Summit Experience: Mt John Observatory

114 Ratings

Lake Tekapo

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Discover the universe at Mt John Observatory. Explore the Milky Way, distant galaxies, and more with expert guides in New Zealand’s premier stargazing experience.

Duration: 2 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Dark Sky Project - Dive into the breathtaking environment, unspoiled night skies, and advanced viewing technologies while our knowledgeable guides reveal the science and tales of our Southern Skies.

What's Included

Pickup and drop-off from our Lake Tekapo Office
Professional guide
Expert astronomy guides share their intimate knowledge of the Southern skies
Exclusive access to Mount John’s 1,029 metre peak
View the night sky with the naked eye (guided by the handheld lasers of guides)
Look through our powerful telescopes, and through our Mount John…

What's Not Included

Dinner
Snacks

Additional Information

Our most popular astronomy experience at the world-renowned astronomical research centre. Prepare for an awe-inspiring evening of discovery.
Immerse yourself in the stunning surrounds, pristine night skies and sophisticated viewing technologies as our expert guides share the science and stories of our Southern Skies.
High atop Mount John’s 1,029 metre…

Location

Dark Sky Project

1 Motuariki Lane,

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.4

(114 Ratings)

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1 star

Madan_85

Oct 21, 2024

I'm going to need a bigger antenna. - What a great project! We did the Summit Experience. We boarded a mini bus with other travelers and were taken to the Mt John Summit Observatory. Once up top, a quick briefing, followed by a guided tour of the night sky by the lovely staff. Viewing of the night sky through three of their onsite telescopes really made the evening. I had the privilege of viewing Saturn through a telescope! This is a great tour for the curious one, amateur astronomers and astrophotographers. If you want to learn about the McKenzie region dark sky project and/or gain an understanding of the night sky and what you can do to minimise light pollution this is a great start. Lots to learn!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Noel_d

Sep 20, 2024

If you have a passing interest in the night sky, then this is a must. - If you have a passing interest in the night sky, then this is a must. The staff were incredibly knowledgeable. The tout of the night sky was informative, fun and the views breat Kitted out with EWC ( Extreme Weather Coats) we were wrapped up warm against the elements, the location was sheltered from the wind. the telescopes were staffed by extremely knowledgeable staff, who were more than happy to explain the basic and complex. The setting with mountains all around with stars, planets and the Milky Way over head was breathtaking

Review provided by Viator

Hazelpw6984cv

Sep 5, 2024

Perfect night - Fantastic experience starting with an amusing bus drive with Phillipa. Owen and his crew were a wealth of knowledge on our solar system. We learned so much and enjoyed looking up close through the telescopes. The coats provided were an extra much needed tough!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Gwhiz93

Aug 22, 2024

Chilly but really cool! - We arrived a little early and could wander around the gift shop, which actually had some really nice and unique things for sale. There’s a small interactive space you can play around with bottle rocket and some other things as well gawk at a big telescope. They have big warm jackets you can wear and take up Mt John, which we needed, it was freezing, would recommend bringing some gloves too. The drive up was entertaining with Philipa the driver talking about the area and the researchers, as well as just being hilarious. The guides on the mountain were really knowledgeable, they explained different consolations and then moved onto looking through a few different telescopes and a few different stars. It was really cool to see the planets and nebula, and we could also see so many stars with just our eyes. Recommend for a different experience and to learn new things, and just see some cool stuff!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Lachlantm

Aug 21, 2024

Mesmerising sky full of stars - A mesmerising experience on top of Mount John. Our guides were full of knowledge, explained big concepts in an understandable way, and showed us the moon and the stars in a magnificent light. Absolutely recommend!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Terence_low

Aug 3, 2024

Astounding - A must do - the summit experience introduced us to a world that we knew so little about and brought to life the realization of how vast our galaxy is and a world that stretches beyond imagination.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ghw_12

Nov 19, 2024

Great experience lucky to have had the opportunity. - We were extremely lucky to get a window of opportunity as they'd only gone out once in the prior 2 weeks due to excessive cloud cover. 60% Cloudy at first then cleared up. Amazing how different the stars look when you're in an area of no light pollution ( ie: every city on the planet ) great experience and worth it but, just like glacier helicopters, I would recommend you go in with the expectation you may not be able to experience this and if you get to then treat it as a bonus to avoid disappointment. There is the virtual version but can't comment as we didn't need to do that. Tip - freezing and windy, dress accordingly.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Chinatsu_f

Sep 3, 2024

Wonderful Stars! - I had a good experience to exploring stars. At first I requested an English tour, but they changed into Japanese tour quickely! Our guide was so nice, she has a lots of knowledge and I learned about southern sky stars.

Review provided by Viator

Irisz511

Sep 3, 2024

The business called to inform us the activity was cancelled due to the weather. - The same evening, due to rain and cloudiness, the business called to inform us that the activity was cancelled due to the weather and a full chargeback would be given. But as of today, there's no chargeback. There's no reply to messages left to businesses.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Sparky536

Aug 4, 2024

ICY ROADS IN WINTER.... WHO KNEW? - Disappointment is an understatement. A perfectly clear night at Lake Tekapo, perfect for star gazing, and our trip was cancelled at the last minute because their bus is apparently incapable of getting up the hill when it's icy. Maybe it's me, but I find this ridiculous. Snow and ice are regular occurrences in the winter here, so it was hardly exceptional, in fact highly predictable. This experience is supposed to be the showcase for exploring New Zealand's dark sky and it seems pathetic that they don't have the appropriate vehicles to get you up there when it's cold. It's all very well getting a refund but having been here many times in the past when skies have not been clear enough to see stars, to be cancelled on a perfectly clear night was a major let-down and unless there is a compelling explanation, totally inexcusable.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

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up to 10 guests

1 Adult