Mt Cook Tour / Glacier Explorers

Your day begins with a 7:30am pick up from or near your Queenstown accommodation. Travelling in a Mercedes Sprinter with a maximum of 16 guests, the journey starts comfortably as your guide hosts the day and shares commentary through some of the South Island’s most scenic country.

The drive north takes you through Central Otago, including Cromwell, before continuing over the scenic Lindis Pass and into Mackenzie Country. This part of the journey is a big part of the day itself, with changing landscapes, open high-country views, and plenty to take in along the way.

A brief stop in Omarama gives you time to purchase refreshments and lunch before continuing on to Mt Cook. This is a helpful stop, especially as timing can be tight once you arrive in the village and prepare for the Glacier Explorers experience. The live FAQ recommends buying food here or bringing it from Queenstown.

From Omarama, the route continues along the bright turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki. This stretch of road is one of the visual highlights of the tour, with the lake leading you into Aoraki Mt Cook National Park and the mountains often rising into view ahead.

Once in Mt Cook, your guide will drop you at the Hermitage Hotel for check-in at the Activities Centre before the Glacier Explorers experience begins. From there, you are transported to the Tasman Valley, followed by a short walk through the national park to the lake edge. You will then board the Glacier Explorers boat and spend time out on Tasman Glacial Lake, weaving among floating icebergs while learning more about the glacier and the changing alpine environment from expert guides. The full experience takes around 2.5 hours, including approximately one hour on the lake, and involves walking, so a medium level of fitness and suitable footwear are recommended.

For all passengers on tour, entry to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre is included. This gives you the chance to spend additional time in Mt Cook Village and connect the landscape around you with the stories, history, and alpine heritage of the area.

Once your Glacier Explorers experience is complete, your Altitude Tours guide will meet you and begin the return journey to Queenstown. The tour arrives back at approximately 7:30pm, rounding out a full-day experience that combines alpine scenery, time in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park, and one of the most distinctive glacier lake activities in New Zealand. Glacier Explorers is subject to availability at the time of booking and is weather dependent, with reconfirmation provided after booking.

The full day trip takes approximately 12 hours from Queenstown. This allows us to make plenty of stops en route to ensure you enjoy the journey, with 3.5 hours in Mount Cook Village, where you will head out to experience the Glacier Explorers tour operated by the Hermitage Hotel.

This package includes the Glacier Explorers experience (22 Oct-15 June).

For all passengers on tour, we also include access to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre.

Your guide will drop you to the Hermitage Hotel where you will check in for Glacier Explorers trip at the Activities Centre, check in is located on the ground floor.

The group will then be transported out to the Tasman Valley, a short drive away from Mount Cook village.

Once you arrive at the Blue Lakes carpark there’s a short 25 minute walk through the National Park.

Guests will then board the Glacier Explorers boat from the Tasman Lake jetty.

The whole trip is approximately 2.5 hours, and you can expect to spend approximately one hour on the lake.

• An extra warm layer of clothing
• Camera
• Sunblock & sunglasses
• Wet weather gear
• Suitable walking shoes

In summer (Nov-April) you will have approximately 45 minutes after arriving in Mount Cook Village before you need to check in to your Glacier Explorers experience.

You can choose to purchase food quickly at that time, or we recommend purchasing food in Omarama on the way or bringing this from Queenstown at the start of the day.

We don’t want to give too much away! The drive from Queenstown to Mt Cook is stunning and there are plenty of scenic stops enroute, your guide knows the best spots and will choose these on the day.

Yes! You will get up close to the icebergs on the Tasman Glacial Lake, weaving on and out them on the boat, you might even the chance to touch them.

We pick up from select Queenstown hotels and the main bus stop routes in Queenstown town centre and along Frankton Road. When booking, type in your accommodation and it will suggest the closest bus stop. If it doesn’t come up just check in with us and we’ll let you know where is closest for you!

As this is a weather dependent tour, if there is risk of adverse weather conditions that will impact the operation of the tour, you will be contacted the day prior to your trip to explore alternative options.

Due to this being one of our most popular tours and wanting to be fair to all who join us we do not offer reserved seating. If you have a request we will do our best to accommodate but we cannot guarantee.