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Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park: Our most recommended tours and activities

Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch

1. Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo Day Tour from Christchurch

Experience dramatic glacier lakes, snow-capped mountains, and beautiful alpine walks on a small-group day trip from Christchurch. After pick-up from your hotel, journey to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, located a 4 hours' drive through spectacular and breathtaking landscapes. Visit the historic town of Geraldine. Then discover the heart of Mackenzie Country, the captivatingly turquoise Lake Tekapo, the iconic Church of Good Shepherd, and the well-recognized statue of Sheepdog. Travel through Lake Pukaki and admire stunning views of Mt. Cook from a distance. Enjoy a short scenic hike in the National Park to view the 23.5kms long Tasman Glacier which is the longest glacier in New Zealand before returning to Christchurch.

Mount Cook: Tasman Glacier & National Park Scenic Flight

2. Mount Cook: Tasman Glacier & National Park Scenic Flight

Discover the real highlights of the Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park on this helicopter tour. Soar high above, get breathtaking views and fly the full length of the Tasman Glacier. Fly close to the mountain peaks, and view this incredible alpine region. You will also get amazing views of New Zealand’s highest peak - Aoraki /Mt Cook. Admire hanging glaciers, blue ice, and rocky mountain peaks, with photo opportunities in every direction. Hover over the Tasman Glacier to appreciate the size and scale of New Zealand’s longest “river of ice”, before snow landing on the magnificent Tasman Glacier. Your pilot may shut off the helicopter so you can experience the "sound of silence”.

From Queenstown: Mount Cook and Hooker Valley Day Trip

3. From Queenstown: Mount Cook and Hooker Valley Day Trip

Visit breathtaking locations in Queenstown as you make your way to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Travel with a reliable tour guide who will share stories and rich background knowledge on Queenstown and the Mount Cook area. Start your tour in the stunning city of Queenstown. Drive through the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and marvel at the scenery the Kawarau Gorge has to offer. Stop at the Roaring Meg Lookout to take photos of your stunning view. Then, enter the region of Cromwell, famous for fruits and wine and where you can see huge fields of vines. Next, traverse the majestic Lindis Pass which lies between two valleys against a backdrop of a bright blue sky. This stretch of highway is one of the only three Alpine roads through the otherwise impassable Southern Alps. After taking photos at the top of the pass, drive through the Mackenzie District and visit the township of Omarama. Turning west, you'll enter Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, and Lake Pukaki will emerge in front of you. Proceed to the start of the Hooker Valley Track and depart on a 3-hour self-guided hike with amazing views of Hooker Lake, Hooker Glacier, and Mount Cook. Finish your tour by visiting High Country Salmon as you make your way back to Queenstown.

Mount Cook: Aoraki Panorama Scenic Helicopter flight

4. Mount Cook: Aoraki Panorama Scenic Helicopter flight

Take in views of the Aoraki/ Mt Cook National Park on this shared helicopter flight from Canterbury. Dive into sights like the Tasman Terminal Lake with the in flight commentary provided by your pilot. Stop to breathe in the crisp mountain air with a alpine landing. Meet your pilot at the Mount Cook Airport and listen to a short safety briefing. Expereince the thrill of taking off towards the Southern Alps. Admire views of the highest mountain in the country, Aoraki / Mt Cook.  Feel the excitement of landing in the mountains and capture pictures of sweeping views of snowy peaks. Fly over the icebergs of the Tasman Terminal Lake before returning to to Mount Cook Airport.

From Queenstown: Mount Cook Heli-Hike and Tour Combo

5. From Queenstown: Mount Cook Heli-Hike and Tour Combo

Discover everything the beautiful Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier area has to offer on a guided small-group full-day trip from Queenstown. Meet your small group early in the morning and hop on the minivan which will take you to the Tasman Glacier, stopping at some of the area's most iconic sights along the way. Make your way through the Kawarau Gorge, passing the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and of course the famous Roaring Meg Lookout. Drive past sights such as the beautiful Lake Dunstan, Lindis Pass, and the Cromwell wine region, stopping for photos along the way, before arriving in Omarama. Here, spot Merino sheep and sample New Zealand's creamiest chicken pie before continuing to Lake Pukaki, where you can spot several Lord of the Rings filming locations. Next, get ready for the adventure of a lifetime with a Tasman Glacier Heli Hike. Combine the excitement of walking on New Zealand’s biggest glacier with the stunning scenic helicopter fly-bys of New Zealand’s largest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook. After flying to a remote part of the glacier, follow your guide as they cut steps in the glacier, using skills handed down from New Zealand's mountain pioneers. Finish your hike with another spectacular scenic flight back to the base. After your flight, stop for a quick photo stop in Mount Cook village before continuing to High Country Salmon, a local salmon farm, where you can feed the fish and taste some of the freshest salmon in New Zealand. Stop at Mrs. Jones Suncrest Orchard to try or buy her delicious local fruit or real fruit ice cream before returning to Queenstown with your group.

