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Mt Cook Day Tour via Lake Tekapo
4.5
194 Ratings
Christchurch
Embark on a thrilling Mt Cook Day Tour from Christchurch and explore Tekapo, Tasman Glacier, and more. Enjoy stunning views, delicious local eats, and a carbon-neutral journey!
Embark on a thrilling Mt Cook Day Tour from Christchurch and explore Tekapo, Tasman Glacier, and more. Enjoy stunning views, delicious local eats, and a carbon-neutral journey!
Duration:
13 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Christchurch - The adventure begins in the Garden City, swiftly heading towards the stunning Mackenzie Country.
- Geraldine - After a pleasant drive from Christchurch, enjoy a leisurely pause in the charming town of Geraldine.
- Fairlie - Known for its renowned bakehouse, Fairlie serves as our entry point to the Mackenzie Country. Prepare…
- Christchurch - The adventure begins in the Garden City, swiftly heading towards the stunning Mackenzie Country.
- Geraldine - After a pleasant drive from Christchurch, enjoy a leisurely pause in the charming town of Geraldine.
- Fairlie - Known for its renowned bakehouse, Fairlie serves as our entry point to the Mackenzie Country. Prepare to be amazed by the breathtaking views at every turn!
- Lake Tekapo - Anticipation builds as the bus rounds the corner for the first glimpse of Lake Tekapo. This view is sure to impress, and a stop is just around the corner!
- The Church of the Good Shepherd - Our first stop! Marvel at this picturesque church with a world-class view. It’s the perfect moment for some Instagram-worthy shots to showcase your New Zealand adventure—it’s the most photographed church in the country!
- Lake Pukaki - If you thought Lake Tekapo was stunning, just wait! Lake Pukaki will leave you in awe. We’ll pause at various spots to fully appreciate its beauty!
- Mt. Cook Village - Welcome to the magnificent Mt. Cook! Choose how to spend your day—explore the breathtaking Hooker Valley or Tasman Glacier track, or visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
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Tasman Glacier - Experience New Zealand’s finest glacier with an easy one-hour walk. Don’t forget your camera! (The glacier is visible in the distance behind a lake.)
PLEASE NOTE: This is one option for your time at Mt. Cook on this tour. Delays may prevent completing the entire track. -
Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre - If walking isn’t your preference, this educational centre is a must-see. Enjoy scheduled movie screenings!
PLEASE NOTE: This is one option for your time at Mt. Cook on this tour. Legal time constraints make it impossible to do everything. - Mt. Cook Village - It’s lunchtime! The view here is unparalleled. Though it’s hard to leave, more wonders await!
- Lake Tekapo - A brief stop at Lake Tekapo for restroom breaks and hopefully capturing a stunning sunset photo of Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd.
- Christchurch - As we journey back to Christchurch, we’ll make several stops to stretch and refresh. This marks the end of our adventure together—until next time!
What's Included
- On-board WiFi
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Bottled water
- Pick up and Drop off
- Doc concession
- Snacks
- On-board WiFi
- Lunch
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Bottled water
- Pick up and Drop off
- Doc concession
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Activities such as helicopter and boat trips
- This tour is not recommended for infants
- The walks are not guided
- Activities such as helicopter and boat trips
- This tour is not recommended for infants
- The walks are not guided
Additional Information
Swap the urban surroundings of Garden City for a day trip that you’ll absolutely love! Our Mt Cook, Tekapo and Tasman Glacier Day Tour from Christchurch offers the chance to experience the wonders of the Mackenzie Country without any hassle. We aim for you to EXPLORE MORE, EXPERIENCE MORE and PAY LESS!
Journey in an eco-friendly vehicle that doesn’t…
Swap the urban surroundings of Garden City for a day trip that you’ll absolutely love! Our Mt Cook, Tekapo and Tasman Glacier Day Tour from Christchurch offers the chance to experience the wonders of the Mackenzie Country without any hassle. We aim for you to EXPLORE MORE, EXPERIENCE MORE and PAY LESS!
Journey in an eco-friendly vehicle that doesn’t compromise on modern comforts like complete air-conditioning, USB charging points and WiFi! All while you indulge in the beauty of Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, the Ben Ohau Range and locations from the renowned film, Lord of the Rings. The excitement of exploration will surely whet your appetite, so we’ve arranged a scrumptious lunch at the quaint Hermitage Hotel. Make sure the stunning landscape doesn’t divert your attention from the delectable local fare!
At the end of an adventurous day, we return to our starting point in Christchurch, setting you free to embark on your next adventurous journey, wherever that might be. Embark on this purely Kiwi experience - we look forward to welcoming you aboard.
NOTE: This tour operates for 13.5hrs and the schedule is fixed.
Location
Christchurch
Please wait ready for collection at the bus stop on Lichfield Street outside the bus exchange.
If you put Christchurch Bus Interchange intercity stop into google maps this will give you the correct location. Pick up time is at 06:25am
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
4.5
(194 Ratings)
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Abcdefghi2016
Jun 9, 2025
THE ONLY WAY TO SEE MOUNT COOK AND LAKE TEKAPO ,,, thanks JOSH ! - HUGE SHOUT OUT TO JOSH & Cheeky Kea, they are THE ONLY way to see Mount Cook & Lake Tekapo. Dont bother risking driving on the black ice or blocking the road for other traveller - get on this. tour ! JOSH made the trip PHENOMENAL ..he shared so many beautiful traditional stories of the respectful Maori culture, how the earth universe, land, sea, tree are all interrelated with the beautifu Maori myth of sky father and earth mother, the myth of "Rona & the moon" ..and all his knowledge about the industries in the area, the local pests ( incl pine trees) 'the empty space" " Mckenzie and friday " the hydroelectricity plant ...WOW brilliant narration and knowledge !
