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Home > Christchurch > Explore Mount Cook from Christchurch
Explore Mount Cook from Christchurch
USD $263.00

Explore Mount Cook from Christchurch

Christchurch, New Zealand

Travel by road on a full day tour from Christchurch to Mount Cook, Australasia's highest mountain. Along the way you'll pass through the spectacular scenery of the Canterbury Plains, view MacKenzie Basin, Lakes Tekapo and Pukari and Tasman Glacier. Lunch at the Hermitage Hotel as well as morning and afternoon snacks are also included on your guided tour.

A short stop at either the Tin Shed (an old shearing shed selling discount sweaters) or at Barkers Winery for tastings of wines, sauces and jams. Continuing through the foothills of the Southern Alps from Geraldine to Fairlie and through the MacKenzie Basin, with its brown snowgrass-covered landscape which has an almost desert like aspect, to Lake Tekapo. There is the opportunity to take an idyllic photograph of the Church of the Good Shepherd on Lake Tekapo with its backdrop of magnificent alpine scenery.

Next, it's onto Lake Pukaki where the Tasman Valley opens into the MacKenzie Basin with Mount Cook and the surrounding snow covered peaks in the background. Lunch is at the Hermitage in the Mount Cook National Park. Following lunch an alpine flight over the National Park can be arranged with Mount Cook Airlines (optional at additional cost, payable direct). Glacier landings by ski planes are also available (optional at additional cost, payable direct).

Next, you'll explore the Tasman Glacier where a twenty minute climb by foot will take you to the top of the terminal moraine, this vantage point provides views of both the Tasman Glacier and the newly formed Lake Tasman. Return by coach in the afternoon, stopping at the Canterbury high country town of Fairlie for late afternoon tea.

USD $263.00
Traveler Reviews
Review by:   jen.apalmer,    April 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
We tried to book this trip several times before our holiday to New Zealand but as the minimum number is four to make it viable, had to wait until the week before we left the UK to actually know that we could do it, though not on our preferred date. However, the experience was worth the wait._br/_ Our guide Rodney and the fact that there were only two other people with us made it a wonderful day. He was so knowledgeable and able to add in his own experiences to make it something we shall never forget, including the wonderful lunch at the restaurant! Mount Cook is amazing and though we were there on an early autumn day in late March, we didn't need coats as the weather was hot, though maybe as the weather changes quickly, coats and walking shoes would be a good idea in late autumn and winter. Lots of photo opportunities and a great ice cream stop on the return journey to our hotel were the icing on the cake.Thank you Rodney and Viator.
 

Review by:   Alenka,    June 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Super
 

Review by:   Emma C,    April 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
We had a wonderful time on the trip due to our great tour guide Rodney. We saw many sights along the way and enjoyed the meal at the restaurant with the fantastic view of Mount Cook. The small size of our group made the day more enjoyable. The helicopter ride is definitely worth it. It is a long day but we would definitely recommend it to others!
 

Review by:   Roger,    March 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
LONG DAY-Bus Ride 8 hours BUT worth it for Fantastic Views. _br/_ More adventurous took helicopter to Glacierextra cost._br/_ Recommend it .
 

Review by:   sschneider11,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Pino was a great guide.
 

Review by:   Mary K,    December 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Beautiful scenery and overall wonderful day. Small size of the tour made it very special. Loved taking the short hike to see more of the area!
 

Review by:   Joyce L,    December 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a wonderful trip! The route design is very well, take you to the most beautiful place in NZ.
 

Review by:   DAVID D,    November 2016 Review: 1 star rating: I do not recommend this
I didnt do that trip!!!!
 

Review by:   Aydin M A,    June 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This was a great trip. We had a great guide, Hank, who was extremely helpful. The weather was not cooperative but we had, I believe, one the rare experiences of seeing a glacier in the middle of a snow storm. A trip I will never forget. Thanks again.
 

Review by:   Kathleen M,    March 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
The tour overall was superb. It's a long day but a lot is packed in. The day started off rainy so I wasn't sure how much we would see but as the day went on, the sun came out and once we got to Mount Cook National Park it was beautiful. I really enjoyed that part of the day and the climb up to see the Tasman Glacier was amazing. Our guide was also helpful along the way.
 

