Walter Peak Farm Tour

What Happens on the Tour?

The trip begins at Steamer Wharf in Queenstown. Depending on your departure, you travel aboard either the historic TSS Earnslaw or the modern Spirit of Queenstown.

After arriving at Walter Peak, a rural host guides you around the property. The tour is more interactive than the Gourmet BBQ experience: animals and farming are the focus rather than food.

Highlights include sheep, Highland cattle, alpacas, deer and working farm dogs. One of the strongest parts is the sheepdog demonstration, where trained dogs respond to commands and muster sheep.

The current operator description clearly includes the sheepdog demonstration. Sheep shearing appears in past visitor accounts, but the published inclusions do not guarantee it on every departure. Check with RealNZ if shearing is a priority.

Sheep are the centre of the visit. The station was built on sheep farming, and the dogs, the pens and the host’s commentary all come back to them. Even if farming means little to you, watching a dog move a mob on a whistle is hard to ignore.

Can You Feed the Sheep?

Often, yes. The GetYourGuide listing for the Farm Tour (4.8/5 from 1,148 reviews) includes helping feed the sheep and deer at the holding pens, and many reviewers mention feeding the animals. RealNZ’s own Farm Tour page lists the animal encounters and the sheepdog show but not feeding, so treat it as likely rather than promised. Your host decides on the day, and which animals you meet can vary. Alpacas and Highland cattle are usually there too.

Is It Good for Children?

Yes. The day keeps changing: boat, farm, sheep, alpacas, cattle, dogs, tea, gardens, boat. Younger children rarely have to sit still for long, which makes this the Walter Peak trip we’d pick first for families.

Afternoon Tea

After the farming activities, you sit down for freshly baked morning or afternoon tea, with items such as scones, cakes, sandwiches and slices.

This is not a full lunch. If you want a substantial meal, compare the Walter Peak Gourmet BBQ instead.

Farm Tour vs Gourmet BBQ

Choose the Farm Tour if animals, sheepdogs and rural life are the main reasons you’re going.

Choose the Gourmet BBQ if you want a full lunch or dinner and a more relaxed, dining-focused Walter Peak visit.

Best Time to Go

Summer offers long daylight and warmer conditions. Winter provides dramatic snow-covered mountain scenery. Spring is particularly appealing to families when young animals may be present; sightings are not guaranteed.

What to Wear

Wear practical closed shoes, comfortable layers and a waterproof or wind-resistant jacket if needed. This is a farm environment with gravel paths rather than a polished city attraction.

Accessibility

The Farm Tour involves moving around the property on gravel paths without a vehicle. It is more difficult for wheelchair users than the Gourmet BBQ experience. RealNZ cautions that unaided wheelchair users cannot complete the farm route and assisted users may also struggle. Neither vessel has accessible toilets onboard. Contact the operator before booking to discuss the route and any assistance you need.

Is It Worth It?

For families, yes. The combination of lake cruise, animals, working dogs, tea and gardens gives the trip a lot of variety.

For adult couples with little interest in farming, the Gourmet BBQ may be a better fit.

What you actually get more of

The Farm Tour gives animals and rural interpretation their own guided visit rather than fitting them around a buffet sitting. Our full farm experience walk-through follows the visit stop by stop. Follow your host’s instructions during animal encounters; which animals you meet and whether feeding is offered can vary. The working dogs show how sheep are moved around the farm. Confirm any promised shearing programme before booking rather than choosing a package on that assumption.

The station is real, and old

Europeans first ran stock here in the 1860s. The Mackenzie family took over in the late 1880s and farmed the station for around eighty years. RealNZ describes its historical peak as 170,000 acres and 40,000 sheep; those are historical figures, not today’s visitor-area size or herd count. Our Walter Peak Station guide explains the wider property and lakeside visitor area.

What you give up

Morning or afternoon tea replaces the full BBQ lunch buffet. The tea is included in the farm package, but it is a lighter meal; our afternoon tea guide describes it. If you are planning this as your main lunch or dinner, compare the dining package and its current price instead.

Everything else is the same

Both packages include a return boat trip to Walter Peak, but the crossing takes around 45 minutes on the TSS Earnslaw and 35 minutes on Spirit of Queenstown. Garden time depends on the itinerary. Check the cancellation terms and check-in instructions on your selected booking. There is no parking at the wharf; allow time to park in Queenstown and walk to Steamer Wharf. The vessels are cashless, and layers are useful on the exposed deck.

For the historic ship, choose the option that names the Earnslaw. Our TSS Earnslaw and Walter Peak comparison explains cruise-only versus farm and dining packages. For a riding alternative, the horse trek follows a guided route across the farmland; check rider restrictions and available dates. The which-cruise guide compares the wider choice.

Operator price, inclusions and access information checked on 23 September 2026 against RealNZ’s Farm Tour information. The NZD operator price in the table is separate from this site’s stored USD booking prices; use the selected booking option for your actual quote.