Category Stargazing and Dark Sky Tours

New Zealand · STARGAZING AND DARK SKY TOURS

15 Stargazing and Dark Sky Tours in New Zealand to Put in the Diary

23 reviewed

Of the 23 stargazing and dark sky tours on this site, these 15 are the ones to book. Prices, running times and the thing that actually separates them sit below, so you can decide in five minutes and get back to the map.

Lake Tekapo: Alpine Stargazing Experience with a Guide

Lake Tekapo: Alpine Stargazing Experience with a Guide - Meeting at Silver River Stargazing, then getting ready for cold, dark air

1.Lake Tekapo: Alpine Stargazing Experience with a Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 626 reviews · 1h 15m · from $59Our pick

Lake Tekapo stargazing with a guide and 14-inch telescope at the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve. Small group, photo link.

“Tour was amazing, learnt so much about the stars from our guide Tara. She was amazing, I loved all the history behind the name of the stars & cool facts about them! Must do when in lake tekapo. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many stars in my life it was unreal. Love the complimentary photo in the end as well!”

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Lake Tekapo: Stargazing Experience

Lake Tekapo: Stargazing Experience - Meeting near Tekapo River, and getting comfortable fast

2.Lake Tekapo: Stargazing Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 607 reviews · 1h 30m · from $71

Lake Tekapo stargazing in the Dark Sky Reserve with a 9.25-inch telescope, hot chocolate, blankets, photos, and a marshmallow fire.

“The tour was fantastic! Mok was very engaging and informative and Josh was very patient and a good photographer. We had a great time. Highly recommended.”

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Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour

Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour - Photos Under the Stars: How the Photo Part Fits the Tour

3.Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 181 reviews · from $74Top rated

Lake Tekapo stargazing with a powerful telescope, warm blankets, hot chocolate, marshmallows, and take-home photos in a small shared group.

“Perfect activity for anyone that enjoys looking up to the stars! The wintry nights are great you are lucky to have clear weather. It can get a little chilly but the company is so helpful with blankets and eventually some campfire with marshmallows. The information is great and our guide (whom I have forgotten her name but she was of Malaysian background) was so fun and full of information. She made things lighthearted and joyful.”

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Lake Tekapo: Mountaintop Stargazing at Mount John Summit

Lake Tekapo: Mountaintop Stargazing at Mount John Summit - Your 105 Minutes, From Takapō Lakefront to Stargazing Under the Southern Skies

Mount John Observatory Stargazing Experience, Tekapo

Mount John Observatory Stargazing Experience, Tekapo - Stop 2 on the summit: University of Canterbury Observatory time

5.Mount John Observatory Stargazing Experience, Tekapo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 160 reviews · from $139

Guided stargazing on Mount John Observatory above Lake Tekapo, with laser pointing, telescopes, and warm coats in an International Dark Sky Reserve.

“Most interesting experience. We had to wait an extra nights to go up, as weather was cloudy. The ground crew were very informative, with the situation. The crew on the mountain were fantastic, with their knowledge. Apart from the cold, we were warned, it was great. I would do it again in warmer times, without a full moon, so we could better see the Milky Way.”

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Tekapo Star Gazing Tour – Soak in the Stars

Tekapo Star Gazing Tour - Soak in the Stars - Indoor projector plan: full-color deep space when the sky misbehaves

6.Tekapo Star Gazing Tour – Soak in the Stars

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 109 reviews · from $117

Guided stargazing at Tekapo Springs, stories from the night sky, and warm hot pools, with an indoor projector backup in bad weather.

“Knowledgeable guides and lovely hot springs, with refreshments, showers, and nice amenities. Really enjoyed learning about the stars, especially those you can only see in the Southern Hemisphere. At first we considered canceling when wRead more”

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Silver River Stargazing Experience in Lake Tekapo

Silver River Stargazing Experience in Lake Tekapo - Group size, shuttles, and the flow of the evening

7.Silver River Stargazing Experience in Lake Tekapo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 106 reviews · from $61

Guided stargazing in Lake Tekapo at Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve with a 14-inch telescope, shuttle, jackets, and photo.

