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 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.
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
Options
Night Awe - Stargazing tour in Akaroa
Reviews
66 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Would repeat when back in Akaroa -- Highly Recommend.
xiao bao cambodia,Mar 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Weather-wise, we had a good night -- reasonably cloud-free. Wonderful naked eye views of the Milky Way and the Southern Constellations. Several telescope sightings of various nebula, galaxy clusters, and Jupiter (bands were visible). Both Lucas and Manon extremely knowledge and gracious hosts. Luca helped me with some camera settings -- and the quality of the photos improved vastly. Info to use on my next stargazing adventure. Well worth the time and money! But dress warmly! My mistake was not wearing a good base layer.
Incredible night. Star gazing is wonderful and her in Akaroa the sights are incredible! 10/10 + blankets and tea!
Matthew O,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Increíble stargazing experience. And with blankets and hot tea ! Guide was excellent. Equipment was excellent. Learner so much !
Stars about Akaroa
katharinabU5607RX,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We really liked the stargazing, our guide did the tour with a passion and conviction, the location above the city was very nice and there was warm tea.
A cloudy but lovely night
Tina T,Feb 26, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate for our booking and it was very cloudy. However, we went along anyway and met our guide Gaspard who was very knowledgeable and friendly. All the participants enjoyed chatting about the universe and seeking out the few stars that were visible. We received a partial refund due to the fact that we didn’t get the full experience which was very fair. If you are driving from Christchurch I would suggest leaving nice and early to have dinner in Amaroa or even staying out on the Banks peninsula.
Must see, must do night sky tour!
ammerrihew,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a chance of a lifetime tour. Luca was a fantastic host providing blankets and hot beverages to keep us warm while he answered all of questions about the universe we saw before our eyes. Don’t miss this amazing experience!
So Memorable
gwenns773,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A wonderful and unique experience watching the skies of the southern hemisphere. Luca has great knowledge and passion. He was able to describe and show us so many of the elements of the mind boggling wonders of the massive universe.
Wonderful world✨
Sherpa47177216492,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Luca has acquired extensive knowledge and is able to convey it very well. He knows how to inspire us with enthusiasm for this wonder.
Amazing moonlit experience
Road15775309477,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Amazing experience with a forst quarter moon in the sky and the milky way. We got shown what was in the sky with a lazer, Got to look through the telescope and see what images the digital telescope was taking as well. An amazing location and Luca is very passionate about the preserving the Dark sky for the future.
Indoors session as a worthy alternative on a cloudy night!
wimvanmeerbeeck,Dec 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Weather was poor (rainy and overcast) on the night we booked, unfortunately; but stargazing expert Luca communicated well about this and proposed a number of alternatives (moving the booking, canceling it for a full refund, or doing an indoor version for about half the price). We chose the last option and did not regret it. We had a great and extensive astronomy conversation with Luca (indoors), in which he passionately shared many interesting facts and insights, answered our questions, and seemed to adapt the 'scientific depth' of his explanations to our level of understanding and interest. It was a pity we could not experience the real (outdoors) deal, but we were still very happy with this alternative. Thanks Luca!
Great experience, a must do whilst in Akaroa
AlexHewitt10,Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great experience with Luca, the tour was relatively small so gave a more personal experience. The weather was perfect, and was able to see a number of different stars through the telescope. Thanks for a great experience!
From NZ$109.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Akaroa Stargazing