Romantic Breaks & Couples Retreats

A couples retreat booked with Release NZ creates a stay for two that pairs a beautiful, private home with personalised, local recommendations from a team that lives here and knows all the experience providers. Honeymoons, anniversaries, or a week without anything in particular to do is what we’re here to help with.

We’ll build a couples package around your specific occasion and travel style. A honeymoon might call for a private villa, some in-villa pampering, a helicopter picnic in the Southern Alps and a series of dinners at the region’s best restaurants. An anniversary escape might be simpler: three nights in a cosy retreat with a fireplace, two cellar door visits and an early morning Roys Peak walk. Whatever you want to do, we’re here to help you achieve it.

Why couples come to Wānaka and Queenstown

The combination of things on offer here is rare in the world. Landscape that’s genuinely dramatic. Food and wine that holds its own internationally. A region small enough to fall in love with in a week, yet with plenty enough layers to keep returning to.

Bannockburn is less than an hour away for those set on discovering New Zealand’s finest pinot noir wines. Mount Aspiring National Park is on your doorstep if hiking trails are on your wish list. The high-country valleys around Glenorchy and Cardrona run up from the lakes in every direction opening doors to peaceful settlements rich with heritage and Hollywood-famous scenery. Most couples who come once come back.

Wānaka and Queenstown regularly feature on best honeymoon destination lists because together they offer a landscape that makes every day feel remarkable. You can choose to base yourself in one of these lakeside towns or combine the two to make the most of your trip to the Southern Lakes. Add to that genuinely private accommodation and experiences, and happy couples discover another thing to fall in love with: this place.

Experiences that suit a couples trip specifically

The experiences worth building into a couples week are the ones designed for two. The strongest is a private scenic flight over Mount Aspiring, with the helicopter to yourselves and the option of an alpine landing for lunch. Adventurous couples extend the flight to a fishing trip, backcountry ski run or downhill bike trail, depending on the season and their preference.

A Bannockburn wine tour with a private driver means you can both enjoy the scenery and the wine to the max. A private chef at your chosen villa for one or two evenings means menus built around what’s in season right now, served at the table you already know you like, with no need to drive anywhere afterwards. Myriad quality restaurants and street food options fill the dining and cuisine gaps you want to enjoy more spontaneously.

For all couples, some free spent on or around the lakes is imperative.

Let’s create a Wānaka couples package for you

• Private chef at your accommodation: relaxed dinners, tasting menus, cooking classes
• Central Otago wine tours: self-drive or with a private guide and driver
• Cellar door bookings: including appointment-only producers
• Vineyard restaurant reservations: Carrick, Amisfield, Mount Difficulty and others
• Restaurant bookings across Wānaka and Queenstown
• Mountain Kitchen experience: scenic heli-flight with gourmet lunch on an alpine landing
• Stocked fridge and wine selection on arrival: curated from local producers
• Guided foraging walk with a local expert: seasonal, subject to availability

Homes for a couples retreat

Our couples retreats span Wānaka, Lake Hāwea and Queenstown. The range covers:

Compact lakeview homes with uninterrupted views, for couples who want the lake at the centre of every day, like Te Pakeke and Tawera

Private villas set back from town with two or three bedrooms, for those who want more space, a working kitchen, and room to host a chef or a small celebration. Favourites include Aurum and The Glasshouse

Smaller standalone properties tucked into the landscape Lake Hāwea or above Queenstown, when privacy is the priority and the view is the point. Guests love Ranger’s Retreat and The Boulders Retreat

When you enquire, we shortlist two or three from the portfolio rather than ask you to browse all of them.

Ready to craft your couples retreat?

We are too. Contact us today to start planning your extra special stay:

ENQUIRE NOW