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Known in Māori as ‘Aoraki’, Mount Cook is the highest mountain in the continent of Australasia. The National Park which surrounds the peak is certainly one of New Zealand’s most spectacular, with more than one third covered in permanent snow and glacial ice.
You can get up as far as Mount Cook village by road, from where air safaris, trekking, 4x4 tours and dinghy cruises set out for the dripping ice faces of advancing glaciers.
Walks and treks
Mount Cook National Park is yet another of New Zealand’s havens for walkers. There are paths here to please gentle day walkers, as well as challenging hikes that require specific mountaineering experience.
There are ten short walks leading from Mount Cook Village with two of the most popular being the trail to Kea Point (two hours return) and the walk over the swing bridges and up to the Hooker Valley (four hours return).
Maps and information are available from the Department of Conservation visitors' center in Mount Cook Village, and in the summer guides can be arranged for the more tricky paths.
who's been there
Start planning your tailor-made trip to Mount Cook National Park by contacting one of our New Zealand specialists
- 617-223-4580
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Suggested itineraries featuring Mount Cook National Park
Our itineraries will give you suggestions for what is possible when you travel in Mount Cook National Park, and they showcase routes we know work particularly well. Treat them as inspiration, because your trip will be created uniquely by one of our specialists.
Places near Mount Cook National Park
- Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers 31 kilometers away
- Lake Tekapo 43 kilometers away
- South Island 55 kilometers away
- Twizel 59 kilometers away
- Lake Wanaka 133 kilometers away
- Hokitika 134 kilometers away
- Arthur's Pass National Park 148 kilometers away
- Arrowtown 168 kilometers away
- Queenstown 185 kilometers away
- Glenorchy 185 kilometers away
- Milford Sound 203 kilometers away
- Christchurch 206 kilometers away
- Punakaiki 208 kilometers away
- Akaroa & Banks Peninsula 231 kilometers away
- Dunedin 241 kilometers away
- The Otago Peninsula 242 kilometers away
- Hanmer Springs 260 kilometers away
- Te Anau & Manapouri 266 kilometers away
- Doubtful Sound 301 kilometers away
- Kaikoura 327 kilometers away
- The Catlins 327 kilometers away
- Kahurangi National Park 346 kilometers away
- Nelson 379 kilometers away
- Abel Tasman National Park 392 kilometers away
- Stewart & Ulva Islands 399 kilometers away
- Blenheim 401 kilometers away
- Collingwood & Farewell Spit 402 kilometers away
- Picton 420 kilometers away
- Marlborough Sounds 437 kilometers away
- Wellington 471 kilometers away
Photos of Mount Cook National Park
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![Mount Cook National Park]()
Mount Cook National Park -
![Aoraki Mt Cook National Park]()
Aoraki Mt Cook National Park -
![Walking in the Mount Cook National Park]()
Walking in the Mount Cook National Park -
![Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki, New Zealand]()
Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki, New Zealand -
![Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki, New Zealand]()
Mount Cook and Lake Pukaki, New Zealand -
![Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand]()
Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand -
![The Milky Way over Mount Cook]()
The Milky Way over Mount Cook -
![Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand]()
Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
Accommodation choices for Mount Cook National Park
We've selected a range of accommodation options for when you visit Mount Cook National Park. Our choices usually come recommended for their character, facilities and service or location. Our specialists always aim to suggest properties that match your preferences.
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![Aoraki Court Motel]()
Aoraki Court Motel
Mount Cook National Park
Ideas for experiencing Mount Cook National Park
Our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know the places that could feature in your trip. These activities reflect some of the experiences they've most enjoyed while visiting Mount Cook National Park, and which use the best local guides.
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Sightseeing flight over Mount Cook ![The Grand Traverse of Mount Cook, West Coast]()
Sightseeing flight over Mount Cook
Sightseeing flight over Mount Cook
This unique flight encompasses Aoraki (Mount Cook), Westland and Tai Poutini national parks, traversing 200 kilometers of New Zealand's most beautiful and spectacular alpine scenery.
View details -
Glacier Boat Cruise ![Glacier cruise, Mount Cook National Park]()
Glacier Boat Cruise
Glacier Boat Cruise
This three-hour tour of Lake Tasman, and the front edge of New Zealand's largest glacier, is a unique opportunity to learn about this incredible remnant of the Ice Age.
View details -
Tasman Glacier Sightseeing Flight ![Franz Josef Glacier, West Coast]()
Tasman Glacier Sightseeing Flight
Tasman Glacier Sightseeing Flight
From the foothills of Mount Cook National Park you can take a spectacular scenic ski-plane flight which will take you up the length of the Tasman Glacier before landing on the newly fallen snow near the top.
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