Top 10 things to do in Mount Cook National Park Village, New Zealand
Things to do in Aoraki Mount Cook Village
Aoraki Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand. And the training route for Edmund Hillary (the first man who was confirmed to reach Mt Everest summit) before his successful climb at Mt Everest. The environment of Mount Cook is a lot similar to Mt Everest, making it a perfect place for training!
I was lucky enough to live in this beautiful Mount Cook Village for 9 months while I worked at The Hermitage hotel. I didn’t immediately love this place, as I was born and raised in the city of Taipei, Taiwan; it was kind of hard to adjust to a remote national park lifestyle. But after a few months of exploring the village, hikes, and befriending some amazing people. I fell in love with this place, and with the outdoor nature; my love for hiking actually started here as well! I had the best office view working at the reception in the hotel, looking directly to the snowy tip of Mount Cook. And these top 10 things to do in Mount Cook have some of my favorite memories, and are highly recommended 🙂
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Amazed by the beauty of Mount Cook with this easy walk
Hooker Valley Track
3 Hours return
Mostly flat
Extremely Popular
Usually, to be able to get the best view, you’d have to spend a long time climbing somewhere. But with this track “Hooker Valley”, you would get amazing views without having sore legs, or body the next day. I’m sure everyone would recommend this track, and it definitely does live up to its hype! Along the track, you will see three big swing bridges, a panoramic view of Mount Cook, and icebergs on Hooker Lake. And to be honest, if you still think 3 hours return is too long, you don’t even have to finish the whole track to be rewarded with an amazing view!
I’ve done this track more than I can remember, do it in the morning, at night, in summer, winter. And it is amazingly beautiful every time I do this track, especially as the tip of Mount Cook is always covered with snow, it makes the view even more amazing! This is the first track I’ve done in Mount Cook National Park, and I finished the whole track despite disliking hiking back then. This is definitely the track you should do if you dislike walking/hiking, but still want to explore the beauty of Mount Cook 🙂
Go-to hike to overlook the village
Red Tarns Track
45 mins to 1-hour one way
Easy-Moderate
Less Popular
As ridiculous as it may sound, and embarrassing to admit. I actually failed to finish this track when I first attempted. Again, this was back when I really disliked hiking lol. However, after I fell in love with this place, and developed my interest in hiking; this track has become my go-to hike every time I’m feeling down, or just simply want a good workout after work. This track is not as popular as others amongst the tourists, so it offers peacefulness and tranquility most of the time.
The view at the top is beautiful, it overlooks the Mount Cook Village with the backdrop of snowy mountain tops. The whole track is mainly steps, and some can be quite steep that’s why I would rate this easy-moderate! And in wintertime, the track would be filled with snow. If you’re comfortable with hiking in the snow, it is an amazing time to do this hike 🙂
Climb the Stairway to Heaven
Sealy Tarns Track
3-5 hours return
Moderate-Hard
Physically demanding
Popular
Climb the popular Sealy Tarns Track; also known as Stairway to Heaven. It consists of 2000+ stairs, and the view on top is heaven; hence the nickname. All the stairs are very well-formed, the only thing hard about this track is the endless stairs. Once you reach the top, the view is EPIC!!! You’ll get an amazing panoramic view down to the Hooker Valley, and at the top, there is the freshwater lake of Sealy Tarns.
All the hard work will be well rewarded by the view on the top, so hold on to that thought when you’re thinking of giving up halfway. Take as much break as you need, and let people pass behind you; there’s no shame if you’re a bit slower. As long as you make it to the top, who cares how long it took!! And this is coming from a slow hiker like me, which I blame it on my short legs haha 🙂
Spend a night up in the mountain
Muller Hut Track
HARD
2 hours more from Sealy Tarns
Muller Hut track is known to be many people’s favorite overnight track in New Zealand. It is considered an advanced tramping track. After you reach Sealy Tarns, the track becomes less well-maintained and requires rock climbing; it’s an alpine environment that requires some level of experience! Once you get to the hut, you’d be rewarded with jaw-dropping views of Mount Cook and the surrounding mountains 🙂
It is possible to do it in a day, however spending a night in the hut would allow you to take your time; and experience this amazing mountain view as much as possible!
Remember to wear good hiking shoes, especially during wintertime. As the track can be very slippery due to ice, and snow. I had to give up halfway as I was only wearing normal running shoes with not much grip 🙁 Book the hut well in advance, especially during November- April as it’s a very popular track, with not much space up there.
