When to go · Queenstown
Queenstown in January
Great month. Inside Queenstown's best window: Dec–Apr for hiking and lake days; Jul–Aug for skiing; Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for fewer crowds.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 23°C (73°F)73°F (23°C) / 11°C (52°F)52°F (11°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- High
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- High
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Inside Queenstown's best window: Dec–Apr for hiking and lake days; Jul–Aug for skiing; Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for fewer crowds.
Is another month better than January?
No other month rates higher than January for Queenstown in this guide.
Weather in January
- QueenstownHighs around 23 °C (73 °F), lows around 11 °C (52 °F), rain on about 8 daysHighs around 73 °F (23 °C), lows around 52 °F (11 °C), rain on about 8 days
- Southern Alps and lakes, New Zealand · Queenstown, Wānaka, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Tekapobest weather
Hot dry summers, clear cold winters with ski fields Jun–Sep; chains needed on passes; autumn colour in April.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
New Year big impact
1–2 Jan · New Zealand
Peak of the summer holiday: campsites, beaches, ferries and lake towns full.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · New Zealand overall
- High
- Prices · New Zealand overall
- High
New Zealand overall: Peak summer and local holidays: long days, warm lakes; book cars, ferries and huts well ahead.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Queenstown, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Great
Feb: Great
Daytime high
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Feb: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Night low
Jan: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Feb: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 8
Feb: 7 (better)
Crowds
Jan: High
Feb: High
Prices
Jan: High
Feb: High
Festivals listed
Jan: 1
Feb: 0
January: Inside Queenstown's best window: Dec–Apr for hiking and lake days; Jul–Aug for skiing; Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for fewer crowds.
February: Inside Queenstown's best window: Dec–Apr for hiking and lake days; Jul–Aug for skiing; Mar–Apr and Oct–Nov for fewer crowds.
Queenstown: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings