Million Dollar Lake Cruise will take you to the most interesting parts of Lake Wakatipu
What you’ll experience on the Million Dollar Cruise – Queenstown’s Classic Lake Cruise
Discover Queenstown from the water, where the journey is as memorable as the views. Your 90‑minute lake cruise begins from the Main Queenstown Jetty, starting with a special moment feeding the wild trout and native eels that gather beneath the wharf.
As the boat glides across Lake Wakatipu’s sheltered waters, the scenery slowly unfolds — Willow Island, the lakeside golf course, heritage architecture tucked into the shoreline, and finally the historic Kawarau Falls Dam. Along the way, your captain shares local stories and insights, revealing the geology, legends, and wildlife that make this part of New Zealand so captivating.
Wildlife is never far from sight. Trout and eels appear in the shallows, shags and ducks perch along the edges, and sharp eyes might spot rare native birds along the quieter bays. This is Queenstown at a gentler pace, where the beauty is uninterrupted and the experience feels personal.
- Get to see stunning lakeside homes, a historic dam, willow islands, trout and rare birds
- Ideal for all age groups, families, couples, and independent travelers
- Queenstown’s best picture spots
- One of the most affordable Queenstown activities available
Departure Times
11am, 2pm and 4pm
(Winter 4pm trip is a Twilight Cruise)
Duration
90 minutes
Cost
Adult: $69.00
Child: $35.00
Price in NZD
MILLION DOLLAR CRUISE
Gallery
WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY
Our Reviews
This is a great experience for anyone wanting a relaxed cruise filled with interesting background and information on Queenstown. Enjoyed every second of it and would do it again. The captain of the boat has a witty sense of humor and knows his stuff!
Ally K
Melbourne, Australia
EXCELLENTVerified Great Scenic Cruise of the Lake A really enjoyable cruise of the lake. Our Skipper Dan was excellent and very knowledgeable about the lake, its history and that of the Queenstown area. His delivery style included humour and stories both of western settlers and also of Maori culture and history. The boat was comfortable and offered great viewing options both inside the boat and on the outside decks plus drinks snd snacks are available. A very enjoyable and interesting cruise that was also good value.Verified worth the price. The cruise was easy to book, and find. The crew were great, the captain gave some good commentary on the cruise. There was lots of choice for drinks, but little for food. It takes an hour and a half but it is well worth doing.Verified A beautiful & memorable cruise. Our first winter holiday in Queenstown & we thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on beautiful Lake Wakatipu. Our Captain Tyler was very informative on every aspect of the lake & had a great sense of humour to go along with his commentary. The whole crew were very friendly & efficient. I would definitely recommend this company. A wonderful way to see the beauty of Queenstown.Verified Service with a smile and friendly staff. The cruise was beautiful and informative. Thanks Captain Troy for the cruise with the information as we travelled the lake. Thanks Emily for a great mocha. Service with a smile.Verified Absolutely stunning We have a fantastic time sailing with Tyler and Dan . Tyler had a good sense of humour and was very informative, a great guide . Dan was great at the bar attending us when needed , both great guys , made us feel welcome. The scenery was stunning , we absolutely loved itVerified ULTIMATELY AWESOME AMAZING EXPERIENCE! From the awesome reception team up to the great captain!! It exceeded our expectations, for real! 🥰 Informative and interesting! I have searched for all the stories afterwards heheheVerified A very affordable and interesting cruise I love to go out on the lake when I visit Queenstown. As the Earnslaw is out on survey till September and I was there in July, I had to consider a different cruise. We made a great choice in the Million Dollar cruise. Instead of going up the lake to Walter Peak station this cruise takes you into Frankton Arm. Before we even went aboard Dan our captain fed the trout at the jetty and held us captivated. Cruising past the golf course, the million dollar plus home in Kelvin Heights right to the Kawarau bridge. The captain Dan gave an exceptional commentary about the lake, Queenstown and also what we were seeing from impressive homes to the bird life and even the reason behind the Williow tree islands at Frankton. Although Dan is English he did a reasonable job with his Maori language pronounciation and cultural history in his commentary. Dan also recruited some junior crew to help steer the ship and the kids lived thus. He was ably assisted by a young woman…can’t remember her name… who served drinks and snacks and kept an eye on everyone. A very affordable $69, 90 minute cruise to see something different of Lake Wakatipu.Verified Must do! Very relaxed and informative cruise. They have a dedicated area for young children and infants. They also provide blankets if you’re wanting to sit outside. I’d definitely recommend if you’re travelling down the Queenstown.Verified Really Good It was a really lovely cruise and we all had lots of fun. I would recommend it there was some really interesting history included. :)Verified Well worth it! Fantastic boat cruise. Friendly and informative staff. Took in some of the sights on Lake Wakatipu. Kids got a turn to steer the boat as well. Would highly recommend.
Find Us
Million Dollar Cruise
50 Beach Street
Million Dollar Cruise Jetty
Waters Edge, Queenstown Bay