Mount Cook - MacKenzie

South IslandMount Cook - MacKenzie

Walking and Trekking

The Big Two

The Hooker Valley Track is what pretty much everyone does, and honestly, fair enough. It's flat, accessible, and genuinely stunning. You'll likely hear distant avalanches rumbling off the peaks while you walk. It's busy though. Like, really busy. My strong advice is to get up earlier than feels reasonable and be on the track before the sun is even up. The first section of the Tasman Glacier walk is the same deal. Go early, go under headtorch if you have to.

Don't Sleep on Mount John

Over in Tekapo, the Mount John walkway is one I'd make time for. It zigzags up through shade for most of the climb, which you'll appreciate, and then opens up at the top with views in every direction over the lake. The colour of Tekapo on a clear day when the sun is high is really something. Give yourself time to wander around the summit rather than just turning straight back.

If you're driving through Omarama, the Clay Cliffs are a short walk once you're there and worth a look if the gravel access road is in reasonable condition. Fair warning though: last time I went, we turned around before even getting in. The road can be rough and it's not always worth the trouble.

Walking and Trekking in Mount Cook - MacKenzie

Location

All Locations

Page 1 of 3 | 54 experiences ranked by score

54 items with the highest ranking score first, showing page 1 of 3.

Red Tarns in winter

Red Tarns Track

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook Village

4.9 12 reviews

2.3 km return | 2 hours return

4.9 2 reviews

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock, with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki...

Hermitage - Walk starts behind it

Glencoe Walk

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook Village

4.9 2 reviews

Time: 30 min return

Ball Shelter Hut route

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook Village

4.8 1 review

Time: 3 - 4 hr one way

Benmore Range access track

Access to Benmore Range Conservation Area

4.8 1 review

Time: 7 hr return, Distance: 17 km return, 800 m vertical

Pines Beach - Lake Tekapo

Time: up to an hour for each walk, each way

Observatory on Mount John Summit

Mount John Summit Circuit

Lake Tekapo Walkway, direct route to summit

4.7 58 reviews

Approx 3 km return | 1 hour 30 minutes return

Sealy Tarns with Mt Sefton in background

Sealy Tarns Track

Mount / Mt Cook National Park

4.7 22 reviews

4 km return | 3 hours return

Mount / Mt John

Lake Alexandrina round trip

4.7 3 reviews

Time: 6-8 hours, 26km round trip

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Hooker River with Mount Cook

Hooker Valley Track

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook Village

4.7 314 reviews

10 km return | 3 hours return

4.7 75 reviews

10.4 km return | 7 hours return

Some of the best views in NZ from Mount John

Mount John via Lakeshore

Lake Tekapo Walkway

4.6 51 reviews

7 km return | 3 hours return

A view up the Tasman

Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier Walks

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook National Park

4.6 23 reviews

40 minutes return | 2 km return

Tasman Lake with icebergs

4.5 35 reviews

Time: 1 hr

4.4 29 reviews

1.5 km return | 1 hour return

Kettlehole Track

Lake Pukaki Terminal Moraine Conservation Area

4.4 2 reviews

Time: 1 hr return loop / Distance: 4 km

Kea Point Walkway

Kea Point Walk

Aoraki/Mount / Mt Cook Village

4.4 25 reviews

Time: 2 hr return from the Mt Cook village

Lake Pukaki track

Ruataniwha Conservation Park, Mackenzie Basin

4.3 10 reviews

Time: 5 hr return / Distance: 12 km

Lake Tekapo Walkway

Cowans Hill Track

4.3 2 reviews

Time: up to 1 hr