Travel Budget for Aoraki Mount Cook

Canterbury, New Zealand
Pacific / New Zealand / South Island /

How much does it cost to travel to Aoraki Mount Cook?

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How much money will you need for your trip to Aoraki Mount Cook? You should plan to spend around NZ$142 ($100) per day on your vacation in Aoraki Mount Cook, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, NZ$36 ($25) on meals for one day and NZ$37 ($26) on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in Aoraki Mount Cook for a couple is NZ$160 ($113). So, a trip to Aoraki Mount Cook for two people for one week costs on average NZ$1,985 ($1,399). All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    NZ$142
  • One Week Per person
    NZ$992
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    NZ$1,985
  • One Month Per person
    NZ$4,253
  • One Week For a couple
    NZ$1,985
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    NZ$3,969
  • One Month For a couple
    NZ$8,505
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.

A vacation to Aoraki Mount Cook for one week usually costs around NZ$992 for one person. So, a trip to Aoraki Mount Cook for two people costs around NZ$1,985 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs NZ$3,969 in Aoraki Mount Cook. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Aoraki Mount Cook can often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.



How expensive is Aoraki Mount Cook? How much money do I need for Aoraki Mount Cook?

How much does a trip to Aoraki Mount Cook cost? Is Aoraki Mount Cook expensive? The average Aoraki Mount Cook trip cost is broken down by category here. All of these Aoraki Mount Cook prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.

Accommodation Budget in Aoraki Mount Cook
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price for one person for accommodation in Aoraki Mount Cook is NZ$80. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price for a hotel room in Aoraki Mount Cook is NZ$160.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    NZ$80
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    NZ$160

Vacation Rental Prices in Aoraki Mount Cook

How much do vacation rentals cost in Aoraki Mount Cook? Prices vary by location, date, size of the place, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best vacation rental for your travel style.

We love VRBO because of their commitment to small businesses. VRBO is part of the Expedia family, one of the biggest names in travel.



Food Budget in Aoraki Mount Cook
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Aoraki Mount Cook can vary, the average cost of food in Aoraki Mount Cook is NZ$36 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Aoraki Mount Cook should cost around NZ$14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Aoraki Mount Cook is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    NZ$36


Transportation Budget in Aoraki Mount Cook
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Aoraki Mount Cook is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent NZ$37 per person, per day, on local transportation in Aoraki Mount Cook.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    NZ$37


Flights to Aoraki Mount Cook
How much does it cost to go to Aoraki Mount Cook? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Aoraki Mount Cook
The price of renting a car in Aoraki Mount Cook will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Entertainment Budget in Aoraki Mount Cook
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Aoraki Mount Cook typically cost an average of NZ$31 per person, per day. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    NZ$31


Alcohol Budget in Aoraki Mount Cook
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about NZ$27 on alcoholic beverages in Aoraki Mount Cook per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    NZ$27


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Aoraki Mount Cook On a Budget
Aoraki Mount Cook Aoraki / Mt. Cook, New Nealand
Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is located on the South Island of New Zealand. It was declared a national park in 1953 to protect and preserve the landscape. The park is home to the country's highest peak, Aoraki/Mount Cook. In Maori, Aoraki means, "cloud piercer", and the English name, Mt Cook, refers to the navigator James Cook, who discovered New Zealand in the 18th century. Mt Cook was the training location for Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to summit Everest in 1953. Other peaks in the park include Mount Tasman, Mount Sefton, and Mount Hicks. Not only can you find lush greenery all over the park, but also, glaciers cover 40% of the parks area.
Sights
The whole park in itself is a sight to see. Mount cook towers in the background of many miles of lush green landscapes. Although it can be expensive (but so are most things in New Zealand) seeing the park from above is a truly amazing experience. Air Safaris is a great company that offers a scenic flight over the park. You can do it in a small plane or a helicopter.

Mount Cook National Park and the regions surrounding it were recognized as the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012, so stargazing is definitely a must see while visiting this park. This area is almost completely light-pollution free, making the night skies some of the clearest you will ever witness.

Alternatively, as you approach the park, from the main highway you can see the Tasman Glacier, which is 27 kilometers long.

Lastly, there are many different types of birds and wildlife in the park to look out for. From Kaki/Black Stilt birds to black alpine Weta, you will most likely see one of these birds while there. Beware of the Kea birds though; these are mischievous parrots that always up to no good!
Neighborhoods
The town of Twizel is near the national park. You will most likely be passing through here before entering the park. There are three lakes in the region as well: Lake Pukaki, Lake Tekapo, and Lake Ohau. These are known as the bluest lakes in New Zealand. There are many campsites and accommodations in these areas if you choose to make a stop before actually heading into the park. For those Lord of the Rings fans, Lake Pukaki was the filming location for ‘Lake-town' in The Hobbit. The set was created at the Tasman Downs Station, which is on the shores of Lake Pukaki.

Activities
Tons of outdoor activities are available in Mount Cook National Park for all levels of fitness. These activities include walking, trekking, mountaineering, ice climbing, cycling, and many more. If you plan on climbing Mt Cook, it takes a lot of preparation in advance, and you will need ice-climbing gear.

The Department of Conservation website for New Zealand has information on all of the walks and treks in the area, so this is a great resource for travelers that are looking for that sort of activity. You can also ski on the Tasman Glacier!

A great activity for cyclists is the Alps to Ocean Cycle Trail. The trail is 300 kilometers long and it starts at the Southern Alps in the park and ends at the Pacific Ocean in the town of Oamaru. This is a great way to see as much of the beautiful New Zealand scenery as possible, but is probably not for beginner cyclists.
Food and Dining
There are two main restaurants in the park, but both are pretty expensive. The first is called the Old Mountaineers Cafe; it is next to the DOC Visitor Information Center. The other is located in the Glentanner Park Centre, about 15 minutes away from Mt Cook Village. This one is a bit less expensive. You can always just buy food from the grocery store to cook yourself if you have the proper camping/cooking equipment!

Transportation
You will most likely be passing through Twizel to enter the park, and this road takes you right into Mount Cook village. There is an airport down the road as well, called Mount Cook Airport. The best way to get here would be to rent a car and drive, that way you can navigate all throughout the park. Once you are in the park though, you can also walk! It is such a beautiful park that walking around it to get to trail heads or campsites really just feels like another scenic hike.


Related:

Looking for a party in Auckland or somewhere else in New Zealand?
Traveling alone or with a group?
1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase.


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