From Christchurch: Mt Cook & Lake Tekapo Small-Group Day Tour (Hotel Pickup)

Depart Christchurch
for the South Island high country

The tour begins with pickup from the Christchurch city hotel or designated location you selected when booking. As you leave the city, your guide introduces nearby highlights, then shares stories about the people and history of the region as you cross the wide farmland of the Canterbury Plains with mountains in the distance.

Along the way you stop at Geraldine, a town known for its boutique shops and local produce. During the roughly 20-minute break you can grab a coffee or stretch your legs, and the day's picnic lunch is picked up here.

Take photos at Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd

As you climb toward the Southern Alps, the turquoise Lake Tekapo appears, surrounded by snow-capped peaks. You spend about 10 minutes at a viewpoint taking in the scenery and taking photos.

In Tekapo village, you visit the lakeside Church of the Good Shepherd and can also see the Mackenzie sheepdog statue. After about 10 minutes for photos, you head to Mount Cook.

Pass Lake Pukaki and enjoy free time at Mount Cook

Turning west, the blue Lake Pukaki stretches out with Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Southern Alps as a backdrop. When you arrive at Mount Cook Village, you can see Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724m), New Zealand's highest mountain, up close.

Here you have about 2 hours of free time. Walk to Kea Point or the Tasman Glacier, visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, or relax with a coffee at the Hermitage Hotel while enjoying the view. Scenic flights are not included and must be arranged separately if desired.

Return to Christchurch along a scenic route

On the way back, you drive along the scenic road around Lake Tekapo to Christchurch. Your guide makes rest stops along the way, and the tour ends at a designated drop-off location in Christchurch.

※ The tour runs regardless of the weather, and the itinerary or order of visits may change depending on local conditions.