Hotels in Wanaka

Wanaka: Alpine Lake Town in the Southern Alps

Wanaka sits at the southern shore of Lake Wanaka in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island, roughly 70 km northeast of Queenstown via the Crown Range Road. The lake stretches 45 km and reaches depths of 311 m, fed by glacial meltwater from the Mount Aspiring National Park boundary. The town gained international attention through a photograph of the solitary That Wanaka Tree — a lone willow standing in the lake shallows near the foreshore — making it one of the most reproduced landscape images in New Zealand.

Where to Stay

Accommodation clusters along Ardmore Street on the lakefront and spreads into the Wanaka Township residential streets within walking distance of the waterfront. Visitors arrive for ski season at Cardrona Alpine Resort (34 km south) and Treble Cone (19 km west), as well as summer hiking, mountain biking, and paragliding off Roys Peak (1,578 m summit, 16 km return trail).

Practical Tips

• Getting there: Wanaka sits 70 km from Queenstown Airport via State Highway 6 or the Crown Range; no commercial airport serves the town directly.
• Season: Ski season runs June–September; summer hiking peaks December–February.
• Book early: Accommodation fills weeks ahead during the Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow (Easter, even-numbered years).
• Lake temperature: Water stays cold year-round — pack a wetsuit for swimming beyond the shallows.