How to travel from Motueka to Lake Tekapo, New Zealand

There are several options for getting from Motueka to Lake Tekapo by bus, car and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around NZ$160 ($95) and will take around 11h 45m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can fly and then take the bus and arrive in approximately 5h 50m, though it is a bit more costly at approximately NZ$230 ($140).

The distance between Motueka and Lake Tekapo is around 532km (331 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 370km (230 miles)

It takes around 11h 45m to get from Motueka and Lake Tekapo by bus. If you are travelling by car it will take around 7h 50m to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Motueka to Lake Tekapo is to fly and then take the bus which takes around 5h 50m and will set you back approx NZ$230 ($140).

The cheapest way to travel between Motueka and Lake Tekapo, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around NZ$160 ($95) for a standard one-way ticket.

There is no train service that runs between Motueka and Lake Tekapo. We recommend that you fly from Nelson (NSN) to Christchurch (CHC) then take the bus to Tekapo. instead which will take 5h 50m.

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Motueka and Lake Tekapo. It typically takes around 11h 45m and departs twice a week.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Motueka to Lake Tekapo. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Nelson Intercity, Blenheim and Christchurch. These services run twice a week and will take a minimum of 11h 45m.

Golden Bay Coachlines and InterCity run regular bus services between Motueka and Lake Tekapo. Buses run twice a week and take around 11h 45m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Motueka to Lake Tekapo. We recommend that you fly from Nelson (NSN) to Christchurch (CHC) then take the bus to Tekapo. instead which will take 5h 50m.

The closest major airport to Lake Tekapo is Timaru Airport (TIU) (TIU) which is approximately 72km (45 miles) from Lake Tekapo. 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.

Yes it is possible to drive from Motueka and Lake Tekapo. The distance is around 653km (406 miles) by road and it will take around 7h 50m in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Motueka to Lake Tekapo is to take the bus which takes, on average, 11h 45m and will usually cost around NZ$160 ($95).