Giraffe Art Gallery

Giraffe Art Gallery sits along Arrowtown's historic Buckingham Street, one of New Zealand's most photographed gold-rush-era streetscapes, and it earns its 4.9-star reputation by offering something genuinely different from the standard souvenir shop. This is a working gallery and studio space where original art, sculpture, and jewellery take centre stage — pieces made with craft and intention rather than mass-produced trinkets. The range spans wall art to wearable work, making it a reliable destination whether you're hunting for a statement piece to hang at home or a considered gift that actually means something.

Arrowtown sits about 20 minutes from central Queenstown, and the drive through the Arrow River valley is reason enough to make the trip — but Giraffe gives you a proper reason to stop and linger on Buckingham Street itself. The gallery's high rating across its reviews points to a shop that looks after its visitors and stocks work people genuinely connect with. For anyone who finds the souvenir shops around the Queenstown waterfront a bit repetitive, this is the alternative worth seeking out. Local art, sculpture, and jewellery in a setting that matches the character of one of Central Otago's most atmospheric small towns.