil in sight at the Remarkables Farmers’ Market, which immediately makes it one of our favourites.

An alternative to the popular Onsen spa retreat, Driftaway is a modern holiday park that  invites you to soak in the magic of their private hot tub, looking out across the breathtaking lake and mountain surroundings. Perfect for solo, romantic or friendship dates, each session is an hour long and includes towels and drinking water.

Tucked behind the airport, Wellspace provides both community and private sauna experiences along the Kawarau River. Hosted by the friendly team, you’ll be guided through the transformative practice of contrast hydrotherapy, which alternates between the steam-infused sauna, cold-water immersion and rest. It’s all about community and connection here, so expect to have some good conversations along the way. Keep an eye out on their socials for a unique line-up of upcoming events and workshops.

Shredding up the slopes, hiking steep trails and enjoying Queenstown’s nightlife a little too much may have added up to stiff joints and damaged skin. Enter the local masseuses and beauticians… Moss Spa and Body Sanctum are both serene sanctuaries with a range of massage and facial treatments to help you relax and unwind. Remedial Massage is targeted at everyday athletes and adventurers, with sports and deep-tissue massages to help with injuries, pain and tension.

Add some local flavour to your next dinner party or picnic, and head down to Royalburn Farm Store in Arrowtown. Founded by Nadia Lim and her partner with the vision to be the leader in regenerative and ethical farming, the small shop is brimming with fresh produce straight from their farm located just up the road, including seasonal veggies, free-range eggs and meat, as well as a range of other artisanal goodies.

Only the best ingredients make it into the kitchen of this one-hatted Italian restaurant, carefully sourced from the finest local suppliers in the region. Expect traditional dishes from Northern Italy infused with New Zealand ingredients for an innovative modern twist, proudly served by a warm and welcoming team. It’s a dining experience like no other—and one you won’t be forgetting any time soon. 

Wellbeing, community and sustainability are intertwined into each offering at Sherwood, and the two-hatted restaurant is no exception. Led by Michelin-trained chef Chris Scott, the menu championing hyper seasonal local ingredients features woodfired flatbreads and changing sharing plates designed to bring people together. 99% of the ingredients are either picked from the thriving onsite garden, foraged or sourced from local suppliers.

There’s something peaceful about the delicacy, precision and respect behind Japanese cuisine. And at Kappa, the temple-like setting and heavenly dishes comes pretty close to a spiritual experience. Everything that chef Naoya Higuchi sends out of the kitchen is exquisite – but the signature sashimi platter is definitely a highlight. As well as being extremely delicious, it’s all pretty good for you too – just the excuse we need to return regularly.

Away from the hustle and bustle (but still close enough to walk to), Bespoke is a calming retreat for breakfast, brunch and lunch. The menu is steered towards health and wellbeing without veering off into green juice and sad salad territory. Instead, a huge cabinet accommodates a generous array of baked goods, sandwiches, hearty salads and sweet treats. The all-day menu changes seasonally and champions local ingredients. Lounge in the sunny dog-friendly courtyard or cosy up by the crackling fire in winter.