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Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo & Tasman Glacier(Small Group Day Tour From Christchurch)
4.8
212 Ratings
Christchurch
Embark on a small group day tour from Christchurch to explore the breathtaking beauty of Mount Cook, Lake Tekapo, and Tasman Glacier. Marvel at the stunning alpine views, visit the iconic Church of Good Shepherd, and enjoy a scenic walk in Mt. Cook National Park.
Duration:
13 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Christchurch - Pick up from your accommodation at around 7am.
- Geraldine - 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 is the perfect place to stop for refreshments and break your journey.
- Lake Tekapo - Visit captivatingly turquoise Lake Tekapo, the iconic Church of Good Shepherd, and the well-recognized statue of Sheepdog.
- Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu) - Arrive at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park where you can savor a scrumptious lunch at Hermitage Hotel and explore Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.
- Lake Pukaki - 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.
- Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks - 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.
- Christchurch - Drop off at your accommodation at around 8pm.
What's Included
- Air-conditioned transport in a late model Minivan/Minibus.
- Exclusive small group tour (Max 21 people).
- Complimentary bottled water.
- Pickup & drop-off from select Christchurch hotels.
- Fully guided tour with a professional guide.
- Enjoy insightful commentary throughout the tour.
- Lunch available for purchase.
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Walks in the national park are not guided
Additional Information
Travel in a small group 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) and enjoy a scenic walk in Mt. Cook National Park to see the Tasman Glacier. Visit the turquoise coloured lakes of glacial melt and snow capped mountains.
- 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.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Fully guided tour except the walks in the Mt Cook National Park.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- This is a small group day tour (up to 21 people)
- Hermitage Hotel is situated in Mount Cook National Park and is the only place that serves lunch.
Location
Christchurch Bus Interchange
Colombo Street
Your guide will pick you from outside FreshChoice Supermarket (located at 71 Lichfield Street) which is across the road from Bus Exchange at 7.00am.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(212 Ratings)
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Dang_t
Jun 4, 2024
Beautiful view, amazing guide - Breathtaking view ! The tour is very well organized and Anuj is an amazing guide ! He is very knowledgeable and accommodating of guests' requests. I would highly recommend the tour
Review provided by Viator
192bonnie
May 31, 2024
Great Day Tour! - Great day tour from Christchurch. The scenery was lovely (we were very fortunate that we had great weather on the day too). Our driver/tour guide was punctual, nice, and very informative. It is a long day though but there were plenty of snacks on the journey and sufficient restroom stops on the way. I'd definitely recommend this tour for people who aren't familiar with the area and not wanting to drive (there is no cell service at the Tasman Glacier area).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Max_m
May 29, 2024
Stunning mountains and lakes - The snow capped mountains all around Mt Cook, the glacial lakes - Lake Tekapo and Lake Pularki, and the visit to the Tasman Glacier was superb. The 350 step climb up to the glacier viewing area is hard, but not as hard as coming down. The icy steps were hazardous, but ok if you took your time.
Our driver/guide was very informative and scheduled several stops on the long drive. I would be very happy to do the tour again.
Review provided by Viator
Max_o
May 21, 2024
Excellent guide and beautiful scenery - Guide was knowledgeable and flexible enough to adapt the itinerary when a weather-related road closure required an itinerary change, and was committed to ensuring we still enjoyed a beautiful hike when the original was inaccessible. Experience depends on the weather—we unfortunately had limited views outside the park (ie, at the lakes), but those inside the park were magnificent. A long but worthwhile day.
Review provided by Viator
Yumi_m
May 18, 2024
Wonderful experience - This tour company provided wonderful hospitality and service! We highly recommended this Mt cook day trip tour. Thank you
Review provided by Viator
Viviana_p
May 18, 2024
My experience - It was amazing, I enjoyed a lot, the guide was so nice.
We met different places and he gave us some snacks during the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Dishan_s
May 17, 2024
A must do - Amazing views throughout the tour. Walk to the Tasman glazier was amazing . A must do tour in South Islands. Our guide AJ was excellent.
Review provided by Viator
Greta_c
May 15, 2024
Wonderful trip to Mount Cook and Tasman Glacier - Our tour was wonderful. The van has large windows so it was easy to see the sights. Our guide spoke clearly and provided lots of interesting information along the way. We stopped frequently and our guide had small snacks and water for us at each stop. We had a clear sunny day and adequate time at each stop to take pictures, go for short hikes and shop or eat. During the trip I lost my camera lens cap, and the guide notified me after drop off that he found it, even dropping it at the hotel’s front desk for me that evening. It was a long drive and the seats were not terribly comfortable - something we mainly noticed the last couple of hours on the way back. Overall though well run trip and great way to see Mount cook and the glacier lakes.
Review provided by Viator
Haneul_o
May 15, 2024
It was amazing! Our... - It was amazing! Our driver was so friendly and we got a bunch of snacks including chocolate and crisps. 👍👍
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_a
May 11, 2024
Long journey but worth visit. - Great tour though quite tiring. Long drive out to and back from Mt Cook. Was glad our Guide made frequent stops for toilet break and for some leg stretching. It was also so nice of him to provide bottled water and snacks.
Lake Tekapo was beautiful, blue and crystal clear waters.
Review provided by Viator
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