Dark Sky Project

Very nice experience. Because of wind we could not do the summit experience and were offered the crater experience (with the difference refund).. the explanations were great. We wished they will give more Māori stories or references. The telescopes itself were the part we enjoyed the least, you really could not see anything clear. We were lucky that the skies were super clear

We had booked the Summit Experience in English a few days in advance. Lucky us we were able to sneak the past two seats. The Dark Sky Project offers warm jackets for free on the tour. Grab one - it can get cold just standing out there on Mt John. Our driver Nilo had a very cool playlist on the bus, all songs were related to stars / rockets and even „What a wonderful world“ was played. On the summit we were picked up by Marina who was our night guide with an immense knowledge of the stars in the southern hemisphere. Her colleague Oscar and Kaizu showed us the telescopes. We were able to see Jupiter and Alpha Centauri, Magellan and many more - it was simply amazing. Make sure you enjoy the night not just through your phone screen but with your eyes. If you are in the area book a tour and enjoy the super dark area with little light pollution!!

10/10 experience for this. Highlight of my entire NZ trip. You’d never think that there’s so many stars in the sky! What more, they can be seen with the naked eye, even the Milky Way! (Also managed to catch a few shooting stars and even satellites!) Using the telescope we even managed to see Saturn and its rings! Staff was very upfront about visibility chances as well. We were offered the option of refund or to change the tour to another day if we’d like. There’s also a virtual tour if you cannot make the outdoor tours. Big thank you to Marina, Queeny and Oscar! This tour is not to be missed!

The 'Dark Sky Experience' was an excellent daytime family activity! The visuals were absolutely stunning, showcasing the beauty of the night sky in an immersive and magical way. The storytelling added depth and context, making the experience both educational and inspiring. While some narrative sections were a little long for our 2 and 4 year old (short attention spans!), the overall presentation was outstanding and well worth it. Highly recommended for anyone passionate about astronomy and looking for a unique experience in New Zealand.

Was late to the tour i had booked but luckily the staff were able to put me on a later tour (although don’t bank on there being spare slots). They provide extra warm jackets which are optional so that was great. Most of all our tour guide Oscar was the best, super informative and enthusiastic; our drivers were also courteous. What would have made it even better is if there were photo opportunities - I’d happily pay for a professional photo of myself under the milky way!

I couldn't recommend enough the star gazing tour done on the dark.sky project research facility. Our guide was very funny and informative , explaining how to navigate using the night sky , how to find the true south and showing us the zodiac constellations. We also get to have a look.on three different telescopes to see Saturn, Alpha Centauri and nebulas

Highlight of our trip to NZ and would 100% recommend this. We did the summit experience and the night sky was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Olive was an amazing guide and there seemed to be nothing she didn't know the answer to. Using the telescopes felt really special and we were well looked after the entire time.

My stargazing experience with the Dark Sky Project in Lake Tekapo was nothing short of incredible. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel welcome and cared for—especially thanks to Ugne, the lovely receptionist who greeted us with such warmth and professionalism. She was not only helpful with checking me in smoothly, but also took the time to answer our questions, offer great local tips, and make sure I felt prepared for the night ahead. Her friendly attitude really set the tone for the entire experience. The stargazing tour itself was absolutely breathtaking. The guides were deeply knowledgeable and passionate, helping me explore the night sky through powerful telescopes and even with the naked eye. Standing beneath the pristine, unpolluted sky of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve was truly humbling. I saw constellations, planets, and even distant galaxies—it was a surreal, awe-inspiring reminder of how vast the universe really is. The blend of science, storytelling, and natural beauty made this experience a highlight of our trip to New Zealand. Whether you're an astronomy enthusiast or just curious about the stars, this is an experience you don’t want to miss. Big thanks again to Ugne and the entire Dark Sky Project team for making the night so seamless and memorable. Highly recommended!

We were on our way to Lake Tekapo when we stopped by the Dark Sky Project. They have a lovely café and gift shop, so we walked in to take a look around. The large telescope on display was impressive, and we enjoyed a hot cup of tea--especially after visiting the lake, where it was extremely cold and windy that day. The café also offered a selection of pastries, and the space was clean and welcoming. While we didn't join any of the Dark Sky tours, it was still a nice place to warm up, browse, and take a quick break. They also have convenient restroom facilities available.

Amazing.... Educational, interesting, spectacular views of stars, clusters, the moon.... Well informed and educated guides take you millions and billions of light years from home!;! Well worth the late night!

