Tekapo hot pools: the best place to stop at on South Island
The Tekapo hot pools is famous for its soothing mineral waters and is definitely a great pit stop to Tekapo Springs on your south island New Zealand itinerary.
I would recommend spending the day at Tekapo hot Springs lazing in all of the different pools, sitting in the sauna, taking a dip in the plunge pool and enjoying the steam room. I spent an entire day here at the hot pools at Lake Tekapo and it was incredible!
Depending on what time of year you go in the summer they have 150 meter drop slide which is incredible adventure fun some mini golf and they also have a great café with views over Lake Tekapo. They also have an incredible star gazing experience from the pools which you should definitely do if you have time!
It is the perfect little day out with plenty of activities for people of all ages, and they do have an adult only pool-the best relaxing pitstop in South Island New Zealand.
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Quick Mini Guide To tekapo
Don’t have a lot of time? Here’s a quick mini guide to Tekapo.
Where to stay
- Peppers Bluewater Resort
- Grand Suites Tekapo
- Budget Tekapo: Lake’s Edge Holiday Parks
Top sights
- Hot pools!
- Stargazing in the dark sky reserve or Mount John observatory
- The stunning blue lake itself
- Book an air safari to see Mt Cook from above
- Go offroading
How to get there
Stay connected
Purchase an eSim with Airalo on your phone – Use discount code A&M3 for $3 off your first purchase.
Not sure where to go? Have a look at my article on North or South Island in New Zealand, which is better!
Have a look at some of my other Aotearoa / New Zealand travel guides for things to do in North Island and South Island!
Camping at Tekapo & Central Otago
Amazing Glamping spots in South Island
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Best activities & tours on South Island
Here are some of the best New Zealand South Island tours! I always compare tours on Viator and Get Your Guide to check prices and different tour availability.
| Jet Boat & Wilderness experience – If you’re after an adrenaline experience then this is for you! Milford Sound Cruises – The best way to see the unofficial 8th wonder of the world. Franz Josef Glacier tours – one of the most iconic, stunning, incredible things to experience in South Island! Glenorchy & Paradise half day tour – if you’re after some beautiful sight seeing this is for you! Glow worm caves – Dont miss the iconic glow worm caves in South Island! Scenic Flights – One of the most iconic experiences in all of South Island, New Zealand. |
Tekapo hot pools
There are plenty of things to do at Tekapo hot pools, which will keep you entertained for the entire day and make sure you look at what’s available for your time of the year as this will depend on some of the activities you can do.
If you’re looking at some adrenaline fun beyond Tekapo Hot Pools, check out all the places to go cliff jumping in New Zealand.
Tekapo Springs Price
The price is very reasonable. I highly recommend spending a day whiling away in the geothermal waters and in the sauna, steam room and plunge pool.
- Adults (age 16-59): $37 NZD
- Child (age 3-15): $22 NZD
- Senior (age 60+): $33 NZD
- Family (2 adults, 2 children): $99 (+$15 for every extra child)
Tekapo Springs opening hours
Monday-Friday: 11-7pm
Saturday-Sunday: 10-7pm
The pools at Tekapo hot Springs
There are three heated pools at Tekapo hot pools, one deep pool and a children’s play pool area.
Lake Tekapo pool
Tekapo pool is the hottest pool at 38°C, and is an adults only pool which has plenty of seating around the edges and rock formations in the middle which you can sit on for a delightful soak in the mineral waters which are sourced locally. This was actually my favourite pool and a great place to relax and unwind.
Lake Pukaki pool
Lake Pukaki pool is the second hottest pool at 37°C and this is for both adults and children and is wheelchair friendly.
There is a ramp that goes down into the pool which makes it a great accessible pool for wheelchair users and is the perfect place to relax and unwind in the mineral waters.
The deep blue colour of this pool is reminiscent of Lake Pukaki which is located nearby.
Ohau Pool
The Ohau Pool is a little bit cooler at 36°C and it is also child adult and wheelchair friendly. It also has some water fountains which is great for a neck and back massage and you’ll definitely want to spend some time in this pool, floating, soaking and enjoying the mineral waters.
Godley Deep pool
One of the cooler pools, it is the deep pool, which is great if you want to have a bit more of a dive and comes in at 1.8 m deep.
This pool has a great view of Lake Tekapo in the background and is a great place to sit back and relax. There are some loungers, perfect for reading a book in, admiring views of the lake, and if you have them, keeping an eye on the kids.
