Lake Matheson Nature Tour
Overview
Visit this iconic Lake which has just been named NZ's Great Short Walk.
World famous for it's stunning mirror-like reflections of our highest mountains - Mt Tasman and Mt Cook. Relaxed guided nature walking tour through an incredible primeval rainforest to magnificent reflections and mountain views. Departure times vary throughout the year as we like to give you the best possible chance of reflections (early evening). Your experienced guide will give you information on the local flora, fauna, history of the area, and how this lake relates to the surrounding glaciers and landscape.
* please note there is no option to go off track on this tour.
**Minimum group numbers apply.
World famous for it's stunning mirror-like reflections of our highest mountains - Mt Tasman and Mt Cook. Relaxed guided nature walking tour through an incredible primeval rainforest to magnificent reflections and mountain views. Departure times vary throughout the year as we like to give you the best possible chance of reflections (early evening). Your experienced guide will give you information on the local flora, fauna, history of the area, and how this lake relates to the surrounding glaciers and landscape.
* please note there is no option to go off track on this tour.
**Minimum group numbers apply.
Inclusions
- Driver/guide
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Snacks
- West weather clothing
- walking boots - please call if required due to limited stock
- Walking poles if required
- umbrellas
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Matheson Walk, Lake Matheson Road, Fox Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park New Zealand
Our guide will pick you up from your accommodation or at one of our meeting points, and drive to the Lake Matheson car park. From there you will begin your guided walking tour in our small groups with your knowledgeable guide. There will be lots of stops along the way, with about 30 mins for a cup of tea and a chance to marvel at the views of this stunning mirror-like lake.
Duration: 3 hours
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Lake Matheson Walk, Lake Matheson Road, Fox Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park New Zealand
Our guide will pick you up from your accommodation or at one of our meeting points, and drive to the Lake Matheson car park. From there you will begin your guided walking tour in our small groups with your knowledgeable guide. There will be lots of stops along the way, with about 30 mins for a cup of tea and a chance to marvel at the views of this stunning mirror-like lake.
Duration: 3 hours
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Stroller accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please bring an extra on or two long sleeved warm top layers of clothing
- Please wear suitable footwear for walking
- Most travelers can participate
- Please call us to order sizes for wet weather clothing
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
waltry
August 2023
El lugar sigue siendo encantador para todo tipo de personas. Senderistas y no senderistas, el camino muy sencillo, caminas por la frondosa vegetación de New Zealand hasta llegar a las fantásticas vistas de el lago Matheson que es un autentico espejo de las montañas. Esta visita es obligada. No te...
El lugar sigue siendo encantador para todo tipo de personas. Senderistas y no senderistas, el camino muy sencillo, caminas por la frondosa vegetación de New Zealand hasta llegar a las fantásticas vistas de el lago Matheson que es un autentico espejo de las montañas. Esta visita es obligada. No te la puedes perder si quieres disfrutas de unas vistas inmejorablesbuffykc
May 2020
It was a very early start for the drive out - but we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise over the lake. Along the path, Cliff was fabulous yet again and explained the flora and how things grew! Give yourself a chance to witness this marvelous sight!
It was a very early start for the drive out - but we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise over the lake. Along the path, Cliff was fabulous yet again and explained the flora and how things grew! Give yourself a chance to witness this marvelous sight!KJ_F
March 2020
Great views of the mountains. The Lake was very still so we got some good phots to remember our trip by. Our guide was lovely, and gave us lots of information along the way.
Great views of the mountains. The Lake was very still so we got some good phots to remember our trip by. Our guide was lovely, and gave us lots of information along the way.Tyranny1057
March 2020
Our transport to Lake Matheson arrived bang on pick-up time at 6am and we were swiftly transported to the village of Fox Glacier to pick up others. We were therefore the first vehicle in the car park beside the café at Lake Matheson and when we walked in our early start was rewarded with the blac...
Our transport to Lake Matheson arrived bang on pick-up time at 6am and we were swiftly transported to the village of Fox Glacier to pick up others. We were therefore the first vehicle in the car park beside the café at Lake Matheson and when we walked in our early start was rewarded with the black water being so still that the reflections were perfect. Unfortunately, there was some low cloud over the mountains but the Lake conditions were perfect. We walked round in a clockwise direction and it wasn’t until after 8.15 am that we met other people scrabbling to get the perfect pictures that we had easily got. Around that time a slight breeze got up causing ripples on the water which made us very smug that we had got there early enough to have it all – just wonderful! Our guide was a lovely person but didn’t really have a clear grasp of all the things he should have known about and his commentary was spasmodic and pretty much in passing, lacking in substance and detail. He was unable to answer several fairly simple questions put to him about the Lake’s eco system and fauna which was disappointing. You should do this walk on your own without a guide as it is clearly signposted and you won’t miss anything. There is apparently a very good café at the Lake for breakfast on your return but we couldn’t visit it or the information centre and barely had time for a rest visit before being chased into their van for the return journey. Doing it on your own also applies to going to the viewing site for the Fox Glacier which is further down the same road you take to Lake Mathesen which we did the following day and were rewarded with great views and the same applies to walking into the public viewing area for Fox and Franz Joseph glaciers – do it on your own, you don’t need a guide.716sachink
November 2019
This eco tour was awesome simply for the knowledgeable, informative, interactive and friendly tour guide/driver. Learnt a lot about the trees, plantations and natural vegetations of the region. The natural scenery was spectacular in the midst of the rain. Would certainly very highly recommend thi...
This eco tour was awesome simply for the knowledgeable, informative, interactive and friendly tour guide/driver. Learnt a lot about the trees, plantations and natural vegetations of the region. The natural scenery was spectacular in the midst of the rain. Would certainly very highly recommend this eco tour to any off beat traveler.