Overview
Make your New Zealand adventure unforgettable on a Mt Cook Adventure Tour from Queenstown with a visit to its biggest mountain!
Big mountains never fail to amaze and inspire anyone who encounters them, whatever their backgrounds. And Aoraki/Mt. Cook is one such marvellous sight that it draws more visitors each year than some of the most popular mountains in the world.
Experience New Zealand’s most beloved peak with your guide who will be with you on your journey and help create an adventure you will cherish.
You won’t even need acclimatisation to view Aoraki/Mt. Cook as it’s only 3,724 metres above sea level, far from being one of the tallest mountains in the world. The mountain is made even more accessible to visitors of various fitness levels, with the starting point, Mt. Cook Village, standing at 750m above sea level.
We begin our guided tour as we collect you from either Queenstown or Frankton, then set off for Cromwell through the marvellous Kawarau gorge for the final pickups. We take a comfort stop in the charming township of Omarama, then drive our way up the Southern Alps through Lindis Pass, one of the only 3 alpine roads that cut through the otherwise impassable mountain range.
Leaving the pass, you may even get your first look of the mountain, plus a handful of other points of interest that make this journey all the more captivating. Lake Pukaki greets us with a reflection of Aoraki and his brothers in the Southern Alps as we make our way to our final destination. While the blue waters of the lake, which many consider as one of the world’s most beautiful, are enough to entrance us all day, Aoraki/Mt. Cool beckons and so we must continue our journey. Before moving on, contemplate the beauty of the lake, a destination all its own, and see why it’s the filming location for many of the scenes that appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Before long, the delta where the mountain’s many rivers, streams and creeks collect to feed the lake is behind us, and the mountain looms before us, giving us a true scale of Aoraki/Mt. Cook’s sheer size and grandeur up close. On reaching the alpine village of Mt. Cook, we settle in at the Hermitage, an iconic hotel and host to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. From here, feel free to pursue whatever activity you fancy that suits your energy level and budget.
Details
Start: Queenstown (6am)
Finish: Queenstown (about 7pm)
Overview
Make your New Zealand adventure unforgettable on a Mt Cook Adventure Tour from Queenstown with a visit to its biggest mountain!
Big mountains never fail to amaze and inspire anyone who encounters them, whatever their backgrounds. And Aoraki/Mt. Cook is one such marvellous sight that it draws more visitors each year than some of the most popular mountains in the world.
Experience New Zealand’s most beloved peak with your guide who will be with you on your journey and help create an adventure you will cherish.
You won’t even need acclimatisation to view Aoraki/Mt. Cook as it’s only 3,724 metres above sea level, far from being one of the tallest mountains in the world. The mountain is made even more accessible to visitors of various fitness levels, with the starting point, Mt. Cook Village, standing at 750m above sea level.
We begin our guided tour as we collect you from either Queenstown or Frankton, then set off for Cromwell through the marvellous Kawarau gorge for the final pickups. We take a comfort stop in the charming township of Omarama, then drive our way up the Southern Alps through Lindis Pass, one of the only 3 alpine roads that cut through the otherwise impassable mountain range.
Leaving the pass, you may even get your first look of the mountain, plus a handful of other points of interest that make this journey all the more captivating. Lake Pukaki greets us with a reflection of Aoraki and his brothers in the Southern Alps as we make our way to our final destination. While the blue waters of the lake, which many consider as one of the world’s most beautiful, are enough to entrance us all day, Aoraki/Mt. Cool beckons and so we must continue our journey. Before moving on, contemplate the beauty of the lake, a destination all its own, and see why it’s the filming location for many of the scenes that appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Before long, the delta where the mountain’s many rivers, streams and creeks collect to feed the lake is behind us, and the mountain looms before us, giving us a true scale of Aoraki/Mt. Cook’s sheer size and grandeur up close. On reaching the alpine village of Mt. Cook, we settle in at the Hermitage, an iconic hotel and host to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. From here, feel free to pursue whatever activity you fancy that suits your energy level and budget.
