Things to do in Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

Welcome to this article with the best things to do in Mount Cook National Park. If there’s one place in New Zealand where I’d easily spend all my time, it would definitely be Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. Over the past decade I’ve been here five times and I would go back again without hesitation. To me, Mt Cook National Park is one of the prettiest places in New Zealand and yet despite the number of tourists increasing each year, it’s a must if you are traveling in New Zealand.

Somehow, I completely missed it during my first visit to New Zealand in 2002, however I made up for that in 2011, 2018-2019 and during my most recent visit in 2023. This post was first made in 2014 and recently updated after my latest visit to New Zealand.

About Mount Cook National Park

How tall is Mount Cook? Well, it’s the highest mountain in New Zealand and it measures 3.724 meters above sea level. Now I know that in the Himalayas they call anything under 4.000 meters a hill but trust me when I say that Mount Cook is one hell of a beautiful mountain. In total, the national park has 19 peaks over 3.000 meters and large parts, more or less 40%, of it are covered by glaciers.

Where is Mt Cook located in New Zealand and how to get there?

Mount Cook is located in the central South Island, near the town of Twizel. From here it’s a 65 km drive on Highway 80 to Mount Cook Village, where the main road ends. From the Village, you can continue onwards to the Hooker Valley or the Tasman Valley, both roads ending eventually. Some driving distances are:
 
Twizel to Mt Cook: 65 km
Christchurch to Mt Cook: 332 km
Queenstown to Mt Cook: 265 km
Tekapo to Mt Cook: 107 km
 
It’s best if you drive you own vehicle as that’s the easiest way to get around in New Zealand anyway. Alternatively you can for example join an organized Mt Cook tour from Christchurch or a one way tour from Queenstown to Mt Cook. There are also various bus companies who have included Mount Cook Village in their bus schedules. Check all options here.
 
The drive to Mount Cook is absolutely stunning and make sure to take your time. Coming from Tekapo you will have awesome views from far away already on Lake Pukaki and the snow capped mountains in the distance. The final part of the drive, from Glentanner to the Village is stunning as well as you can see below!

Things to do in Mount Cook National Park

Depending on the amount of time you have and of course the weather in Mount Cook, there are plenty of things do see and do in this national park. Most people will decide to go hiking but if you think that hiking is not for you, you may also find plenty of other things to see and experience. After all the options given below, I’ve also created a 24 hours in Mount Cook itinerary for you, in order to help you planning your trip.
 
Before you set off on any adventure, make sure to head to the Mt Cook information center in Mt Cook Village. This is definitely one of the best information centers in the country and you can easily spend hours walking around here and visiting the exhibition about climbing Mt Cook and its history. It’s a great alternative on a rainy day in case the weather doesn’t allow you to go outside!

The best hikes in Mount Cook

One of the best things to do in Mount Cook is definitely hiking. Even if you aren’t much of a hiker, you will still enjoy some easy trails that give you access to some of the most amazing places in the national park. If you just have a couple of hours, you can easily enjoy the short Kea Point Track or the Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier View Track. If you have half a day, a great option is the Hooker Valley Track, it’s the best Mount Cook hike for sure!
 
Those having a bit more time can hike up to Sealy Tarns or even further up to Mueller Hut. This last one is demanding and only for fit hikers free of a fear of heights.
 
Make sure to also check out my full blog about hiking in Mount Cook National Park where I’ve written longer descriptions of all hikes mentioned and some additional information what to keep in mind when you go hiking in Mount Cook.

Other things to do in Mount Cook that are not hiking

As previously mentioned the exhibition at the Mount Cook information center is awesome and you can easily spend a few hours checking it out. Also worth a visit is The Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Center at The Hermitage, the fancy and big hotel in Mt Cook Village. However, only do this if the weather isn’t good, it’s way much better to get outdoors if the sun is out.
 
If you’d like to hit the water, you can join a boat tour on Tasman Lake with Glacier Explorers. I’ve not done this one myself but I’ve heard really good stories about it. Depending on the number of icebergs in the water, it can be pretty exciting. The thing I did however was kayak on Tasman Lake, right between the icebergs. Note that this is only for people have previous experience in kayaking (you’ll have to demonstrate before you set off) and it’s quite an adventure!
 
For those of us who have a little more to spend, hop on board a helicopter for glacier tour with alpine landing or on a SkiPlane Experience. I’ve always thought of this as too expensive, however in 2023 I finally decided it was about time for me to jump into a helicopter. It was a truly amazing experience and worth all the money for sure!

