How to Get to Mount Cook National Park [BEST Places to Stop]

6/11/2023

**Updated : June 2023**
Use the map to see a visual of all our recommendations - click the arrow next to our photo to have a pop up list! This post may also contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you purchase a product via these links, with no extra cost to you!

Mount Cook National Park is a national park on the South Island of New Zealand. In addition to being home to New Zealand's tallest mountain, it is also one of New Zealand's top tourist attractions with over 1 million visitors each year! If you're interested in visiting, then we highly recommend you check out our complete guide for first time visitors or this guide on what to do in a one day visit! Most visitors to the park will choose to take a tour, however we recommend driving for the full experience! From Queenstown this will take about 3 hours each way, from Christchurch about 4 hours, without stops.

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Where is Mt. Cook National Park [and 4 ways to get there]

Located about 171 miles northeast of Queenstown, on the South Island of New Zealand, the drive to Mt. Cook National Park takes about 3 hours, that is - without any stops. If you plan to rent a car and make the drive yourself like we did, then of course we always recommend booking through Turo. If you plan to make the drive from Christchurch then it'll be about 2.5 hours. If you aren't able to get yourself a car or you aren't comfortable driving (they drive on the left), then you have a couple of options on how to get there :

Fly - Although this might be the most expensive option, it'll cut your transport time down to a single hour. If you're interested, you'll have lots of options from scenic flights of the National Park, to flights that include Milford Sound, to flights that simply bring you to the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. We recommend looking into Glenorchy Air or Air Milford.
Public Bus - Going from shortest transport time to the longest, a public bus ride can get you from Queenstown to Mt. Cook in about 4 hours, or from Christchurch to Mt. Cook in about 5.5 hours. InterCity bus lines has a couple options, most of which run daily. *Note - because of the long drive time, it would be hard to make a day trip to Mt. Cook via public bus.
Private Transfer/Group Tours - Private transfer's to Mt. Cook National Park typically include a tour, which is why we've grouped these options together. If you aren't able to rent a car, this would be our best second recommendation. With plenty of options on Viator or through companies like GreatSights, there's no shortage of day trips from Queenstown.
Drive - The drive to Mt. Cook National Park is half of the adventure itself. With incredible views of gatorade blue rivers and lakes, stunning mountain tops and beautiful glaciers - this is the main reason we recommend that you drive - so you can stop to get out and explore wherever you want! Queenstown and Christchurch are the two main cities to drive to Mt. Cook National Park, so we've highlighted the best stops for each direction below!

Queenstown to Mt. Cook - BEST Stops

Arrow Junction Lookout Point - scenic viewpoint overlooking mountain tops and local farms
Crown Range Summit - with lots of switchbacks, the road leading to this incredible view is said to be one of the highest roads in New Zealand
Roaring Meg - pictured above, this waterfall was one of our favorite stops!
Cardrona Bra Fence - an interesting stop if you're into unique finds, this fence is lined with 100's of bras
Wanaka - small town with family fun attractions like Puzzling World, Wanaka Lavender Farm, an Alpine Resort and even a famous tree (The Wanaka Willow - #ThatWanakaTree)
Lindis Pass Summit Scenic Lookout - a great spot to pull over and stretch your legs, park in the small parking lot to enjoy the views with two short walking trails to other viewpoints
Omarama Clay Cliffs - natural rock pinnacles
Omarama Hot Tubs - the perfect private indoor/outdoor hot tubs to relax and enjoy the views, it costs $140 for 2 people and $80 for each additional adult for a 90 minute time slot
Peters Lookout - another favorite stop of ours, and pictured above, this overlook brings you to an incredible view of Lake Pukaki, one of the bluest lakes we've ever seen

Christchurch to Mt. Cook - BEST Stops

Rakaia Gorge & Walkway - an easy 6.2 mile path with a stunning view overlooking the bright blue Rakaia River
Burkes Pass - a historic village featuring shops, a heritage walk, and souvenirs (similar to Wall Drug in the US)
Lake Tekapo - a small town perched on the edge of, you guessed it, Lake Tekapo (during the months of November to January you might have the chance to see the beautiful purple lupins!)
NZ Alpine Lavender - one of the largest lavender farms in the Southern Hemisphere
Lake Pukaki Lookout & Viewpoint - we highly recommend stopping here to stretch your legs, this lake is one of the bluest we've ever seen!