Kids Aqua Play Area
The children’s pool is a great shallow area for children to play in the kids aqua play area. Lots of fountains, fun interactive water jets and water springs for children and playing. It’s extremely shallow and safe and a great place to enjoy plenty of pictures for you to sit back and relax on whilst you watch your children play.
Sauna steam room and cold plunge pool
They also have some additional spa facilities at Lake to carpool hot springs which you will definitely be keen to try out. It has a great sauna and steam room where you can sit back & relax.
This is no doubt highlight of the spa experience, especially great for your skin, and when you’re done with that, they have a plunge pool just outside, which is a contrastingly refreshing dip into very cool water.
All the water in the spa comes from the mountains and the lake and the plunge pool is actually kept at the temperature of Lake Tekapo during winter time at a chilly 8°C.
720 café at Tekapo Hot Springs
The café inside is clean and charming and the building is reminiscent of a wooden chalets in the mountains of Europe.
Everywhere is decorated vintage posters from the 1930s to 1940s with skates hung up on slate rock walls and wooden timber frame awnings.
The menu has a range of healthy to not so healthy options, but whatever you order, it will be great.
Choose to sit by the window for great views of Lake Tekapo and admire the small birds that flit in and out of site all day long.
Tip: If you’re after one of those delicious smoothies, try the berry blast. It is a delight. The Buddha bowl is also exceptional, highly recommended.
They also serve altitude 720 coffee which is blended and brewed at the highest altitude in New Zealand!
Have a look at some of my travel guides for Aotearoa / New Zealand for things to do in North Island and South Island!
Tekapo Star Gazing
They also do an excellent stargazing experience when night has fallen, which I can’t recommend enough.
The evening is filled with cups of hot drinks, staring through huge telescopes to admire the night sky in one of the worlds, largest dark nature reserves, meaning there is very little light pollution. Read more about star gazing at Tekapo Springs here.
It turns out that Lake Tekapo is in the second biggest dark Night reserve in the world; the Aoraki Mackenzie international dark sky reserve. This means it is the darkest of darkest night skies.
You will see some absolutely unreal night skies and stars (assuming there’s not too much cloud cover!).
Don’t also miss the famous purple flowers: the Tekapo Lupins!
Tekapo Springs Day Spa
If you’re looking for a little bit of extra pampering can definitely stop by Tekapo Springs Spa.
This is exactly what I did and I opted to have a 30 minute vitamin C facial and my skin looked and felt utterly radiant after the facial. They also provide a number of different packages, including Swedish massage, hot stone massage and plenty more.
How to get to Tekapo Hot pools?
You can either get a tour, or hire a car to drive here.
Queens town to Tekapo hot pools: 3 hours 11
Christchurch to Tekapo hot pools: 3 hours
The address: Tekapo Springs, Tekapo Hot pools, 300 lakeside drive, Lake Tekapo 7945
Lake Tekapo Map
Save it on Google maps here!
Have a look at some of my other Aotearoa / New Zealand travel guides for things to do in North Island and a South Island itinerary!
Amazing Glamping spots in South Island
Onsen hot pools spa, Queenstown
Seasonal activities
Whether you visit in summer or winter, you’re bound to have a good time! We went in summer and it was FANTASTIC! But I could imagine the snow tubing and ice skating is also incredibly magical.
Summer
There’s more than just thermal pools to enjoy at Tekapo hot pools. They also have mini golf and drop slide. That’s 150m long as well as a quaint café with views of lake, Tekapo in the background.
Minigolf
The minigolf is an 18-hole fun course where each hole is very modern and well laid out. There are golf clubs of all different sizes suitable for adults and children so everyone can enjoy and lots of different coloured balls so you can identify who is on the scorecard. This is a great way to spend the afternoon have a little break from the hotbox.
The mini golfers only comes out during summer months as in winter. This is when the space is used as an ice rink for local skaters and hockey teams.
The minigolf is quite fun and easy enough for youngsters to join in, but still challenging enough to make it a bit of fun for adults too.
The adrenaline fun 150 meter drop side
350 me to drop side is actually a lot faster than you might think it is and gives a great kick of adrenaline when you go down. You have endless hours of fun running up and down stairs to have multiple goes on the slippery wet slide. Just remember to cross your legs and cross your arms as you go down and try not to scream as you go round the corner too much a ton of fun.
If you’re looking at some adrenaline fun beyond Tekapo Hot Pools, check out all the places to go cliff jumping in New Zealand.
