Family Ski Holidays - Queenstown & Wanaka

All you need to know for your Queenstown or Wanaka snow vacation with the kids!

With more mountains than Switzerland, more than 25 scenic ski areas and lots of perfect, crisp, blue-sky days, New Zealand has the best ski and snowboard areas in the Southern Hemisphere.
Base yourself in Queenstown or Wanaka and you'll be as little as half an hour's drive from five fantastic ski areas, with tons of snow to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, toboggan, tube and play in.

If your snow vacation includes the kids, you can find everything independently or book a ski or snow holiday package.  A snow holiday package can include flights, car rental or mountain transport, pants or gear hire, ski or snowboard lessons, lift passes and more.  The New Zealand ski season runs from late June to late September, although the snow areas of New Zealand do not open or close at the same time; it depends on the season and weather.  Click on the individual ski field's website to find out their expected open and close date for the next snow season.

Cardrona Alpine Resort
How far is Cardrona Alpine Resort from Queenstown and Wanaka?

58km / 60 mins from Queenstown or 34km / 35 mins from Wanaka
Cardrona is the largest ski area easily accessed from both Queenstown and Wanaka, and is New Zealand’s favourite family mountain!  Cardrona is the perfect place for beginners and intermediates, with easy-to-use surface lifts, specialised beginner packages and plenty of wide open trails spread over three basins. Skiers and boarders of all ages and abilities will love the variety of exciting terrain, pristine groomers and world-class parks and pipes.Cardrona Early Childhood Centre and Ski School have options on and off the snow for kids from 3 months to early teens, offering care, activities, lessons and FUN in flexible full-day, half-day and multi-day options. Shorter private lessons are available for families who'd like to spend more time skiing together.

Access: CARDRONA The Crown Range is the shortest route between Queenstown and Wanaka, but the winding road requires great care in snow or icy conditions.  It is sealed but very twisty and steep in parts. The 10km Cardrona ski field access road is unsealed. You may be able to park close to base if you arrive early.  Otherwise courtesy car park shuttles run throughout the day.  There are transport options available from both Wanaka and Queenstown.

Coronet Peak
How far is Coronet Peak from Queenstown and Wanaka?

18km / 25 mins from Queenstown or 80km / 75 mins from Wanaka
his is the locals' playground, at just 20 minutes from Queenstown. Modern facilities, extensive snow-making, grooming and great learner slopes combined with roller coaster terrain make Coronet Peak a truly world-class ski area.
Our quiet high speed 6-seater Express Chairlift will get you to the top, and on the slopes before you know it! 

There’s plenty of fun for kids, from the licensed early childcare and ski school to the beginner slopes with 4 conveyor lifts. Coronet Peak offers a great kids ski and snowboard lesson packages that cater to every family’s ski holiday needs – along with lift pass, ski / snowboard lessons and Equipment Rental packages to suit all of the family. 

Kids aged five years and under ski for free at Coronet Peak!

Access: CORONET PEAK  The closest ski field to Queenstown, the start of the access road is an easy 10 minutes drive from town centre.  It's 9km of good, sealed road.  Car parks fill up quickly so be prepared for a 5-10 minute walk or catch the regular courtesy car park shuttle.

The Remarkables
How far is The Remarkables from Queenstown and Wanaka?

28km / 45 mins from Queenstown or 83km / 90 mins from Wanaka

Just 45 minutes’ drive from Queenstown, The Remarkables is where you’ll find your freedom. This is Queenstown’s big mountain with sunny slopes, wide bowls, fast chutes and terrain for all abilities in your family.
In Winter 2020 our Dopplemeyer D-Line high-speed chairlift was installed to whizz you to three dedicated terrain parks, plus 2.5km of new intermediate trails and off-piste runs including Outward Bound – in just four minutes!
Extensive trail work, a learner slope with magic carpet-style conveyor makes the progression from beginner to intermediate easier and more enjoyable. Kids aged four and up have an awesome time in lessons at our ski school, and for those freestylers wanting to progress to the park, the ski field also hosts The Freeride World Tour (FWTA) for kids 5-17 years old.

Kids aged five years and under ski for free The Remarkables!

Access: REMARKABLES The access road is 20 minutes drive from Queenstown or 10 minutes from Frankton.  It's 13km with the first 8km sealed and the rest unsealed.    Parking generally very close to base building.

Snow Farm
How far is Snow Farm from Queenstown and Wanaka?

58km / 60 mins from Queenstown or 34km / 35 mins from Wanaka
Experience New Zealand's only cross-country ski area.  A perfect family activity and it doesn’t matter if you’re all new to it! Slip into the skinny skis and choose your route from up to 55kms of trails. Children will love it too!  FOR THE KIDS – Tubing and Sledding. We have sleds and tubes available for hire with protective headwear. Baby Sleds are also available for parents who want to take baby skiing with them (this also adds to the exercise!)

A café/restaurant is onsite, with comfy seating and a great viewing area so in- or outdoors, spend a family day at Snow Farm!

Access: SNOW FARM   Take the Crown Range road to the Cardrona Valley.  If you're coming from Queenstown, the sealed road is twisty and steep but well-maintained.  The access road is 13km, well-graded but unsealed.

Transport

With the exception of Coronet Peak and two thirds of The Remarkables the ski field access roads are unsealed.  If you're not comfortable with fitting chains or mountain driving in snow or icy conditions, you'll be far better off letting someone else drive you to the ski slopes.  If you're driving always remember to drive to the conditions, carry warm clothing, food, water, blankets, chains, a shovel, first aid kit and keep your petrol tank full.
There are snow shuttle buses that will take you from Queenstown to Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and these stop at most hotels and close to most accommodation.  However if you're organising a whole family you might find it easier to travel at your leisure with a smaller service. 

Gear Hire

Find Ski and Snowboard gear and clothing for all the family here >>

If you don't ski at home you may not have all the warm ski clothing required to go skiing.  The right gear is important for everyone but especially for the kids - if they're cold they won't enjoy their day and will think they hate skiing!  Luckily both children and adults can easily hire ski clothing in Queenstown and Wanaka.  You can get ski clothing when you arrive or book it online before you get here.  Either way, it's cheaper to book ski clothing for a few days.  Items for hire are ski pants, ski jackets and ski suits, and wrist guards, helmets, goggles and gloves may also be available.  Note: most shops include free wrist guards with your ski clothing hire.  Often goggles and gloves are not rented out for hygiene reasons, but these are cheap to purchase.  Kidz Go recommends some family-friendly hire shops in Queenstown and Wanaka, and these also rent skis, snowboards and boots.