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Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Things to Do in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks
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Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks

See all things to do
See all things to do
Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks
4.5
278 reviews
#4 of 14 things to do in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
278 reviews
Excellent
140
Very good
100
Average
32
Poor
6
Terrible
0
Greg T
Wellington, New Zealand31 contributions
Lots of stairs, great views!
Sep 2022 • Couples
Wanted to see the views up the Tasman Glacier as we had missed out on the boat trip due to high winds. Was told the walk up to the viewing point was a few stairs up 50m in height

340 steps and much higher than 50m later… great view from the top, of the lake, glacier and mountain, and view back down the glacial valley towards Glentanner. Was worth the climb.
Written September 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
kelly
2 contributions
Stunning scenery
Jan 2023
Absolutely stunning scenery in summer and in winter, We have walked to the lake twice with our kids. It is pushchair friendly but you need a pushchair with good off road wheels. My kids happily played at the edge of the lake throwing rocks into the water. In winter the whole lake is frozen over
Written January 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Antony
Wellington, New Zealand12 contributions
Family walk
Dec 2021 • Family
Lovely walk down to the lakeside, even though the wind and rain were coming to play. Beautiful scenery, fairly flat all the way though you will need to scramble over rocks a bit if you want to get right down to the waters edge. Couple of icebergs to see on the lake really close which was great to see. Recommend having a chat with the team in the i-site in Mt Cook Village to check which walks are best considering the weather conditions.
Written December 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jerry
2 contributions
Un-amazing views of the glacier.
Jan 2022
The walk has approximately 100 stairs up to see the Tasman Glacier. From that top point, you can see the Blue Lakes. You wont need to detour to the Blue Lakes. We went at the end of Jan 2022, summer and dry. So the lakes (or large puddles) were greenish from rainwater and algae...slightly slimy. Not your stereotypical beauty, as compared to the other walks.

The view of the Tasman Glacier was impressive for the wrong reasons. From the information board, you can see how much of the glacier has melted in the last 30 years. That really made me sad to know that this amazing view will no longer be around in my lifetime, knowing that my young son will not be able to see any of the glacier from this walk when he is a teenager.

This walk is worth seeing the sad effects of climate change, the consequences of our slow action to improve the environment. Indirectly, the impacts of our consumerism (I am guilty of that too!).

The view around the glacier is impressive, as impressive as the other mountains in the area. It's a fairly exposed walk so if it's windy, pack a windbreaker. I wore comfortable sports shoes and that was sufficient.
Written January 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
FyingKiwi
Christchurch, New Zealand928 contributions
Where?
Jan 2021
If this were a fitness track for training mountain runners (which for at least one person appeared to tbe the case), then this track would be given an excellent rating. However, for the average visitor (like myself), who simply climbed the 300+ steps with an anticipation to see a beautiful lake containing icebergs (which is what all the literature provided indicates), then they are likely to meet with exhaustive disappointment. When you do reach the top. you see a large, not particularly attractive lake, with the face of the Tasman Glacier barely discernible a great distance away, and NO ice bergs.
The climb may have been more endurable if there was more scenery, but essentially bareness was more the key feature.
A forget it experience.
Written January 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Shelley M
Albany, New Zealand537 contributions
Lots of stairs
Nov 2022
The blurb said a "few stairs", definitely more than a few, but take your time and enjoy the view. Definitely need decent shoes on and watch small kids closely. The view at the top is lovely looking at the glacier and lake with icebergs in it. The view off to the side you can see 3 lakes. We have a lot of fun getting to all three. Lots of climbing over rocks to get to the blue lake, but was so worth it. Nice spot.
Written November 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
santo t
Auckland, New Zealand7,589 contributions
Good but average
Dec 2019
It was good but not too spectacular, just average because what people want to see mainly is the glacier, while the glacier is already retracted so far and difficult to see from the look put point, so do not delay if you still want to see even from distance. Also the 20 minutes track to reach the lookout is involving a lot of steps which could be not suitable for handicapped persons. Anyway, at least you can see a big lake as the result of the melting ice, Tasman Lake, before it flows to the lower land away toward Lake Pukaki. The car parking area as starting point for walk is approx 2 km from Mt Cook Information Centre.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Toon
Eindhoven, The Netherlands301 contributions
Nice views of Tasman Lake and Glacier
Nov 2019
The carparking (with toilets) is the starting point for the walks. The path to Tasman Glacier View is simple, but with a good number of steps. At the top you have a beautiful view of Tasman Lake with a few icebergs and in the distance the Tasman glacier. Duration of the walk around 10-20 minutes (one way). On the information boards you can read that the glacier is shrinking rapidly every year. If you still have time, the easy 30-minute walk to the source of the Tasman River with icebergs is definitely worth it. It is also a lot less crowded here with people.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Travelove58
11,170 contributions
Another amazing landscape of South Island......
Feb 2020 • Family
The moderate distance walk uphill via structured steps all the way to the top viewpoint was tiring but worth it.

The viewpoint area was quite small & crowded. But the views from here of the lake & mountains were awesome.

Relax and admire the majestic wonders & beauty of this landscape. The feeling is just great!

As we continue in our explorations of the South Island, we were amazed by the endless amount of beautiful & stunning mountains & lakes.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Natalie A
Rotorua, New Zealand131 contributions
Short walk for the views
Apr 2021 • Couples
We drove to the carpark not really planning to walk to the lake as it was raining. However the rain stopped when we got there so decided to make the short walk to the Tasman Glacier Lake. You can also take the track to the Blue Lakes but we decided to give it a miss as you can see it from the track to the Tasman lake.The track is a short climb up but when you get to the top it's worth it for the views even on a gloomy day.
Written April 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks (Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu)) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Lakes and Tasman Glacier walks
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