“The experience provides a basic knowledge about galaxies, stars and planets. We saw fiew specific stars and learned about their location in the sky, related to navigation and time and distance from earth. Daniel was an excellent guide. He explained all the topics very clearly and was open for questions. We had a chance to view several stars with the telescope. Highly recommended tour for people without a deep knowledge in southern hemisphere astronomy.”

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Stargazing Experience at Cowan’s Private Observatory

Stargazing Experience at Cowan's Private Observatory - Meeting at Dark Sky Project and the short shuttle to the observatory

Dark Sky Indoor Maori Cultural Astronomy Experience

Dark Sky Indoor Maori Cultural Astronomy Experience - Where the Māori astronomy and Western science links actually click

9.Dark Sky Indoor Maori Cultural Astronomy Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 70 reviews · from $37

Daytime indoor stargazing at Lake Tekapo, blending Māori astronomy and Western science in four interactive zones plus a restored 125-year-old telescope.

“The Maori side of the night sky and their stories was very interesting and informative. The presentation of the information in the various room was well done and kept everybody engaged.”

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Southern Skies Stargazing Tour in Dunedin

Southern Skies Stargazing Tour in Dunedin - Otago Peninsula farm stop: light supper, hot drinks, and stories in the dark

10.Southern Skies Stargazing Tour in Dunedin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $109

Stargaze from Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula with warm drinks, Māori sky stories, and small-group aurora australis chances.

“Thank you Kylie for a wonderful experience! We love your stories and how you take care of us while we are busy taking photos of the milky way. Btw, you have a lovely voice :) Definitely will recommend this tour to my friends and family.”

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Night Awe – Stargazing tour in Akaroa

Night Awe - Stargazing tour in Akaroa - Two telescopes, two styles of seeing

11.Night Awe – Stargazing tour in Akaroa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $67

Join expert Luca in Akaroa for a small-group stargazing tour with a 10-inch Dobsonian, live astrophotography, hot drinks, and instant digital photos.

“Luca is a great guide through the cosmos. He shows great enthousiasm in his explenations of the constellations and planets.”

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AuthenticAs Star Gazing -Nightscape Portrait Photography Tour

AuthenticAs Star Gazing -Nightscape Portrait Photography Tour - The 7:30 pm start and what your night shoot is really like

12.AuthenticAs Star Gazing -Nightscape Portrait Photography Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · from $557

Queenstown private night-sky portrait tour: moon and constellations photos, Māori star stories, and a galactic backdrop portrait.

“If you are in the Queenstown area and have even a mild interest in the sky at night, then this tour is for you. Our guide Simon met us at our hotel in town and took us to one of the peaks around Queenstown where we witnessed the most sRead more”

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Lake Tekapo: Stargazing Experience at Cowan’s Observatory

Lake Tekapo: Stargazing Experience at Cowan's Observatory - Entering the Observation Craters at Cowan’s Private Observatory

Twizel: Stargazing Tour with an Astronomer and Telescope

Twizel: Stargazing Tour with an Astronomer and Telescope - Meeting at Lake Front Road and getting oriented fast

14.Twizel: Stargazing Tour with an Astronomer and Telescope

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 36 reviews · 1h 15m · from $59

Twizel stargazing in the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve with astronomer Daniel, laser-guided sky tour, telescope views, and a personal astro photo.

“Dan was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share his knowledge. The group was very intimate which made it close to a private experience. Would definitely recommend.”

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Milky Way Glowworm Cave Tour

Milky Way Glowworm Cave Tour - What the walk into the cave feels like (300 m plus 30 steps)

15.Milky Way Glowworm Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $27

A guided one hour Milky Way Glowworm Cave tour near Auckland, with close glowworm views, lifecycle explanations, and a calm, meditative walk.

“We were delighted by the staff welcome and visit. The small step and cave pleased the whole family small and large. The moment in the cave was a sublime and pleasant moment for everyone. The discovery of glowworms was a magical moment. A visit to make.Auto-translated”

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