Experience · Queenstown, New Zealand

Bungee jumping

Queenstown invented commercial bungee in 1988 at the Kawarau Bridge, and jumping there — 43 metres above a mint-green river, from the original ledge — remains the classic gateway drug.

Best forAdventure seekers · Groups of friends · Solo travellers
In October12°C · 14 rainy days
Ideal stay3–4 nights in Queenstown
Approx. flying time~14h 10m from Los Angeles

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Happens around Queenstown, New Zealand — nearest airport Queenstown (ZQN), about 7km away.

CurrencyNZDNew Zealand dollar
LanguageEnglish and Māori
Local time02:1912h ahead of the UK
PlugsType IBring an adapter
Drive on theLeftSame as the UK
Dialling code+64

The experience

Commercial bungee began here in 1988, and the town has spent the decades since refining the business of paying to be frightened. Jumps range from a bridge above a green river gorge to a pod suspended in a canyon several hundred metres up. There is no skill involved and very little fitness required. What there is, is a short walk to the edge and a countdown.

Most people fold a jump into a few days in Queenstown alongside everything else, since the jump itself takes a morning at most. The town sits on a lake ringed by mountains, with Milford Sound, the Central Otago wine country and the Routeburn track all within reach. Summer means long days and busy operators; winter turns it into a ski town with the jumps still running.

Ideal stay: 3–4 nights in Queenstown
The vibe: Adrenal, scenic, faintly absurd

From our guides

Graduates progress to the Nevis: 134 metres from a pod slung across a canyon, with eight and a half seconds of freefall in which to reconsider everything. No fitness required, just paperwork and nerve. Book the first morning slot for calm winds and a smaller audience.

Featured in Ten adrenaline days out: canyons, bridges and big jumps

Make a trip of it

Kawarau Bridge

The original site, 43 metres above the river, with a viewing platform for spectators and the option of a water touch at the bottom.
The Nevis

134 metres from a pod slung across a canyon and reached by cable car, with around eight seconds of freefall to reconsider your choices.
The Ledge

Above the town off the Skyline gondola, lower than the others but with a running start and the lights of Queenstown below it at night.
Shotover canyon swing

For anyone who wants the drop without the ankle harness, with a long list of undignified launch styles to choose between.
Queenstown Hill

A free antidote afterwards: a couple of hours up through pines for a view over the lake and across to the Remarkables.

Getting there

Fly to
Queenstown (ZQN)

Nearest airport to Queenstown, about 7km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Queenstown

Around 10 to 15 minutes by shuttle or taxi from Queenstown (ZQN) into town, with frequent flights from Auckland and Christchurch.
On the ground
Getting around

The Kawarau Bridge is about 25 minutes east of Queenstown and the Nevis a similar distance; the operator runs transfers from its office in town as part of the booking.

Public transport: Limited, but the jump operators' own shuttles make a car unnecessary for this.

Flights

Los Angeles Queenstown, New Zealand

Flying from

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Roughly 14h 10m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

Check dates and prices

Pick your departure date, then your return.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 5°C in July to 21°C in January. Driest January to March and June; wettest in September, with rain on about 17 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

October12° · rain 14 daysCool and often wet.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to base yourself

Lakeview hotels and apartments in town, motels and holiday parks at Frankton, luxury lodges on the outskirts, and a large hostel scene serving the adventure crowd.

Best base overall
Queenstown town centre

Everything departs from here, including the shuttles to Kawarau and the Nevis, and you can walk to dinner afterwards. Rates are the highest in the country and the centre is busy year-round.
Find stays in Queenstown town centre
Best value
Frankton

By the airport and the lake's eastern arm, with motels and apartments well below town prices and a bus in every few minutes. Evenings are quiet and you will travel for restaurants.
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Best for couples
Arrowtown

A restored gold-rush village twenty minutes away, with cottages, good food and autumn colour that draws photographers. Nightlife is limited to a couple of bars.
Find stays in Arrowtown
Quietest
Gibbston Valley

Wine country beside the Kawarau bridge itself, so the original jump is on your doorstep. You need a car, and there is nothing to walk to.
Find stays in Gibbston Valley

Worth knowing before you book: Queenstown fills for the southern ski season and again over the New Zealand summer holidays, so book months out. Jump operators cancel for high wind and rebooking may need a spare day.

Search everything else in Queenstown by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Queenstown

Good to know

Book ahead: Slots go quickly in summer and over school holidays. Morning departures usually have the calmest conditions and the smallest audience.
Restrictions: Operators set minimum and maximum weights and ask about medical conditions. Declare anything relevant honestly at the time of booking.
Photos: Video and stills are sold separately and are not cheap. Decide before you jump rather than in the adrenaline afterwards.
Weather: High wind can cancel jumps, particularly at the Nevis. Leave a spare day in the itinerary if it matters to you.
Transport: Operators include transport from Queenstown to the out-of-town sites. Allow half a day for anything involving the Nevis.