Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo and Tasman Glacier Tour from Christchurch
Description
Travel in a group tour from Christchurch, on a day trip to Aoraki Mount Cook – the tallest mountain in New Zealand. Visit the picturesque Church of Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo and admire stunning alpine views from turquoise colored Lake Pukaki. Savor a scrumptious lunch at the Hermitage Hotel (POA) located in Mt. Cook National Park and enjoy a scenic walk to see the Tasman Glacier. Visit the turquoise coloured lakes of glacial melt and snow capped mountains.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pickup from your accommodation will take place between 6:30 AM and 7:00 AM. The exact pickup time will be confirmed via email one day before your travel date.
Set at the heart of the Canterbury region at the foot of the Southern Alps, Geraldine is the gateway to the lakes in the central Mackenzie Basin and the beginning of the Starlight Highway to Tekapo's world renowned UNESCO Aoraki McKenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Geraldine a scheduled rest stop with full facilities and a chance to move around.
Visit captivatingly turquoise Lake Tekapo, the iconic Church of Good Shepherd, and the well-recognized statue of Sheepdog.
Lake Pukaki is a shimmering blue jewel set into a grand alpine playground - an iconic New Zealand landscape of high mountain peaks, glacier fed alpine lakes and golden tussocks stretched beneath an endless sky. Sir Peter Jackson chose this part of the Southern Alps - the main divide stretching north-south the length of New Zealand's South Island - as the setting for ‘Lake-town’ in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Arrive at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park where you can savor a scrumptious lunch at Hermitage Hotel and explore Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
At around 27 km long, the Tasman Glacier is the longest glacier in New Zealand. This hike require moderate fitness and is approximately a 60 min return hike. There are good views of the Tasman Glacier and terminal lake, icebergs and the mountains at the head of the valley.
Drop off at your accommodation at around 8pm.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup timing will be confirmed a day prior to travel date. Pickup/ drop-off is offered from selected Central Christchurch Hotels listed below: 1. Christchurch Bus Interchange 2. Heritage Hotel/ Distinction Hotel 3. Crowne Plaza Hotel 4. The Mayfair, 155 Victoria Street 5. Chateau on the Park 6. Fino Hotel & Suites, 87 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand 7. Quest on Kilmore, 93 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand 8. Hotel Montreal, 363 Montreal Street, Christchurch, New Zealand 9. Wyndham Garden Christchurch City, 64 Kilmore Street, Christchurch, New Zealand
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A small amount of walking is involved so wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Approximately 2.5 hrs of free time in Mount Cook National Park for lunch, enjoy a scenic walk or your preferred activity.
- Fully guided tour except the walks in the Mt Cook National Park.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- We have designed our itinerary with a dedicated break at [Mount Cook Village], giving you the freedom to explore the local cafes and choose a meal that suits your appetite.
Reviews(382)
Great tour guide anuj. Would definitely recommend, fun day. Long day but goes by fast. Plus free wifi on bus.
Kia Ora lila_W, Thanks for giving our tour guide a well-deserved shout-out! They really know how to make a long day feel short and fun. Glad you enjoyed the free Wi-Fi, too! Safe travels and see you next time. Kind regards, NZSI Team
This tour was amazing & we had so much fun! Our tour size was only 12 people so it wasn’t too big nor small. Our tour guide AJ was phenomenal! He would share so much knowledge and facts with us when we get to each landmark yet allow some quiet and rest time while driving alongside some relaxing music. We got picked up and then drove around 90 mins from Christchurch before getting to Geraldine for a 30-mins breakfast stop and bathroom break. Then we drove another 90 mins before reaching Lake Tepako where we stayed for 20 minutes. Then we drove for 30 minutes before reaching reaching Lake Pukaki and stayed there for 20 minutes. We then drove 30 minutes and reached the Heritage Hotel for a 45-mins lunch break. Good options and plenty of seating space at that location. Then we reached Mount Cooked. According to our tour guide AJ, we had 90 minutes there and there are two hikes (one is a bit elevated but doable and one is flat & easy) which combined takes only 80 minutes so we did both. We first did the Tasman Glacier View hike which is the elevated hike. From start to top and back to start takes about 35 minutes (this also included phototaking and short breaks) The views from up top is stunning. Once we got back to the bottom, we did the other hike (Tasman River) where we got to see the floating glaciers. If you do the Tasman Lake Jetty, it’s not very good nor recommended so stick with the “Tasman River” path! This hike is flat but long so start to river and back is about 45 minutes including phototaking. Once we finished it was about 2:30pm so we started driving back to Christchurch and got dropped off at our original pick up locations. Again, our tour guide AJ was super knowledgeable, friendly, caring and super nice. He was always smiling and also provided us with plenty of snacks from chips to chocolates to bites during the entire van ride along with water. Our van also had free wifi so that was super helpful and useful too. All in all, I’m so happy we booked this tour and got AJ as our tour guide. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Christchurch and has a whole day free for this tour to get some amazing photos and views.
