Half Day Walter Peak Horse Trek And Cruise From Queenstown

A great experience in a majestic part of the world.

The experience overall was fantastic. The trip there and back on the TSS Earnslaw was a lovely way to travel (highly recommend doing this whether you go horse riding or not). Don't expect to do any actual horse "riding" - all you pretty much do is sit on the horse and it walks around the property. Perfect for beginners or people who are a bit scared of horses, but not for anyone who wants to have a good ride. Scenery was amazing however. The afternoon tea was also beautiful.

It was a lot of fun. We booked months ago and when we booked we didn’t see a weight limit. However, when we got here to check in they informed us of a weight limit. And we now see it on the site. We purposely booked this one because I know I’m a bigger guy and the other horse treks had weight limits below what I weigh. However, I knew it may be a thing so I wasn’t shocked when they said there was. My family still had a blast with the horses and I did a farm tour. The boat rides were awesome and the farm is lovely. It’s such a beautiful area.

Was really fun Had an awesome guide, he explained things well and told us facts about the farm that was really interesting

I would recommend this experience to absolutely anyone — with or without riding experience. The staff were brilliant: super friendly, helpful, and clearly passionate about what they do. The horses were well trained, beautifully behaved, and clearly cared for. We followed a scenic track through a gorgeous farm overlooking Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by stunning mountain views. The afternoon tea was delicious, and the boat ride to the farm was incredibly calming. The boat staff were fantastic as well. This is the perfect activity to end a Queenstown trip — relaxing, memorable, and beautifully run. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Beautiful day to enjoy an efficient 2.5 hr adventure that included the boat ride roundtrip, horse trek 45 min and tea & scones. Delicious tea time. Courteous staff. Good value for time.

We overlooked that it is a max of 95 kg. It wasn’t on the front of the ad on trip advisor. They weigh you at the desk and wouldn’t allow two of us to ride. Waste of money. Been riding horses my whole life and never found

I road the horse named Lone Star. He was so gentle & sweet, even though I’m from Oklahoma & he is named after Texas! Our guide was from Auckland & she was so kind & full of great information. We had a beautiful sunny day, enjoyed the flowers & country setting. After the ride we enjoyed pastries, sandwiches, apple drink, coffee, & conversation with the other riders from Canada & Hong Kong! I loved it!

I am 67 and have not ridden a horse for over 20 years. This was the most wonderful experience and I had the best time ever! Darius and Vic were very personable and helpful in getting us organised, and Ben the horse was adorable. I thoroughly recommend this experience as apart from the beautiful horses, we had a lovely journey there and back on Lake Wakatipu, and an amazing afternoon tea. I really appreciated the care they take of the horses, I was due to go on Sunday but it was raining heavily and it was postponed for safety’s sake. So glad I was able to rebook for Tuesday as it was fantastic!

pace of horses are for beginners. so i very much like that. i feel safe. the view is wonderful! highly recommend

Was lucky to have had a beautiful day for this experience. I was the only rider which gave me a one on one ride. The scenery was stunning and was able to learn a lot about the area. The “afternoon tea” was amazing!!!

Absolutely loved it. Such lovely horses, incredible scenery and a stunning afternoon tea to finish! Friendly guides.

What a wonderful tour, first an amazing cruise on the Earnslaw followed by a gentle horse ride around Walters Peak. Amazing view, lovely quiet horses and staff were friendly and helpful. I wonderful experience, one to remember and treasure

Great boat ride, lovely guides and excellent horse riding. Well organized, no big queues and the horses were perfect for novice riders (maybe don’t do it if you’re an experienced rider and are after a proper trekking experience)! Afternoon tea was delicious and way too much, best afternoon ever

Lovely day, weather helped! Travelled to the farm on the catamaran we were then met and walked to the stables, we were given riding hats and mounted on our horses, there was 4 in total in our group and two staff walking alongside my daughter and I were both riders, the horses were very steady and we just walked for a total of approximately 50 minutes, which was fine for us as we wanted to admire the scenery and just chill, when we returned to the stable we were taken for a cream tea which was delicious, then back on the boat, took approximately 3 hours, well worth it, special shout out to Olive one of the stable grooms she was brilliant.

Start with a 45 minute cruise across the lake to the Walter Peak . The morning clouds lifted by noon - perfect timing to provide stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and Walter Peak. Nice mellow horses ( other 3 people had never been on a horse! 😮 ). After about a 50 minute ride at walking pace we dismounted, washed our hands and had a delicious tea. I highly recommend this excursion. Harriet USA

Fantastic and memorable experience from start to finish! Loved it!!

Ride was beautiful and very easy. Horses were very docile and the guide was excellent. Afternoon tea was a lovely way to finish.

