Explore Mount Cook from Christchurch
Christchurch, New Zealand
- 12 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Surround yourself with the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps, including Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain, on this day trip from Christchurch. There’s no need to self-drive and be distracted by the views. Travel by coach into the MacKenzie Basin, stop at Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, and enjoy views of the Tasman Glacier on a short hike. Includes lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, plus morning and afternoon tea.
- Learn more about the region from live on-board commentary
- Includes morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea to keep you energized
- Includes Christchurch hotel transfers so you won't get lost
- An easy way to get into the heart of the Southern Alps from Christchurch
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Live commentary on board
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Local guide
- Morning and afternoon tea
- Lunch
- Gratuities (optional)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Operating hours.7:30 am
Itinerary
Your full-day trip begins with hotel pickup in Christchurch, taking you through the foothills of the magnificent Southern Alps. Listen to onboard commentary about the sights from your guide, and stop at Lake Tekapo for an included morning tea at a local cafe.
Follow up with a photo stop at the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Disembark to soak up the idyllic alpine scenery before continuing on to Lake Pukaki. Here, the Tasman Valley opens into the Mackenzie Basin en route to Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Enjoy views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook and a backdrop of snow-capped peaks during lunch at the Hermitage Hotel. Opt for a scenic flight or a glacier landing by ski plane (additional cost, payable directly).
The pinnacle of your tour comes with a 20-minute hike up Tasman Glacier. At the summit of the terminal moraine, cast your eyes over the glacier and nearby Lake Tasman. Back on level ground, re-board the coach for the return drive to Christchurch, stopping en route in Fairlie for late-afternoon tea.
Follow up with a photo stop at the solitary Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Disembark to soak up the idyllic alpine scenery before continuing on to Lake Pukaki. Here, the Tasman Valley opens into the Mackenzie Basin en route to Aoraki/Mt. Cook National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Enjoy views of Aoraki/Mt. Cook and a backdrop of snow-capped peaks during lunch at the Hermitage Hotel. Opt for a scenic flight or a glacier landing by ski plane (additional cost, payable directly).
The pinnacle of your tour comes with a 20-minute hike up Tasman Glacier. At the summit of the terminal moraine, cast your eyes over the glacier and nearby Lake Tasman. Back on level ground, re-board the coach for the return drive to Christchurch, stopping en route in Fairlie for late-afternoon tea.
1
Lake Tekapo
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Lake Pukaki
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Hermitage Hotel
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Tasman Glacier
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Fairlie
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Please note Tasman Glacier viewing walk is subject to weather conditions on the day of travel which due to the mountains and altitude is very changeable. Should this walk not be available due to weather then the tour will visit the Mount Cook Edmund Hilary Center at the Hermitage
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 6 days in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.3
based on 36 reviews
Linda_H, Mar 2025
It was a wonderful trip and made even more enjoyable with our driver / guide, Jude. Beautiful scenery and fascinating to see the changes in a relatively short distance.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thank you for taking the time to submit your review which are valuable to us to ensure we
meet and where possible exceed our customers expectations. We do hope that you will
have the opportunity to visit New Zealand again in the not too distant future.
Vivien_S, Mar 2024
Our tour guild Jud was friendly and professional. If you only have one day and want to get a feeling of what it is like outside of the Christchurch, this is the trip for you. It was very relaxing and scenery was amazing.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Kiaora Vivien and thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I'm pleased to hear you enjoyed your day with Jude!
Davdi_B, Jan 2024
A lot of driving, but excellent views and courteous guide. Highly recommend for visits to the south island.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Kiaora Davdi and thanks for leaving a review. I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed your
tour with us!
Rena_L, Sep 2023
We loved our trip to Mount Cook and Lake Tekapo. The scenery was breath taking and there were lots of stops for photos. Our guide Jude was excellent and she ensured that all our preferences were catered for. A fabulous day. Thank you Jude
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Kiaora Rena and thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed your day with Jude.
OUITA_B, Jun 2023
The surreal splendor of the mountains, lakes, glacier and farmlands was a fairytale. Our tour guide was a very nice man as well as a professional.
Response from Host, Jul 2023
Kiaora and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I'm so happy that you enjoyed your day and that you speak highly of my guides.
Jennifer_P, Apr 2018
We tried to book this trip several times before our holiday to New Zealand but as the minimum number is four to make it viable, had to wait until the week before we left the UK to actually know that we could do it, though not on our preferred date. However, the experience was worth the wait.
Our guide Rodney and the fact that there were only two other people with us made it a wonderful day. He was so knowledgeable and able to add in his own experiences to make it something we shall never forget, including the wonderful lunch at the restaurant! Mount Cook is amazing and though we were there on an early autumn day in late March, we didn't need coats as the weather was hot, though maybe as the weather changes quickly, coats and walking shoes would be a good idea in late autumn and winter. Lots of photo opportunities and a great ice cream stop on the return journey to our hotel were the icing on the cake.Thank you Rodney and Viator.
Emma C, Apr 2017
We had a wonderful time on the trip due to our great tour guide Rodney. We saw many sights along the way and enjoyed the meal at the restaurant with the fantastic view of Mount Cook. The small size of our group made the day more enjoyable. The helicopter ride is definitely worth it. It is a long day but we would definitely recommend it to others!
