Mt Cook Tour & Ultimate Alpine Experience Combo from Queenstown
Description
Mt Cook Bus Tour & Ultimate Alpine Experience, this small group, fully guided bus tour to Mt Cook combines all of the key highlights of Mt Cook with scenic flights in a helicopter and a ski plane including a Tasman Glacier landing plus free time to do other optional activities of your choice. 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. While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles, complementary refreshments and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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 area’s top highlights.
Departing Queenstown we then make our way through the 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.
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.
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.
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)!
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 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.
Check-in and get ready for an unforgettable experience flying in a ski plane and a helicopter, on the same day, for the ultimate experience of Aoraki/Mount Cook! This amazing scenic adventure includes a glacier snow landing on the Tasman Glacier. ** Please note - our airline partner has a fuel surcharge of NZ$20 per person in place until further notice. This is to be paid directly to the airline upon check-in **
As part of you ultimate alpine experience you will land on the Tasman glacier and get a chance to explore this amazing location.
While in the national park you have 30 minutes free time to enjoy free walks/hikes or one of the extra optional activities. Some of our recommendations include Kea Point Track or the Sir Edmond Hillary Alpine Centre. Whatever you decide to do we will pick you up and drop you off where you need to go and make sure you are well looked after.
After your flight we arrive at the 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.
Farewelling Aoraki/Mt Cook Village and making our way back to Queenstown we stop in at High Country Salmon, a local salmon farm, where you can feed the fish and taste some of the freshest salmon in New Zealand.
During summer months when the sun is still up and as we get close to Queenstown, we often stop at Jacksons Orchard to try or buy some delicious local fruit or real fruit ice cream.
Sadly the tour must come to an end as we re-enter Queenstown and say our goodbyes.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at time of booking, you will be allocated our default meeting point (The Station - Home of Adventure) . You are welcome to update this at any time. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. *Pick-ups can begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time, depending on location. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside 5 minute prior to your specific pickup time. *Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Flight activities are subject to availability and require confirmation with our airline partner. As dates are not always available, we will inform you accordingly.
- It is important to note that Ultimate Alpine Flight is very dependent on the weather. The decision to fly is made by our flight partner on the day and may be cancelled last minute due to weather conditions
- The bus tour operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don't have a car seat one can be provided (with 24 hours’ notice).
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- Please note - our airline partner has a fuel surcharge of NZ$20 per person in place until further notice. This is to be paid directly to the airline upon check-in.
Reviews(56)
What a fabulous fun informative day. The Trans Alpine train was very comfortable and the scenery spectacular. We disembarked at Arthur’s Pass and were met by Paul who drove us up to the viaduct which unfortunately was a little fogged in but we did get some glimpses through the clouds. We followed it up with a hike up to Devils Punchbowl Falls which was well worth the 350 steps. FYI wear good hiking boots it’s a bit of a rocky climb and the railings a little slippery in parts. Lunch at the pub at Arthur’s Pass was ok. Nice pit stop before the drive back which included a couple of stops. First was a walk to Narnia, which had some pretty unusual rock formations. It was a super easy 2k loop. Second stop was in Springfield for a quick photo op. Paul was professional, friendly and safe. Big thank you for an awesome day. Looking forward to our next Cheeky Kiwi adventure in a few days.
The Ultimate Alpine Combo was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had! Mount Cook is so vast and diverse in the scenery and it is absolutely stunning. We had a PERFECT bluebird day and landed on a pristine, untouched glacier. Very cool to experience the helicopter and ski plane in the same outing! 10/10 would recommend.
What an incredible day. So good to get a day with so much packed in and to stand on a glacier as well. Mt Cook is pretty special and we are glad you had such an enjoyable day with us. Thank you for travelling with Cheeky Kiwi and the other tour operators.