Kia Ora Anthony_P, Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and thoughtful review! We are absolutely thrilled that you had such an amazing day exploring Mount Cook with us. We will definitely pass your high praise along to your guide—he truly loves sharing his knowledge, keeping the van vibe relaxing with great music, and making sure the snack basket is always fully loaded! It sounds like you made the absolute most of your time at Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and during your hikes to the Tasman Glacier View and Tasman River. Thank you for sharing such helpful tips for future travellers, and for highly recommending our tour to anyone visiting Christchurch. Safe travels, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Kind regards, NZSI Team
This tour was amazing & we had so much fun! Our tour size was only 12 people so it wasn’t too big nor small. Our tour guide AJ was phenomenal! He would share so much knowledge and facts with us when we get to each landmark yet allow some quiet and rest time while driving alongside some relaxing music. We got picked up and then drove around 90 mins from Christchurch before getting to Geraldine for a 30-mins breakfast stop and bathroom break. Then we drove another 90 mins before reaching Lake Tepako where we stayed for 20 minutes. Then we drove for 30 minutes before reaching reaching Lake Pukaki and stayed there for 20 minutes. We then drove 30 minutes and reached the Heritage Hotel for a 45-mins lunch break. Good options and plenty of seating space at that location. Then we reached Mount Cooked. According to our tour guide AJ, we had 90 minutes there and there are two hikes (one is a bit elevated but doable and one is flat & easy) which combined takes only 80 minutes so we did both. We first did the Tasman Glacier View hike which is the elevated hike. From start to top and back to start takes about 35 minutes (this also included phototaking and short breaks) The views from up top is stunning. Once we got back to the bottom, we did the other hike (Tasman River) where we got to see the floating glaciers. If you do the Tasman Lake Jetty, it’s not very good nor recommended so stick with the “Tasman River” path! This hike is flat but long so start to river and back is about 45 minutes including phototaking. Once we finished it was about 2:30pm so we started driving back to Christchurch and got dropped off at our original pick up locations. Again, our tour guide AJ was super knowledgeable, friendly, caring and super nice. He was always smiling and also provided us with plenty of snacks from chips to chocolates to bites during the entire van ride along with water. Our van also had free wifi so that was super helpful and useful too. All in all, I’m so happy we booked this tour and got AJ as our tour guide. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Christchurch and has a whole day free for this tour to get some amazing photos and views.
Kia Ora Anthony_P, Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and thoughtful review! We are absolutely thrilled that you had such an amazing day exploring Mount Cook with us. We will definitely pass your high praise along to your guide—he truly loves sharing his knowledge, keeping the van vibe relaxing with great music, and making sure the snack basket is always fully loaded! It sounds like you made the absolute most of your time at Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and during your hikes to the Tasman Glacier View and Tasman River. Thank you for sharing such helpful tips for future travellers, and for highly recommending our tour to anyone visiting Christchurch. Safe travels, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! Kind regards, NZSI Team
Dress appropriately for the weather and the hiking. One in a lifetime experience and be prepared to take lots of photos.
Kia Ora Anna_U, Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are thrilled that you had a once-in-a-lifetime experience with us. Your advice is spot on—dressing for the weather and being trail-ready makes all the difference, and we are so glad you captured plenty of photos to remember the journey. We hope those memories last a lifetime, and we would love to adventure with you again in the future! Kind regards, NZSI Team
Amazing tour! I wanted to see as much beautiful nature from Christchurch as possible and this trip definitely achieved that. Both lakes were incredible, but the highlight was Mount Cook National Park—lunch with a view, glaciers, icebergs, and incredible mountains. I did this as a solo traveler in winter, and it was a great experience. While the tour inevitably included a lot of car time, the views out the window were gorgeous, so the car time didn’t feel like a waste of time at all.
Kia Ora 941juliannef, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that our tour hit all the marks for your solo winter holiday, especially the highlights around Mount Cook National Park. Providing a comfortable and visually stunning journey despite the travel distance is always our goal, so we are pleased the changing scenery kept you captivated. Thank you for choosing our tour! Kind regards, NZSI Team
Amazing experience, I absolutely recommend it. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly, we really enjoyed the trip with him.
Kia Ora Sara, Thank you for the fantastic recommendation! We are so glad you enjoyed the trip and had a great experience with your guide. Hope to see you again soon! Kind regards, NZSI Team
We got to do a lot in one day. It was totally worth the cost. The guide was nice and helpful. There were lots of snacks onboard.
Kia Ora Dara_V, Thanks for the fantastic feedback! We are so glad you loved the full day of activities, our helpful guide, and the snacks. Come back and see us again soon! Kind regards, NZSI Team
Thanks for a great day! We had perfect weather and a knowledgeable and helpful guide who provided everything we needed for a great day. It was helpful to have a few options at each stop outlined for us - a great balance of flexibility, choice and guidance of how to make the most of each location along the way. I recommend this very highly as a convenient way to see these beautiful places with minimum hassle.
Kia Ora anthead978, Thank you for the high recommendation. We are delighted that you enjoyed your day and found our guide's knowledge and flexible itinerary helpful. Providing a convenient, stress-free experience is always our top priority. We look forward to seeing you again!
It was amazing!!!! The weather was perfect, the food was great , and the schedule was so good. I’d like to book tours again!
Kia Ora, Wow, thank you so much for the amazing review. We are absolutely thrilled that everything hit the mark for you—from the perfect weather and great food to the schedule. We can't wait to welcome you back for another tour soon!
Great tour, our guide and driver Anuj was great the hikes were great and frequent stops along the way
Kia Ora Ateeq_U , Thanks for sharing your experience! We're so glad you loved the hikes and the frequent stops. I'll be sure to pass your compliments along to guide—he truly loves showcasing the area. Safe travels, and we hope to see you again!
