Queenstown-Lakes district, Otago, New Zealand

Places to visit near Wanaka

Wanaka is a town in Queenstown-Lakes district, Otago, New Zealand, home to about 4,428 people. Within 50 km by road there are 208 places to visit — 125 hill stations & viewpoints, 39 wildlife, forests & gardens, 17 beaches & coast and 5 waterfalls. The must-see places are That Wānaka Tree (3 km), Roys Peak (10 km) and Pisa Range (24 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Wanaka on the map

Wanaka, Otago
Wanaka, Queenstown-Lakes district, Otago, New Zealand. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Wanaka at a glance

Location
Queenstown-Lakes district, Otago, New Zealand
Population
about 4,428
Coordinates
44.7000° S, 169.1500° E
Places within 50 km
208 (13 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; November to March for sightings for wildlife, forests & gardens

Top places to visit near Wanaka

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Wanaka: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Wanaka

Things to see near Wanaka, by type

Hill stations & viewpoints near Wanaka

162 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Mount Iron (2 km); the best-known is Roys Peak (10 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

  • Roys Peak · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~10 km · Must-see
  • Mount Iron · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~2 km
  • Pisa Range · viewpoint · Central Otago · ~24 km · Must-see
  • Mount Barker · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~5 km
  • Mount Brown · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~8 km
  • Treble Cone · viewpoint · Queenstown-Lakes · ~29 km · Must-see

All hill stations & viewpoints in Otago →

Wildlife, forests & gardens near Wanaka

45 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve (1 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Otago →

Beaches & coast near Wanaka

18 beaches & coast within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Roys Bay (4 km). Best time: october to march.

All beaches & coast in Otago →

Waterfalls near Wanaka

8 waterfalls within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Waterfall Creek Recreation Reserve (6 km). Best time: july to january, best august to november right after rains.

All waterfalls in Otago →

Lakes, dams & reservoirs near Wanaka

7 lakes, dams & reservoirs within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Arethusa Pool (21 km). Best time: august to december when reservoirs are full and gates may open.

All lakes, dams & reservoirs in Otago →

Rivers, islands & mangroves near Wanaka

6 rivers, islands & mangroves within 100 km of Wanaka. The closest is Ruby Island (5 km). Best time: september to february.

All rivers, islands & mangroves in Otago →

A one-day trip from Wanaka

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 24 km on the road.

  1. Start in Wanaka
  2. 1 km Puzzling World · park, Queenstown-Lakes
  3. 2 km Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve · nature spot, Queenstown-Lakes
  4. 1 km Tititea / Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre · national park, Queenstown-Lakes
  5. 9 km Roys Peak · peak, Queenstown-Lakes
  6. 9 km Take Kārara · heritage site, Queenstown-Lakes
  7. 2 km Back to Wanaka

Plan a longer trip from Wanaka — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Wanaka

No traveller has reported from around Wanaka yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

Post an update from the map →

How to reach Wanaka

    All places near Wanaka by distance

    Within 15 km of Wanaka

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    50–100 km — one-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Wanaka by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Hill stations & viewpoints125162Mount Iron (2 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens3945Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve (1 km)
    Beaches & coast1718Roys Bay (4 km)
    Waterfalls58Waterfall Creek Recreation Reserve (6 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs67Arethusa Pool (21 km)
    Rivers, islands & mangroves66Ruby Island (5 km)
    Other attractions34That Wānaka Tree (3 km)
    Forts & heritage13Take Kārara (2 km)
    Treks03Rees-Dart Track (72 km)
    Parks22Puzzling World (1 km)
    Museums22National Transport and Toy Museum (9 km)
    Churches22Church Hill (38 km)

    Wanaka: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Wanaka?

    That Wānaka Tree (attraction, about 3 km), Roys Peak (peak, about 10 km), Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve (nature spot, about 1 km), Tititea / Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre (national park, about 1 km), Puzzling World (park, about 1 km), Take Kārara (heritage site, about 2 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Wanaka?

    208 places on Spotwander: 125 hill stations & viewpoints, 39 wildlife, forests & gardens, 17 beaches & coast, 5 waterfalls, 6 lakes, dams & reservoirs.

    Which is the nearest viewpoint to Wanaka?

    Mount Iron, about 2 km by road; Mount Barker (5 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest sanctuary to Wanaka?

    Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve, about 1 km by road; Tititea / Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre (1 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest beach to Wanaka?

    Roys Bay, about 4 km by road; Bremner Bay (4 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Wanaka?

    Start in Wanaka, visit Puzzling World, then Ballantynes Road Recreation Reserve, then Tititea / Mount Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre, then Roys Peak, then Take Kārara, and drive back — about 24 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Wanaka?

    October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; November to March for sightings for wildlife, forests & gardens.

    Towns near Wanaka

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Wanaka’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Wanaka on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.