Top Things to do in Mt. Cook Village
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10 Things to do in Mt. Cook Village That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Mt. Cook Village, New Zealand including Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters by Inflite, Ski The Tasman, Aoraki/Mt. Cook, Mueller Hut Route, The Helicopter Line Mount Cook, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre, Red Tarns Track, Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, Governors Bush Walk, Big Sky Stargazing.
Restaurants in Mt. Cook Village
1. Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters by Inflite
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 366 reviews
Exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere, Aoraki Mt Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters is the only company to offer glacier landing flights in both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Experience the natural quiet of the Tasman Glacier and absorb the ever changing glacial landscape of the New Zealand Southern Alps. Aoraki Mt Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters have been sharing the breathtaking scenery of the Southern Alps with travelers for 60 years. With snow present all year round, this impressive alpine environment creates an unforgettable adventure for people of all ages. Flights depart from Aoraki Mt Cook Airport, only a 5 minute drive from Aoraki Mt Cook Village. With our company base location within the Aoraki Mt Cook National Park it allows us to guarantee captivating scenery from the moment you board your flight. Experience the Ultimate Alpine Adventure with a Helicopter / Ski Plane Combo. For group bookings of 8 or more, fly half of your trip in a Helicopter and the other in a Ski Plane. Ideal for families and large group bookings. This Ultimate Alpine Adventure Combo is available in our entire range of scenic flight options at no additional cost. For climbers and skiers interested in transfers to the various hut locations within the Aoraki Mt Cook and Westland National Parks, we have both Ski Planes and Helicopters available for charter.
2. Ski The Tasman
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 9 reviews
Ski The Tasman is an air-accessed adventure on to New Zealand’s longest glacier. Every fine winter day (July - September) Alpine Guides take small groups of skiers on this unique mountain journey. Operating only in Mount Cook National Park - there is nowhere else on Earth you can come on a daily ski plane-accessed ski day.If making turns amongst New Zealand's highest peaks isn’t enough, exploring incredible ice caves, seracs, and canyons makes Ski The Tasman truly unforgettable.
Reviewed By NeilLindyAnne - Christchurch, New Zealand
We had a spectacular day Skiing the Tasman Glacier with Alpine Guides on Aug 12th 2020 - The Walker Group ;-) . All 10 of us were blown away by the scale of the place. Our guide Lewis was great, very knowledgable about the mountains and the glacier. The weather could not have been better either. Didn't expect first tracks in very nice powder particularly on the 2nd run. Everyone should add this to their bucket list. You do not have to be an expert to ski this, intermediate skiers will handle it easily.
3. Aoraki/Mt. Cook
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 532 reviews
Reviewed By BradJill - Hong Kong, China
Mount Cook also referred locally by its Maori name of Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand and the darling of the Southern Alps range on South Island. It dominates the peaks of the Mount Cook National Park and can be viewed well from both sides of the mountain range. We recently spent some time around Mount Cook National Park enjoying views of Aoraki from numerous hiking areas and trails. Most enjoyable was probably at Lake Hooker, a beautiful reflection lake made up of melt water from Hooker Glacier located a short distance from the Mount Cook Village. A similar impressive view of Mount Cook can be found at Lake Matheson, another famous reflection lake near the Fox Glacier Village on the west side of the range. There is a very good Visitor Centre in the Mount Cook Village with quality displays and historic accounts of mountaineering and general exploration of Mount Cook and fellow peaks in the area. You can also learn quite a bit about hiking and other activities related to visits to Mount Cook on the DOC National Park website. This is well worth spending some time researching before making trips to the area.
4. Mueller Hut Route
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 56 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip. See website for the price of accommodation on this track.
Reviewed By Roadtrip_Fan_UK - Hong Kong, China
It's the scenery that will keep everyone going. The ascent is super steep but the views are truly breathtaking. I continued on to Mount Ollivier and got rewarded with a 360° panorama that was well worth the extra effort.
5. The Helicopter Line Mount Cook
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 243 reviews
Glentanner Park is situated within a genuine working high country sheep station located in an idyllic setting at the base of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. The surrounding scenery varies from the glacial fed Lake Pukaki and the surrounding rugged high country landscape to the soaring peaks and mighty glaciers of the Southern Alps. The Helicopter Line provides a range of scenic flights that venture into this alpine wonderland and offer you the privileged views.
6. Aoraki Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 684 reviews
7. Red Tarns Track
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 44 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By joee957 - Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
I worked in Mt Cook National Park for 4 months and there are lots of hiking trails but this is one which many people including myself did once a week to keep fit. The track starts in the National Park village taking a bridge over a river and then is non stop stairs to the top passing bushes and trees and then rocky terrain as you get close to the top. It takes around 20-30minutes. On a clear day it’s perfect for sunrise and sunset with a clear view of Mt Cook along with other mountains in the southern alps like Mt Sefton and Mt Wakefield. If you’re up for a further challenge when you’re at the red tarns, you can see a big rock a couple of hundred feet above you and you can follow the small stream and bushes up to it which will give you an even better view. After work I would sometimes go to the big rock and watch sunset.
8. Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 603 reviews
Designed to educate and entertain, the centre features a spectacular state-of-the-art 3D movie, New Zealand's first full dome digital Planetarium and Museum which documents the pioneering heart of the region and features the impressive Hillary Gallery. The cafe and bar area offers indoor and outdoor seating and floor to ceiling mountain views.
Reviewed By Kiwifreespirits - Auckland, New Zealand
We visited this exhibition on our last visit a few years ago and wanted to have another look . We again really enjoyed looking at the memorabilia on display . It is much more than an exhibition on Sir Edmund Hilary as important as this undoubtedly is . Even in respect of Sir Ed it is a reminder of his Antartic adventures and achievements which understandably tend to be overshadowed by the legend of Everest .There is excellent information on other notable mountaineers and also the very interesting history of Mt Cook Airlines and the the Mt Cook area including developement over the years . Well worth a visit . Last time we also watched the excellent film in the theaterette but skipped it this time. Not sure how often the fil runs at the moment as unusual times with less visitors about
9. Governors Bush Walk
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 65 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By tematabay
The walk is quite easy for anyone. A bit of uphill at the start. Sound of the river and birds was awesome. Particularly like that the bush was very different from our North Island experience. We went in snowy winter, but the track was mostly free of snow due to the bush cover.
10. Big Sky Stargazing
Overall Ratings
3.0 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By 171SusanS171 - Miranda, Australia
Really enjoyed seeing the constellations in this biggest dark sky reserve in the world. Our guide was super knowledgeable and the experts on hand operating the telescopes had real expertise. It was cold, so take your beanie and enjoy a hot chocolate!
