Christchurch Mt Cook Lake Tekapo Queenstown South Island Tours

Queenstown to Christchurch via Mt Cook & Lake Tekapo

From NZD$395

4.4

(121 reviews)

Departs from: Queenstown

Duration: 13 hours

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Journey from Queenstown to Christchurch on this spectacular one-way small group tour via Aoraki/Mt Cook. Experience two of the South Island’s most iconic destinations in one unforgettable day, with plenty of time to explore, take photos, and enjoy optional alpine activities. Led by our famously passionate guides, you’ll travel in comfort through dramatic mountain passes, glacial lakes, and high-country scenery, learning the stories that make these places so special. It’s the most scenic way to travel between Queenstown and Christchurch, with a signature Cheeky Kiwi touch.

Please note

Lunch is not provided on this tour, there will be several opportunities for you to purchase food along the way.

The Hooker Valley Track is currently CLOSED while the Department of Conservation works on replacing one of the swing bridges. This is expected to be complete in Autumn 2026 so the track will be inaccessible to the public until then

Why you’ll love this

Enjoy free time at Aoraki/Mt Cook to explore or take a scenic flight

See the South Island’s most breathtaking landscapes in one journey

Travel in comfort with a fun and knowledgeable local guide

Discover Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki, and the famous Church of the Good Shepherd

Experience an authentic small group adventure with care, laughter, and plenty of photo stops

Itinerary

What’s included

Small group, fully guided tour

Modern, comfortable, luxury minibus

Snacks and bottled water

Multiple scenic photo stops

Friendly local world famous guides

Optional Extras

Scenic flights with glacier landings

Short alpine walks and photo stops

Why choose us

Famously passionate tour guides

Our guides share stories, laughs, and Kiwi charm on every journey.

Travel in comfort

Small groups, big comfort. Relax in our modern Mercedes minibuses with style and space.

Award-winning tours

Thousands of five-star reviews and top travel awards - experiences loved worldwide.

Kiwi owned. Kiwi operated

Proudly local and passionate about sharing authentic New Zealand with every traveller.

Stories worth sharing

11/22/2025

Breath-taking views!

Saw the most beautiful views so far in my life on this day trip! Guides were very knowledgable & nice :) So pleased we did it!

Kim G

11/8/2025

Above and beyond

Great company, tours and people. My second tour with them. Small group, very flexible in pick up and drop offs. Kristina is a great tour guide. Lots of stories and facts about the area. She went out of her way to get my bag that I left on one of the stops. Great favour that I really appreciate, or my vacation would be ruined. This would never be possible with the big bus. Scenery is amazing. We had time to do some trail hiking. Bus change went smoothly. They even changed the bus driver at the end (it’s only allowed to drive for max 14 hours in NZ) so that everyone would be dropped off at our hotels. I have booked several other tours with Cheeky Kiwis as I trust they will be doing a great job. Thank you, guys!

OlgaKn2016

11/5/2025

My unforgettable experience in Christchurch

We did not see the beauty of Mt. Cook because it was raining but the Scenic view was nice. I love my Christchurch experience. Visiting the botanical garden was my wow moments.i visited 2x to satisfy myself to appreciate the beauty of their different kinds of pretty flowers. I enjoyed like a kid smelling the aroma of fresh flowers and trees. I love Christchurch because the tourist center is only a walking distancenfrom my hotel

Amada A

11/1/2025

One way Queenstown to Christchurch via Mt Cook.

Lovely trip and driver guides. We were picked up promptly. We had Shura for the first part of the trip and Karl for the 2nd half.

Navigator26665287704

10/9/2025

Highly recommend the tour

Very satisfied with our experience. Our tour guides Colin Karl n Jay were excellent they made the journey enjoyable with their informative commentary. Highly recommended.

Linda D

10/7/2025

Fantastic day!!!

I had the best day on the trip from Queenstown to Christchurch! Hannah and Grant my two tours guides were super friendly and kind- they kept the energy throughout the long day and told many interesting and fun stories! We were lucky the weather also paid in our favour but as someone without a car it was amazing to get to see so much on the journey up and I felt there was a good amount of time to do some of the walks along the way considering the distance! Grant even went the extra mile and came back for me when I forgot my bag and for this I was extremely grateful!

Nicole E

9/4/2025

Perfect trip

This was an awesome trip! Definitely a must do. The drive from Queenstown to Christchurch, although long was so worth it. The views, guide Hanna, the van - everything! - were beyond my expectations! Cheeky Kiwi - you’re the best.

Tes C

7/30/2025

Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo in winter- extraordinary sceneries

The driver guides - Colin on the way from queenstown to Mt Cook and Joseph (Cheeky Kea) were both excellent. They went out of their way to be helpful. They were knowledgeable and made sure to stop by on all the scenic areas for us to take photographs. Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo were the most scenic places we have ever. Even though it was a rainy day, we had a wonderful time, doing 2 trails - the hooker trail and the Tasman Glacier trail. The view from from top of the Tasman Glacier view is awesome.Any one coming to South Island during winter, Mt Cook and Lake Tekapo must be included in their itinerary. It is even worth staying overnight in each of these locations. My wife and I enjoyed this trip thoroughly. It's a very long day trip, but it is worth it.

Sukumar65

7/8/2025

Pretty views

This was a very long day in the car, but the views were beautiful and drivers were great. You get a few hours at Mt. Cook which was nice. It was a convenient way to travel to Christchurch while also getting to see some cool spots along the way.

Lanie

5/24/2025

Stunning view and excellent driver. Worthy!

The views were stunning along the bus route. I saw beautiful lakes, landscapes, mountains and glaciers. Although the trip was 12 hours long, it was not boring. Most importantly, our bus driver, Stewart (or Stuart, I didn’t ask the spelling of his name), was excellent. He is a careful and responsible driver. The driving was very smooth and on time, yet he allowed enough time for us to take photos at scenic spots. Moreover, he is very knowledgable. He explained the geography, history, landscape, culture, plant, and animals along the way. His explanation and stories enriched and made my trip more interesting and informative. I really enjoyed the trip and found it very worthy. I would highly recommend this bus trip.

Jennifer W

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