FAQ’S
What does your Soak In The Stars tour involve?
Soak In The Stars is a 90-minute experience that combines guided stargazing with exclusive access to a hot pool at Tekapo Springs. Led by expert guides, you’ll explore the wonders of the southern night sky through a unique blend of astronomy, Māori star stories and fascinating insights into the universe.
In clear conditions, the experience includes telescope viewing, allowing you to discover stars, planets, galaxies and other celestial wonders visible from the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. When conditions are unsuitable for telescope viewing, guests enjoy an immersive Virtual Reality journey through the Tekapo night sky before relaxing in the hot pool.
Where is Tekapo Star Gazing located?
All our Star Gazing tours are conducted at Tekapo Springs which lies within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest dark sky reserve in the world at over 4300 square kilometres. Tours are conducted on our dark sky viewing decks with telescopes and in our signature hot pools.
Please make your way to Tekapo Springs Reception, 300 Lakeside Drive, 15 minutes to the start time of your tour.
What if we can’t see the night sky? Will I get a refund?
Tekapo Stargazing operates in all weather conditions, and every experience is designed to offer a memorable journey through the cosmos. Your guide will provide a weather update at the start of the tour, and every effort will be made to maximise telescope viewing whenever conditions allow.
When conditions are unsuitable for telescope viewing, the experience continues with an immersive Virtual Reality journey through the Tekapo night sky. Featuring stunning 360° imagery, Māori star stories and expert storytelling, this unique experience offers a different perspective on the universe, exploring celestial wonders in ways that aren’t possible through a telescope alone.
If weather conditions result in less than 30 minutes of telescope viewing, a refund equal to 25% of the amount paid for each ticket will be granted at the end of your tour as recognition that you didn’t get a clear-sky telescope night (valid for tours from 18 June 2026). Note that this partial refund is not applicable on the following ticket types: Economy, Premium, Premium Plus. The partial refund only applies for the ticket types that have a 24-hour cancellation period. For Soak In The Stars guests, the hot pool portion of the experience will continue as normal with a guide poolside.
I need to cancel my booking. What is your refund policy?
Bookings may be cancelled or changed up to 24 hours before the start of your tour for a full refund or free amendment.
If your booking was made before 17 June 2026, or through a third-party agent, different cancellation and amendment conditions may apply. Please refer to your booking confirmation email, contact your travel agent, or get in touch with us at bookings@tekapostargazing.co.nz and we’ll be happy to assist.
What if only part of the sky is visible? Will the tour still go on?
Yes. All Tekapo Stargazing tours operate in a wide range of weather conditions. If parts of the night sky are visible, guides will make the most of the available viewing opportunities using telescopes and the naked eye while sharing astronomy insights and Māori star stories.
When conditions are unsuitable for telescope viewing, the experience continues with an immersive Virtual Reality journey through the Tekapo night sky, featuring stunning 360° imagery, expert storytelling and a unique perspective on the cosmos. Soak In The Stars guests will also enjoy exclusive use of the hot pool, with a guide poolside to continue sharing stories and highlighting the wonders of the night sky.
If weather conditions result in less than 30 minutes of telescope viewing, a refund equal to 25% of the amount paid for each ticket will be granted at the end of your tour as recognition that you didn’t get a clear-sky telescope night (valid for tours from 18 June 2026). Note that this partial refund is not applicable on the following ticket types: Economy, Premium, Premium Plus. The partial refund only applies for the ticket types that have a 24-hour cancellation period.
How will I know if a tour has been cancelled?
It is very unlikely a tour will be cancelled due to weather, but if this does happen we will either call, text-message or email you if a tour is cancelled and endeavour to book you on the next available tour. Please refer to our terms and conditions.
What time do the tours start?
What are the age requirements for children for the stargazing tours?
Children must be 6 years or older to join the Scope at the Stars tour. For Soak In The Stars, children must be 10 years or older. These age requirements are in place for health and safety reasons and are strictly adhered to. Proof of age may be required to verify applicable ages.
Please note that infants and children below the minimum age are not permitted on the tours, including babies carried by parents or guardians. All guests attending must meet the minimum age requirement for their selected tour.
