Choosing a base
The choice near Aoraki/Mount Cook is mostly about distance. The village is closest to the walks and has the Hermitage hotel and a lodge with motels. The White Horse Hill campsite is run by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and sits 2.5 km from the village. Glentanner Park is on the road in, and Twizel and Tekapo are towns with more services and a longer drive.
This guide sorts the options by location, not by price level. Room prices depend on your dates, so check the date you want. Whichever base you choose, bring food and check fuel: the village has one self-service pump, and there is no regular shop.
Where to stay compared
Distances and times as DOC and the operators give them.
| Base | Distance to the walks | What you get | What is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Cook Village | About 5 minutes by car to the Hooker Valley car park | Hermitage Hotel, Mt Cook Lodge and Motels, visitor centre, a fuel pump | Regular shops and banks |
| White Horse Hill campsite | 2.5 km from the village | Drinking water, a cooking shelter, toilets | Power and showers |
| Glentanner Park | 18 km from the national park, per the operator | Self-contained and basic units, a bunkroom, powered and tent sites | Food shop, fuel, dump station |
| Twizel | 50 minutes by car to the Hooker Valley car park | Supplies and the nearest shop | – |
| Tekapo | 1 hour 30 minutes by car, or a bus of about 1 hour 20 minutes to the village | Its own stargazing offers, buses and shuttles to the park | A base on foot |
Tours from your base
Scenic flights, glacier trips, stargazing and day trips from the village and Tekapo, with live prices and availability.
In the village
The shortest way to the trailheads.
Hermitage Hotel and Mt Cook Lodge and Motels
These are the two places to stay in the village. The hotel entrance is to the right on arrival, and the lodge and motels are reached by Bowen Drive and the Glencoe Access Road. Motel units have a kitchenette. The hotel and the lodge have no way to heat food. Room prices depend on the date.
Guest perks and practical points
The Glacier Explorers boat trip and the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre are in the Hermitage. Guests of the hotel, the lodge and the motels get a ticket for the centre that is valid during their stay, but it is not free. The Mount Cook Airport operator offers free transfers from accommodation in the village. See the Mount Cook Village page for fuel, food and cash.
White Horse Hill campsite
A DOC standard campsite, 2.5 km from the village. Adults aged 18 and over pay NZ$20 per night, children aged 5 to 17 pay NZ$10, and children aged 0 to 4 are free. A Campsite Pass is accepted, but you should still book online. There is no walk-in area. Stays are open for booking until 30 June 2027. Booking by phone or in person costs an extra NZ$10, and same-day online booking is possible until 20:00, if there is space.
Check-in is from 14:00 to 20:00 and check-out is at 12:00. The site has drinking water, a cooking shelter and toilets, but no power and no showers. From June to August there is no tap water and fewer toilets. Paid showers are in the village shelter.
Campsite rules that catch people out
DOC states these points.
Parking for campers
There is no extra parking fee for the camping area. If you use the main car park instead, report your number plate to DOC. You cannot reserve a parking space in advance, and a permit does not guarantee a free one.
Sleeping in the car park
Parking overnight is not permission to sleep in your vehicle. Camping in the car park is not allowed. A two-day hike with arrival on one day and departure the next costs NZ$50 in parking.
Waste
Do not empty wastewater in the camp toilets. The nearest dump station is in Twizel.
Outside the park: Glentanner, Twizel and Tekapo
More services, more driving.
Glentanner Park
The holiday park by Lake Pukaki has self-contained units, basic units, a bunkroom and powered and tent sites. The operator says it lies 18 km from the national park, and a flight operator calls Glentanner Airport 18 km from the village. The two figures start from different points. There is no food shop, no fuel and no dump station. Camping guests share a kitchen and showers. The Helicopter Line departs from here.
Twizel
A town for supplies, with the nearest shop to the village at 66 km by the Hermitage's count. The drive from Twizel to the Hooker Valley car park takes about 50 minutes. Compare room prices for your own dates.
Lake Tekapo
Tekapo works as a base if stargazing is a priority, with its own Dark Sky Project offers. The InterCity bus to the village takes about 1 hour 20 minutes and leaves from the car park by the Dark Sky building at 1 Motuariki Lane. The Tekapo Shuttle day trip costs NZ$149 for adults. It is not a walkable base for the park. See Lake Tekapo.
On the west coast, where to stay at Franz Josef has its own guide. Near the fjords, see where to stay for Milford Sound.
Plan the rest of your trip
Pages that go with your stay.
Where to stay near Mount Cook: frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to stay near Mount Cook?
The village is closest to the walks. Glentanner, Twizel and Tekapo cost you driving time but have more services. The table above compares locations, not a ranking.
Can I camp at Mount Cook?
Yes, at the White Horse Hill campsite for NZ$20 per adult per night, as of 2026. Book online in advance, because there is no walk-in area.
Does the White Horse Hill campsite have showers?
No. It has drinking water, a cooking shelter and toilets. Paid showers are in the village shelter. From June to August there is no tap water.
Can I stay in Twizel and visit Mount Cook for the day?
Yes. The drive from Twizel to the Hooker Valley car park takes about 50 minutes. Parking at White Horse Hill is paid.
Can I sleep in my campervan at the car park?
No. Camping in the car park is not allowed, and overnight parking is not permission to sleep in a vehicle.