Queenstown to Mt Cook Small Group Tour (One-Way)
Description
Queenstown to Mt Cook Tour 1 way, 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. ***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 Autumn 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.
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.
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.
You will be dropped off at Aoraki/Mt Cook Village upon arrival, where we’ll say our farewells.
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 minute 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
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Guests can bring 1 large & 1 small piece of luggage each
- Operates in all weather conditions. Please dress accordingly.
Reviews(33)
Fantastic Mount cook experience
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it so much and thank you for travelling with us.
Our trip with small group of people to Mt Cook was really amazing, especially with our guide who was very knowledgable and he was entertaining us with stories about the places passing by us. The pickup was on time, so please be on time. The tour starts in the morning about 7-7.30am, taking you first to Lake Tekapo and will end in Mount Cook Village in the afternoon around 2-3pm, where they will drop you off at the Hermitage Hotel. In my case, I was dropped off at my accommodation at Mt Cook lodge, where I stayed for a night.
Thank you for your feedback. You are right punctuality makes all the difference in letting everyone get the most from their trip. We are glad that it all went so well for you and you had such a great time. Thank you for travelling with us and we hope Mt Cook let you see her beauty as she can be shy sometimes.
Very efficient pick up and drive to Mt Cook with a few rest/photo stops along the way. And a good 3hours at Mt Cook where we could explore the hikes we wanted, depending on the level of difficulty we could/preferred. Driver guide Addy was lovely too.
Thanks so much for the kind words about our Queenstown to Mt Cook Small Group Tour One Way. Lovely to hear driver guide Addy made the journey to Aoraki smooth, with time to explore the hikes at your own pace. It was our privilege to host you!
Joel was an excellent and informative guide for our trip to Mount Cook village. He was enthusiastic and ensured that everyone was comfortable. The scenery was spectacular. We especially enjoyed the stops at Lake Tekapu and Tasman glacier.
It sounds like you had a great trip with Joel. It is beautiful countryside to Mount Cook and the mountain is also very special. We are so happy to know you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for travelling with us.
I highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi for transportation from Christchurch to Mt.Cook/Aoraki! Bobbie was our super friendly & fun driver/guide! She shared interesting facts/stories/music during the ride. Plenty of stops for food & toilet breaks and beautiful scenery stop at Lake Tekapo & first glimpse of Mt. Cook/Aoraki! Over hour stop at Aoraki/Mt. Cook for short hikes &/or picnic. Worth the $ and very enjoyable!
Everything went smoothly. The tour started on time and the vehicle is clean and comfortable. Love this tour
Thank you for your nice feedback. We are happy to know that you enjoyed your trip with us and we hope to see you again one day.
Very enjoyable trip to Mt Cook with Hanna at the wheel. She shared interesting facts along the way. The meat pie and coffee stop was well timed. The Landis Pass photo op was lovely. Although the Natl' Park Mts were covered in clouds our photo and walking stops were enjoyable.
I loved it. Great scenery and the guide Rob is really fun, got a lot of stories to tell and good music to share. I had a wonderful time
This trip was great even when travelling solo! Very easy to get chatting to other people and the day is organised so well you don’t have to worry about any of that. The staff were super friendly and answered any questions we had to ask and also gave us lots of fun facts and useful insight on the local area
Kia ora! The trip through to MT Cook from Queenstown takes you through the beautiful Hydro lakes with their turquoise water up into the Southern Alps. Plenty of time to do some hikes, while having the option of staying a night or 2 in Mt Cook or travelling onto Christchurch. Many option to choose from and a great friendly way to travel with all your needs catered for! Thanks for travelling with the Cheeky Kiwi Travel team
I chose this tour because I wanted to enjoy the journey to Mt. Cook as well, and it turned out to be a great decision. Although it was an early start, thanks to that we were able to see the beautiful scenery along the way in the best conditions. Our driver and guide gave us fascinating explanations about history and nature, and even after we arrived, he kindly made suggestions tailored to each guest’s needs. We also had plenty of time to enjoy the café and souvenir shop we stopped at, and the views of the Lindis Pass and Lake Pukaki were absolutely stunning. I’m truly glad I joined this tour, and I would definitely love to join again.
Thank you so much for choosing to spend your day with us! Our guides have excellent local knowledge & it's great to know that this enhanced your trip along with the stops & scenery! Cheers!