What should I wear on a Star Gazing Tour?
As the tours are mainly conducted outdoors we recommend wearing warm clothing, particularly over winter months. Over winter we recommend wearing gloves, a warm hat, warm footwear and a jacket. During the winter months we have our open fire going to keep you cosy and warm too. Oh, and don’t forget your swim wear for the hot pools part of your tour if you’ve booked the Soak in the Stars stargazing tour.
What about the moon? Will it disrupt star gazing?
Can I bring my own drinks to the tour?
No, with the only exception being water that must be in a plastic container.
What if I don’t want to go in the hot pools?
There is no strict requirement that you enter the pools as part of the tour although it is highly recommended. There are places that you can sit or stand by the poolside for the second part of the tour. There is no reduction in price if you decide not to use the pools. Alternatively, please have a look at our Scope at the Stars – telescope only star gazing tour. This tour runs during spring and summer and excludes the star gazing in the hot pools part of the tour.
Is there a place I can leave my belongings while in the pool?
Yes, we have lockable lockers for $5 just outside the change rooms, and open cubbies /shelving next to the pools.
Do you rent swimwear and towels?
Yes, you can borrow our swimwear and towels if needed. If you have your own swimwear and towel, please bring them.
Where does the tour start from and what time should I arrive?
Our tours start from Tekapo Springs, located 300 Lakeside Drive. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start time of your tour and check-in with our reception team.
What if I’m late for the tour?
If you are late for the tour, the tour will proceed without you and you are not permitted to join the tour if we believe this will cause disruption. We do not offer refunds for late arrivals so please ensure you are on time. Please refer to our terms and conditions.
Do you offer pick-up in Tekapo for the tour?
Yes, we can offer a complimentary shuttle service from local hotels subject to availability, please advise at time of booking. Alternatively make your own way to Tekapo Springs reception, located 300 Lakeside Drive, 15 minutes prior to the start time of your tour.
Can I buy a gift voucher for a tour?
Yes, gift vouchers are available from our website, or from Reception at Tekapo Springs
What does the price of the Soak in the Stars stargazing tour include?
The Soak In The Stars experience includes a 90-minute guided astronomy tour, exclusive access to a hot pool, a hot drink and blankets for your comfort.
When conditions are suitable, the guided experience includes telescope viewing of stars, planets, galaxies and other celestial wonders visible from the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. When conditions are unsuitable for telescope viewing, the experience continues with an immersive Virtual Reality journey through the Tekapo night sky, featuring stunning 360° imagery, Māori star stories and expert storytelling.
The hot pool experience is included regardless of weather conditions. While you relax beneath the stars, your guide will remain poolside to answer questions, share stories and highlight celestial features visible overhead. Floating hammocks, relaxing music and low red lighting create a uniquely peaceful stargazing experience.
What does the price of the Scope at the Stars stargazing tour include?
The Scope At The Stars experience includes a 60-minute guided astronomy tour, a hot drink and blankets for your comfort.
When conditions are suitable, the guided experience includes telescope viewing of stars, planets, galaxies and other celestial wonders visible from the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. When conditions are unsuitable for telescope viewing, the experience continues with an immersive Virtual Reality journey through the Tekapo night sky, featuring stunning 360° imagery, Māori star stories and expert storytelling.
Every Scope At The Stars ticket also includes a complimentary daytime hot pools pass to Tekapo Springs, valid on the day of your tour or the following day.
Do I need to know about astronomy to understand your tour?
No, our trained guides will deliver a guided tour that will include some basic information on some of the closest and brightest features such as stars, planets, constellations, and galaxies. Guides will educate you about the mythology and cultural aspects of the night sky including navigation for Māori and European cultures. Our tours have an emphasis on storytelling and entertainment mixed with some fact.
Can I share my photos online of the tour?
Can I video record the tour?
Do you have different types of star gazing tours?
Yes, we offer two different star gazing tours.
Soak in the Stars is a 90-minute experience that combines telescope viewing with relaxing star gazing in the hot pools.
