Cardrona rises above Wanaka at the head of the Crown Range, a wide sunlit basin where families and freestylers share the same lift queues. The pub on the way up is a Kiwi institution, the McDougall's Express chair tops out at 1860 m, and the snow stays cold and predictable through a long Southern Alps winter.
Cardrona is a ski resort in New Zealand, in the Southern Alps (NZ). The village sits at 1260 m and the lifts top out at 1860 m, with 50 km of pistes and 7 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 82/100, and the season usually runs Jun 13 β Oct 12.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Excellent Β· 3.9k reviews
One of the highest-rated places to stay in Cardrona, with guests singling out the service and comfort.
Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.7/5 from 3,850 reviews). It sits about 4.4 km from the slopes. A mid-range option for Cardrona, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Very good Β· 1.5k reviews
Strong value for Cardrona, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good Β· 623 reviews
Strong value for Cardrona, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good Β· 419 reviews
Strong value for Cardrona, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Great Β· 682 reviews
A long-standing favourite in Cardrona, trusted by thousands of guests before you.
Great Β· 492 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Cardrona.
Excellent Β· 67 reviews
Strong value for Cardrona, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
True ski-in/ski-out lodging does not exist at Cardrona. The base area has day facilities only, and the road is closed overnight. You stay in Wanaka and drive the Crown Range each morning, around 40 minutes if conditions are clear.
Cardrona is the most family-friendly of the New Zealand commercial fields, an open, gentle bowl that rolls down from McDougall's Express at 1860 m to a base lodge perched well above the Crown Range Road. The terrain leans intermediate, with long, groomed cruisers across Captain's Basin and Whitestar, but the freestyle DNA runs deep: Cardrona has hosted FIS Freeski World Cup events, and the parks are a year-round training ground for Olympic athletes from across the Southern Hemisphere. Most visitors stay 40 minutes downhill in Wanaka, a relaxed lakeside town with strong food, brewing and gear-shop culture, and drive up each morning. The historic Cardrona Hotel, built in 1863, is the photo stop on the way and a fine apres pint on the way home. As the sister field to Treble Cone within the Cardrona Group, lift passes can be paired across both mountains, which suits mixed groups: cruisers on Cardrona one day, big vertical on TC the next.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Cardrona: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Cardrona offers 50 km of pistes across 7 lifts, from 1260 m to 1860 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Jun 13 to Oct 12, with a snow score of 82/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
True ski-in/ski-out lodging does not exist at Cardrona. The base area has day facilities only, and the road is closed overnight. You stay in Wanaka and drive the Crown Range each morning, around 40 minutes if conditions are clear.
Cardrona has 50 km of marked pistes served by 7 lifts, between 1260 m and 1860 m of altitude.
Cardrona counts about 61 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
Southern Alps (NZ)
Southern Alps (NZ)
Southern Alps (NZ)
Southern Alps (NZ)
Resorts with a similar feel, snow record and size.
Australian Alps
Andes
Taebaek Mountains
Andes