How to travel from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

There are several options for getting from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park by bus, train and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around NZ$80 ($49) and will take around 7h 35m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the train, then fly and then take the bus and arrive in approximately 7hrs, though it is a bit more costly at approximately NZ$160 ($100).

The distance between Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is around 460km (286 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 320km (199 miles)

It takes around 7h 35m to get from Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park by bus.

The quickest way to get from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is to take the train, then fly and then take the bus which takes around 7hrs and will set you back approx NZ$160 ($100).

The cheapest way to travel between Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is to take the bus which will typically cost around NZ$80 ($49) for a standard one-way ticket.

There is no train service that runs between Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. We recommend that you take the train to Rangiora then fly from Christchurch (CHC) to Hokitika (HKK) then take the bus to Franz Josef YHA. instead which will take 7hrs.

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. It typically takes around 7h 35m and departs on demand.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Christchurch and Tekapo. These services run on demand and will take a minimum of 7h 35m.

InterCity run regular bus services between Kaikoura and Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Buses run on demand and take around 7h 35m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. We recommend that you take the train to Rangiora then fly from Christchurch (CHC) to Hokitika (HKK) then take the bus to Franz Josef YHA. instead which will take 7hrs.

The closest major airport to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is Timaru Airport (TIU) (TIU) which is approximately 117km (73 miles) from Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. Christchurch International Airport (CHC) (CHC) and Queenstown Airport (ZQN) (ZQN) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

No, its not really possible or feasible to drive from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. We recommend that you take the bus to Christchurch and then to Tekapo. instead which will take 7h 35m.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Kaikoura to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is to take the bus which takes, on average, 7h 35m and will usually cost around NZ$80 ($49).