NZ’s Mount Cook: Discovering the Most Scenic Photo Spots for Unforgettable Shots

During a trip to New Zealand, Mount Cook is definitely the most photogenic [Cute R]. Every photo taken there could be a highlight of one’s life, worth cherishing. Taking photos with the massive snow-capped mountains and glaciers is just too cool [Proud R], who could resist?

🏔️ Guide to taking photos at Mount Cook:

1️⃣ Hooker Valley Track (P1-P6)
From the entrance of the track to the first suspension bridge, you’ll be hiking under the snow-capped mountains, and you can take photos with the mountains in the background anywhere along the way. The best spot for photos is a small hill before the first suspension bridge (see P17 for the exact location on the map).

Standing there, you can get a perfect shot with yourself and Mount Cook (P1). It takes about three hours round trip to complete the entire Hooker Valley Track, but if you only go as far as the first suspension bridge, it will take about an hour round trip.

2️⃣ Tasman Glacier Track (P7-P12)
You can take photos with the glacier lake and the snow-capped mountains! This track takes about 40 minutes round trip. There is a fork in the middle; to go to the glacier lake, follow the sign towards Tasman River until you reach the Tasman Glacier View near the lake.

The viewpoint is a gravel slope, and standing on it, you can take photos with the large ice blocks floating on the milky blue glacier lake! It’s quite difficult to descend from the slope to the edge of the glacier lake, but if you have good off-road skills, you can try. We saw some tourists successfully make it down to the edge of the glacier lake [Kiss R], but the ice blocks do not float to the shore, so you won’t be able to touch them [Cry R].

3️⃣ State Highway 80 heading to Mount Cook Village (P13~P14)
This highway faces directly towards Mount Cook, and there are many scenic stops along the way where you can take photos with Mount Cook (P14). As you get closer to Mount Cook Village, the eastern side of the road also has continuous snow-capped mountains. You can pull over and use the car window as a frame to take photos with the mountains (P13).

4️⃣ Hermitage (P15-P16)
On the second floor, the cafe has large floor-to-ceiling windows facing the snow-capped mountains, allowing you to take photos with the mountains right from your table. The corridors and rooms, as well as the windows facing Mount Cook, are all great spots for taking photos!