Walter Peak Farm Tour vs Gourmet BBQ: Which Should You Choose?

What both trips have in common

Both include the return cruise across Lake Whakatipu, time at Walter Peak High Country Farm, mountain and lake scenery, a sheepdog demonstration and a few hours away from central Queenstown. Both leave from Steamer Wharf at 88 Beach Street, and neither includes hotel pickup.

The main difference isn’t the place. It’s what you spend most of your time doing once you get there.

The Farm Tour: what you do

The Farm Tour is built around the working side of Walter Peak. A rural host walks you around the farm, where you meet sheep, red deer, Scottish Highland cattle, alpacas and the farm dogs, and you can help feed the sheep and deer.

The centrepiece is the sheepdog demonstration in the amphitheatre, where the dogs muster a mob of sheep. Many visits include a shearing demonstration as well, but RealNZ’s list of inclusions doesn’t promise it, so ask if it matters to you.

Food is morning or afternoon tea in the old woolshed, with scones, cakes and slices, and not a full meal (afternoon tea at Walter Peak has the detail). Our Walter Peak Farm Tour page has more detail. A smaller catamaran-only version of the Farm Tour is also listed (4.8 from 35 reviews), if you want to be certain of the Spirit of Queenstown.

The Gourmet BBQ: what you do

The Gourmet BBQ centres on the meal. You walk up through the gardens to the Colonel’s Homestead and eat a buffet of local and homegrown produce cooked over a wood-fired grill.

Expect salads, seasonal vegetables, grilled meats, seafood, vegetarian dishes and desserts. After the meal there’s a farm show with the sheepdogs and sheep shearing, then time in the gardens before the boat back to Queenstown. Our menu guide covers the food in more detail.

Which has the better farm experience?

The Farm Tour, easily. If your main reason for visiting Walter Peak is the animals, rural life and working dogs, it’s the obvious choice: you get a guided walk among the animals as well as the show.

Which has the better food?

The Gourmet BBQ, by a wide margin. The Farm Tour includes tea with home baking, while the BBQ is a full buffet you can go back to as often as you like during your sitting.

Which is better for families?

For families with younger children, we’d choose the Farm Tour. The time ashore goes on dogs, sheep and deer instead of sitting at a table.

The Gourmet BBQ becomes more attractive if your children are older, everyone enjoys their food and the animals aren’t a big draw.

Which is better for couples?

The Gourmet BBQ. For most couples, a long lunch or dinner at the homestead makes better use of the Walter Peak setting. Our lunch versus dinner guide shows which months the dinner sitting still arrives in daylight.

Which is cheaper?

The Farm Tour. On RealNZ’s own site it starts at NZ$139, against NZ$175 for the Gourmet BBQ, a difference of NZ$36 per adult when we checked on 9 October 2026 (see Walter Peak BBQ prices and deals). On GetYourGuide the starting prices are US$82 and US$99, and the booking calendar shows the price for your date in your own currency.

Both include the same return cruise, so most of the difference pays for the meal. The date and the boat you choose can also change the price.

Which is better in rain?

We’d lean towards the Gourmet BBQ, because more of your time ashore is spent indoors at the restaurant. The Farm Tour is mostly outside with the animals, so bring a waterproof layer.

Which is better in spring?

The Farm Tour has the edge. Spring, roughly September to November, is lambing time in the high country, so there’s more going on around the farm and you may see young animals.

Which is better in summer?

The Gourmet BBQ, and especially the dinner sitting. Long summer evenings mean you cross the lake and walk the gardens in daylight.

Can you do both?

Not on one booking. The two are sold as separate Walter Peak experiences, and no standard ticket combines the full Farm Tour with the full Gourmet BBQ.

Both include the sheepdogs, so for most visitors doing both isn’t necessary. If neither quite fits, the Garden to Table Experience swaps the buffet for a guided garden walk and shared platters (highly rated, but from only 16 reviews). Our guide to every Walter Peak option compares all of them.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Walter Peak Farm Tour the same as the Gourmet BBQ?

No. They share the cruise and the farm, but the Farm Tour is a guided visit among the animals with tea, while the Gourmet BBQ is a buffet meal at the Colonel’s Homestead with a farm show afterwards.

How much is the Farm Tour?

From NZ$139 per adult on RealNZ’s site, or from US$82 for the Farm Tour on GetYourGuide, when we checked on 9 October 2026.

How much is the Gourmet BBQ?

From NZ$175 per adult on RealNZ’s site, or from US$99 for the Gourmet BBQ on GetYourGuide.

Does the Farm Tour include lunch?

No. The Farm Tour includes morning or afternoon tea with scones, cakes and slices, not a full meal.

Does the Gourmet BBQ include the full Farm Tour?

No. The Gourmet BBQ includes a shorter farm show with sheepdogs and shearing after the meal, but not the guided walk among the animals.

Which is better for children?

The Farm Tour, especially for younger children.

Which is better for couples?

The Gourmet BBQ.

Which has more animals?

The Farm Tour.

Which has better food?

The Gourmet BBQ.

For everything else at the farm, read our Walter Peak High Country Farm guide. Operator prices and inclusions checked with RealNZ on 9 October 2026; the booking options show current dates and fares.