Winter
Winter is an incredible time to visit Tekapo Springs! It’s the perfect contrast between hot and cold, fire and ice, and the hot and cold therapy are so good for us.
Snow tube park
In the winter, they have a snow tube park as well as a snow, fun area for children and an ice skating rink. Is there anything more iconic than a snow tubing track in Winter? The snow tube is said to be great fun for every age with some of the best mountain views, get stuck in!
Ice Skating Rink
The Ice skating rink is a great place that draws in people from all around – no really! The ice hockey team trains here on a regular basis and of course, it’s open to the public, and plenty of people come in to go ice skating before or after their spa experience!
That’s it, that is your full guide to Tekapo hot Springs, it’s well worth a stop on your long drive between Christchurch in Queenstown and I can’t recommend it enough.
Best hotels at Lake Tekapo
There are a tonne of really beautiful hotels right on the waterfront OR overlooking the lake (it’s not hard to miss the view; it’s pretty stunning!).
Have a look at the Peppers Bluewater Resort – floor to ceiling windows for your viewing pleasure!
If you’re camping in Tekapo, check out the best places to camp in the area and in the region of Central Otago. We found that lots of the camping sites were fully booked so had to go a bit further afield!
South Island Weather
Here is the average weather on the South Island by each month. The South Island of New Zealand experiences a diverse climate, with the west coast receiving high rainfall and the east coast being drier and cooler.
Seasonal temperatures vary widely, from warm, sunny summers to cold, snowy winters, especially in the mountainous regions.
South Island Weather in January
Average temperature: 15°C (59°F)
Average rainy days: 8
Average daylight hours: 15
Average sunrise time: 6:15 AM
Average sunset time: 9:30 PM
South Island Weather in February
Average temperature: 14°C (57°F)
Average rainy days: 7
Average daylight hours: 14
Average sunrise time: 6:45 AM
Average sunset time: 9:00 PM
South Island Weather in March
Average temperature: 12°C (54°F)
Average rainy days: 8
Average daylight hours: 12
Average sunrise time: 7:15 AM
Average sunset time: 8:15 PM
South Island Weather in April
Average temperature: 9°C (48°F)
Average rainy days: 9
Average daylight hours: 11
Average sunrise time: 7:45 AM
Average sunset time: 6:45 PM
South Island Weather in May
Average temperature: 6°C (43°F)
Average rainy days: 10
Average daylight hours: 9
Average sunrise time: 8:15 AM
Average sunset time: 5:30 PM
South Island Weather in June
Average temperature: 4°C (39°F)
Average rainy days: 11
Average daylight hours: 9
Average sunrise time: 8:30 AM
Average sunset time: 5:15 PM
South Island Weather in July
Average temperature: 3°C (37°F)
Average rainy days: 11
Average daylight hours: 9
Average sunrise time: 8:30 AM
Average sunset time: 5:30 PM
South Island Weather in August
Average temperature: 5°C (41°F)
Average rainy days: 11
Average daylight hours: 10
Average sunrise time: 7:45 AM
Average sunset time: 6:00 PM
South Island Weather in September
Average temperature: 7°C (45°F)
Average rainy days: 10
Average daylight hours: 12
Average sunrise time: 6:45 AM
Average sunset time: 6:30 PM
South Island Weather in October
Average temperature: 9°C (48°F)
Average rainy days: 9
Average daylight hours: 13
Average sunrise time: 7:15 AM
Average sunset time: 7:45 PM
South Island Weather in November
Average temperature: 11°C (52°F)
Average rainy days: 8
Average daylight hours: 14
Average sunrise time: 6:00 AM
Average sunset time: 8:30 PM
South Island Weather in December
Average temperature: 13°C (55°F)
Average rainy days: 9
Average daylight hours: 15
Average sunrise time: 5:45 AM
Average sunset time: 9:15 PM
Quick links
| Here’s everything I use when I travel abroad: Tours – Compare tour prices on Viator and Get Your Guide Hotels – I always use Booking as the more hotels I book, I get a higher Genius discount. I also compare prices on Expedia. E-Sims – purchase an e-sim with Airalo on your phone so you can make calls and have mobile data abroad! There’s no need to remove your current sim card! Travel insurance – don’t ever go on vacation without travel insurance, you never know when you might need it! Travel essentials – have a look at a full list of travel essentials that I use, including the best power bank! |
Have a look at some of my other Aotearoa / New Zealand travel guides for things to do in North Island and South Island!
South Island Itinerary NZ 10 days
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