We were so thrilled with our Horse Trek. We took the 1pm ferry across and had a trek all to ourselves. The girls who lead the tour were so friendly - they really made our day. Afternoon Tea was tasty, fresh and beautifully positioned. The farm animals were icing on the cake but these best part was that our 11 year old daughter loved every minute of her special day. Highly recommend!

Relaxing cruise before a small walk to see the horses and animals on the working farm Fiddle was a big horse with a gentle nature and guided me thru the wallk to see the beautiful views of the lake

Brilliant from start to finish. The steam boat was a nice way to make the journey down the lake. Arriving at the farm we picked the horse trek. It was very manageable for anyone who was never on a horse and the perfect setting to try it in Highly recommend

We had never ridden a horse before, very much beginners. The horses were well looked after on the farm, the two ladies looking after us were lovely and help us through our experience. The group numbers were kept small which was great, only 6 in the group. The trek involved a walk around a field which had some small hills involved. Good view of the lake! Good activity out and we even got an afternoon tea afterwards.

It was a beautiful experience, I was here with my daughter and she was here for a friends wedding so the day of the wedding I had the whole morning early afternoon to myself.

I was very disappointed with the Walter Peak Horse Trek and Cruise. I followed the staff member holding the horse trek sign along with a large group of people, but the sign was removed without any clear instruction. I later realised I was in the wrong group, and the horse trek had already left without me. It was frustrating that no one from the horse trek team noticed a missing participant, and there was no headcount at all. I was forced to join the more expensive Farm Adventure Tour instead, which I did not enjoy. I skipped the tea time and sat alone waiting for the cruise. No refund or compensation was offered. Poor organisation and management, overall a very disappointing experience.

The rude staff at the check-in counter frowned at people for asking reasonable questions. The lady told me to wait in line at 12.15pm but that I can also take a walk and come back later. She did not care to mention that the line can get insanely long and that joining it late would lead to worse seats on the boat. The staff also muttered something negative about the people in front of me at the check-in counter. This is horrible service for the amount of money they charge. I was also "shoved" aside on a very spacious pier because another staff had to put up a sign, but he could have done that a foot away or simply asked me to move with words. The cruise itself was good, tea was tasty, and horse trek was fun with amazing views. Jess and Steph were friendly to guides who ensured everyone's safely and comfort before starting the trek. For those with mobility concerns: Getting on and off the horse requires some agility (holding on, putting your leg over, jumping to get off, etc.). Also, hips and lower back jerk while the horse walks. People of various ages still managed just fine, but I hope this info helps those who are concerned.

Hi— poor practices with the horses on this farm. I received a third degree sprain as a 5’1 woman who was told not to use the footstool to dismount a horse chosen before I’d arrived, which is unusual. The farm is owned by the tour company, who initially offered to pay for my x-rays and medical visit but then later said they would not. Honestly this ruined my birthday trip to New Zealand, and I would not recommend it. Unsafe practices and poor guidance on the track. The tea was fine, though there were flies on the food so I didn’t eat that.

We had such an amazing time on this steamboat and horse riding tour. The cruise was so enjoyable and beautiful. The horses were calm, well cared for, which made the whole experience relaxing and enjoyable. The scenery along the ride was beautiful ,and peaceful. And the afternoon tea… wow! It was absolutely delicious. A lovely selection of treats, all fresh and beautifully presented the perfect way to finish the ride. The guides were friendly, patient, and genuinely passionate about both the horses and making sure everyone had a great time. I left feeling refreshed, happy, and already wanting to go back. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable, relaxing, and tasty afternoon!

This was the perfect first real horse ride for my husband. He was matched with a gentle mare. Both of our guides were very helpful. They pointed out various points along the way. The hills were lined with thousands of sheep. The sites were stunning. TSS Earnslaw boat was a grand old (over 100 years) steamship. the afternoon tea was delicious.

10/10 experience, the staff were absolutely amazing made it so much fun. The afternoon tea after our horse trek was absolutely amazing as well!

Our guide actually lead us on foot - first time for that! Beautiful scenery but extremely slow pace Nice tea snack after

The scenery was spectacular. I wish there had been time to connect with the horse before the ride started. It was great for beginners but disappointing for me.

Guides werent as friendly as other horse trek guides I have went to. There was not much introduction or information about the horses that we would be riding on. No introduction or commentary on the area we are facing or heading towards etc. Just a walk round and back.

Great experience, both the ship and the ride were lovely, even in the rain. Tour guides were super helpful and any skill level could complete the ride.

The views were lovely. It was a streamlined movement from boat to stables.The high tea was very enjoyable. It was a great experience in Queenstown. I recommend booking this.

