Stargazing Experience at Cowan's Private Observatory

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1 giờ 30 phút

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The ultimate stargazing experience. Enjoy maximum time under the stars whilst enhancing your knowledge of the Southern skies at our private observatory.

Designed specifically with stargazing in mind, Cowan’s Observatory is the perfect introductory stargazing experience. Over 75 minutes, you'll explore the stars with both the naked eye and powerful telescopes.

Every night offers a new spectacle. From the Milky Way to distant galaxies beyond, our guides use handheld lasers to show you the best of the evolving night sky. They'll help you discover the stars and planets, and understand what it all means.

Nestled in a giant purpose-built crater to provide maximum wind protection and minimum light pollution, our expert astronomy guides will enhance your knowledge and understanding of our Southern Skies as you admire and ponder the possibilities through our powerful optical telescopes.

Thông tin khác

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

Chính sách hủy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Bao gồm

Stargazing is within secluded, private craters, sheltered from wind and light

Return transport to the stargazing location from the Dark Sky base

Private facility with powerful telescopic viewing technologies

Discover the dark skies of the largest International Gold Standard Dark Sky Reserve

Explore the endless Southern skies, observe planets, galaxies, and the depths of the Milky Way

Expert astronomy guides who will tailor your experience according to what is visible on that night

Food and drinks, unless specified

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Điểm đón trả

Các điểm đón

Dark Sky Project

1 Motuariki Lane, Lake Tekapo New Zealand

Điểm kết thúc

Trải nghiệm này trả về điểm đón.

Cần Quan Tâm

Dark Sky Project

Check-in with the team at the Dark Sky Project base in Lake Tekapo, and from there we will transport you to the Cowan's Private Observatory, just 5 minutes drive in our shuttle. From Cowan's Observatory, you will be sheltered from any wind and light pollution, in our purpose built Craters. This is a fantastic introduction to stargazing, making it suitable for everyone, including families and younger children.

15 minutes • Không Có Vé

Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve

Enjoy a stargazing experience within the largest Gold Standard International Dark Sky Reserve. The Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve is one of the best places to stargaze in the world. It is listed as Gold Standard, meaning it has some of the biggest, darkest and clearest skies, making the stars and the milky way clearer than anywhere else in the world. From Cowan's Private Observatory, you will enjoy learning from your expert astronomy guide, who will educate and entertain using a mixture of handheld lasers and powerful telecopes. The Observatory is sheltered from any wind or light pollution, so you can stargaze in comfort, year-round.

1 hour 15 minutes • Không Có Vé

Tùy chọn

Crater Experience in Mandarin

Mandarin speaking tour: This Crater Experience is taken by our Mandarin speaking guides.

Crater Experience - English

Đánh giá

3.93

81 đánh giá

Tổng số đánh giá và xếp hạng từ Viator & TripAdvisor

Great view of the stars
754rachell,
20 thg 11, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
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.
Beautiful
Eurf,
19 thg 11, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
Very informative! Beautiful nightsky, looking through the telescopes we saw things of beauty Kate and Hore-san the perfect nightsky guides
Fascinating experience under the stars
DEMOPHONGEORGE,
7 thg 11, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
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.
An alright experience
Roam62547985231,
6 thg 11, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
3.00
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 night
DennisR466,
30 thg 10, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Absolutely Breathtaking Experience Under the Stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Melissabrisvagas,
7 thg 10, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
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!
Fantastic star gazing
Climber09661346230,
28 thg 9, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
@DarkSkyProjectNZ We loved looking through the telescopes, learning about the constellations and enjoying our night sky. Thank you- you were all a lovely positive bunch! Not really accessible for my mother
Amazing stargazing
Katalinka117,
16 thg 8, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
5.00
We enjoyed our stargazing experience a lot with Marina ans Liam. Learned a lot about the South Skies and saw some nice star constellations. Would definitely recommend. The only thing that could be improved is to set the telescopes to be reachable for smaller children as well.
Unsure
Mobile33189537993,
17 thg 7, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
3.00
Pros: The guides were very passionate and knowledgeable. We had 40% visibility and were given the opportunity to rebook if we weren't happy. Cons: I wouldn't recommend the tour for children, it wasn't interactive enough for my 8 year old. The tour is quite expensive for what you actually get.
Misinformation and poor service from guide spoiled our night.
sherlynk36,
30 thg 5, 2025
- Đánh giá từ Tripadvisor
1.00
We were approached by one of the staff to join the 715pm Mandarin tour group, with him stating that the 7pm English group has alot of people. We asked and was told 7pm group has 22 while 715pm group has only 5-6. We agreed and it turned out both has about the same amount of people. We will have preferred an English guide if given the correct information. There wasnt enough seats when we arrived at Cowan. I asked the guide for help to check if we can find a seat for the lady who has kindly given up the bench for my family to be seated together. The reply given was the benches were all full. The tour does not cater for enough seats for everyone so some just have to stand. All in all, a very poor experience.