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Sign in with FacebookLatest Mount Cook hotel reviews
Pro
Beautiful snow capped mountains and scenery
Con
Expensive, especially the helicopter rides
In a nutshell
This place is a must visit when you are at the South Island
al2401 Says: Sir Edmund Hillary is famous for his ascent of Mt Everest being, with the assistance of his Sherpa, Tensing Norgay, the first person to set foot on the summit. Hillary learned his love of snow and ice and climbing in New Zealand and started his career as a climber on the...
al2401 Says: The visitor centre at Mt Cook/Aoraki is quite amazing. It is full of imformation about the area including Maori history, wildlife, climbing history and the mountains. There are examples of Maori art and some beautiful stained glass windows featuring flora and fauna of the...
al2401 Says: Mount Cook or in the Maori, Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is 3,754 metres high and is in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. It is a popular tourist destination all year round and on the list of challenges to...
Forum Answer - Glacier Explorer Tasman Lake
amandajayne81 Says: We did the Glacier Explorers boat ride on the Tasman Lake in Jan 2009. We booked over the internet (google Glacier Explorers I think). It was pretty expensive but definitely worth it. They pick you up at the main hotel at Mt Cook Village (you also have several accomodation...
2Cities1Love Says: We are not big walkers but on arriving at Mt Cook we were compelled to do a short walk. The weather was warm & sunny. Perfect for a walk. There are many walks to do around Mt Cook and the Tasman Valley seemed a good spot for us. It's about a 20 minute drive from Mt Cook...
5 Reviews and 621 Opinions The hotel is an an awesome spot and givee you the feeling of insiginificance with the mountains to...
Old Mountaineers Cafe, Restaurant and Bar: Great Organic food
al2401 Says: A great atmosphere with lots of natural timer and climbing artefacts. Open fires add to the snug feeling.Much of he food offered is organic or naturally processed.The view of Mt Cook from the huge picture window is spectacular. I had a Mountaineer Burger which was your...
Chamois Bar: Best meal for the money in Mount Cook
DSwede Says: Unless you are packing your own food, there are only three dining options in Mount Cook. The two restaurants in the Hermitage Hotel are fine dining, but also take a hit on the wallet. The cafeteria or the "Sir Edmund Hillary Cafe" has adequate food, but again it is also very...
The Alpine Restaurant: Dinner with A View
2Cities1Love Says: We had a buffet dinner that included seafood, roast, vegies and more. The best part was the view. We were lucky enough to get a window table looking out to Mt Cook.
The Hermitage Coffee Shop: Food with million dollar view
I-Believe-I-Can-Fly Says: Since there is no much option for eating, we had our lunch in the Hermitage coffee shop. It serves a kind of fast food. Nothing special with the food, just like what we had in other coffee shops. But what I keep in mind is the view from the restaurant. We sat outside on its...
Helpfulness
One of the thing you must do on a clear day and you have money to spend is to take a helicopter ride to experience breathtaking views of the mountains, valleys, glaciers, rivers, lakes etc. The helicopter can also land on a glacier if the weather permits so that you will have a chance to experience standing on a glacier. A helicopter trip of about 45 minutes will cost about US$100 at least.
Written Mar 8, 2005
Helpfulness
The Maori legend of Mount Cook is the story of Aoraki and his three brothers. They were the sons of Rakinui (the Sky Father) and were on a voyage around Papatuanuku (the Earth Mother) when disaster struck and they became stranded upon a reef. The voyagers climbed on to the top side of the canoe and after a time the south wind froze them and turned them into stone. Their canoe became the South Island (Te Waka o Aoraki is the oldest name for the South Isand) and Aoraki who stood tallest of the brothers is now seen as the majestic Aoraki/Mount Cook with the Southern Alps as his brothers and other members of this crew.
Written May 15, 2003
Helpfulness
Around the Mountains the weather changes very fast. We left on a fine, sunny day to visit Mt. Cook, by the time we reached Lake Pukaki, the wind was high, and rain squalls were crossing the lake. We couldn't even see Mt. Cook for cloud and rain, and it was too dangerous to drive up there in a Campervan in the bad weather, so I never got to visit.
We stopped at the tourist information centre by the lake, and the lady told us a camper van had been blown over by the strong winds on Mt. Cook!
The warning is, don't go in bad weather and use your common sense!
Written Jan 21, 2010
balhannah Says: As we didn't get to see Mount Cook because of bad weather, we drove on towards Twizel on SH 8. About half way along from Omarama, is the turnoff to Lake Ohau. I had read that this area was beautiful.The weather still was not kind to us, but we could make out the beauty of...
Airfield near to entrance of Mount Cook NP
victorwkf Says: There is an airfield near to the entrance of Mount Cook National Park (I think it is called Glentanner Fields) which is the base of the various helicopter rides to the national park. Besides taking the helicopter rides, there is a nice and cosy cafeteria where you can have...
DSwede Says: One of the more popular "long" hikes is up to Hooker Lake at the base of Hooker Glacier. From the Hermitage it may take 1.5~2 hour minutes depending on your fitness, each way. The trail is well groomed and easy to walk, but there are still many rocks and is not entirely...
DSwede Says: One of the more popular "short" hikes is up to Kea Point. From the Hermitage it may take 30~50 minutes depending on your fitness, each way. From the camping area is may take 20~35 minutes. The trail is well groomed and easy to walk, but there are still many rocks and is not...
DSwede Says: One of the most physical of the trails in the park is the 6~7 hour round trip up to Mueller Hut. This trail follows the Sealy Tarns trail and continues where those taking their picnic lunches at the Tarns stop. From that junction, it is still another very physical 1.5+ hours...
DSwede Says: There are two trails in Mount Cook which will take you to two different "tarns" which are small alpine lakes.The lower trail which is "Red Tarns" is still a very steep climb of 45~70 minutes, but does not offer as nice of views.Sealy Tarns, which is accessed off of the Kea...
Bright blue water of Lake Pukaki
victorwkf Says: The bright blue water of Lake Pukaki is simply amazing to watch. Apparently, the colour is due to the reflection of sunlight when it hits the particles within the water which flows down from the snow-capped mountains.
Super views of Mount Cook and other mountains
victorwkf Says: During the helicopter ride which I took, we landed on a cliif area of a mountain across the valley of Mount Cook. This cliff offers super views of Mount Cook and other mountains of the Mount Cook National Park as well as offer us some fun playing with the snow.
Mount Cook National Park - Breathtaking Mountains
Mount Cook National Park contains some of the highest mountains in New Zealand, the highest being the famous Mount Cook followed by Mount Tasman. The mountain scenery is simply breathtaking on a...
The way from Lake Tekapo to Mount Cook was a very pleasant-enjoyable drive along the shore of beautiful Lake Pukaki. We reached Aoraki/Mt. Cook village which nestled in the heart of Mt. Cook National...
Mt. Cook is located in the South Island and south of Christchuch. It's the highest mountain in NZ (3753 m) its Maori name is Aoraki, means Cloud Piercer)
Mount Cook or in the Maori, Aoraki is the highest mountain in New Zealand. It is 3,754 metres high and is in the Southern Alps, the mountain range which runs the length of the South Island. It is a...
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed by Mt. Cook. When we began planning our trip to the South Island I figured Mt. Cook was a definite stop along our driving route. As our plans developed...
Build your own Mount Cook page
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