How to get to Cardrona from Queenstown & Wanaka – all your winter transport options here...
Getting to Cardrona is easy, no matter where you’re staying! Located in the heart of the Southern Alps, we’re a short drive from Wanaka, Queenstown & Arrowtown. Let us drive you – with regular daily shuttles from Queenstown, Wanaka, & Arrowtown, we can get you right to the front door & onto the snow faster!
Cardrona is an easy drive or bus ride from NZ’s most famous resort towns – Queenstown & Wanaka. These 2 lakeside destinations are surrounded by breath-taking alpine scenery & offer a dizzying array of activities, sights & sounds. If you’re looking for the ultimate holiday destination, this is it!
Drive Times:
Wanaka 34km / 35mins
Queenstown 58km / 60mins
Arrowtown 37km / 45mins
Cardrona is just a short hop over the Crown Range from Queenstown Airport, so it’s super easy to pick up your rental car & drive straight here!
Cardrona is located in a high alpine environment, with weather that can change quickly. We are located at the top of a 14km long, unsealed access road, so please take care & keep to the left to maintain 2-way traffic the whole way.
Both the Crown Range road & the Cardrona mountain road can be affected by snowfall, so it’s best to always carry chains & know how to use them. If you don’t have your own chains, you can hire them on the Cardrona mountain road. Our friendly chain crew can also fit your own chains for you if you don’t know how!
| 2-Wheel Drive | 4-Wheel Drive | |
| Chain Hire & Fitting | $30 | $30 |
| Fitting of your chains | $10 | $10 |
If you’re driving yourself & you’ve already picked up your rental gear (or you have your own), head to our offices in either Queenstown or Wanaka to suss your lift passes so you can park at the bottom of Valley View Quad. It saves 10mins driving time & the Little Meg Café is right there for your early morning caffeine hit! Please note that Valley View Quad is best for intermediate & above skiers & snowboarders – if you’re just learning, head right up to Base.
If you’re parking at the top of the Cardrona mountain road you’re most welcome to use our drop-off zone to drop the rest of the family & all your gear right at the front door – just let our awesome Carpark Crew know you’re heading up to use that zone. If you’re parked at one of our lower carparks we offer a free shuttle service to get you back up to the Base area.
Another option is our awesome shuttle service – park at the bottom of the Cardrona mountain road & let us do the rest! We run regular shuttles from the carpark at the bottom of our access road. It's $15 return for adults & $10 return for kids.
| Shuttle UP | 8.30am | 9.30am |
| Shuttle DOWN | 4.15pm |
Please note that the shuttle times are approximate & are subject to change.
Look out for the big orange bus!! We offer a Cardrona bus service with pickups at a couple of Wanaka hotels & Cardrona Corner (20 Helwick Street, Wanaka) on the way up the mountain. To lock in your ride, contact our friendly reservations team.
Scheduled pickup points.
7.40am – Wanaka Top 10 Holiday Park & Wyndham Ramada Resort
7.45am – Edgewater
7.55am – Wanaka Bakpaka
8am – Lakeside Apartments / The Moorings
8.05am – Wanaka Hotel
8.10am – Te Wanaka / Mountain View / Flying Kiwi Backpackers / Base / YHA Wanaka
8.15am – Paper Plus Bus Stop / Clearbrook Motel / Cnr Brownstown & McDougall
8.20am – Mercure Oakridge Resort Lake Wanaka
8.40am – Base of Mountain
Return bus will drop off at the same points, in reverse order. Tickets available from Cardrona Corner.
| Wanaka Bus Service | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Single Day Return | $35 | $28 |
| Single Day Lift & Transport - Peak (July & Aug) | $130 |
$80 |
| Single Day Lift & Transport - Off Peak (June, Sep & Oct) | $127 |
$83 |
If you want to jump on a shuttle bus from Queenstown or Arrowtown, contact our friendly reservations team or book direct.
| Queenstown Bus Service | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Single Day Return | $49 | $35 |
| Single Day Lift & Transport - Peak (July & Aug) | $132 |
$88 |
| Single Day Lift & Transport - Off Peak (June, Sep & Oct) | $129 |
$85 |
Travel from Queenstown to/from Cardrona for the season with Real Journeys.
| Queenstown Transport Season Pass | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Full Season Transport Pass | $399 | $299 |
| Transport Saver Season Pass* | $299 | $199 |
* Excludes 1st July – 31st Aug black-out period)
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