Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort: Hours, Address, Cardrona Alpine Resort Reviews: 4.5/5
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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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4.5
764 reviews
Excellent
509
Very good
173
Average
48
Poor
22
Terrible
12
Shane B
Te Awamutu, New Zealand759 contributions
Mar 2022
We booked through book me for $84 each really great value for money. They started with a safety brief using a bit of humour to push home the safety points. We had two hours there are 3 tracks to smaller and one takes about 15 minutes down in the 2 hours we had 7 rides including two longer ones if we pushed it we could have done 9, there was no real waiting time to get back up on ski lifts. We are a couple in our late 50s early 60s so would recommend this for all ages you can go as fast or as slow as you like and no time did we feel unsafe.
When we are in the area again ti will be on our must do list and I have highly recommended it to anyone who will listen.
When we are in the area again ti will be on our must do list and I have highly recommended it to anyone who will listen.
Written 12 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Scenic94143
11 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
My kid and his friends absolutely loved this and it's not outrageously expensive like other adventure tourism activities.
Written 12 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Neil C
Porirua, New Zealand113 contributions
Absolutely brilliant fun and a great way to get down the mountain in the summer!
My son and I loved this - such good fun.
The Cardrona team were brilliant - making this as safe as possible.
The 2 hour session is perfect - enough time to get loads of runs in making the most of the 3 routes available to the karts.
The safety briefing was good information to keep you safe and the kit provided was good quality.
My son and I loved this - such good fun.
The Cardrona team were brilliant - making this as safe as possible.
The 2 hour session is perfect - enough time to get loads of runs in making the most of the 3 routes available to the karts.
The safety briefing was good information to keep you safe and the kit provided was good quality.
Written 30 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Gavin M
Auckland, New Zealand196 contributions
Dec 2021
As a family, we've done many of the adrenaline and high-thrill activities, but Mountain Carts is by far and away the new favourite.
Family of four, with two boys (12 and 14), over two hours of down-hill fun, one crash (me), no injuries (except a bruise and my ego).
Great location, amazing facilities, friendly and helpful staff. Enjoyed the chair-lifts and gondola rides too.
Summer, but dress up warm - and I would suggest a bandana or similar - you get a lot of dust on your face and in your mouth.
Such a great day. Definitely returning.
Family of four, with two boys (12 and 14), over two hours of down-hill fun, one crash (me), no injuries (except a bruise and my ego).
Great location, amazing facilities, friendly and helpful staff. Enjoyed the chair-lifts and gondola rides too.
Summer, but dress up warm - and I would suggest a bandana or similar - you get a lot of dust on your face and in your mouth.
Such a great day. Definitely returning.
Written 15 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Apple Crumble
Wellington, New Zealand8 contributions
The carts were heaps of fun and easy to use all the trails were open and not too busy. The staff were nice and the park well maintained.
Written 17 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Kirisa B
Auckland, New Zealand7 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
The ticketing process and hiring process was great easy and all Staff very helpful and welcoming , we went as a first time family of 5 skiing 2 adults 12yo 7yo 6yo . All was well until we meet out instructor (nick) who had no Patience and just all round grumpy , instructions were given without everyone there, we were told not help each other including helping our own kids from the ground he had absolutely no people skills. It completely put our kids off. We then went and did our own lessons with the kids with the little info we got and they were much better off without the pressure of being told off by the instructor. Over all Cadrona was well set up for first timers we just got the wrong instructor, as we were eagerly listening in to the others who were having a bunch of fun with their groups.
Written 15 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Tim
Manchester, UK12 contributions
Aug 2021 • Solo
Excellent team, thank you Laura and the girl driver who was full of fun and had short hair - sorry I forgot your name. Ashleigh perhaps?
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
rone498
2 contributions
Jul 2021
Won’t go back in a hurry. Massive long lines, short runs, marginal snow conditions. Really not much different than Coronet Peak in overall ski quality, except 1 more chairlift running 5X as many people, awful access road, but ever so slightly more snow. Felt like a second class citizen waiting in long lines for the literally hundreds of red shirted Cardrona ski schoolers - with instant lift line access while we waited for each lift for 30-45 minutes. Extremely disappointing experience.
Written 28 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
rone498
2 contributions
Jul 2021
Won’t go back in a hurry. Massive long lines, short runs, marginal snow conditions. Really not much different than Coronet Peak in overall ski quality, except 1 more chairlift running 5X as many people, awful access road, but ever so slightly more snow. Felt like a second class citizen waiting in long lines for the literally hundreds of red shirted Cardrona ski schoolers - with instant lift line access while we waited for each lift for 30-45 minutes. Extremely disappointing experience.
Written 28 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
sean
Auckland, New Zealand163 contributions
Fantastic day up the mountain...we got the full package with lessons,bus ride,gear hire...the ride was lovely and comfortable..the instructors were amazing,Thank you so much Manumi and Liv...the equipment was excellent...
Our first time skiing and we left the fields skiing confidently all thanks to our wonderful instructors..the views were amazing..well worth it for sure
Our first time skiing and we left the fields skiing confidently all thanks to our wonderful instructors..the views were amazing..well worth it for sure
Written 11 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Craig Bartley
Brisbane, Australia13 contributions
What's the latest on the 2020 season? Is it likely to open on time? At all?
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi ckbartley - Jen from Cardrona and Treble Cone here. The short answer is that we just don't know. We're taking leadership from the NZ government and we're hopeful we can operate under Alert levels 1 & 2, so long as it's safe to do so. We've updated our T&Cs as a result of Covid-19, which you can find on our website.
