Christchurch to Mt Cook via Lake Tekapo Small Group Tour (One Way)

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.