Mount Cook is one of the most common places in New Zealand where you can spot the kea, one of the most amazing birds in the country. In the past I have seen them on the Kea Point Track (what’s in a name after all) but they are most commonly seen playing around the Mueller Hut.

24 Hours at Mount Cook National Park itinerary

Below I’ve created my ideal itinerary for those who have 24 hours to spend in Mount Cook. I’ve included my favorite things to do in Mount Cook for you but you can of course change as per your own interests.

05.00 am – sunrise
It was my dream was to see sunrise on Mount Cook and therefor I picked a GlenTanner campsite for this. Seeing the sunrise at Mount Cook from here is awesome! Waking up is actually one of the most exciting moments of the day when traveling. Will it be sunny, will it be cloudy, will we get to see something today? Upon zipping our tent open we knew we had a winner!
 
07.00 am – hiking to Kea Point
After a quick breakfast and packing up for the day, it’s time to head to Kea Point Track. A very short one, just about 30 minutes from the parking lot (or 1 hour from the village), but such a stunning place we spent hours there to take pictures, see glaciers and spot birds. And as I was extremely early, I was the only ones!
 
09.30 am – kayaking adventure!
Time to get some adventure! I paddled for about 2 hours right between the bergs that came off the face of the glacier. I try to turn one over but without success and upon getting back on shore, I get some whiskey with ancient ice. There’s just one company doing this trip and you need previous kayaking experience in order to come along on this particular paddle!
 
14.00 – Hooker Valley Hike
After lunch, drive over to Hooker Valley for another hike, the one I definitely recommend doing when you happen to be there. Hooker Valley is simply stunning and you feel like walking inside a postcard all the time. You can read all you need to know about the Hooker Valley Track here.
 
19.00 – BBQ time!
I bought lamb and also salmon at the Mount Cook salmon farm which you’ll come across when driving in from Twizel. Along with beer and wine I try not to be too sad that we have to leave the day after tomorrow. After one last view on Mount Cook, it’s time to go to bed. The next morning I wake up and the mountain is in the clouds again. I just happened to have picked the perfect day for our stay!

Aoraki Mount Cook National Park accommodation

If you want to camp in the national park, then the best option is White Horse Hill Camp Ground. The fee per night is NZD 18 (2024) and there are spaces for campervans as well as grassy spots for tents. Other than a shelter with running water and toilets, there are no facilities at this camp site. Reservations are required and can be made on the Department of Conservation website.
 
If you’d like to stay in a bit more civilized camp site then I can recommend staying at Glentanner. I also stayed here a couple of times and this camp site has amazing views of Mount Cook. It offers all facilities you will need, from hot showers to a cooking area and very slow wifi. Make sure to book ahead as it’s usually quite full in summer season, we got the last spot upon arrival. I actually wanted to stay in nearby Twizel but all campsites were fully booked. You can check rates and book your spot online here.
 
If you are not camping, you can stay in a hotel or motel in Mount Cook Village but prices can be quite high as Mt Cook Village accommodation is limited. Alternatively, you’ll find cheaper options in nearby Twizel or Lake Tekapo. Note that these are quite popular spots too and when I stayed here (March) everything was fully booked well in advance, so make sure to book well ahead!

Other things to know about Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park New Zealand

Mount Cook is quite isolated so it’s smart to bring all you need before you drive off to Mt Cook Village and beyond. This includes gas, groceries and cash. The White Horse Hill Campsite does not have electricity but you can leave your electronics at the tourist office in the village and charge them there for a small fee. The DOC office can provide you with all necessary information regarding the hikes, campsites and more. Looking for a Mount Cook map? You can download the online Mount Cook hiking brochure here which also has a map included.

PS And when leaving, make sure to have a look in your rearview mirror every now and then as well!

If you’ve found this article useful, I hope you make use of the following links to book your trip to New Zealand:

• Planetickets can be booked via Skyscanner.
• Rental car rates and availability can be found here.
• Buy your New Zealand guidebook here.
• Book your accommodations on Booking.
• Find tours and excursions here.
• Search for group tours here.
• Book your bus tickets here.
• Find prices and book your ferry here.

Conclusion and disclaimer

Even though Mount Cook National Park is gaining more and more tourists, I still think it’s truly worth visiting. Want to continue reading about New Zealand? You may also enjoy the following posts:

• The best unknown places to visit in New Zealand
• New Zealand for first timers: here’s what to know
• Tuatapere: a small hamlet at the end of the world

Or you can visit my New Zealand homepage with more than 50 blogs written after five visits to New Zealand over the past 20 years. I’m the author of various Dutch guidebooks and know New Zealand like a local.

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