Some options include:
Hikes and walks:
Walks in the area range from short walks on the Tasman glacier lake to 3-hour walks along the Hooker Valley Track. Let our knowledgeable guides advise you on which local tracks work for you best. If starting from the Hermitage, we can drop you off at and collect you from the start of the walks so you minimise the added time and distance required to get there. Spend that extra time to enjoy the walks and admire the magnificent views instead.
Scenic flight and Heli Adventures:
Gaze at down at the magnificent landscape on a scenic heli-tour or heli-hiking trip. Options range from short scenic flights to extended adventures.
Jet Boat trips and cruises:
Experience an exhilarating jet boat ride up the Tasman Glacier river and lake where you will encounter ice bergs at the terminal face of the glacier and see some of them floating down the lake.
Sir Edmond Hillary Alpine Centre:
Take advantage of the Alpine Centre’s informative cinema screenings if you don’t have any outdoor plans for the day. The screenings, which include 3D and planetarium-style projection, are shown throughout the day. Or browse the displays in the alpine exploration museum area, admire the mountains from a cosy chair, or as you kick back and relax in the café. It’s all up to you. Whether you want to pursue your thrills or quietly soak up the views or do a combination of both, you get to enjoy 4 full hours of the majestic region of Aoraki/Mt. Cook, and we’ll take you wherever you wish to go.
Afterwards
Then it’s time to leave the village and make our winding way back around the lake, with the mountain getting smaller and smaller on our way out. Along the way, we stop at a local salmon farm where you can feed the fish or take a bite of them as you choose which to sample from a salmon-based menu.
Leaving the salmon farm, we return to Queenstown via Cromwell and Frankton.
Experience Aoraki/Mt Cook and its surrounding area with one of the best small-group tour specialists, who not only personalise your tours and make them enjoyable and informative, but above all, unforgettable. Our tours do not just take you to a destination; they take you through an equally memorable journey, and this is one journey that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Some options include:
Hikes and walks:
Walks in the area range from short walks on the Tasman glacier lake to 3-hour walks along the Hooker Valley Track. Let our knowledgeable guides advise you on which local tracks work for you best. If starting from the Hermitage, we can drop you off at and collect you from the start of the walks so you minimise the added time and distance required to get there. Spend that extra time to enjoy the walks and admire the magnificent views instead.
Scenic flight and Heli Adventures:
Gaze at down at the magnificent landscape on a scenic heli-tour or heli-hiking trip. Options range from short scenic flights to extended adventures.
Jet Boat trips and cruises:
Experience an exhilarating jet boat ride up the Tasman Glacier river and lake where you will encounter ice bergs at the terminal face of the glacier and see some of them floating down the lake.
Sir Edmond Hillary Alpine Centre:
Take advantage of the Alpine Centre’s informative cinema screenings if you don’t have any outdoor plans for the day. The screenings, which include 3D and planetarium-style projection, are shown throughout the day. Or browse the displays in the alpine exploration museum area, admire the mountains from a cosy chair, or as you kick back and relax in the café. It’s all up to you. Whether you want to pursue your thrills or quietly soak up the views or do a combination of both, you get to enjoy 4 full hours of the majestic region of Aoraki/Mt. Cook, and we’ll take you wherever you wish to go.
Afterwards
Then it’s time to leave the village and make our winding way back around the lake, with the mountain getting smaller and smaller on our way out. Along the way, we stop at a local salmon farm where you can feed the fish or take a bite of them as you choose which to sample from a salmon-based menu.
Leaving the salmon farm, we return to Queenstown via Cromwell and Frankton.
Experience Aoraki/Mt Cook and its surrounding area with one of the best small-group tour specialists, who not only personalise your tours and make them enjoyable and informative, but above all, unforgettable. Our tours do not just take you to a destination; they take you through an equally memorable journey, and this is one journey that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