From Christchurch: Mount Cook Transfer with Lake Tekapo Tour

6. From Christchurch: Mount Cook Transfer with Lake Tekapo Tour

Christchurch to Mt Cook via Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (1 way). This small group, fully-guided day transfer allows you to travel in style to Mt Cook while seeing all the key highlights along the way. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety. Highlights: Lake Tekapo Mt Cook & Aoraki National Park Lake Pukaki While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, we believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.

Mount Cook Ultimate Alpine Helicopter & Ski Plane Experience

7. Mount Cook Ultimate Alpine Helicopter & Ski Plane Experience

Explore the Mount Cook area from the ground and the air on this thrilling helicopter and ski plane tour. Start off by driving through the Kawarau Gorge for stunning views, enter the fruit and wine region of Cromwell as you pass huge fields of vines, cross Lake Dunstan and follow this beautiful lake towards Lindis Pass, which offers stunning views of the valleys below. See several of the famous Merino sheep on the drive before arriving in Omarama and continuing to Lake Pukaki, a brilliant blue lake framed by Aoraki and Mount Cook. Next, get ready for an unforgettable ski plane experience and helicopter ride which includes a glacier snow landing on the Tasman Glacier. Spend two and a half hours of free time in the national park before making your way back to High Country Salmon, a local salmon farm, where you can feed the fish and taste some of the freshest salmon in New Zealand.

From Queenstown: Mount Cook Transfer w/ Guided Landmark Tour

8. From Queenstown: Mount Cook Transfer w/ Guided Landmark Tour

This small group, fully-guided transfer allows you to travel to Mt Cook in style and see all the key highlights on the way. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety. 1. Queenstown - Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventurous day but also point out and guide you past some of the areas top highlights. 2. Kawarau Suspension Bridge – Departing Queenstown we then make our way through the stunning Kawarau Gorge passing stunning views, the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and the famous Roaring Meg Lookout. Time and light permitting we will stop for that first great shot of the tour. 3. Cromwell – Exiting the Kawarau Gorge we enter the fruit and wine growing region of Cromwell. Passing huge fields of vines, we cross Lake Dunstan and follow this beautiful lake towards Lindis Pass. 4. Lindis Pass – Climbing in altitude, Lindis Pass has amazing views down through the valleys. Being one of only three alpine roads through the otherwise impassable Southern Alps, we stop at the famous lookout at the top of the pass for an essential photo. 5. Omarama – While driving through the endless plains of the Mackenzie district we will spot several of the famous Merino breed of sheep before stopping at the quaint township of Omarama. While in Omarama we have time for a break or even to try the best creamy chicken pie in NZ (in our opinion)! 6. Lake Pukaki – Turning west we begin to enter the Aoraki National Park and Lake Pukaki begins to emerge in front of us. Lake Pukaki is one of the bluest lakes you will ever see and is stunningly framed by the backdrop of Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps. We stop for some amazing photos and to just marvel at the sight that we are beholding. It’s not hard to see why many Lord of the Rings scenes were filmed nearby and we will point them out for you. 7. Mt Cook Information Centre – Arriving at Mt Cook Village, weather depending, we should get some amazing shots of the mountain itself. At 3724m, Aoraki/Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak, however, the mountain can be viewed without any acclimatisation whatsoever from the village which is just 750m above sea level. Your guided transfer ends here but you adventure to explore Mt Cook is only just beginning.

Other Sightseeing Options in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Want to discover all there is to do in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Overall rating

5.0 / 5

based on 12 reviews

I loved this day trip and would 100% recommend it to people without car. The only thing I would change is the time to di the track. 3 hours is just enough to rush to the end and come back, without long breaks to enjoy the view or eat. Personnally, I would remove the stop we did at a salmon farm and add the allocated time to do the track.

The tour was amazing and it ended up being a beautiful day out! The only thing, is the roads are extremely windy. If you get motionsickness at all, would recommend you take something before you travels! I also wish at some of the stops there would be a little bit more time to enjoy, but overall amazing tour! Would definitely go again.

Amazing, the guide Anju is awesome! He gives you amazing insight and is thoughtful about planning the day since we didn't get the best weather. I loved it!

Great and friendly guide, small group tour. Very well organized. It's was a great experience with all the additional stops as well.

Great scenery. The lakes and Mount Cook Views were stunning.