How to travel from Lake Tekapo to Nelson, New Zealand

There are several options for getting from Lake Tekapo to Nelson by bus, train, car and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around NZ$125 ($75) and will take around 10h 35m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the bus and then fly and arrive in approximately 5h 20m, though it is a bit more costly at approximately NZ$230 ($140).

The distance between Lake Tekapo and Nelson is around 498km (309 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 369km (229 miles)

It takes around 10h 25m to get from Lake Tekapo and Nelson by bus and train. If you are travelling by car it will take around 7h 35m to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Lake Tekapo to Nelson is to take the bus and then fly which takes around 5h 20m and will set you back approx NZ$230 ($140).

The cheapest way to travel between Lake Tekapo and Nelson, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around NZ$125 ($75) for a standard one-way ticket.

There is no train service that runs between Lake Tekapo and Nelson. We recommend that you take the bus to Christchurch then fly from Christchurch (CHC) to Nelson (NSN). instead which will take 5h 20m.

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Lake Tekapo and Nelson. It typically takes around 10h 35m and departs 4 times a week.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Lake Tekapo to Nelson. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Christchurch and Blenheim. These services run 4 times a week and will take a minimum of 10h 35m.

InterCity run regular bus services between Lake Tekapo and Nelson. Buses run 4 times a week and take around 10h 35m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Lake Tekapo to Nelson. We recommend that you take the bus to Christchurch then fly from Christchurch (CHC) to Nelson (NSN). instead which will take 5h 20m.

The closest major airport to Nelson is Nelson Airport (NSN) (NSN) which is approximately 6km (4 miles) from Nelson. Woodbourne Airport (BHE) (BHE) and Wellington International Airport (WLG) (WLG) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

Yes it is possible to drive from Lake Tekapo and Nelson. The distance is around 635km (395 miles) by road and it will take around 7h 35m in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Lake Tekapo to Nelson is to take the bus and then take the train which takes, on average, 10h 25m and will usually cost around NZ$260 ($160).