Be a mountaineer and hike on New Zealand’s largest glacier
Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s largest glacier, 23km long. Normally, there’s no chance a person without any prior experience can explore the glacier this way. But with the Heli-Hike tour, it makes the impossible possible. I was very lucky to do this for free just before I left my job in Mount Cook (part of the employees’ benefits). This has to be one of the best outdoor activities I have experienced in my whole life! walking on the glacier, exploring the ice formations, and witnessing an ice cave. And it’s definitely one of the best things to do in Mount Cook, New Zealand!
This Heli-Hike tour includes two parts, firstly they’d take you on a scenic helicopter ride soaring over the mighty Southern Alps, and secondly, the hike on the glacier! So it is really a 2-for-1 deal 🙂 What you’ll take home with you is a lifetime of memory, cross this off your bucket list here in Mount Cook, or put this on your bucket list now if it’s not on there!!!
They provide you with all the essential equipment. Just come along with warm layers, a hat, and sunglasses, it will definitely get cold up there. And put on sunscreen, it gets quite exposed up there!
Fly and explore Mount Cook from above
If Heli-hiking is not your type of activity, and you really don’t want to do any hiking. Taking a scenic flight is the next best activity you can get in Mount Cook Village! Imagine flying over the amazing landscapes, mountains, and lakes; appreciating the beauty of mother nature from above. To be very honest, I would so much prefer the heli-hike over this, but I understand not everyone is this fun and adventurous (haha just kidding ;P)
There are helicopters and ski planes, which I think the only difference was ski planes would turn off their engines completely when they land; so you can enjoy the amazing view in peace and quiet, and helicopters will leave the engines on. But in full honesty, you’d be able to enjoy the amazing view from above, and land on the mighty glacier. So just take whichever is available on the day 🙂
Explore the Glacier on a boat
The iconic “Hermitage Hotel” in Mount Cook offers the Glacier Explorer tour. Which I have done more than 5 times in total (as again I was lucky to do them for free as part of the employee benefits). This is a one-of-a-kind experience, as you cruise around the Tasman Glacial Lake and encounter different shapes of icebergs torn away from the glacier. Your guide would even pick up a smaller piece of the ice for you to touch or taste if you dare 🙂
With a very knowledgeable guide with you, they are not afraid of any questions you throw at them. Of course, it has to be a question that’s glacier related hehe!
Enjoy a sky full of stars and milky way
Mount Cook is one of the dark sky reserve places in New Zealand, and it’s also known to be one of the best places for stargazing. As it’s such an effortless activity, this is definitely one of the easiest things to do in Mount Cook, New Zealand that you can’t miss! Of course, if you want to take it up a notch; there’s a Stargazing tour run by The Hermitage hotel 🙂
If the normal stargazing experience doesn’t satisfy you anymore, I suggest walking to the Tasman Glacier Lake, and do some stargazing from there where you will not only get a sky full of stars, and a milky way. It would be complemented by the icebergs on the lake 🙂 Imagine what an amazing photo that would make!
Wear layers and stay warm, the nights at Mount Cook can get very cold; even in summer. You don’t want to shorten your stargazing experience due to the coldness!
Learn the history of the Aoraki Mount Cook region
Visit the museum named after the first known mountaineer that has made a confirmed climb to the top of Mt Everest, ”Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre”, located in the Hermitage hotel. The museum showcases the history of Mt Cook, its people, and its tribute to Sir Edmund Hillary. There’s also a 3D theater in there, which takes you on a journey of Mt Cook stories.
The entry to the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre is $20 for adults and $10 for children including the theatre entry.
The Aoraki Mount Cook National Park visitor center also showcased a lot of wonders of this national park, artwork collections, DVDs, etc. This is a free activity to do here 🙂
Stop at the famous viewpoints along the drive to Mount Cook
The road trip leading up to Mount Cook National Park is really one of the most beautiful and amazing routes you could possibly take in New Zealand. Driving alongside the most turquoise-colored “Lake Pukaki”, surrounded by the amazing view of snowy mountains.
Stop at the Lake Pukaki Viewpoint, or Peter’s Lookout, they both offer a great view of the lake and Mount Cook. Very worth stopping, and you will for sure be wowed by the color of the lake, and you might even see the reflection of the snowy mountains in the lake 🙂
Final Guide
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is a must-visit when you’re traveling to South Island, New Zealand. I suggest spending at least 2 nights here so you have enough time to do the hikes, and activities, and appreciate the beauty of the place! However, if you can only fit in one day of Mt Cook in your itinerary, then definitely do the Hooker Valley Track or the Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike. Read here for the best 10-day itinerary for South Island 🙂
Click here for the Ultimate guide on traveling to New Zealand 🙂
Where to stay in Mount Cook
Booking.comHope you guys find this helpful, and drop a comment to let me know about your favorite Mount Cook memories <3
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