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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
The guide makes or breaks this experience. Sadly the skies were completely overcast on the date of my booking, and every alternative was booked for the next few months. They offered the indoor experience at a discounted rate instead, which was nice, but nobody was informed about this ahead of time, despite the weather forecast being very obviously cloudy, so I felt sorry for the guest who drove here specifically for this experience. The indoor experience only constisted of four rooms. An old telescope, a starry carpet, a few plastic suns, and video projection of the night sky. Alright. What saved it was our engaging and knowledgeable guide.
Crater experience last night was SUPERB. You need LUCK and PLANNING. 1. Weather, no clouds or high winds 2. A new moon ideally, check in advance. 3. A knowledgeable commentator. We were so lucky, currently gibbous moon phase. Did the 10:30pm tour and we had 90% visibility, but not so lucky if you went later as the moon fully emerged reducing visibility. With naked eye could see so much including Jupiter & Saturn. In addition, 4 telescopes trained on Saturn, Jupiter, a star “nursery” and Magellan galaxy. Presenter (Marina?) used a laser pointer to illustrate stars & constellations and was very knowledgeable and answered scientific questions expertly. Magical experience.
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Public transportation options are available nearby, Suitable for all physical fitness levels, Children must be accompanied by an adult, Minimum age is 5 years, Dress warm all year round, If you are booking a time after midnight please double check the date you are booking, If weather prevents the tour from operating, an alternate indoor experience may be offered as an alternative, Language - You are required to speak the language of the tour due to Health & Safety purposes, if you cannot speak the language, you will not be allowed to join the tour.
We arrived at the meeting place at 12:04am and the staff told us the bus has left and they cannot send us to the stargazing spot which is about 15min away. We tried to explain it was midnight and the kids tried really hard to wake up and we thought the meeting time is 12am. The staff were very cold and without any empathy. They told us to leave and blame Victor for not informing us about the meeting time. They do not care about the customers at all.
We did the Cowan's private observatory crater experience as part of a G-Adventures tour package. Our star guides were excellent and knew the stars/planets/constellations of the southern skies. We were bussed to the crater (dark red lights on the busses to adapt our eyes to night vision0 where three large reflective telescopes were available to view specific points in the sky. Additionally, our guides pointed out the major constellations and stars. This is truly a great experience for anyone/family interested in the night skies.
We were lucky - the clouds moved away just in time for our tour. Our guide had excellent knowledge of the night sky and pointed out things that were unique to the southern hemisphere sky. The setup is great because you can only see the stars and don’t get light interference from the nearby road.
Very informative! Beautiful nightsky, looking through the telescopes we saw things of beauty Kate and Hore-san the perfect nightsky guides
Took the 75-minute Crater Experience at the Dark Sky Project and really enjoyed it. The guide was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about astronomy, explaining everything clearly and with enthusiasm. Huge shout-out to the German guide (I couldn’t quite catch her name) — she made the experience engaging, educational, and fun. The views of the night sky were breathtaking. This tour is an absolute must-do in Tekapo — perfect for anyone who loves stars, science, or simply wants to feel small under the vast sky.
It was okay, the guide was really enthusiastic which was great but honestly, on a good clear night it would have been better to use an app. The microscopes were cool but with so many people in a group you just queue to look through to a blurry image.
Great views Oscar was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. We now know a lot more about the stars and the cheese on the moon
My family and I recently joined the Dark Sky Project Tour at the observatory, and it was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had. From start to finish, everything was beautifully organized — the guides were incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, and made complex astronomy easy to understand for adults and kids alike. The evening began with an informative presentation about the night sky and the view was simply magical. The clarity of the stars was unbelievable — I could see the Milky Way stretching across the sky like a river of light. Through the high-powered telescopes, we observed Saturn’s rings, distant star clusters, and even details of our moon. The location itself was peaceful and pristine, far from city lights — the perfect place to reconnect with nature and the cosmos. I left feeling both humbled and inspired, with a new appreciation for our universe and the need to protect these dark skies. Highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting the Lake Tekapo area — whether you’re a science lover, a photographer, or just looking for something awe-inspiring and different. It’s an experience you’ll never forget!