Bought the TSS Ernslaw boat ride and horse riding at walter peak - 3 1/2 hr trip including the boat trip. Purchased through Headout website who partner with Real life. We got 10% for the 1st time booking which was great - Usually $250pp, so the discount made a difference. KNOW BEFOREHAND - the horse riding weight limit has recently changed to 95kg max. They weigh you in the office and you have to leave everything on - jackets, wallet, keys etc, they say because you will have them on, on the horse. Can put you Way over!!! Lovely trip across on the Ernslaw - you can walk right above the inner workings of the steam ship machinery and commentary is offered. Horse riding - met by a young girl who hardly spoke then marched off at a super fast pace, leaving everyone behind! she did not speak to any of us, so felt a tad uncomfortable (Meet & greet is so important)! The horses were ready to go though and Matt was the leader who walked in front of the group for the ride, was very friendly and informative. If you are a novice, this ride is perfect. If you can ride it is a Very Ploddy, slow walk around the track and back, with no opportunity to break into a trot or canter. They need to re-look at novice & more advanced group rides, as the package wasnt cheap and we were disappointed at the pace after a while. Would suggest time slots that cater to the separate groups when you book online. So then no issues with the slower horses taking off to get to the horses with the more advanced riders :-) . We were looking forward to the farm morning tea afterwards- arrived & while it tasted good there was 1 triangle sandwich on the buffet plate for 6 of us?!! Rest of the food was nice but it really lacked any human input and we were left to our own devices. Thought it would be with Walter Peak farm people like an experience. There are some easy fixes that would greatly improve this experience, so giving feedback constructively in the hope it helps highlights areas for improvement of what people take away.

Fantastic day out relaxing on horse ride great serenity ☺️ afternoon tea yummy top with a paddle steam ride across the lake

We had a lovely ride, the views were amazing and Izzy was awesome. Very friendly. Hotshot was the best.

The cruise was enjoyable and fun. The scenery was breathtaking. If you've ridden a horse before this trek may well be too slow and boring but if you just want to relax and take in the scenery and enjoy the experience it's perfect. The scones, cakes, sandwiches and tea was a lovely finish

1. 100 kg or 220 lb limit yo weight on horses. 2. Got to the Walter Peak station after 45 min. ferry ride to be told we could not ride horses and there were no other alternatives.

Beautiful scenery at an amazing location. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable about the area. Afternoon tea was delicious.

Scenery is incredible, it's a slow leisurely pace so you do not need any experience, horses well-groomed and cared for. The Earnslaw and the afternoon tea an added bonus.

This is a 40 minute ride where you only walk so it is suitable for beginners - if you are a horse rider you would find this boring but the views are stunning. The staff were friendly and very helpful. The afternoon tea we had was delicious - good experience along with a ride on the TSS Earnslaw across the lake

On a perfect high country day I took my 9 year granddaughter (from inner-city Melbourne) for her first experience on a horse and in this amazing landscape. She was thrilled with the whole event, especially Alice’s friendliness and care. The horses were easygoing, the lake and mountains were picture perfect, the trek was fantastic, and my g’daughter was blown away by it all. Thanks Alice for your part in a holiday dream.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this trip. It was very relaxed and informative. Reading other reviews beforehand helped to manage my expectations that it was going to be just a very short and easy ride. I enjoyed seeing the beautiful Walter Peak farm and tourist destination - it's a well-oiled enterprise that processes the tourist experience well. Top advice is to use the bathroom on the boat before you arrive as there are long queues for the 2x female's toilets ashore. Also, save up an appetite for the 'meal' afterwards at 5pm of petit fours & sandwiches - the scones with jam & cream were especially delicious and, eaten at that hour, tend to impact your evening meal appetite. The TSS Ernslaw experience was also a highlight. At the height of summer, it was quite crowded with people going across to Walter Peak for all manner of tourist outings.

It was beautiful but the guides were just walking on foot in front of us the whole way so it was slow and not particularly exciting.

The boat trip was lovely and the Cream tea very nice. We all enjoyed the horse trek but, as we are experienced riders we were a bit bored with the 40 mins of slow walking. No trot. No canter and definitely no galloping. Hence not ideal for us. Would have been good to separate the group into riders and novices. For us. And for the lovely horses.

Absolutely amazing views on both the boat ride and as we road our horses through the farm paddocks. Both the boat ride and horse ride were very relaxing and the people were very friendly and helpful.

During this 3-hour booking, we only spent 40 minutes horseback riding. I wish we had known this before making the reservation, as it felt a bit expensive for such a limited amount of riding time. We also didn’t realize that we would need to take a boat across the lake to reach the location, which consumed most of our paid experience.

Extremely well organized and the steamship and and horseback riding were a lot of fun. It is great for beginner horse riders. Well seasoned riders will not enjoy the horse experience, but it is perfect for those who do not get to ride horses.