Search hotels in Arthur's Pass

This road trip was the most picturesque and unique of our 3 trips to new Zealand. The views of the snow capped mountains beside lakes and rivers, along with sheep and cattle grazing in green paddocks, along with pine forests made this a drive to remember. Vastle Hill/Kura Tawhiti Conservation area is worth a visit to walk around the limestone rock formations. The town itself is small but interesting. The walk to Devils Punchbowl is a must with the most stunning waterfall we have seen anywhere. The 800 or so steps are easily manageable unless you have bad hips or knees

It's a while since I had last stayed in the village which was magical in the winter sun. I loved exploring all the historic sites as well as places I was familiar with from my childhood. I walked the length of the village and then followed the Arthur's Pass Track to Jack's Hut and then into the Bealey Valley. There are plenty of walking tracks to choose from depending on how long you want to walk. There were fewer birds in the bush than I would have liked. The cafes were good and I could have joined a church service as well!

Spend at least 2 days there. We spent one night but could have spent 4-6 days based on the number of short hikes to be done there. Visit the NP office first to help decide what to do with your time. Very scenic and the tiny village has 2 cafes and a small store. Bring your own foods and supplies.

You can’t come to NZ and not drive over this pass it’s simply stunning there are lots of hikes and places to walk or drive. It’s a must see and Crazy Moas at the Bealey hotel had to be the most scenic place you have ever eaten dinner.

Arthur's Pass is a 'shadow' of its former self. I first visited in the 1970's and for several decades since it has been a vibrant and busy alpine village boasting several cafe's, restaurants, and accommodation choices - plus a large and informative DoC Centre. Not any more. Very little accommodation choice in the village, and just one cafe open only during the day so you must bring your own food & supplies if wanting an evening meal. And the original DoC centre is closed and moved over the road into a container! All a little sad really, although the surrounding mountain views are definitely compensatory! So fine if planning to use AP as a base for day walks & multi-day tramping expeditions, Otherwise it is hard to justify a stay there other than as an overnight transit stop. As we were. But remember to bring food & supplies for dinner!

Overall I thought the place was great. We only wanted to have a nice relaxing break in our journey, so we just did some short walking 🚶‍♂️ tracks to the waterfall ect, the scenery in the area is very good, the place is very beautiful and relaxing. And the Bealey Hotel is a must go to place for dinner with its knockout scenery and top shelf food and drinks.