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Cardrona
Cardrona Attractions
Cardrona Alpine Resort
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Cardrona Alpine Resort

See all things to do
See all things to do
Cardrona Alpine Resort
4.5
790 reviews
#2 of 8 things to do in Cardrona
Ski & Snowboard Areas
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8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
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About
Located between Wanaka & Queenstown in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, Cardrona is a high ski resort renowned among skiers & snowboarders for its dry powder snow & wide slopes. Features include the Southern Hemisphere's most extensive park & pipes, excellent kids skiing facilities, ski & snowboard school, 8 distinctly different cafes & restaurants, & apartment accommodation. Cardrona is open for both winter & summer operations, with mountain biking, gondola rides, hiking/sightseeing, stargazing & NZ's only mountain carting in the summer months.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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  • Definitelynotelyse
    2 contributions
    Stargazing fun
    This tour is an incredible activity to do with both a partner (for a romantic evening) or for a bit of fun with friends. I have done both and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. The Mezz restaurant offered a delicious 3 course dinner which catered to my vegetarian dietary requirements (and it was delicious)!!!! The restaurant ambiance was very relaxed, the service was great and the views of the sun setting over the Cardrona valley were spectacular from the window seat. After dinner, the tour guides rugged us up with very warm jackets, snow boots and hot chocolate to take out to the star-gazing location. The guides were very knowledgeable about the stars, constellations and could answer pretty much any question I had about the universe (you could tell it was a passion for them). We got to look at the moon close up, star constellations, planets and nebula's through the telescope and high-tech binoculars. They also had bean-bags set up to chill out on and admire the night sky. The tour finished at around midnight (you don't get back into town until about 1am) so just be prepared for a late one! Overall a great and memorable experience :)
    Jen H
    It's so awesome to hear you've been stargazing with us twice and loved it both times! It's such a special experience and we're chuffed to hear that you enjoyed it so much. Hope to see you back up here again for round 3 soon!
    Written 26 January 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written 10 January 2020
  • DaveHealy
    Wellington, New Zealand59 contributions
    Amazing stay at Cardrona apartments
    We stayed two nights up in the resort's apartments. With 2 young boy boys it was super convenient and was a nice refuge from the hectic resort. Being on the mountain after 4pm is a totally different experience, it's beautiful when the crowds have gone. We had some great fun sledding and snow ball fighting with a couple of the other families staying there. Sarah in the accomodation team went above and beyond to help us manage check-in and check-out, while we juggled our 2 year olds nap times! Highly recommended
    Visited September 2020
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 September 2020
  • Liv
    2 contributions
    Stargazing perfect for a date
    Although we went there as a group - it's definitely something I'd recommend to do with your other half or family. Dinner was delicious and then stargazing was very interesting and quite romantic. Seeing the moon through telescope was the highlight for me. Would love to share this moment with someone special. The jackets provided by Cardrona were keeping us nice and warm, but definitely recommend to wear some layers.
    Jen H
    It's awesome to hear you had such a special time stargazing! Hope to see you back up here for another Cardrona adventure soon :)
    Written 26 January 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2020
    Written 9 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
790 reviews
Excellent
525
Very good
176
Average
54
Poor
22
Terrible
13
Karis
Hong Kong, China2 contributions
Fun experience for beginner!
Aug 2023 • Friends
All the staff at the resort are super friendly and helpful. The bus ride is very comfortable thanks to our skilful driver Pete. My friends and I have very little experience in snow sports so we did a first timer package which include a whole day lesson. Our snowboarding instructor Gav is experienced, friendly, encouraging. We all managed to learn a few basic snowboarding skills. We couldn’t stop talking about it for the rest of the day.
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
Thank you for your fantastic review of Cardrona Alpine Resort! We're stoked that you all managed to learn some basic snowboarding skills and had such an enjoyable day. Rest assured, we will pass on your kudos to the team, Pete, and Gav. Your positive feedback is greatly appreciated, and we're sure they'll be delighted to hear it. We look forward to welcoming you back for more snow adventures in the future! 🏂🚌🌨️🌟
Written 20 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
steve w
Auckland, New Zealand62 contributions
Sort the crud out Cardrona
Aug 2023 • Family
Great snow, despite it being an average winter. Two things make this a 3 star review.

