Queenstown to Mt Cook Small Group Tour (One Way)

Overview

Available languages

English

Queenstown to Mt Cook Tour 1 way, this small group, fully-guided transfer allows you to travel to Mt Cook in style and see all the key highlights on the way. Led by our famously passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.

Description

Please be aware that while lunch is not provided on this tour, there will be several opportunities for you to purchase food along the way.

**Please note: the Hooker Valley Track is currently CLOSED while the Department of Conservation works on replacing one of the swing bridges. This is expected to be complete in Autumn 2026 so the track will be inaccessible to the public until then**

Highlights:

Mt Cook & Aoraki National Park
Lake Pukaki
Kawarau Gorge, Lindis Pass and the Southern Alps

Itinerary:

1. Queenstown - Your tour starts in the stunning city of Queenstown. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventurous day but also point out and guide you past some of the areas top highlights.

2. Kawarau Suspension Bridge – Departing Queenstown we then make our way through the stunning Kawarau Gorge passing stunning views, the Kawarau Suspension Bridge and the famous Roaring Meg Lookout. Time and light permitting we will stop for that first great shot of the tour.

3. Cromwell – Exiting the Kawarau Gorge we enter the fruit and wine growing region of Cromwell. Passing huge fields of vines, we cross Lake Dunstan and follow this beautiful lake towards Lindis Pass.

4. Lindis Pass – Climbing in altitude, Lindis Pass has amazing views down through the valleys. Being one of only three alpine roads through the otherwise impassable Southern Alps, we stop at the famous lookout at the top of the pass for an essential photo.

5. Omarama – While driving through the endless plains of the Mackenzie district we will spot several of the famous Merino breed of sheep before stopping at the quaint township of Omarama. While in Omarama we have time for a break or even to try the best creamy chicken pie in NZ (in our opinion)!

6. Lake Pukaki – Turning west we begin to enter the Aoraki National Park and Lake Pukaki begins to emerge in front of us. Lake Pukaki is one of the bluest lakes you will ever see and is stunningly framed by the backdrop of Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps. We stop for some amazing photos and to just marvel at the sight that we are beholding. It’s not hard to see why many Lord of the Rings scene were filmed nearby and we will point them out for you.

7. Mt Cook Information Centre – Arriving at Mt Cook Village, weather depending, we should get some amazing shots of the mountain itself. At 3724m, Aoraki/Mt Cook is New Zealand’s highest peak, however, the mountain can be viewed without any acclimatisation whatsoever from the village which is just 750m above sea level. Your guided transfer ends here but you adventure to explore Mt Cook is only just beginning.

Inclusions:

Small Group
Fully Guided Tour
Water available & snacks provided

Optional Extras:

Scenic flights with Glacier landings
Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre

Cancellation Policy

Terms: Tours will only run if at least 5 people have booked on the tour, we reserves the right to alter the tour due to weather or operational needs.

A full refund will be issued for cancellations made a minimum of 10 days prior to the scheduled departure time.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Options

Reviews

4.89

28 reviews

25

3

0

Fun and Scenic Drive from Christchurch to Aoraki/Mt. Cook
KathyH3147,Mar 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi for transportation from Christchurch to Mt.Cook/Aoraki! Bobbie was our super friendly & fun driver/guide! She shared interesting facts/stories/music during the ride. Plenty of stops for food & toilet breaks and beautiful scenery stop at Lake Tekapo & first glimpse of Mt. Cook/Aoraki! Over hour stop at Aoraki/Mt. Cook for short hikes &/or picnic. Worth the $ and very enjoyable!
Clean and comfortable
juliez550,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Everything went smoothly. The tour started on time and the vehicle is clean and comfortable. Love this tour
A good day trip
Meadowlark309,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very enjoyable trip to Mt Cook with Hanna at the wheel. She shared interesting facts along the way. The meat pie and coffee stop was well timed. The Landis Pass photo op was lovely. Although the Natl' Park Mts were covered in clouds our photo and walking stops were enjoyable.
Great trip
Caroline L,Feb 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
I loved it. Great scenery and the guide Rob is really fun, got a lot of stories to tell and good music to share. I had a wonderful time
Great tour
666ameliam,Jan 29, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This trip was great even when travelling solo! Very easy to get chatting to other people and the day is organised so well you don’t have to worry about any of that. The staff were super friendly and answered any questions we had to ask and also gave us lots of fun facts and useful insight on the local area
Great experience to Mt. cook
pandamaki423,Sep 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I chose this tour because I wanted to enjoy the journey to Mt. Cook as well, and it turned out to be a great decision. Although it was an early start, thanks to that we were able to see the beautiful scenery along the way in the best conditions. Our driver and guide gave us fascinating explanations about history and nature, and even after we arrived, he kindly made suggestions tailored to each guest’s needs. We also had plenty of time to enjoy the café and souvenir shop we stopped at, and the views of the Lindis Pass and Lake Pukaki were absolutely stunning. I’m truly glad I joined this tour, and I would definitely love to join again.
Amazing and informative trip
Mark B,Aug 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Amazing trip, highly recommend this tour Kristian our driver and guide was extremely professional and informative. Great stops along the way.
Great tour
P7902MUcb,Jul 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Lynette was awesome! Lynette was so knowledgeable and gave us so much information. The tour was also very well organised and we had plenty of stops and time to go.
Well-organised
165jiachengl,Jun 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The tour was well-organised, and our guide Kamberly was friendly and knowledgeable, providing useful information about both Queenstown and Mt. Cook.
Great transfer to Mt. Cook
shannonadcock,Jun 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Kimberly was a fantastic guide and driver. We really enjoyed her commentary and flexibility. This is a great way to transit to Mt. Cook/Aoraki without the stress of driving ourselves.