Private Aoraki Mount Cook tour
The roof of the country, and the lakes that lead to it.
Private Aoraki Mount Cook tour
The roof of the country, and the lakes that lead to it.
From NZD $600 per person
Every tour is private, for your party alone, and runs on demand.
The day in brief
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Duration
Full day, approx. 12 hours
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Departs
Approx 7:00 am, door to door
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Returns
Evening, approx 7:30 pm
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Activity
Easy, with a guided walk to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint
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Lunch
Included, a picnic style platter served in the national park
The roof of the country
Aoraki / Mount Cook is the highest mountain in New Zealand, at the centre of a national park of glaciers, alpine lakes and the clearest night skies in the world. To Ngai Tahu, Aoraki is an ancestor, turned to stone with his brothers to raise the highest peaks of the island, and the mountain carries that weight of story still.
North into the Mackenzie
The day runs north from Queenstown through the Kawarau Gorge, pausing at Cromwell's restored heritage precinct on the lake edge, then climbs the Lindis Pass into the vast, golden Mackenzie Country, a high country of braided rivers and merino stations. Beyond Omarama we call at a working salmon farm on the canals south of Twizel to collect the day's lunch, straight from the water it was raised in.
Lake Pukaki, and the mountain at the head of it
Lake Pukaki stops you in your tracks, the glacier-fed water an impossible shade of turquoise, with Aoraki framed perfectly at the head of the lake. Your guide pulls over for photos and shares the mountain's story, before the road follows the lake's full length into the national park.
The quiet side of the park
Rather than joining the crowds on the valley floor, your guide takes you up the Tasman Valley to walk to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint and the Blue Lakes, a short, steady climb that opens onto the longest glacier in the country and the iceberg-strewn lake at its foot. It is the quieter side of the park, and most visitors never see it. Lunch follows in the shelter of the valley, a picnic style platter laid out properly with the mountains all around.
The way home
There is time afterwards at the village and on the first stretch of the Hooker Valley track, as far as the swing bridge, before the unhurried return south with the light on the tussock through the Lindis at its best in the late afternoon. Warm layers are wise, as the alpine air stays cool even in summer.
Included in your tour
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Your own vehicle and guide
A private luxury vehicle and dedicated driver-guide for the day.
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Door to door
Hotel pick-up and return in Queenstown.
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The Tasman Valley
A guided walk to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint and the Blue Lakes.
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Lunch
A picnic style platter, served in the national park.
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The details
Bottled water and all park entry.
Not included: drinks beyond lunch, and optional scenic flights and glacier landings, which are arranged on request and depend on the weather.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Aoraki Mount Cook day from Queenstown?
How long is the Aoraki Mount Cook day from Queenstown?
About twelve hours door to door, leaving around 7:00 am and back in the evening, around 7:30 pm.
How much of the day is driving?
How much of the day is driving?
It is a long drive each way, and the drive is a large part of why the day is worth doing. The road runs through the Kawarau Gorge, over the Lindis Pass and into the Mackenzie Country, with stops along the way rather than a straight run.
How hard is the walk?
How hard is the walk?
The walk to the Tasman Glacier viewpoint and the Blue Lakes is a short, steady climb on a formed track. Your guide sets the pace, and there is a gentler option on the valley floor if the party would rather.
Is lunch included?
Is lunch included?
Yes. A picnic style platter is served in the national park, with salmon collected that morning from the canals south of Twizel.
Can we add a scenic flight?
Can we add a scenic flight?
Yes. Ski-plane and helicopter flights with a glacier landing are arranged on request and confirmed on the day, since they depend on the weather.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the day around you.
Travel it privately
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will shape the day around you.
