Top Things to do in Otago Region
What to do and see in Otago Region, South Island: The Best Things to do Good for Adrenaline Seekers
Discover the best top things to do in Otago Region, New Zealand including Skippers Canyon Jet, Off Road Adventures, The Cardrona, True South Flights, Mount Aspiring National Park, Air Milford, Glenorchy Air, Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters, Ben Lomond Track, Roxburgh Gorge Trail.
Restaurants in Otago Region
1. Skippers Canyon Jet
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,330 reviews
Come with Skippers Canyon Jet and experience unbeatable value as you are taken on a spectacular guided tour of Skippers Canyon followed by a thrilling jet boat ride through the narrowest canyons on the Shotover River. Discover a land rich in gold mining history and breathtaking scenery just a short distance from Queenstown. Skippers Canyon Jet is the must do jet boat trip in Queenstown.
2. Off Road Adventures
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,605 reviews
The home of the best off roading in New Zealand. From beginner to pro let this local family of off roading champions treat you to the ride of your life. We offer amazing quad and dirt bike tours through some of New Zealand's most spectacular scenery.
3. The Cardrona
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,180 reviews
First class scenic horse trekking and quad bike tours of the stunning Cardrona Valley, Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand
4. True South Flights
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 579 reviews
True South Flights is the premier flight-seeing company in the Queenstown area, specialising in giving our customers a seamless and personal experience on flights around the Southern Alps of New Zealand and beyond. We guarantee window seats for all our passengers in a modern fleet of aircraft.
5. Mount Aspiring National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 180 reviews
Reviewed By StanDallas - Dallas, United States
Peaceful, quietness, silence and roaring Thunder Creek Falls. Not to far away from Queenstown NZ is paradise. Summer camping in the national park looking into black skies for that Southern Cross among the ever changing constellations. Addiction can be to a place also.
6. Air Milford
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,740 reviews
Air Milford is a family owned and operated business based in Queenstown, New Zealand that has a 100% safety record and has top reviews. The Air Milford team have an intimate knowledge of the scenic wonders of Fiordland, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Mount Cook and the Queenstown region. We provide Scenic Flights to Milford Sound, covering:- - Milford Sound Flights - Milford Fly/Cruise/Fly - Milford Coach/Cruise/Fly - Milford Fly/Land/Fly and - Milford Track Fly Back options We also offer stunning scenic flights over Queenstown, to Doubtful Sound, Mt Cook and charters are also available. Our modern Cessna aircrafts are meticulously maintained and we are proud to have achieved one of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) highest audit ratings for operations and safety and take extra special measure to sanitize the planes between our trips. We are proud to be completely Kiwi Owner Operated and look forward to providing you with a trip you will remember for a lifetime!
7. Glenorchy Air
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,421 reviews
Under new ownership since July 2019. Discover Milford Sound and Beyond. Glenorchy Air operates awe-inspiring, intimate scenic flights from Queenstown and Glenorchy to Milford Sound, Mt Cook and Beyond, flown by knowledgeable, highly skilled local pilots who strive to exceed your expectations and deliver you a once in a lifetime experience. All our Aircraft have exclusively window seats, headsets to hear the pilot’s commentary and modern safety features. Professional and Personal Service is Guaranteed from this Family owned and operated, Queenstown based company. Your window seat awaits.
8. Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 768 reviews
Glacier Southern Lakes is Queenstown's leading scenic heli-flight company with a reputation of providing a high standard of professionalism and service. We offer daily scenic helicopter tours over the mountains, lakes, glaciers and fiords in and around Middle-earth, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park & Mt Aspiring National Park. Alpine or snow landings are part of all our flights and glacier landings are included in all our Milford Sound flights. We have the most experienced team of helicopter pilots in Queenstown who will share their extensive local knowledge with you. For Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit fans we can show you many of the Queenstown film locations like nobody else, with pilots who were part of the film crew.
9. Ben Lomond Track
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 693 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By lottie27 - Balmain, Australia
As a 30-year old, reasonably fit female who had hiked Ben Lomond seven years previous, I actually found this hike to be reasonably ok for the most part. I had in fact hiked Roy’s Peak, Wanaka the day previous so wasn’t sure how my legs would feel doing two quite big hikes consecutively. As per the other reviews, there are two options, either start at the bottom of the Skyline Gondola (on Beacon St) and take the Tiki Trail up, or pay $38 (or something) and take about 45mins - 1hour (each way) off your hiking time and get the Gondola. For the challenge, I chose the first option and commenced my hike at 7.30am at the bottom of the Tiki Trail. The Tiki Trial is actually quite tough, constantly uphill and over some pretty rough terrain. I grabbed a good stick to use as a hiking pole in the forest and I think this certainly helped me overall. By 8.10am I was at the Skyline Gondola where the views are actually pretty fantastic in their own right. A quick 5 minute toilet stop here and I left the top of the Gondola to commence the hike at about 8.20am. The Ben Lomond track is well signposted from here (much better than when I first did this hike seen years ago) and it says 1.5 hours to the saddle and 2.5 hours to the summit. The hike from the Gondola to the saddle I found to be quite ok... yes it’s constantly uphill but not THAT steep and I in fact made it to the saddle in just under an hour from leaving the top of the Gondola - arriving at 9.15am. The saddle is where the easy hiking sure ends - the hike from the saddle to the summit was particularly strenuous. Having hiked Roy’s Peak the day before, my quads were burning. From the saddle to the summit, it is very much scrambling (on your hands as knees at times) up a rocky mountain face. Even on a dry day like I had I found it quite unsteady underfoot at times. That said, I made it to the summit from the saddle in about 40 minutes. The decent was quite tough on the knees but not as bad as Roy’s Peak and it was nice to be able to take in the views. I got back to the Skyline Gondola by 11.10am (1hr 10mins after leaving the summit), stopped for a cold drink and made it to the bottom of the Tiki Trail just after 12pm - 4.5 hours after commencing. I did walk quite fast and took very few breaks but it just goes to show that it doesn’t need to be a 6/8 hour hike if you’re reasonably fit. The crowds are much smaller than the Roy’s Peak track, even on a beautiful summers day like I had which I found made this hike more appealing. The walk itself is also more varied (having the Tiki Trail forest, the steady climb to the saddle and then the steep scramble to the summit) which made it a little more interesting than the zig zag of Roy’s Peak. My only comment would be that I didn’t find the views (from the saddle or summit) as amazing as the ones from Roy’s Peak, but overall a challenging, enjoyable hike. I didn’t have proper hiking boots and found my Nike trainers did the job ok, just be wary of twisted ankles on the climb to the summit. I found a long stick to be really helpful on the hike to the saddle, although had to lose it to the summit so I had both hands free to grab hold of things around me. Take lots of water, snacks, clothing and suncream as the weather can be very changeable.
10. Roxburgh Gorge Trail
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 103 reviews
Open all year round, the trail is a well-formed 2.5 metre wide gravel surface with some climbs. It will take up to four or five hours to complete depending on how you choose to experience it. The trail’s proximity to the Otago Central Rail Trail and the Clutha Gold Trail will also ensure that visitors to the area will have the opportunity to experience even more of Central Otago’s unique scenery.
Reviewed By brentloe54 - Auckland, New Zealand
A great trail not hard or technically or physically challenging and suitable for bikers with a moderate level of fitness. The first 10km is low down to the water then an interesting 40-45 minute jet boat ride seeing gold mining relics between doctors pt and shingle creek and then completing the gradual uphill climb up to the rim of the gorge and then down and around to the Roxburgh Dam to trail end A good well graded trail with fantastic rocky open scenery
