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Day Trip from Christchurch to Mount Cook
4.7
13 Ratings
Geraldine
Discover Mt. Cookâs beauty on a full-day tour from Christchurch. Explore Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and more. Limited spots, book now!
Discover Mt. Cookâs beauty on a full-day tour from Christchurch. Explore Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and more. Limited spots, book now!
Duration:
13 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Geraldine - Geraldine will be our initial stop after departing from Christchurch for a refreshing break (Coffee/Toilet Break).
- Fairlie - Fairlie will be our subsequent stop to admire the breathtaking scenery. The tour guide will assist you in capturing beautiful photographs.
- Lake Tekapo - Lake Tekapo is renowned for its stunning blueâŠ
- Geraldine - Geraldine will be our initial stop after departing from Christchurch for a refreshing break (Coffee/Toilet Break).
- Fairlie - Fairlie will be our subsequent stop to admire the breathtaking scenery. The tour guide will assist you in capturing beautiful photographs.
- Lake Tekapo - Lake Tekapo is renowned for its stunning blue water, which contrasts beautifully with the surrounding mountains, and the quaint church on the lakeâs edge. Itâs also a favored spot for stargazing, thanks to its location in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve.
The Best Things to Do in Tekapo:
- Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd.
- Snap a Photo of the Sheepdog Memorial.
- Soak in the Tekapo Springs.
- Stargaze in the Dark Sky Reserve.
- Hike the Mt John Summit Track.
- Visit the Mt John University Observatory.
- Take on the Cowans Hill Walkway.
- Enjoy the Pines Beach Walk.
- Lake Pukaki - Offers amazing photo opportunities and a stunning location. The views of Mt Cook are truly spectacular. The visitor center can be busy with many tourists. The blue (turquoise) color is due to fine silt particles, or glacial flour, in the water, resulting from glacial erosion. The silt is so fine it remains suspended in the lake water.
- Mt. Cook Village - Mt Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand, was instrumental in helping Sir Edmund Hillary develop his climbing skills for his Everest conquest. The Muller Hut Route is temporarily closed for day walkers. If you have booked to stay at Mueller Hut, you may still use the track and hut.
Mount Cook Village is the main entry point to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park â several short walks and overnight hikes start from the village. Itâs also worth visiting for the pristine night sky and other activities such as boat tours and heli hikes to the Tasman Glacier.
- Hike the Hooker Valley track.
- Go on a scenic flight.
- Spend the night at the Mueller Hut.
- Go skydiving over the Southern Alps.
- See the Tasman Glacier.
- Hooker Valley Track - The track at dawn offers a view of the first rays of the sun creeping over the Southern Alps, including New Zealandâs highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook.
- Tasman Glacier - The best glacier in New Zealand. Enjoy the 1-hour easy-going walk - donât forget your camera! (The glacier is in the distance behind a lake.)
PLEASE NOTE: This is one option for how you can spend your time at Mt Cook on this tour. If delays occur during your tour, you may not be able to complete the entire track.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What's Not Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Activity and scenic view tickets not Included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Activity and scenic view tickets not Included
Additional Information
Reserve your day excursion from Christchurch to Mount Cook, taking in all the incredible stops such as Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, lavender farms (in summer), and the stunning Hooker Valley and Tasman Glacier Valley, offering breathtaking views and hiking opportunities.
SPEND LESS, EXPERIENCE MORE!
We look forward to welcoming you on board. ThisâŠ
Reserve your day excursion from Christchurch to Mount Cook, taking in all the incredible stops such as Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, lavender farms (in summer), and the stunning Hooker Valley and Tasman Glacier Valley, offering breathtaking views and hiking opportunities.
SPEND LESS, EXPERIENCE MORE!
We look forward to welcoming you on board. This tour/activity accommodates a maximum of 16 travelers.
- Total duration of trip includes Travel time from Christchurch to mount cook and return to Christchurch
Location
Geraldine
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(13 Ratings)
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Sightseer24842037242
Jun 16, 2025
Great Day Trip - Everything was well planned from the start of the trip. Drive was amazing with breathing landscapes. Lake Tekapo was fabulous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neil_c
Dec 30, 2024
Worthwhile Experience at Mt. Cook, Tasman Glacier and Lake Tekapo - Lavish (and Umesh) were excellent drivers and tour guides. Lavish was very accommodating to our needs and flexible. Our pick up & drop off was a breeze, flawless and the tour was worthwhile.
The South Islands are simply amazing. Everybit worthwhile. Highly recommend the stops at Lake Tekapo, Mt. Cook, tge drive through 'the southern Alps', The Tasman Glacier View - even if it were raining. Please make sure you are prepared for weather with right attire and shoes (it was rainy and a little chilly for December 2024).
Fantastic experience and we highly recommend this tour. Simply put, worthwhile the time, and the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Pioneer12247848482
Sep 23, 2024
Amazing ð¥°ð¥°ð¥°ð¥° - It was a memorable experience. The travel agent gave us a quotation that was budget friendly with all the events that we want,
Everything was planned to perfection! Absolutely loved the trip! Worth every penny..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Escape11121391571
Jul 9, 2024
Breathing Scenery at Mount cook - Beautiful day trip to mountcook from Christchurch. Scenery was breathtaking. Our tour guide was amazing and explained us everything. Thanks Kiwi Horizons Travel for making our day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander38968633508
Jul 9, 2024
Snowfall At Our Trip - Thanks to Kiwi Horizons for arranging our trip to mount cook . We were in Christchurch for a conference and got a free day and then we planned to go to mount cook. It was so amazing day started with rain till Lake Tekapo then when we reached mount cook . It was snowing. Scenery was amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Getaway12045805705
Jun 26, 2024
Great Day with Family in South Island - Great experience.Drive was so smooth and safe. Driver explained us everything about the main tourist spots. Definitely book them again for other trips..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer08069594976
May 11, 2024
Best Day Trip - An amazing trip arranged by Kiwi Horizons Travel
The organisation was 100% from start to finish.
The trips & special adventures were all excellent.
We loved every minute of our trip.
Highly recommend for Everyone.
Thank you Kiwi Horizons Travel
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margo_h
Apr 1, 2024
Our Favorite Day - Umesh, our driver was very attentive from the moment he picked us us. He was 5 minutes early and got us settled. We were on a private tour which was lovely as we stayed longer at some spots, and shorter at others.
We had 3 generations so there were different needs and wants and he covered them all.
We stopped at a beautiful place facing Mount Cook for lunch. We sat outside and enjoyed the lunch, sun , and the mountain. There were many people there but we never had to look for our ride.
He provided water, a phone charger, and sweets, and bathroom breaksð
He took us to a coffee cafe for an afternoon break.
We had good conversation and good driving which was important to us. Probably my favorite part of the ride is that all 4 of us did not feel rushed. We took our time when we wanted.
I would recommend this trip to any one.
Review provided by Viator
David_r
Mar 17, 2025
Not a tour, just a very expensive ride⊠- Let me start by saying that this was not a tour. We have done many tours throughout New Zealand and this was the most expensive and most disappointing one. There was ZERO commentary, and just a ride from Christchurch to several free locations.
The ride was in an uncomfortable van that lacked wi-fi as advertised. If you have a rental car, then you can make the same trip for a huge savings. For $1500 for a family of 5, this was a disappointment at such a cost.
The pickup location was incorrect, though or driver did pick us up. The tour mentioned a stop at Tasman glacier, but it was omitted from the day.
Overall, we enjoyed the stops and would recommend seeing the sights that were featured, but recommend another way to get around and perhaps an actual tour.
Review provided by Viator