Roger_H, Mar 2017
LONG DAY-Bus Ride 8 hours BUT worth it for Fantastic Views.
More adventurous took helicopter to Glacierextra cost.
Recommend it .
Mary K, Dec 2016
Beautiful scenery and overall wonderful day. Small size of the tour made it very special. Loved taking the short hike to see more of the area!
Joyce L, Dec 2016
This was a wonderful trip! The route design is very well, take you to the most beautiful place in NZ.
AydinM_A, Jun 2016
This was a great trip. We had a great guide, Hank, who was extremely helpful. The weather was not cooperative but we had, I believe, one the rare experiences of seeing a glacier in the middle of a snow storm. A trip I will never forget. Thanks again.
Kathleen M, Mar 2016
The tour overall was superb. It's a long day but a lot is packed in. The day started off rainy so I wasn't sure how much we would see but as the day went on, the sun came out and once we got to Mount Cook National Park it was beautiful. I really enjoyed that part of the day and the climb up to see the Tasman Glacier was amazing. Our guide was also helpful along the way.
I was expecting a little more direction throughout the day and timings weren't particularly clear. The microphone system also didn't work very well meaning we missed some of what he was telling us - I like to know as much as I can about the places I'm visiting so that was a bit frustrating.
Overall though, a superb day.
Rachel P, Jan 2016
It is a long drive, bring an iPod or something for the journey but a nice day. The weather wasn't in our favor and we weren't able to see Mt. Cook. Morning Tea was great but lunch for me was lacking. I wished for more from the buffet. Even without great weather it was still a nice day.
Nathan T, Sep 2015
Rush Rush Rush!! The description said you would stop and a winery or a wool place, neither of these happened on our trip! The lunch at the Hermatige was fairly average and if you don't like Asian cuisine then you would go hungry! Driver was not very helpful with us taking our flight and rushed us!
June A. G, Nov 2014
Well worth seeing although it is a long drive from Christ Church. Tour guide did a very nice job, I appreciate the small number of participants as opposed to a huge bus with 50 people!
Amanda_J, Feb 2014
This was a good trip , we saw some fantastic sights. This was a small group tour, with our selves and two other couples. Stopping at Lake Tekapo was beautiful, we did see half of Mount Cook from a distance, unfortunately the clouds came in when we were at Mount Cook and did not get to see the mountain, but that is Mother Nature for you. This was a good day but a long day.
LYNN G, Jul 2010
Great way to see a bit of countryside. Long day but really interesting. Geoff, our driver, had great knowledge of the areas we travelled through. Even though low cloud stopped us from directing viewing Mt Cook I still felt that we had value for money.
George Z, Jul 2010
Great time of year to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Long day, but so worth it. Lunch was fabulous.
Becky B, Apr 2010
The weather did not cooperate -- we could see only a small portion of the mountain before the clouds covered it. Also worth noting that you do not get near a glacier. Had wonderful discussions with the tour guide, though, mostly on native Maori themes -- learned a lot!
John K, Apr 2010
Had a great although long day out. Unfortunately windy weather precluded any flying, but the weather was otherwise good and the views were great. Driver was very informative and chatty. As visitors to New Zealand, we learned a great deal about life there.
Kenneth A, Mar 2010
Driver was good and had great knowledge of the area. Maybe a round trip would be better for such a long day. Enjoyed our lunch and the visit to the center at Mt Cook.
Brian P, Jan 2010
We all had an enjoyable time. Our tour guide was very informative and we enjoyed our lunch with a fabulous view of Mount Cook.
Johnson H, Jan 2010
Amazing scenary, friendly tour guide, highly recommended!
Paige D, Nov 2009
The tour was good and the tour guides were very friendly and nice. However, we were expecting to see the glacier which we did not at all. We were very disappointed that we did not see it and that we were not informed that we were not going to it, which is one of the main attractions of the tour. It was what we were most excited to see. It was very depressing that we went all that way and did not even see it. It was just disappointing and sort of put a damper on the rest of the tour.
Response from Host, Nov 2009
Thanks for the note. The tour description is correct, there are however occasions when - due to poor weather - the walk up Tasman Glacier does not take place. We are updating the tour description with this caveat about inclement. We apologize for any convenience.
C.H F, Oct 2009
Overall we had a great trip. A very sweet driver guide accompanied us. Had a lovely lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, very comfortable journey. It's a very scenic drive too! We're glad we didn't miss out!
Nathan G, Sep 2009
We had a great trip. We really enjoyed hiking up the the glacial lake and down to the banks. That was probaly the highlight of our entire vacation. That being said, the meal at the Hermitage was ho-hum, and surely added to the cost of the trip. We had a lot of fun stopping in Gerladine. Our driver was very helpful and informative, but he seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to Christchurch.
Mia F, Jul 2009
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
Matthew R, Mar 2009
A wonderful day out. Stunning scenery and a great guide/driver.
Pui Shan T, Nov 2008
A very nice trip! But a little bit uncomfortable when the tour guide was trying to persuade us to take the flight.
Harry M, Oct 2008
Tour guide was very good, knowledgeable and articulate, but trip took too many hours and Mount Cook was not visible. Movie and planetarium at Mount Cook should have been substituted at no extra cost.
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