Queenstown to Mt Cook Small Group Tour (One Way)
Overview
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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
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Reviews
26 reviews
A good day trip
Meadowlark309,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very 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
5.00I 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
5.00This 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
5.00I 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
5.00Amazing 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
5.00Lynette 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
5.00The 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
5.00Kimberly 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.
Beautiful way to get to Mt Cook without a car
dawn w,Mar 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful drive and perfect way to get to Mt cook without a car. Van was comfortable and Hannah ( great driver and guide) made lots of stops for views and food along the way. Stayed 2 nights in Mt cook and took a return trip to Christchurch. Great way to relieve driving stress
Outstanding Tour with an entertaining guide
738lenad,Feb 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was my third Queenstown to Mt Cook with Cheeky Kiwi. My guide Hannah still managed to keep me entertained with her commentary and gave me new info I had not heard before. The tour works as a combi, arriving in Mt Cook somewhere between 11 am and 11:20, departing at 14:30. Some passengers are dropped off for scheduled heli flights and some for the Hooker Valley hike. For those doing neither, Hannah had other suggestions, such as hanging out at The Hermitage Hotel, or doing other hikes. The driver can fit in other drop-offs if these fit within the logistics, which must include her statutory 30 min break. Since I was staying at Mt Cook, I could be dropped off at The Tasman Glacier car park with my plan to walk/hitch back to my accomodation. This worked a treat for me, it may not always be possible. My recommendation is to come prepared for a short hike, the one to Kea Point is easy 35 min each way and outstanding scenery of Mt Sefton and Mt Cook. The amble around the village and the Visitor's Centre is also worth doing.
From A$167.72
Queenstown, New Zealand
- Free cancellation
Reserve Now & Pay Later - available
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