At no time in the last seven days did I see a ski patrol. What I did see, was parks riders, both skiers and boarders hammering down the slow area at the bottom of All Nations, whizzing around novice skiers trying to get there confidence up, scaring the living daylights out of them.

It's appallingly bad. Do something about it.

Second, Captians cafe is still the biggest joke on the mountain. A sold out day, yet the queue for coffee was 25 minutes. Grumpy staff, grumpy patrons, but.....BUT, they still only had one of two coffee machines going.

Unbelievable.
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
We're sorry to hear about the concerns you had during your recent visit to Cardrona Alpine Resort. Your feedback is valuable in helping us improve the guest experience. Regarding the ski patrol issue and the behavior of some park riders, we take safety on the slopes seriously. We will investigate the situation and make necessary adjustments to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all our guests, especially those who are learning to ski or snowboard. We also apologise for the inconvenience you faced at Captains Cafe, including the long queue and service issues. To better address your concerns and gather more details about your visit, we kindly ask you to email us at feedback@realnz.com with the date of your visit and any additional information you can provide. Your input will be instrumental in helping us make the necessary improvements for future guests. Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, and we hope to see you again in the future with an improved experience.
Written 3 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Alison T
Cairns, Australia6 contributions
Great day- great instructor
Aug 2023
We had a private 2 hour lesson with Eriska.
She was amazing- really patient, encouraging and clearly a very experienced instructor.
We learned much more than we expected and were able to feel confident with skiing with and without poles, stopping, controlling our speed , riding the magic carpet and beginning to explore turns.
Thank you so much.
Extremely enjoyable day
Written 19 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
It sounds like you had a fantastic day on the slopes, mastering essential skills, and exploring the mountain. We're grateful for your kind words, and we hope you continue to have many more memorable skiing adventures at Cardrona Alpine Resort in the future!
Written 3 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nathan M
Napier, New Zealand96 contributions
A true Ski resort
Jul 2023 • Family
Having skied in the North Island for most of my life I have had a revelation. This field is so well run, so professional it puts RAL to shame. The snow conditions were quite low but it stayed in great condition through out the day. Crisp squeaky snow on a solid base. The staff managed the high numbers well and the free shuttle bus from the bottom carpark was great. We will be back.
Written 8 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic experience skiing with us. We take great pride in providing an excellent experience, even when the snow levels are low. We can't wait to welcome you back for another memorable skiing adventure in the future. Thank you for choosing us!
Written 10 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jenny D
Gold Coast, Australia51 contributions
Great snowboarding. Average cafe experience
Jun 2023 • Family
Let me start by saying there wasn’t much snow but that didn’t stop us having fun on the beginner slopes and every instructor we had for group lessons was fantastic.
But let’s talk about the downstairs cafe. Lunch is expensive but that’s what you expect on a mountain. Honestly, I have no issue with paying a premium for hot food. My issue is with the day we decided to bring our own noodles in a cup and use the boiling water tap in the cafe. I have spent a huge amount of money to bring my family here and wanted to exercise some frugality on one day. The single hot water boiler was out of water by 1:45 which is when lunch starts for those doing lessons. I asked staff behind the counter if it was broken and they said just to wait for it to reheat. I stood at the water heater for a full 20 minutes and every 4 minutes or so got a tiny dribble of boiling water. After 20 minutes I had enough water for one noodle cup and had a queue of disappointed customers behind me asking why I was taking so long. I repeatedly raised the issue to staff but they couldn’t/wouldn’t help. The best the staff offered was for me to buy an overpriced tea, throw away the teabag and use the water for my noodles. I found this a terrible experience, it soured our time at Cardrona and sent a clear message that profit is far more important than the customer experience.
My advice is to have two or more water boilers, and if they aren’t working, do the right thing and provide free or reasonably priced boiling water from behind the counter. This is pretty basic customer service and I’m disappointed that Cardrona doesn’t put the customer first.
Written 30 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
Hi, Jenny. Firstly, we're glad to hear that you had a fun day skiing, despite the limited snow conditions! We appreciate your feedback regarding your experience at café. We understand that providing affordable options for our guests is important, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused by the single hot water boiler running out of water. During peak times, the demand on our 60-liter boiler can exceed its capacity, and once it runs out of hot water due to frequent usage, it becomes challenging to re-boil it quickly enough to meet the demand. Similarly, during peak times, the demand for hot beverages is typically high, and this unfortunately limits our ability to provide hot water to everyone. We acknowledge that the situation could have been handled better, and we apologise for the lack of assistance provided by our staff. We appreciate your feedback and recognise the importance of addressing these issues to enhance the overall customer experience. Your comments will be taken into consideration as we evaluate our operations and seek ways to improve our service, including potential solutions to ensure a more reliable supply of hot water.
Written 10 July 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauren J
4 contributions
Great for beginners
Jun 2023 • Couples
Great time for everyone! The instructors were amazing, and all the staff were so helpful. It was easy to get onto the mountain from Queenstown, pickup our rental gear, find the instructor and get started. They had some great food and drink options on the mountain, as well as spots to sit and enjoy the view if you wanted a break
Or skiing just wasn’t for you.
Review of: Cardrona First Timer Package
Written 23 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
Sounds like a great day of hitting the slopes and soaking up the views. Thanks for spending the day with us!
Written 29 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nznims
Auckland Central, New Zealand24 contributions
CARTING
5 x 50 plus dad's gave it a go. Simply the best fun followed by a compulsory ale at the bottom of the road.

