Mt Cook Small Group Scenic Day Tour from Queenstown
Description
Get ready for an adventure or a relaxing day in the mountains! Explore Mt Cook on a fully guided, small-group tour from Queenstown, with free time to hike, fly, or simply unwind. Highlights: • Mt Cook & Aoraki National Park • Lake Pukaki • Kawarau Gorge, Lindis Pass, the Southern Alps • High Country Salmon (time dependent) • Free time for activities & walks Enjoy approximately three hours of free time at Mt Cook to make your day as adventurous or relaxed as you choose: hike alpine trails, soar above glaciers on a scenic flight, or unwind at the Hermitage Hotel with a hot chocolate, soaking in the views. Make memories that last a lifetime. ***PLEASE NOTE: The Hooker Valley Track is currently closed beyond Müller Lookout (located between the first and second swing bridges) while the Department of Conservation replaces one of the bridges. This scenic section still offers stunning views and a rewarding hiking experience. The full track is expected to reopen in Spring 2026.***
Tour Options
Itinerary
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.
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.
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.
Pass through Lindis Pass, one of only three alpine roads through the otherwise impassable Southern Alps we stop at the famous lookout.
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)!
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 scene were filmed nearby and we will point them out for you.
While in the national park you have 2.5 - 3 hours free time to enjoy free walks/hikes or one of the extra optional activities. Some of our recommendations include: - Local hikes - walk Tasman Glacier View Walk, or Kea Point Track for breathtaking scenery and photo opportunities. – Scenic flights – see the region from the air and land on the Tasman Glacier. Which ever activity from these you decide to do we will pick you up and drop you off where you need to go and make sure you are well looked after.
Farewelling Aoraki/Mt Cook Village and making our way back to Queenstown we stop in at High Country Salmon, a local salmon farm, where you can feed the fish and taste some of the freshest salmon in New Zealand.
As we get close to Queenstown we often stop at Jacksons Orchard to try or buy some fabulous and delicious local fruit, fruit ice-cream and pies, or you can just stretch your legs!
Sadly the tour must come to an end as we re-enter Queenstown and say our goodbyes.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at time of booking, you will be allocated our default meeting point (The Station - Home of Adventure). You are welcome to update this at any time. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. *Pick-ups can begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time, depending on location. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside 5 minutes prior to your specific pickup time. *Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- The Hooker Valley Track is currently CLOSED while the Department of Conservation works on replacing one of the swing bridges. This is expected to be complete in Spring 2026 so the track will be inaccessible to the public until then**
- **Please note - for flight options, our airline partner has a fuel surcharge of NZ$20 per person in place until further notice. This is to be paid directly to the airline upon check-in **
Reviews(430)
My partner and I had an amazing time at the Mt Cook tour. The vehicle was comfy and snacks and water. were provided. Our tour Danny was amazing and made our trip very engaging with his commentary. He was very friendly and accommodating. The tour itself was amazing, beautiful nature and yummy salmon. I would recommend this tour to everyone. One thing to note is that if you want to do the Tasman Glacier hike, it is very uphill and requires moderate fitness. However, there are other flatter tracks to do if you can't do this main one.
My partner and I had an amazing time at the Mt Cook tour. The vehicle was comfy and snacks and water. were provided. Our tour Danny was amazing and made our trip very engaging with his commentary. He was very friendly and accommodating. The tour itself was amazing, beautiful nature and yummy salmon. I would recommend this tour to everyone. One thing to note is that if you want to do the Tasman Glacier hike, it is very uphill and requires moderate fitness. However, there are other flatter tracks to do if you can't do this main one.
Being locals at one stage, this was a trip we probably wouldn’t have done on our own. Booking the tour was a great experience that I would definitely recommend not to just tourists but to locals as well. Very knowledgeable tour guide and very entertaining. Thanks for a fabulous day!
Wonderful tour! The weather was perfect and the views and mountains were stunning! Our tour guide was great!
This is the second time I traveled with Cheeky Kiwi to Mount Cook (last time was 4 years ago)~ Fantastic trip again, did not disappoint~ Jessica, our tour guide, was super knowledgeable and fun, kept the whole trip interesting~ we had 3 hours in the breathtaking national park, the stops on the road were entertaining too. We had a wonderful day.
Great day out, our guide Danny was fantastic, knowledgable and looked after us all well. Highly recommend !!
Danny and Mt Cook is always a great combination! So glad the day delivered and that you felt well looked after. Thanks so much for the kind words, it really means a lot to us.
Very interesting and impressive trip, me and my friend really enjoyed it. The Mt Cook is incredible beautiful, and the salmon and fruit ice cream are also memorable.
Sounds like you had a great trip. The mountain is lovely and we hope it showed all of itself for you. Sometimes it is hard to see. Thank you for your feedback and for travelling with Cheeky Kiwi
It was a great experience. The glacier hike booked before the changeable weather at Mount Cook was cancelled and booked twice more. Finally booked! Our guide is a warm and lovely girl with a living wave, who has introduced many along the way~
Had an amazing time on the day trip to mt cook and our tour guide was awesome and super friendly! Loved that we had plenty of free time to hike and explore the trails. Also we made some fun stops including a salmon farm where we were able to get fresh sushi as well as a fresh produce market for fruits and ice cream.
Thank you so much, Abhinav! We're thrilled you had such an amazing time at Mt Cook and that our guide made the day special. We truly appreciate you choosing to travel with us and for taking the time to share your experience. We'd love to welcome you back someday!
Really nice trip to Mt. Cook! Small exclusive group with a sprinter coach really comfortable. Amazing driver with a lot of information about everything on the way! Many stops for scenic views and toilet breaks (and leg stretching). Different options in Mt. Cook from hikes to museum. Overall 10/10 would recommend 👌
A 10/10 review, thank you so much! We're so delighted to hear you had such a wonderful experience at Mt Cook. It truly is one of New Zealand's most incredible places. Thank you for choosing to travel with us — we'd love to welcome you back again someday!