I really wanted to like this more! We had such high hopes as we entered the main building and waiting for our tour. Really nice cafe and gift shop that looked so professional - nice accommodations to set the experience. The building itself is so professional and had some really cool history on the project and observations that have been made here. It was awesome to see the telescope and read more about it! Ironically, I now wish we would have just done the experience there in that building they offer during the day/when the sky isn't clear. We booked the 10pm tour and as we gathered to start, the group was giddy with excitement. We had the option of jackets but it was nice out in the summer. We then boarded a coach bus that took us ~20 minutes up to a nearby peak where the observation tour is. It was partly cloudy that night, to no fault of the team, but once we arrived at the top the tour started to feel disjointed. The group was large, and not well managed - rude guests were talking loud, not listening, wandering off. Kids were yelling, laughing, interrupting the speakers - super distracting. I would have loved an adults only option or a more strict policy on keeping the group together and listening. I'd also love to see the tour leaders have microphones or something so all attendees can clearly hear. It was evident that the main tour guide was super knowledgeable, but it felt hard to understand at times since I'm a star/space novice. They had three stations where we went to different telescopes to see different types of star groupings which was cool, but felt disjointed at times with no clear organization. There was a lot of down time between going to the different telescopes, so I found myself asking a lot of questions, and then others would gather around so they could hear more info too. It felt like a steep price for peering into three telescopes, and I would have loved more general information on stars. We did get a 50% refund because it was cloudy and we couldn't see as much, which felt like the right price for the experience. I'm a bit town on whether I'd recommend this to others!

It was a very interesting experience, having never done something like this before! You can read the other reviews for full details, but effectively you get an informative tour about the Mt John Observatory (next door to Tekapo town), an introduction to the main stars and planets in the night sky, and then also a chance to use three of their telescopes to peer at various planets / stars. Overall, the tour is about 1hr 15mins in total I reckon (as total time end to end is 2 hours). Do wear warm, as even though we went on a summer night, and was told it was 10 degrees up there, it did get colder as the wind picked up! And you do a lot of standing around in the open. They do provide HUGE coats to borrow for free, definitely do take one. But bring a beanie and gloves too, if you have them. They are also rather ethical; if there is cloud cover, they will tell you before the tour starts, and you can opt for a refund. Note - this option is only for the Summit Experience, not for the cheaper Crater Experience. On our night, we were told before the tour that the skies were 80% clear, but there was risk of some movement of clouds from nearby. We were offered the choice of a refund, but we decided to go ahead. During the tour itself, the visibility got progressively worse. We were maybe 1hr into the tour, when they had to cut it short - the last 5-10 mins I believe. They offered a 50% refund to everyone, proactively. Which was a very fair result, IMO. Price-wise, its not cheap at NZD200+ per person. I wouldn't label it great value for money. But it is a very unique experience. Timing, I would say that the 10pm tour was a bit too early for peak-summer (1st Jan). The sun had barely set yet. I would say go for the tour at least 2 hours after sunset time, so you can get the full "dark sky" experience with all the stars visible. Do book in advance if you can, as the tour groups snatch up loads of tickets 6 months out, from what I've been told.

My husband and I were only in town for 1 night and had booked the Mt John Observatory tour for 11p. Around 7p a huge storm blew in and I was afraid it would be cancelled due to viability. We called around 10 for a status (it seemed to have cleared up by then) and they said to come on down (but didn't say whether it was on). Once the whole group was checked in, they announced that it was 95mph winds on the mountain, which was not safe to even drive us up. While I was totally bummed, they did offer several options: 1. a total refund; 2. rebook for tomorrow (which wasn't an option for us) or 3. get refunded the difference but do the crater experience. I didn't want to miss the "best stars in the world" so we did the crater experience. It was something you can't even describe it was so beautiful! The stars were so close, so bright and there were so many! I wanted to lay on the ground and just stare up at them since I was in so much awe. It felt like a dream. There were 2 different telescopes we could see clusters of stars through such as "the jewel box" and even Saturn's rings. Someone asked where the big dipper was when our tour guide reminded us that is a constellation of the Northern hemisphere...we were in the Southern. Mind blown- I hadn't even thought of that. This is a pretty incredible tour and you also learn about how bad light pollution is (headlights, porch lights, retail signs). They explain the Dark Sky Initiative and how important it is that we protect the night sky. Trust me- you will not regret this. They even offer some amazingly long, warm jackets to protect you from the bitter cold.

Cancelled more than 24 hours in advance. Spoke with someone and they assured that experience was cancelled. When returned to US was fully charged. Called to discuss, they were nice on phone but never followed through. Ultimately had to dispute transaction with credit card company. Wish I had booked an experience on get your guide or Viator that has reliable cancellation processes. This company is nice on the phone but makes it difficult to cancel. I question their business ethics. Horrible overall experience.