Scope at the Stars is a shorter 60-minute tour focused entirely on telescope viewing — perfect for those who prefer an earlier evening.
If the weather is cloudy and the stars aren’t visible, both tours include an alternative, immersive Virtual Reality experience instead of telescope viewing.
Are your tours in multiple languages?
Can I buy food and drinks on the tour?
How long are we in the pools?
Approximately 30-45 minutes.
What Temperature are the Pools?
The hot pool temperatures will range from 37 to 38.5 degrees depending on season and weather conditions.
What type of telescopes are you using?
How many people are on each tour?
A maximum of 36 people are on each tour. If you book a private tour then we can accommodate more people per tour as long as this is arranged in advance. Please email bookings@tekapostargazing.co.nz to enquire about availability for this.
Can I stay in the café after my tour has ended?
No, sorry, our cafe is closed in the evenings.
How long are the tours?
Our Soak in the Stars stargazing tours are about 90 minutes long. This time allows for our guided outdoor OR indoor tour of approximately 45 minutes, time for you to get changed into swimwear and enjoy the pools for approximately 30-45 minutes and then change back into your clothes.
Our Scope at the Stars tours are about 60 minutes long. This includes telescope viewing only, or our indoor VR tour if the weather isn’t suitable for telescope viewing.
My tour starts after midnight. Which date do I arrive, and why do you run tours that late?
Some Soak in the Stars tours begin shortly after midnight (for example, 12:15 am). These tours are still part of the previous evening’s schedule, even though the time technically falls on the next calendar day.
For example, if your tour is listed as 12:15 am on 15 April, you’ll need to arrive just after midnight between 14 and 15 April – effectively the late-night session of the 14th.
We run some tours after midnight because this can offer the darkest, clearest sky conditions, especially in seasons with long daylight hours. It also helps us space tours comfortably throughout the evening to give you the best possible viewing experience.
What are the Third Party Special Deals T&C’S?
Health & Safety
We take health and safety along with your wellbeing very seriously whilst on our tours. It is essential that you do not run around the pool complex or dive into pools as you are likely to hurt yourself. Running is strictly prohibited.
If you have a known medical condition please advise our team on arrival prior to commencing our Star Gazing experience. As per the national pool supervision requirement all children under 8 years of age must be kept within arm’s reach of a caregiver aged 16 years or older at all times whilst in the hot pools. The second part of our tour may not be suitable for pregnant women as the pools can reach slightly above body temperature – please consult with your medical professional prior to booking.
Alcohol is not able to be consumed in the hot pools or Tekapo Springs’ premises during the night tours. Guests who arrive intoxicated will be asked to leave – this is both due to enforcement of requirements for our Liquor License and part of our pool safety guidelines.
Smoking is only permitted in our designated smoking area, please ask staff where this is. For safety reasons, children under the age of 6 cannot join any tour. Any child aged 15 and under must be accompanied by a guardian aged 16 or older. This will be strictly adhered to.
Terms & Conditions
Full payment is required at the time of booking, whether made in person, online or via an agent. By completing your booking, you agree to and accept Tekapo Stargazing’s Terms & Conditions and Cancellation & Weather Policy as outlined on this page.
Tekapo Stargazing operates in an alpine environment where weather can change quickly. We are unable to guarantee full clarity, perfect skies, or visibility of specific objects in the night sky, and what you see will depend on seasonal conditions, the moon phase and cloud cover at the time of your tour.
Our tours include a guided astronomy experience that may be delivered outdoors with telescopes under the night sky or indoors using our customised Virtual Reality experience. Weather conditions at the time of the tour determine whether our guides run the experience outdoors or indoors. On nights when cloud makes outdoor stargazing impossible, the guided portion of the tour is delivered as a customised indoor virtual reality experience showcasing the Lake Tekapo night skies; for Soak in the Stars, the exclusive hot pools portion of the tour always takes place as planned. For details about cloudy-night refunds and guest cancellations, please refer to our Cancellation & Weather Policy.
