Queenstown to Christchurch via Mt Cook One-Way Tour

About This Experience

This small-group tour doubles as your transfer from Queenstown to Christchurch, with about 3 hours in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on the way. It takes around 13 hours, starts with pickup from one of 27 listed Queenstown locations and ends with drop-off at selected central Christchurch accommodation. Each person can bring one large and one small bag, and a knowledgeable guide and driver looks after the group.

The morning route runs through Kawarau Gorge and Cromwell, past Lake Dunstan and the dry hills of Tarras, to a 10-minute photo stop at Lindis Pass among tussock-covered hills. A 30-minute stop in Omarama gives time for coffee and something to eat. After that comes a 10-minute stop at Lake Pūkaki, whose turquoise water leads the eye straight to Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3,724 m the highest mountain in New Zealand.

In the national park you have about 3 hours to spend as you like. You can take one of the self-guided walks, visit the visitor center, have a hot drink at the Hermitage Hotel, or book a scenic flight, which runs weather permitting and costs extra. Leaving the park, the tour stops for 10 minutes at Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd, then crosses the farmland of the Canterbury Plains to Christchurch.

Lunch, tea and coffee are not included, so budget for Omarama or Mount Cook Village. Children aged 7 and younger get a safety or booster seat, and you are asked to give children's ages when you book. Pets, bikes, oversize luggage, alcohol and non-folding or electric wheelchairs are not allowed, and the listing says the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back problems. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours ahead.

Highlights

• About 3 hours in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park for a walk, the visitor center or a drink at the Hermitage Hotel
• A 10-minute stop at Lake Pūkaki, with Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 m) at the head of the lake
• 10 minutes at Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd on the way out of the park
• A 30-minute break in Omarama for coffee, food and a stretch
• A 10-minute photo stop at Lindis Pass over tussock-covered hills and valleys
• The drive through Kawarau Gorge, past Lake Dunstan and across the Canterbury Plains

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup at 27 listed Queenstown locations, including the Frankton Bus Interchange near the airport
• ✓ Drop-off at selected central Christchurch accommodation
• ✓ Luggage allowance of 1 large and 1 small bag per person
• ✓ Knowledgeable guide and driver
• ✓ Small-group travel with photo stops along the route
• ✓ Safety or booster seats for children aged 7 and younger (or bring your own)

Not Included

• Lunch and other food
• Tea and coffee
• Scenic flights
• Guided hikes
• Personal expenses

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes for the walks at Mount Cook
• Money or a card for lunch and coffee in Omarama or Mount Cook Village
• Warm layers and a rain jacket for about 3 hours outdoors in the national park

Good to Know & Caveats

• This is a one-way tour and transfer from Queenstown to Christchurch.
• Tell the operator the ages of any children when you book.
• Pets, bikes, oversize luggage, alcohol and drugs, non-folding wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs are not allowed.
• Walks in the national park are self-guided, since guided hikes are not included.
• Scenic flights at Mount Cook depend on the weather and are paid for separately.
• Lunch is not included, so plan to buy food during the Omarama stop or at Mount Cook.

Meeting Point

Pickup is included from 27 listed Queenstown locations, among them hotels such as Novotel Lakeside, Sofitel and QT Queenstown, the Frankton Bus Interchange near the airport and the Cromwell Fruit Sculpture. Drop-off is at selected central Christchurch accommodation.