Review by:   Rachel P,    January 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
It is a long drive, bring an iPod or something for the journey but a nice day. The weather wasn't in our favor and we weren't able to see Mt. Cook. Morning Tea was great but lunch for me was lacking. I wished for more from the buffet. Even without great weather it was still a nice day.
 

Review by:   Nathan T,    September 2015 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
Rush Rush Rush!! The description said you would stop and a winery or a wool place, neither of these happened on our trip! The lunch at the Hermatige was fairly average and if you don't like Asian cuisine then you would go hungry! Driver was not very helpful with us taking our flight and rushed us!
 

Review by:   June A. G,    December 2014 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
Well worth seeing although it is a long drive from Christ Church. Tour guide did a very nice job, I appreciate the small number of participants as opposed to a huge bus with 50 people!
 

Review by:   Peter J,    February 2014 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a good trip , we saw some fantastic sights. This was a small group tour, with our selves and two other couples. Stopping at Lake Tekapo was beautiful, we did see half of Mount Cook from a distance, unfortunately the clouds came in when we were at Mount Cook and did not get to see the mountain, but that is Mother Nature for you. This was a good day but a long day.
 

Review by:   George Z,   Australia, July 2010 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Great time of year to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. Long day, but so worth it. Lunch was fabulous.
 

Review by:   LYNN G,    July 2010 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Great way to see a bit of countryside. Long day but really interesting. Geoff, our driver, had great knowledge of the areas we travelled through. Even though low cloud stopped us from directing viewing Mt Cook I still felt that we had value for money.
 

Review by:   John K,   United Kingdom, April 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Had a great although long day out. Unfortunately windy weather precluded any flying, but the weather was otherwise good and the views were great. Driver was very informative and chatty. As visitors to New Zealand, we learned a great deal about life there.
 

Review by:   Becky B,   United States of America, April 2010 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
The weather did not cooperate -- we could see only a small portion of the mountain before the clouds covered it. Also worth noting that you do not get near a glacier. Had wonderful discussions with the tour guide, though, mostly on native Maori themes -- learned a lot!
 

Review by:   Kenneth A,   Australia, March 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Driver was good and had great knowledge of the area. Maybe a round trip would be better for such a long day. Enjoyed our lunch and the visit to the center at Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Paige D,    February 2010 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
The tour was good and the tour guides were very friendly and nice. However, we were expecting to see the glacier which we did not at all. We were very disappointed that we did not see it and that we were not informed that we were not going to it, which is one of the main attractions of the tour. It was what we were most excited to see. It was very depressing that we went all that way and did not even see it. It was just disappointing and sort of put a damper on the rest of the tour.
 

Review by:   Johnson H,   Australia, January 2010 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Amazing scenary, friendly tour guide, highly recommended!
 

Review by:   Anonymous,   Australia, January 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We all had an enjoyable time. Our tour guide was very informative and we enjoyed our lunch with a fabulous view of Mount Cook.
 

Review by:   Brian P,    January 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We all had an enjoyable time. Our tour guide was very informative and we enjoyed our lunch with a fabulous view of Mount Cook.
 

Review by:   ,    January 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We all had an enjoyable time. Our tour guide was very informative and we enjoyed our lunch with a fabulous view of Mount Cook.
 

Review by:   C.H F,    January 2010 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Overall we had a great trip. A very sweet driver guide accompanied us. Had a lovely lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, very comfortable journey. It's a very scenic drive too! We're glad we didn't miss out!
 

Review by:   ,    January 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We had a great trip. We really enjoyed hiking up the the glacial lake and down to the banks. That was probaly the highlight of our entire vacation. That being said, the meal at the Hermitage was ho-hum, and surely added to the cost of the trip. We had a lot of fun stopping in Gerladine. Our driver was very helpful and informative, but he seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to Christchurch.
 

Review by:   Nathan G,    January 2010 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We had a great trip. We really enjoyed hiking up the the glacial lake and down to the banks. That was probaly the highlight of our entire vacation. That being said, the meal at the Hermitage was ho-hum, and surely added to the cost of the trip. We had a lot of fun stopping in Gerladine. Our driver was very helpful and informative, but he seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to Christchurch.
 