The helicopter ride was great. Unfortunate the plane wasn't operating on the day we went. Our flight was dropped from 45mins (plane and helicopter) to a 25min helicopter ride. Upon reflection I should have asked to be placed on a longer flight. The operators were all lovely, our bus driver was quite knowledgeable and full of stories on the drive. We will definately try again next time we visit
Thanks a bunch for choosing Cheeky! We’re glad you enjoyed the helicopter flight and your time with our guide, we’ll be sure to pass that on. We completely understand the disappointment around the changes to your flight, weather at Aoraki can change very quickly, and safety always comes first. These flight decisions are made by our external aviation partner on the day according to the local conditions. We appreciate that feedback and would love to welcome you back sometime! :)
This was an awesome experience that is highly recommend to anyone! Our driver, Olly, was personable and informative, and really nice on top of it all. The pilots for the flights, Roger and Blair, were great. Honestly, though, those mountains... The glacier.... Truly awe-inspiring. Also, just as a side, Cheeky Kiwi is an awesome company to deal with!
Thank you for your great feedback. We are pleased to hear that you had such an enjoyable experience both on the day and in the planning. Thank you for travelling with us and we hope to see you again one day so we can show you more of our beautiful country.
The Mt Cook tour and ultimate alpine experience was amazing. Well priced for everything that was included and our your slide Rob was the best. Very knowledgeable while at the same time charming and hilarious. The helicopter ride was a blast and landing on the glacier was definitely a unique experience. Definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun adventure.
We had the best day. Jess our guide was lovely and knowledgeable. The van had everything we needed. The glacier was amazing.
Sounds like you had a great trip with Jess. Our scenery certainly is worth travelling to see isn't it. Thank you for your great feedback and for travelling with Cheeky Kiwi
Lynette our tour guide was super knowledgeable, fun, and helpful. She kept the day moving along and was always upbeat. She was also able to help us secure a last minute ultimate Alpine experience, which I highly recommend. Memorable day to Mt Cook with the cheeky folk. Would highly recommend, especially to avoid making the long drive yourself to Mt Cook.
Thank you for your comments. Great that you had such a good experience. Mt Cook is certainly worth seeing. Thank you for your lovely comments about Lynette as well. Our guides love to share our country with visitors.
The heli ride was amazing. It was our first time to ride the helicopter and it was well worth it. The tour guide helped each group arrive on time omin each location and dropped/picked us up accordingly. The views were amazing while in the air, and the glacier landing was once in a lifetime experience. My kid loved it so much. Make sure to bring your sunnies because of the snow and sun. We weren’t able to do any of the hikes though because there was not enough time given the heli ride. I wish we were able to do at least part of it. There was also a time when we had to wait 45 minutes for one group to return from the heli ride, it could have been used to do one of the walks.
How amazing to get into a helicopter and see our beautiful mountains and lakes. What an incredible experience to remember from your holidays. Thank you for travelling with us.
Had an incredible trip, our driver Chris was fantastic, lots of local knowledge, dad jokes, stopped at the perfect spots for beautiful photos and came with great recommendations. We added on the scenic flight option and it was marvellous, couldn't fault our trip at all. Will definitely use again for future tours.
Kia ora! Thanks for travelling with Cheeky Chris! Looks like the day was a good one, and yes the option of flying up to the Tasman Glacier is a good one. Incredibly stunning views to our highest mountain Aoraki/ Mt Cook and through to the lakes and valley floors it will provide a backdrop for memories of a lifetime! And nothing like a fresh fruit ice cream to top off a perfect day! Thanks for travelling with the Cheeky Kiwi travel team!
Our tour guide Joseph was fantastic! Really knowledgeable and professional. The weather unfortunately interrupted part of our planned expedition but Joseph and the team kept us apprised at all times. I highly recommend this tour! Cheers!
Thanks for your review. Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Tasman valley are an incredible site to visit. I'm so pleased to see that Joseph made sure he got the best out of the day. Unfortunately the weather does play its part in the mountains and I'm sorry to hear that your flight up the mountains was unable to go. Nevertheless it still looked like a great adventurous day and hike out around the Mt Cook and Tasman valleys. Thanks for travelling with us!
