Overview
This small group, fully-guided day transfer allows you to travel in style to Mt Cook while seeing all the key highlight along the way. Tour highlights include Lake Tekapo, Church of the Good Shepard, Mt Cook and Aoraki National Park and Lake Pukaki. You will travel in a comfortablie minibus led by our passionate tour guides, who will bring your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge.
Low carbon footprint
What you will be doing
Your tour starts in the stunning city of Christchurch. 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 area's top highlights.
Departing Christchurch, we then make our way through the impressive Canterbury plains with plenty of amazing New Zealand farmland and countryside to see along our way.
A Classic New Zealand farming town hidden away in Mackenzie. Fairlie goes through some stunning colour changes, especially in autumn. This is truly one of the best locations to sit and relax with one of their world-famous meat Pies from the Bakehouse. And this stop is also where we will pick up your lunch to keep you full of energy for the rest of the day.
Exiting Geraldine, we head towards the famous blue lakes of Lake Tekapo, but to get there first, we must go through some impressive alpine passes with amazing views. As we come over the hill to Tekapo, you will be stunned by the amazing view of the lake.
Once in the township of Tekapo, you will have time to explore the very popular Church of the Good Shepherd, see the Mackenzie Sheep dog and get those Instagram-worthy shots of Lake Tekapo before we continue to Mt Cook.
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 scenes were filmed nearby, and we will point them out for you.
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.
Where we'll meet
🧭 Meeting/pick-up point: Christchurch, New Zealand
🗺️ Instructions: We will pick you up from Christchurch.
Things to know
Accessibility:
Children friendly
Fitness requirement
Any fitness level
Tour Language
English
License requirement
None
Additional information:
Children under the age of 7 must be in a child safety seat, as it is a legal requirement in New Zealand. If you need a safety seat or booster seat these can be added during the booking process.
Inclusion ✅
Tour guide
Lunch
Pick up and drop off transport
Exclusion ❌
Gratuities
About your host
Cheeky Kiwi TravelWe are all about giving you a real Kiwi Adventure. Our tours and day trips have a maximum of 16 guests! We believe it's the small extra things we do, combined with being flexible, that make all the difference to your experience and give you an amazing trip. Our trips have been described as fun and informative, with, of course, a little bit of cheekiness. From the outset, our mission has been to nurture both our communities and the environment, aligning with and advocating for The Tiaki Promise. We've reduced our carbon emissions by adopting fuel-efficient vehicles and closely monitoring fuel usage. Our drivers are incentivised to follow eco-friendly practices, ensuring your journey is as environmentally responsible as possible. We pride ourselves on being a fully paperless office, and we prioritise responsible waste management during our operations. We encourage our guests to travel responsibly with Wild Kiwi and to commit to The Tiaki Promise to care for New Zealand, for now, and for future generations.
Qualmark Gold: Qualmark works with Tourism New Zealand to help the tourism industry deliver high-quality experiences and maintain a high level of visitor satisfaction. Only businesses that deliver a quality sustainable experience, ones that have undergone an independent evaluation, and showcase true New Zealand hospitality, are recognised through a Qualmark accreditation. It has three levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
For every trip booked, Kodama Travel donates £1 to Just One Tree to restore our forests and the ocean.