Night Awe - Stargazing tour in Akaroa
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Escape city lights to Akaroa's pristine dark skies for our intimate "Night Awe" tour. Join expert astronomer Luca for a captivating experience through the Southern Hemisphere's celestial wonders.
Experience the cosmos with two powerful telescopes: our 10-inch Dobsonian for stunning visual observations and a ZWO Seestar S50 smart telescope for live astrophotography. Witness the breathtaking Milky Way, planets, vibrant nebulae, and distant galaxies.
Receive incredible digital photo souvenirs!
Instant nebula/deep-sky photos: Captured live with our smart telescope, ready for instant social media sharing!
Your personalized souvenir photo under the night sky: A beautiful digital keepsake of you (or your group) among the stars, sent next day.
Enjoy complimentary hot drink and cozy blankets for ultimate comfort. Our small group size ensures a personalized experience.
Conveniently located at Akaroa Heritage Park, just minutes from town. Book your unparalleled stargazing experience today!
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Use of ZWO Seestar S50 smart telescope
Use of 10-inch Dobsonian telescope
Personalized digital souvenir photo under the night sky (sent next day)
All Fees and Taxes
Cozy blankets
Guided stargazing tour with expert astronomer
Coffee and/or Tea
Digital photos of nebulae and deep-sky objects (shared instantly)
Private transportation
What To Expect
Experience some stellar sights of our Banks Peninsula night sky in this stargazing group tour. Your immersion into the darkness starts as you first look up with your naked eyes. You will then get to see deeper into space thanks to our binoculars and telescope. Follow our Guide as he takes you on a journey of discoveries. Ask him any questions you might have about our night sky! No prior astronomy knowledge is required. On a clear night, it is essentially impossible to run out of objects to look for in the night sky, making stargazing an infinite source of inspiration and amazement.
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Night Awe - Stargazing tour in Akaroa
Reviews
53 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Lovely evening in the wild
patriciomT2487WP,
Oct 26, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00The stargazing tour was incredible — the night sky over Akaroa was breathtaking. Luca is an amazing guide: very knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about astronomy. He made everything easy to understand and truly enjoyable. Highly recommend this experience for anyone visiting Akaroa! Luca is a very good guide!
Breathtaking.
jmL5546VJ,
Oct 10, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00Luca was very informative and passionate with the constellation, and his prelude of treating artificial light with respect as well as the negative effects of light pollution to ourselves and to the environment I very much appreciated. By and large, had an amazing experience. 100% worth it.
Extraordinary Experience ✨️
MichelleR5980,
Oct 9, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00A fantastic evening learning about the skies above us. Seeing things I've never noticed, in this phenomenal dark sky area, was mind blowing, Saturn and the International Space Station, for example. The moon rising over the hill was astoundingly beautiful. Our guide was full of extraordinary information making it easy to understand, even with the very little initial knowledge I had. The telescopes just gave the experience that little bit more opmh. Thank you, I will cherish this special evening forever.
Best stargazing adventure we have had
296patj,
Jul 20, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00A fantastic night of stargazing in the South Island of New Zealand Luca was very knowledgeable and friendly Made it a great night to learn and view the amazing stars in the southern sky
Great night!
Angela B,
Jul 12, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00We had a lot of fun learning about the stars in the Southern hemisphere! We had a full moon, so a lot of atars weren't visible with the naked eye, but we still saw the biggies. We learned a lot about the stars in general and our kids (10 and 12) enjoyed it too!
Alternative option - unexpectedly awesome
mandyaO4581TM,
Jul 11, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00On a very stormy night in Akaroa, our evening tour was cancelled and we were offered a 45mins option indoors at the Akaroa Stargazing Shop. What followed was an incredible hour with Luca where we were awed by his passion and knowledge for all things astronomical. With every sentence from Luca we learnt new and wonderful things about the galaxy in which we live. This alternative option did not disappoint - and in fact it has made us want to go back for more. Thank you Luca.
Awesomely starstruck!
mungojerry158,
Jun 23, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00Luca's friendliness, enthusiasm, knowledge, and his sensitivity to his clients level of knowledge made it a very enjoyable experience. The equipment he used to illustrate the wonders above were great assets to see beyond what the naked eye could see. I found the orientation he gave of our Earth spinning below the celestial south pole amazing.
A Magical Night Under the Stars – Aurora and All!
StaceyL98,
Jun 1, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely magical experience with Akaroa Stargazing! The night sky was incredible, and we were lucky enough to see the Aurora Australis dancing above the harbour; an unforgettable sight. Our guide was passionate and knowledgeable, pointing out constellations and celestial wonders while capturing stunning photos of the night (and us!) that we’ll treasure forever. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Akaroa, a must-do! 🌌💫
Great Activity in Akaroa -look up and see the stars
Nicky Dave K,
May 31, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00Great activity - the Stars were literally the stars of the show and Luca was a great host and we enjoyed his commentary immensely. There is something for everyone and we all learned something. Just note If it’s a cooler night please do wrap up warm. Nice one Luca, keep up the good work.
Informative, entertaining and the most perfect night under the stars
Coastal05173563756,
Apr 27, 2025
- Tripadvisor
5.00We had an amazing experience with Luca. Informative, entertaining and the most perfect night under the stars. The tour far exceeded our expectations -couldn't recommend the tour more.
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Operated by Akaroa Stargazing