Monique T
Rose Bay, Australia3 contributions
We are going during Queens Bday long weekend in Oz (4/10-8/10)...does NZ celebrate this? Also is there still good snow in October?
Nazia
8 contributions
Hi will there be snow & skiing packages available on 14th October 2019? Me and my friends are playing to drop by at Cardrona
Zanice
Singapore12 contributions
Hi Cardrona, we intended to do skiing next week on the 6th Jun, but realized that the shuttle bus operation only starts in mid Jun 13th Jun, We will not be renting a car so is there other way to get to the mountain, like a private cab or something? How much roughly would that cost? Thank you very much!
May C
25 contributions
Hi there! We'll be staying at Cardrona Alpine Resort this Winter!
I'm curious- there's lots of information on how to get TO the resort from the town of Wanaka, but much less information available for people wanting to escape into Wanaka for the day. We won't have a car so apart from grabbing a Yello taxi down is there a 'reverse' shuttle or something from the resort into town?
Kind regards
May
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi May, Jen from Cardrona here! Cheers for booking your accommodation with us, we hope you’re stoked for your winter getaway!
Our apartments team can organise a private shuttle for you to head to Wanaka for the day, they do a pick-up time &location of your choice so it’s very flexible. Just get in touch with the team on the email in your booking confirmation - they'll be able to book it in for you!
Looking forward to seeing you up here :)
Cheers,
Jen & the team at Cardrona
睿杰 王
Brisbane, Australia
My friend and I plan to go skiing for a week on June 22. I don't know if there is not much snow at that time. Are all the cable cars open? The temperature is not high?
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hiya! Jen from Cardrona here. This year we're aiming to open at least our Beginners' Area (hopefully McDougall's too) on June 1, & progressively open the rest of the mountain throughout June. Usually by late June most of the mountain is open! Snow levels in the early season do fluctuate each year - it's best to keep an eye on our webcams, weather forecast & Snow Report a bit closer to your trip to see what conditions are doing :)
Joe K
4 contributions
Hi,
We're going there in a group of 7 around august. Just wondering what would be the best option for accomodation and ski packages? We're trying to get cheapest option possible.
Thanks
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi Joe! I'm Jen from Cardrona :)
There are heaps of package options available for your group which all depend on your budget & the ability levels of everyone in it. If you've never been skiing before, the First timer packages are best for you. If you want to brush up on your skills, you might go for a group lesson package. If you're all confident skiers/riders, there are also lift & rental packages available. Our team can help you work out what's best for you if you give them a call or an email - all the contact info is at the bottom of our website.
Nico T
4 contributions
Need info
Hi cardona...me and my family are 10 adults and 10 childs. We plan to stay at your resort for about 3-4 nights. The kids love to play with the snow and the older kids love to have a ski lesson. Is there any snow early june? We will be in south island june 3rd untill june 12th 2019. Hope yo see your reply soon. Because you haven't replied to my email. Thank you
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi Nico! Jen from Cardrona here. Our Opening Day for Winter 2019 is June 1 - exactly what lifts will be open is snow-dependent, but there will be something for the kids to play on & have lessons from that date.
As a guide, in 2018 we opened on the first weekend in June for an early season "teaser" (we were due to open 2 weeks later) because we had a lot of snow, & opened the Beginners' Area & the McDougall's Chondola!
If you're planning on staying up on the mountain I'd recommend booking your apartment early - they tend to book up quickly!
See you in a couple of months :)
Edgar A
Singapore, Singapore1 contribution
Planning to go up in Early november. Any advise if i can drive my spaceship (Toyota Estima) up without snowchains ?
Are we still able to skii up there in November ?
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi Edgar! We close for the winter season on October 14 & reopen for summer at the start of December - there won't be any skiing up here in November unfortunately :(
Nyummi
Sydney, Australia
Hi. If we take a multi day equipment rental do we need to use it consecutively or can we take days off in between? Also if we booked a 3-day beginners package do the days need to be taken consecutively or can we take days off in between?
Jen H
Wanaka, New Zealand6 contributions
Hi Naomi! You can use multi-day lift passes, rental equipment & group lessons on non-consecutive days - you'll just need to return your rental gear if you're not using it the next day :)
Frequently Asked Questions about Cardrona Alpine Resort
- Cardrona Alpine Resort is open:
- Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- We recommend booking Cardrona Alpine Resort tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 Cardrona Alpine Resort tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Cardrona Alpine Resort:
- Cardrona Ski Pass & Rental Package (From $193.55)
- Cardrona First Timer Package (From $183.10)
- Cardrona Winter Gondola 1-Day Sightseeing Pass (From $36.62)
- 7-Day Snow Safari Tour (From $2,549.16)
- 12-Day Snow Odyssey Tour (From $4,079.26)
- Hotels near Cardrona Alpine Resort:
- (5.58 km) Waiorau Homestead
- (4.40 km) Cardrona Hotel
- (12.19 km) The Arrow Hotel
- (15.57 km) Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa
- (12.50 km) Arrowfield Apartments
- Restaurants near Cardrona Alpine Resort:
- (4.40 km) Cardrona Hotel
- (11.63 km) La Rumbla
- (11.65 km) Slow Cuts
- (14.43 km) Akarua Wines & Kitchen by Artisan
- (11.68 km) The Chop Shop Food Merchants