Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort
Cardrona Alpine Resort
4.5
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
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
792 reviews
Excellent
527
Very good
176
Average
54
Poor
22
Terrible
13
Paul A
Auckland Central, New Zealand8 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
Always good times @ Cardrona even when the weather isn't the best. Usually go there during Winter X Games so that's busier than school holidays and during those times queues are a bit annoying if you are on the MdDougalls or Whitestar and want to watch so it would be great if they upgraded to a six-seater. But then the Captain's is usually relatively empty.
Limited off-piste as you need decent snow coverage to hit the best diamonds trails but there are plenty of other cool drops and steep areas for adrenaline junkies around the Captain's. If the usually used for racing trails are open, you can get some decent speeds while carving it up hard :)
Food/Beverages got a lot more expensive from the 2023 season to what I remember so you may want to pack lunch and bring your isotonic drinks with you :)
Limited off-piste as you need decent snow coverage to hit the best diamonds trails but there are plenty of other cool drops and steep areas for adrenaline junkies around the Captain's. If the usually used for racing trails are open, you can get some decent speeds while carving it up hard :)
Food/Beverages got a lot more expensive from the 2023 season to what I remember so you may want to pack lunch and bring your isotonic drinks with you :)
Written 9 October 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.
Thank you for sharing your review of Cardrona Alpine Resort! We appreciated your detailed feedback as we are continuously seeking to improve our offerings to our guests.
We hope you continue to have fantastic experiences at Cardrona, and we look forward to welcoming you back for more memorable adventures on the slopes! ⛷️
Written 26 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Eve C
5 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Staff were so nice, definitely worth getting a private lesson you get to skip ques so you don’t have to wait long, slops are great and well maintained.
Written 28 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.
Thank you for your review of Cardrona! 😊 We're thrilled to hear that you had a positive experience with our team and enjoyed your private lesson. Skipping the queues certainly adds to the convenience and allows you to make the most of your time on the slopes.
Written 8 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Karis
Hong Kong, China2 contributions
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.
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 Zealand64 contributions
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Or skiing just wasn’t for you.
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.
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
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.
Super easy to steer n stop. Thanks.
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
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!
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!
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.
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, Australia5 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 :)
EAaaa
Singapore, Singapore2 contributions
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 :)
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Claim your listingCARDRONA ALPINE RESORT: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Cardrona Alpine Resort
- 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
- (14.43 km) Mora Wines & Artisan Kitchen
- (11.65 km) Slow Cuts
- (11.68 km) The Chop Shop Food Merchants