Visiting this old mining town is a must when in the Queenstown area. The old buildings are so interesting. A "must see" is the Chinese settlement portion of the village - so well restored with great information about the buildings, the previous inhabitants and their life on the diggings. We felt the shops in the village were a bit "high end," but there was certainly a great variety. The park near the river was lovely to sit in, but could do with more seats. Loads of parking in the village. Another "must see" is the local museum - what a treasure. So much history to see, well presented and researched, with lots of historical information. Something for both adults and children to enjoy. Easily spent 3-4 hours in the village.

While my partner woke up with the birds to tackle the black runs at the Remarkables, I walked into town, purchased a $2 bus pass and hopped on and enjoyed the scenic ride out to Arrowtown for the day. You could make the day of it with a long lunch, but as we were going out to tea and had a sleep-in, my little half day of exploring was perfect. Once in the village I had a little explore by the river and Chinatown settlement and then made a focus on finding a good coffee. The art gallery/museum and a few tourist shops were included in the itinerary before lunch and heading back to Queenstown. Great for a slower kind of day if you have been busy skiing/snowboarding

We had done tow other Historical towns and this was the last and the best. With more buildings in tact and the museum is brilliant and well worth the time at on $12.50 each. Lovely restaurants and bars as well as independent shops. Great atmosphere and well worth stopping to see.

Stopped here for only an hour and squeezed in a 30 minute shaded trail walk and fast in and out through some shops in the main drag in town. Loads of restaurants which I did not try and excellent space aged modern bathrooms. If you are in the area it’s worth a stop as it has a little bit of a different feel since it used to be an old mining area. Some of the clothing shops are very expensive (500 NZ dollars for a blouse) and then you will find your typical souvenir stores. I’d allow 3 hours if you want a nice stroll, food and some shopping.

We recently visited Queenstown, and we were told by several of our tour guides to visit Arrowtown. As a person of Chinese descent, I appreciated the opportunity to review the historical Chinese portion of the village where the gold mine workers had settled. Arrowtown Village is picturesque, and it is well maintained and clean. Everything is walkable and in close proximity. The town has an excellent museum. There are options for dining and shopping, and it's a family-friendly atmosphere. The dining runs from snack foods such as ice cream to sandwich places and restaurants. The shopping includes boutiques, wine stores, and jewelry and souvenir shops. There are plenty of clean restroom facilities scattered throughout the village. Tip: You can catch the public bus from downtown Queenstown to Arrowtown if you are not renting a car. It's only a couple of NZ dollars, and the ride is around 25 minutes. Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water.

Visit after the hordes of tour buses leave in the late afternoon. They have great restaurants, brew pubs and a cute little movie theater. During the day it is mobbed by tour bus groups

Small but pleasant shopping street with Victorian shop fronts. Reconstructed Chinese township with really good info boards detailing the tough existence for Chinese gold miners. Much preferred to Queenstown which is so touristy and really set up as a tour/experience destination.

Arrowtown’s village is confined to two streets and covers one long block. Most of the shopfronts are heritage inspired and are not out of place. The shops cater for casual dining and refreshments with something for all tastes. Many of the shops offer New Zealand produce ranging from high end to budget items. It can get busy with tourists. A pleasant way to spend an hour or so. Beyond the main village centre are other buildings of interest including cottages and the Chinese settlement.

We arrived in Queenstown and hired a car. We decided to go for a drive and happened to head towards Arrowtown approximately 20 kilometres from Queenstown. As you drive through this place becomes a living painting with the mountains in the background and the trees with vibrant shades of gold, orange and red. The main street is lined with historic buildings left from the gold rush era and now have been transformed into clothing shops, cafes and restaurants. We found out that Arrowtown was a gold mining town located on the banks of the Arrow River.

Arrowtown is an historic gold mine town, with plenty of rustic charm. The main street has plenty to see and quite busy with tourists. There is also the river bed area to take a quieter walk. Well worth a visit to this town which is about 20 minutes from Queenstown.