Super easy to steer n stop. Thanks.
Review of: Cardrona Mountain Carting
Written 22 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZsales
This review made our day. Thanks for coming up and giving it a go!
Written 4 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Bondi
Sydney, Australia9 contributions
Awesome time and great value.
Feb 2023
Possibly the best fun one can have on 3 wheels!

We had a blast on the carts doing all 3 runs with the Captains Run 2.5km long the best. Lots of rocks, potholes and skidding round the bends and corners on all 3 runs.
All in all we did 11 runs in the 2 hour time frame. Staff were fantastic and very friendly. Great use of a ski field in summer, with great scenery as well. Definitely be back!
Review of: Cardrona Mountain Carting
Written 23 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZsales
Wow, 11 runs is an awesome effort! We're stoked that you enjoyed skidding around the course.
Written 26 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Canucks583
Toronto, Canada32 contributions
Enjoy the Sights of Cardrona the Easy Way
Feb 2023
We wanted to take the gondola up the mountain and do a walk at the top. We were concerned though about the long gravel road which you have to travel to get to the gondola base because of risking damaging the bodywork on our rental car. Fortunately, Cardrona offer a shuttle service for $10 up the hill and $5 backdown, bookable on their website. We took the shuttle, had lunch at the base station and then took the gondola up. The views on the walk which we then did were magnificent. We can definitely recommend experiencing this trip up the mountain.
Review of: Cardrona Summer Gondola Sightseeing Pass
Written 13 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
It sounds like you had a fun and adventurous day! Thanks for spending it with us.
Written 15 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lyndon W
4 contributions
Possibly the best use for a ski field ?
Our 8 year old daughter saw an ad for this in a hotel magazine, and thought it looked fun… and she was right!

The carts are great fun, and are easy to learn to drive. The were enough track,options to keep things interesting.
The staff were all friendly and helpful.

We had great weather-miso the view of Wanaka and Queenstown from the chairlift were spectacular. The temperature on the top of the mountain was several degrees cooler than at Wanaka- so this was a great way of escaping the heat of a 30+ degree day.

We had high expectations for the Mountain Carts, and are expectations were exceeded.
Review of: Cardrona Mountain Carting
Written 9 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RealNZ
Tell your daughter we say 'THANK YOU'. We're stoked that you enjoyed your mountain carting experience and can't wait to see you up here again soon.
Written 10 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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CARDRONA ALPINE RESORT: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort is open:
  • Sun - Sat 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM