Attractions & Museums
2 hours
Free cancellation
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from
$190
per adult
Dark Sky Project
Dark Sky Project
4.5
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Full view
About
At Dark Sky Project (formerly Earth & Sky) we strive to connect manuhiri (visitors) to our night skies, and to inspire a lifelong understanding and passion for the dark sky above. We’re proud to be world-leaders in astro-tourism experiences and advocates for dark sky preservation. Located in the heart of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest Dark Sky Reserve in the world and the first Dark Sky Reserve in the world and the first to be awarded gold tier status, Takapō (Tekapo) is one of the quietest spots on the planet yet it has one of the busiest night skies in the universe. We’re privileged to offer a range of experiences at exclusive locations in this world-renowned stargazing destination. Stunning surrounds, pristine night skies, premier destinations, expert guides make Dark Sky Project the ultimate place to reflect, to discover and to be inspired.
Tours and Tickets by Dark Sky Project
Walking Tours
45 minutes
Free cancellation
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from
$51
per adult
Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Taking safety measures
Free cancellation
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from
$118
per adult
Walking Tours
45 minutes
Free cancellation
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from
$71
per adult
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4.5
1,123 reviews
Excellent
725
Very good
201
Average
95
Poor
49
Terrible
53
Austina
3 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Amazing launch to space with Phillipa as our captain! She was fun and engaging as we rode to the observatory and kept us feeling safe (even with driving in the pitch black!). Our fearless leader, Tu, has great enthusiasm as he explained about stars and planets and how the world of space works. Dan came and helped out towards the end with showing us the different phases of stars being born.
We were so grateful for the coats provided to us at the beginning of the tour (we wanted to keep them, they were so warm), but it was still a pretty cold/windy night at the observatory.
We also did the virtual star gazing experience (with Dan) before the summit experience and we felt like it enhanced the experience greatly! Not only was Dan great at explaining things, but he made it easy to understand and you could tell how passionate he was about the work!
Overall, this is one of the top experiences of our lives so far. Do not miss out on the opportunity to experience the night sky in a new way! We are hoping to come back very soon to do this all again!
We were so grateful for the coats provided to us at the beginning of the tour (we wanted to keep them, they were so warm), but it was still a pretty cold/windy night at the observatory.
We also did the virtual star gazing experience (with Dan) before the summit experience and we felt like it enhanced the experience greatly! Not only was Dan great at explaining things, but he made it easy to understand and you could tell how passionate he was about the work!
Overall, this is one of the top experiences of our lives so far. Do not miss out on the opportunity to experience the night sky in a new way! We are hoping to come back very soon to do this all again!
Written 29 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jamieclower
Silverado, CA38 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
I hate to say this, but our entire trip to NZ was planned around a new moon visit to Dark Sky Project. Visiting in the late spring we were so hopeful for great conditions, but our 9:30 pm tour was cancelled as we all milled about the lobby hoping for better news while light clouds passed through the sky.
We are so passionate about night sky preserves and absolutely love what they are doing here - I hope we can return for the full experience. If you are hoping to do this, try to book on your first of multiple nights in the area - they did offer to rebook the next or later evenings but we were heading out of the region (our mistake!).
We are so passionate about night sky preserves and absolutely love what they are doing here - I hope we can return for the full experience. If you are hoping to do this, try to book on your first of multiple nights in the area - they did offer to rebook the next or later evenings but we were heading out of the region (our mistake!).
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
murorga
Sheffield, UK16 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
We turned up to the Dark Sky Project on a beautifully clear and dry summer's evening for our Crater Experience (stargazing through telescopes). We planned ahead, booked on a night where no cloud cover was expected and, upon arrival, were relieved to see conditions couldn't have been any better! 3 hours later, we were told our Crater Experience was cancelled due to lack of visibility.
That seemed odd. We stepped outside and could still see the entire sky from horizon to horizon so clearly that even our little smartphones could capture photos of the constellations we had driven hours and paid hundreds of dollars to view through high powered telescopes...
At this point, a simple refund would have been fine. Instead, we were given a 25% refund and forced to endure a "virtual stargazing" experience: in other words, sitting in brutally uncomfortable chairs while being shown fake planets on a sceen.
At 11pm we were reading the Dark Sky Project's information board about how humans spend too much time looking at screens, and how we must take time to enjoy the darkness and the stars in one of the last remaining truly dark skies on Earth. At midnight, we were trapped inside looking at a computer simulation of Saturn on a giant TV, instead of enjoying the most spectacular night sky we had ever seen outside in the Gold Standard Night Sky Reserve.
When the virtual experience was mercifully over, we went outside and took ourselves stargazing (alongside dozens of others people) beneath what had continued to be a beautifully clear night sky.
We appreciate that stargazing is dependent on weather and visibility, but if those conditions weren't good enough for the experience to run, I can't imagine what is. The whole thing felt like a scam: a way to flog overpriced tickets to the "virtual" experience by selling the Crater experience, then just cancelling it. Unless you're passing Lake Tekapo at midnight and can pop in on a whim, please don't invest any time, money or energy in specifically visiting this place in the hope that your experience will go ahead, because they don't even refund you when it doesn't.
It's also worth noting that there is nowhere to eat after 9pm in Lake Tekapo and, despite their main attractions being midnight stargazing, the Dark Sky Project don't provide any kind of refreshments after 8.30pm. They don't even have a vending machine: the staff look at you like you're crazy if you ask where you can get a cup of coffee or a snack. If you're driving from out of town it's worth eating before you get there!
That seemed odd. We stepped outside and could still see the entire sky from horizon to horizon so clearly that even our little smartphones could capture photos of the constellations we had driven hours and paid hundreds of dollars to view through high powered telescopes...
At this point, a simple refund would have been fine. Instead, we were given a 25% refund and forced to endure a "virtual stargazing" experience: in other words, sitting in brutally uncomfortable chairs while being shown fake planets on a sceen.
At 11pm we were reading the Dark Sky Project's information board about how humans spend too much time looking at screens, and how we must take time to enjoy the darkness and the stars in one of the last remaining truly dark skies on Earth. At midnight, we were trapped inside looking at a computer simulation of Saturn on a giant TV, instead of enjoying the most spectacular night sky we had ever seen outside in the Gold Standard Night Sky Reserve.
When the virtual experience was mercifully over, we went outside and took ourselves stargazing (alongside dozens of others people) beneath what had continued to be a beautifully clear night sky.
We appreciate that stargazing is dependent on weather and visibility, but if those conditions weren't good enough for the experience to run, I can't imagine what is. The whole thing felt like a scam: a way to flog overpriced tickets to the "virtual" experience by selling the Crater experience, then just cancelling it. Unless you're passing Lake Tekapo at midnight and can pop in on a whim, please don't invest any time, money or energy in specifically visiting this place in the hope that your experience will go ahead, because they don't even refund you when it doesn't.
It's also worth noting that there is nowhere to eat after 9pm in Lake Tekapo and, despite their main attractions being midnight stargazing, the Dark Sky Project don't provide any kind of refreshments after 8.30pm. They don't even have a vending machine: the staff look at you like you're crazy if you ask where you can get a cup of coffee or a snack. If you're driving from out of town it's worth eating before you get there!
Written 25 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveler592014
Chattanooga, Tennessee12 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
What a profound experience this was viewing the southern sky with both the naked eye and telescopes. The guides were so knowledgeable and interesting and it is an experience I will never forget seeing the Milky Way, Saturn, constellations, the Southern Cross, a nebula and star clusters and realizing I am viewing the past. Already seeking other Dark Sky spots to visit!
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily H
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Couples
We were very lucky to get a private tour & were privileged to have Kate as our guide. We also did outdoor stargazing but this virtual experience really helped us understand everything we had seen. Kate was a fountain of knowledge, answering all of our questions with great enthusiasm. I would strongly recommend this experience for anyone curious about astronomy and interested in learning more about the formation of stars & the night sky.
Written 19 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pippa H
London, UK76 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Definitely a Lake Tekapo must do - learnt so much about space and stars from the very engaging astronomers, and it was so cool getting to use the telescopes, seeing constellations/planets/the moon in that much detail is so special. It is a bit pricey, we did the crater one as it was a bit cheaper and the receptionist told us the content of the observatory and crater were the same, just different locations. Make sure to wrap up warm though! It was -3 when we went, but the jackets they give you are great.
Written 9 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bigdadwangchung
Tucson, AZ167 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
An excellent experience viewing the stars, galaxies, planets and nebula of the southern hemisphere. I messed up the time to get there and was my birthday and the staff went of thier way to get me up to the tour that had just started. The tour guides were excellent and the sky with no clouds or moonlight was mesmerizing!
Written 21 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TR82
Brisbane212 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
We originally wanted to do a night start gazing experience but reviews and advice indicated that would be way too hard with young kids and it was freezing so we did the indoor experience at the dark sky centre, it is $100 per family and I feel about $30-40 over priced at that amount.
The tour goes through about 5 rooms and goes for about 45-50mins, there is some interesting info and the tour guide Micky’s knowledge was outstanding.
The way they merged science with the Māori lore was very impressive and something that NZ does so much better than Australia.
Nothing too awe inspiring and as mentioned a bit over priced for what it was.
The tour goes through about 5 rooms and goes for about 45-50mins, there is some interesting info and the tour guide Micky’s knowledge was outstanding.
The way they merged science with the Māori lore was very impressive and something that NZ does so much better than Australia.
Nothing too awe inspiring and as mentioned a bit over priced for what it was.
Written 30 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
absolutetravel
Sydney, Australia21 contributions
A beautiful night sky and an informative speaker. We did the Crater Experience (just a man made area you stand in to view the night sky) Three telescopes were set up for us to look through.
It was freezing but we were offered jackets if required etc. A shuttle bus took us from the centre to the site. The experience lasted about an hour but was marred by people interrupting etc. It needed to be more strongly managed so everyone could listen, see and contribute. It was also very expensive for what it was. I did a similar one in NT which was better value for money.
It was freezing but we were offered jackets if required etc. A shuttle bus took us from the centre to the site. The experience lasted about an hour but was marred by people interrupting etc. It needed to be more strongly managed so everyone could listen, see and contribute. It was also very expensive for what it was. I did a similar one in NT which was better value for money.
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gemma Gibbons
Hastings, New Zealand1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Captivating and Cerebral! Thank you to the University of Canterbury, the Kaimahi (Guides) & all involved with the Dark Sky Project to make this experience possible! Guides were all informative, enthusiastic and friendly. Come with questions and curiosity!
MVP goes to Phillipa Robertson Rider of Rohan, 'yeah' ... whose excellent bus driving skills, witty rhetoric and easy-going nature made for a fun evening all round!
Chur Cosmos!
MVP goes to Phillipa Robertson Rider of Rohan, 'yeah' ... whose excellent bus driving skills, witty rhetoric and easy-going nature made for a fun evening all round!
Chur Cosmos!
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NgSarah
1 contribution
Hi! My private crater tour was cancelled on the 6 Dec due to an overcast sky. The staff promised a refund within 10 business days. To date it is more than 10 business days and I have sent two emails to ask about the refund but there was completely no reply. Have any one of you encounter problems with refunds with this company? Are they trustworthy? Thanks!
maki
4 contributions
星空ツアーへの参加を検討しているのですが、テカポ湖到着が夕方予定のため、第1便または第2便のどちらを予約するか迷っております。
そこで、以下質問です。
・ツアー開始何分前までにオフィスへの集合が必要でしょうか？
・ホテルチェックイン前にオフィスに直行し、ツアーの間荷物を預かって頂くことはできますでしょうか？
・送迎対象ホテルへのピックアップは、オフィス→天文台へ行く途中に寄るのでしょうか？それとも、早めにホテルでピックアップし、一度オフィスに戻ってオフィス集合の方を乗せて出発でしょうか？(少しでも集合時間が遅い方を選びたく…)
具体的には、17:40ホテル着予定のキアカハシャトルで行く予定で、その時期のツアー出発は18:30/20:45です。あまり遅くなりたくないのと、万が一天候が優れなければ次の時間に振り替えられるようにできれば18:30のツアーに参加したく、ご回答いただきたいです。
FootPrints653283様、
お待たせいたしました。ツアーの出発時間から推測すると、冬季(7月頃でしょうか)の予約をご検討いただいているかと思います。
ツアーの集合時間は出発時間の20分前になりますので、1本目のツアーにご参加いただくためには弊社オフィスに18:10までにお越しいただく必要がございます。
基本的に1本目のツアーにお申込みいただいた状態で、出発時に天候が優れない場合、2本目に(空き席があれば)予約を変更することが可能です。
またスーツケースのお預かりについて、担当部署に確認いたしました。
スーツケースはカウンターの後ろなどに置いておくことは可能ですが盗難、破損などに対する責任はとることができないとの回答でした。
主要ホテル(ペッパーズホテル、ゴッドレーホテル) からはピックアップのサービスがございますので、ホテルにスーツケースを下ろして18:05までのホテルフロントにお越しいただければスーツケースのことを心配なさらずにツアーにご参加いただけます。
ピックアップ サービスは主要ホテル出発の25分前、オフィス集合は出発の20分前となっています。
Craig ビジネス マネージャー (代) 日本語チームリーダー Satoshi
Frozen
1 contribution
I am trying to find out the average annual number of clear sky nights. My daughter has just been in Chile and although we have all seen heaps of NZ we haven't been to Mt John. We wonder how it compares with Mamalluca Observatory in Chile, which claims 300 nights, but I don't think it has the special Dark Sky status which Mt John area has.
Davidlcohen
London, UK86 contributions
Really can't be sure but contact them to ask. They are a roper research institute so should be able to tell you
melange321
Brisbane, Australia184 contributions
What telescopes are used during the tour? Model/specs etc?
JessieMay0809
Taupo, New Zealand16 contributions
dobsonian but not sure of specs
Gareth W
Chelmsford, UK349 contributions
Greetings, is it possible to go up the mountain in our hire car by ourselves at night time. I’ve completed a number of observatory visits and really only want to see the best view point for the night sky.
DarkSkyProjectNZ
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Kia ora,
Thank you for your question.
The road will be closed at 4.30pm and you will only be able to access while on a stargazing tour with us. If you are interested in checking out the tours you can visit our website.
Nga mihi,
Lyndsey
HoeK1
Singapore, Singapore43 contributions
Hi, is 15, 16 or 17 Dec a good and clear night for stargazing? Will we be able to see Milky Way with our naked eyes. We will be near Tekapo. Also should we take Mt John observatory tour or Church of Good Shepherd? We like to take photos of the Milky Way with our camera.
HoeK1
Singapore, Singapore43 contributions
Hi, is 15, 16 or 17 Dec a good and clear night for stargazing? Will we be able to see Milky Way with our naked eyes. We will be near Tekapo. Also should we take Mt John observatory tour or Church of Good Shepherd? We like to take photos of the Milky Way with our camera.
Chiaki S
11 contributions
You can check the star calendar on the Eart and Sky website!
Dassiewave
Singapore37 contributions
Hello friends, I'll be at Tekapo sometime late october (4,5 days after a full moon). Is it still recommended to join this tour anyway? Is the longer tour (Mt john) better than the shorter Cowan tour?any significant difference apart from duration & cost?
Joshtherock
Burleigh Heads, Australia249 contributions
I would recommend the Mt John tour over the Cowan one, It’s a great tour and doesn’t feel long at all as everything is interesting. We didn’t have the moon but didn’t matter as we had 5 planets!
slade45
Salt Lake City, UT68 contributions
I'll be there three days after a full moon - is this tour still worth doing? I realize clouds are also an issue, but those come and go. Just curious if anyone else has done it close to a full moon or at a full moon.
DarkSkyProjectNZ
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
Kia ora,
Visiting on a full moon you will find the fainter stars are washed away, however those bright shining stars will still be visible and not to forget viewing the moon through the telescopes is simply spectacular.
Safe Travels,