Review by:   ,    December 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Mia F,    December 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Anonymous,    December 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Paige D,   United States of America, November 2009 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
The tour was good and the tour guides were very friendly and nice. However, we were expecting to see the glacier which we did not at all. We were very disappointed that we did not see it and that we were not informed that we were not going to it, which is one of the main attractions of the tour. It was what we were most excited to see. It was very depressing that we went all that way and did not even see it. It was just disappointing and sort of put a damper on the rest of the tour.
 

Review by:   Enoka F,   Australia, October 2009 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Overall we had a great trip. A very sweet driver guide accompanied us. Had a lovely lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, very comfortable journey. It's a very scenic drive too! We're glad we didn't miss out!
 

Review by:   C.H F,    October 2009 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Overall we had a great trip. A very sweet driver guide accompanied us. Had a lovely lunch at the Hermitage Hotel, very comfortable journey. It's a very scenic drive too! We're glad we didn't miss out!
 

Review by:   Anonymous,   United States of America, September 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We had a great trip. We really enjoyed hiking up the the glacial lake and down to the banks. That was probaly the highlight of our entire vacation. That being said, the meal at the Hermitage was ho-hum, and surely added to the cost of the trip. We had a lot of fun stopping in Gerladine. Our driver was very helpful and informative, but he seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to Christchurch.
 

Review by:   Nathan G,    September 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We had a great trip. We really enjoyed hiking up the the glacial lake and down to the banks. That was probaly the highlight of our entire vacation. That being said, the meal at the Hermitage was ho-hum, and surely added to the cost of the trip. We had a lot of fun stopping in Gerladine. Our driver was very helpful and informative, but he seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to Christchurch.
 

Review by:   Anonymous,   Australia, July 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Mia F,    July 2009 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
What an amazing sight. We had a lovely four course meal, but it cut into our time spent admiring the beauty that is Mt Cook.
 

Review by:   Matthew R,   United Kingdom, March 2009 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
A wonderful day out. Stunning scenery and a great guide/driver.
 

Review by:   Pui Shan T,    December 2008 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A very nice trip! But a little bit uncomfortable when the tour guide was trying to persuade us to take the flight.
 

Review by:   PuiShan T,   Australia, November 2008 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A very nice trip! But a little bit uncomfortable when the tour guide was trying to persuade us to take the flight.
 

Review by:   Pui Shan T,    November 2008 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A very nice trip! But a little bit uncomfortable when the tour guide was trying to persuade us to take the flight.
 

Review by:   ,    November 2008 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
Tour guide was very good, knowledgeable and articulate, but trip took too many hours and Mount Cook was not visible. Movie and planetarium at Mount Cook should have been substituted at no extra cost.
 

Review by:   Harry M,    November 2008 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
Tour guide was very good, knowledgeable and articulate, but trip took too many hours and Mount Cook was not visible. Movie and planetarium at Mount Cook should have been substituted at no extra cost.
 

Review by:   Anonymous,   Canada, October 2008 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
Tour guide was very good, knowledgeable and articulate, but trip took too many hours and Mount Cook was not visible. Movie and planetarium at Mount Cook should have been substituted at no extra cost.
 

Review by:   Harry M,    October 2008 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
Tour guide was very good, knowledgeable and articulate, but trip took too many hours and Mount Cook was not visible. Movie and planetarium at Mount Cook should have been substituted at no extra cost.
 

Review by:   Saminda G,    August 2008 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a great trip, even though we didn't get to see the Mountain because of the rain clouds.
 

Review by:   Margaret R,    August 2008 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This was a lovely trip even though the weather didn't allow for a view of Mount Cook. The scenery en route is spectacular. The only drawback was the cramped space in the minibus for such a long trip.
 

Review by:   Saminda G,   Australia, March 2008 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a great trip, even though we didn't get to see the Mountain because of the rain clouds.
 

Review by:   Margaret R,   Ireland, November 2007 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This was a lovely trip even though the weather didn't allow for a view of Mount Cook. The scenery en route is spectacular. The only drawback was the cramped space in the minibus for such a long trip.
 

All Traveler Reviews...

USD $263.00
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