Tekapo Stargazing reserves the right to cancel, shorten or modify a tour in response to extreme or unsafe weather, environmental conditions, or operational requirements such as consolidating tours based on limited numbers. In the unlikely event that a tour is cancelled in full for safety or operational reasons, you will be offered an alternative tour time (subject to availability) or a full refund if no suitable alternative is available, in line with our Cancellation Policy.
Children
For safety reasons, children under 6 years cannot join any Tekapo Stargazing tour. Children under 10 years cannot join Soak in the Stars tours; families with children aged 6–10 are welcome on our Scope at the Stars tour. These age limits will be strictly enforced.
Photography and Videos
Any photography and videos taken by you on Tekapo Springs premises is for personal use only. No photos or imagery may be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Tekapo Stargazing. “Commercial purposes” includes but is not limited to any use:
- For personal promotion content purposes;
- Personal gain;
- Which may damage the reputation of Tekapo Springs (whether or not that is intentional).
Participation in any group or promotional photos taken on our tours is entirely voluntary. These photos may be made public and used on Tekapo Stargazing’s marketing channels, social media, and website. Release and use of promotional images is at our discretion; we cannot guarantee that any images featuring you will be provided or published.
Keep in mind
-
Swimwear is required in the pools always. Please bring your own swimwear and towel for your tour if you have them. We can provide these if needed.
-
Objects viewed through the telescope are generally black and white.
-
White lights are not allowed on any tours (flash photography, illuminated mobile phones, flashlights, personal torches, LCD screens, etc.) as white light will diminish your eyes ability to view the stars.
-
Video recording and any reproduction of our star gazing tours without specific written permission is strictly prohibited.
-
It is essential that you do not run around the pool complex as you are likely to fall and hurt yourself. Running is strictly prohibited. Diving into the pools is also prohibited as our pools are shallow and this could result in injury.
-
Lockers are available to use for $5, or open cubbies are available for storage free of charge.
Cancellation & Weather Policy
Our goal is to make sure your time with us is memorable and value-for-money, even when the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor stargazing.
Guest cancellations and changes
Direct bookings
- You can cancel or change your Tekapo Stargazing booking up to 24 hours before your tour start time and choose to receive either a full refund, date change subject to availability, or a voucher to the value of the ticket price to use at a later date.
- Cancellations or change requests within 24 hours of your tour start time are non-refundable and booking change requests are not possible, except in genuine extenuating circumstances, which may be considered at our discretion.
- Please note: Different cancellation and rescheduling terms may apply if your booking was made before 18 June 2026. Please refer to your booking confirmation for the applicable terms, or contact bookings@tekapostargazing.co.nzfor assistance.
Third party bookings
- If you booked through a travel agent or other third party, their own booking changes and cancellation policy applies; please contact them directly to change or cancel your booking.
Cloudy nights and bad weather
Weather conditions in Lake Tekapo’s alpine climate can change rapidly, and as a result, night sky conditions at the time of the tour determine whether our guides run the experience outdoors with telescopes or indoors using our Virtual Reality experience.
If weather conditions result in less than 30 minutes of telescope viewing, a refund equal to 25% of the amount paid for each ticket will be granted at the end of your tour as recognition that you didn’t get a clear-sky telescope night (valid for tours from 18 June 2026). Note that this partial refund is not applicable on the following ticket types: Economy, Premium, Premium Plus. The partial refund only applies for the ticket types that have a 24-hour cancellation period. This applies to both our Soak in the Stars and Scope at the Stars tours.
If extreme weather (for example lightning, heavy snow ,or unsafe conditions) or operational requirements mean we must cancel a tour entirely, you’ll be offered an alternative tour time (subject to availability) or a full refund if the alternative does not suit you.
No Shows
If you do not show for your tour (no‑show), your booking is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Refund processing
Refunds are processed within 5 working days but may take longer to appear in your account depending on your bank or card provider. The refund will be processed on-site and where practicable on the card used to make your booking.
Gift Vouchers
Gift vouchers are valid for 3 years from the date of purchase, following which they expire automatically, are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed for cash. Alternative validity periods may apply where specified at the time of issue. Vouchers purchased prior to 1 March 2026 are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. For full terms & conditions about New Zealand gift vouchers please visit the New Zealand Legislation Website.