And his driving - super cautious. putting on music when he needed to focus on the road and chat when there waas black ice/windy roads. The itinery was perfect with phot stop pits, toilet breaks and oh the snack bag - chips chocolate water cookie the a lunch bag - goodies from Fairle Bakery - chicken schitnzel, cheese and salad, delicious muffin, healthy muesli slice and an apple ! PERFECT day thanks to JOSH - his enthusiasm is brilliant !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rama_a
Jun 6, 2025
Helpful Jess - Jess our driver and guide was really awesome..everything was great..Jess was so helpful with my questions and helped me to take beautiful picture..since I'm solo traveller..Tq Jess.
Review provided by Viator
Venture65173737125
Jun 2, 2025
Short but sweet - Great locations, on-time, great stories in a quick trip. Tried the king salmon, got glimps of Orion’s belt westward on the way back too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sinal106
May 27, 2025
Awesome experience - What a great way to explore some of South Island gems. Our driver Diana was great, she had great knowledge and was very informative. I’ve learnt heaps. Highly recommended. Thanks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Departure66108
May 24, 2025
A very pleasant,and safe learning experience of the New Zealand tour with excellent customer service from Driver Guide - Coach: despite meeting spot under construction, email and on site notification was effective and timely. Coach is clean and safety belt working with good advice. Window is large for viewing. Coach is comfortable.
Scenic Spots Coverage: Expected spots to Cromwell, Lake Ruataniwha,Omarama, Lindis Pass,twizel, Lake Pukaki, Peter's Lookout, Mtn Cook,Lake Tekapo were all visited with more or less over 10 to 90 minutes at different locations.
Driver and Guide Stewart ( spelling Stuart):
This person was one of the big factors of making our tour a pleasant and enjoyable experience. He undoubtedly has good knowledge of the locations of the route locations and about New Zealand . In addition, he communicated very well and with clarity about contents, location spelling , NZ fauna and flora, impact of human development to environment etc while driving safely enroute. He also managed well to unavoidable traffic reroute, good connectin with business location at all the stops,un-returned passengers at one stop and managed time well . In addition, he made the trip interesting with added stories about historical people and happenings. He definitely delivered excellent and safe service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pee_b
May 21, 2025
Just got back from the... - Just got back from the trip! I have to say even if its a long day & we had a little time for each spots but im still very impressed by the guide today "Nick" he's very nice & caring! Showed up to picking up us at the hotel & sent us back safely and punctually! Moreover, the lunch & snacks he provided were good! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Surendhren_m
May 3, 2025
We had great trip and... - We had great trip and never experienced such a natural beauty. Weather was fantastic and we managed to Mount cook in her full beauty. Guide Phil was helpful
Review provided by Viator
Joseph_k
Apr 22, 2025
Excellent tour. However,... - Excellent tour. However, it would have been ideal to be allocated more time to experience Mount Cook.
Review provided by Viator
Mccarthyclara52
Apr 25, 2025
Worth the trip! - This was a very interesting and fun trip with plenty of beautiful scenery and photo opportunities along the way.
However, the walking time felt a bit rushed as we needed to get back to Christchurch. I think we wouldn't have had time to do the Hooker Valley walk even if we were able to.
Review provided by Viator
Darina_m
Apr 28, 2025
Beautiful Sights, but Inefficient Time Management - Overall, the tour was satisfactory — our guide was nice, he was giving background info, and we managed to visit all the planned locations. However, we were left rather disappointed due to the lack of efficient time management. Throughout the day, we constantly felt rushed, without clear guidance on how much time we could spend at each stop (the schedule provided on the website was not throughly followed). For example, after stopping at a bakery, we were told we had about 10 minutes to buy and eat food, leaving no time to sit down for a coffee (understandably, drinks were not allowed in the van). This was the only stop for food/ drinks on the way! The driver kept re-parking, and at one point, we had to run for him in order to catch up. At each of the two lakes, we again had only 10 minutes — not nearly enough time to properly walk around, sit down, or take in the scenery. We had to choose between enjoying the view, taking photos, or visiting the restrooms. While our tour guide told us we would have a lunch stop at a café later, this did not happen. Instead, most people ended up eating the provided sandwiches inside the van on the way to the next hike. Personally, I would have appreciated an opportunity to sit outside and enjoy a relaxed meal (even for ten minutes), especially since the weather was pleasantly sunny and we had been on the move since 6 AM. In the evening, we returned to Christchurch earlier than expected (around 18:40–19:00), and although the driver kindly dropped us off at our hotel, we wished to be back around 20:00–21:00 and enjoy the views for a bit longer. Coming from Europe, we had hoped to make the most of the day, especially since we couldn’t hire a car ourselves. A clear, consistently followed schedule would have helped manage expectations and improve the experience. We understand there are rules about driving after dark and required driver breaks — perhaps this could be addressed by arranging for two drivers to alternate shifts/ segments of the route.
Review provided by Viator
