Coronet Peak
Coronet Peak is the resort you ski straight after landing in Queenstown. Twenty minutes up a sealed and gritted road, the carpark opens onto Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables across the water, and on Wednesday to Saturday nights the floodlights come on and the runs stay open until 9 pm.
Pistes and lifts
Run 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 and New Zealand; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
There is no slopeside lodging at Coronet Peak, only a day lodge at the base. The access road closes overnight outside the night-ski sessions. You stay in Queenstown, 20 minutes downhill, and benefit from frequent ski-bus shuttles in winter.
Get to know the resort
Coronet Peak is the closest commercial field to Queenstown and the most urban-feeling resort in New Zealand. The drive is 20 minutes on a sealed, gritted access road, so you can stay in town, ski half a day and be back at the lakefront for lunch. The terrain is wide, mostly intermediate and built for speed, with broad rolling faces under the Coronet Express and M1 Express that hold an edge thanks to a heavy snowmaking spine. The standout feature is night skiing, Wednesday to Saturday under floodlights, which suits travellers who arrive late or want to stretch a short trip. Queenstown itself does the rest of the work: bars, restaurants, hot pools, jet boats and a serious apres scene push Coronet into a party-leaning mood. Coronet Peak sits under the NZSki umbrella with The Remarkables and Mt Hutt, so a single lift product covers all three. For pure terrain, TC and Cardrona run deeper, but for the most efficient ski-and-stay base in the country, Queenstown plus Coronet is hard to beat.
Hotels in Coronet Peak
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Plan your trip
Frequently asked questions
Is Coronet Peak good for beginners?+
Coronet Peak offers 28 km of pistes across 7 lifts, from 1,187 m to 1,649 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.
When is the best time to ski Coronet Peak?+
The season runs from Jun 13 to Oct 12, with a snow score of 75/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+
There is no slopeside lodging at Coronet Peak, only a day lodge at the base. The access road closes overnight outside the night-ski sessions. You stay in Queenstown, 20 minutes downhill, and benefit from frequent ski-bus shuttles in winter.
How big is the Coronet Peak ski area?+
Coronet Peak has 28 km of marked pistes served by 7 lifts, between 1,187 m and 1,649 m of altitude.
Is Coronet Peak more for beginners or experts?+
Coronet Peak counts about 34 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
Other ski destinations
Similar style, different mountain.
Cardrona
Southern Alps
Treble Cone
Southern Alps
The Remarkables
Southern Alps
Mt Hutt
Southern Alps