Short answer
Set aside a full day if you can. The value comes from stopping for views along Lake Wakatipu, reaching Glenorchy without rushing, and continuing towards Paradise only while the road, weather and your vehicle make sense.
In this guide
Treat the drive as the experience
Treat this as a one-day road trip / full-day excursion, not simply a transfer from Queenstown to Glenorchy: viewpoint stops are the point.
Start earlier, leave room for changing weather and light, and avoid building the day around a long hike.
The supported sequence
Follow this scenic corridor:
Queenstown → Ben’s Cove → Bennett’s Bluff Lookout → Glenorchy Wharf & Viewpoint → Road to Paradise → Isengard-like scenery
The carousel order does not control the route; the caption sequence does.
Why the full day matters
Set aside a full day if you can. That gives the road room to function as a scenic outing rather than a race to Glenorchy.
Sunset is an ending/daypart context, not a guaranteed return time.
When to stop short
Check the current public-road endpoint, rental-car permissions, gravel-road requirements and poor-weather alternatives before deciding how far to continue.
That means the correct planning principle is: continue only while access, weather and vehicle conditions remain appropriate. Do not turn “Road to Paradise” into a guaranteed fixed endpoint.
Final decision
Choose this excursion when you want slow scenery and viewpoint stops without committing to a long hike. Protect a full day; do not squeeze it between other Queenstown attractions.