Glenorchy Walkway, Queenstown

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Last Updated on March 14, 2023 by Jon Algie

The Glenorchy Walkway, which takes you from the main lakeside area past wetlands and mountain views to Glenorchy Lagoon, is one of the best short walks in the Queenstown region. It’s almost completely flat, starts right in town and the views on offer are easily worth the 45-minute drive from Queenstown. I’m pretty sure I’ve already convinced you to check out the Glenorchy Walkway, but keep reading anyway!

Glenorchy Walkway

The Glenorchy Walkway starts close to the main part of town. Park up by the waterfront, check out the famous Glenorchy boat shed and pier and maybe grab a coffee at one of the cafes before starting the walk.

The first part of the track offers glimpses of the views ahead. Before long you’ll come to a fork in the road — it’s a loop track so it doesn’t matter which way you go. We took the “bridge” way and walked through the golf course on the way back.

Glenorchy Lagoon

Glenorchy Lagoon is a small group of (possibly connected) ponds and lakes. If you visit on a clear, calm day you’ll get beautiful mountain reflections. The different bits of the Glenorchy lagoon are connected by tracks and boardwalks. You can walk to the water’s edge at times, but the ground can get very wet.

The backdrop to this part of the track is the main hightlight. There are heaps of snow-covered hills and mountains (snow-covered in winter and spring at least) — the views to effort ratio is top-notch. From there you’ll walk through a small section of the golf course and then back to the main track. It took us around two hours to hike this track, but we stopped a lot — you could do it a lot quicker if you were short on time.

Other Things to Do in Glenorchy

Glenorchy is a cute little town by Lake Wakatipu and is a popular day trip destination from Queenstown. There are some world-class day walks nearby (the first day of the Routeburn Track for example), nice places to eat and you can also drive to nearby areas including Kinloch and Paradise. 

READ MORE: 8 of the Best Things to Do in Glenorchy

Getting to the Glenorchy Walkway

The drive from Queenstown to Glenrochy is known as one of New Zealand’s most scenic. I wrote a post about it so make sure to check that out. The Glenorchy Walkway is easy to find — just turn right at the boat shed and keep walking. It’s also worth continuing your road trip to either Paradise or Kinloch (or both). The scenery along the way is great and there is a stunning, hidden away hike to do in Paradise. Combining Glenorchy, Paradise and Kinloch would make for the perfect day trip from Queenstown.

READ MORE: 6 of the Best Scenic Drives in Queenstown

Are you planning a trip to Queenstown? Check out our three-seven day Queenstown itinerary!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.