Precious experience - Amazing experience. Being able to visit an international dark sky reserve. We get to see the stars and milky way with our own eyes. Something we'll not be able to do back in our city. It's beautiful. We also visit on a very clear day, no cloud at all. But too bad it was a full moon, and the moon was so bright, so some of the smaller stars were not that visible. But we still get to see the milky way, tho not as obvious. Highly recommend goin there on nights with no moon, it should be amazing.

Informative and fun - This is a great tour for stargazing novices. We learned about the major constellations and stars and got to see several different types of astral marvels (the moons of Jupiter, a cluster of stars from just after the Big Bang, a group of new stars, and the surface of the moon). The guides were informative and could answer a range of questions from explaining the impact of satellites on scientific research to addressing skepticism about the moon landing. And they thoughtfully provide warm jackets so we could be comfortable!

Worth the loss of sleep. - I was hoping for cloud to cause a cancellation of this tour and allow me an uninterrupted sleep, but the night was very clear. I managed a nap before the midnight start. It was cold on the mountain but the provided jackets were comfortable and warm. Our guides were knowledgeable and friendly. I learned more about astronomy than I had expected. Definitely recommended.

Excellent experience. Well worth the late night and driving - 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!

Enthusiastic Guide who worked around the clouds to show us most of the night sky as the clouds moved and shifted. - Even though it was cloudy we were able to get a good view of different stars and constellations including the Southern Cross, the fake southern star and learned how to identify the true southern star. We were also able to use 3 of the telescopes and were able to see the Tarantula Nebula and see stars being born. I felt the group size was too large for each participant to fully take advantage of the telescopes and had hoped to be able to take photos using the telescopes.

Unique experience, but it is pricey. But you do get a refund if the weather doesn't cooperate! - 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.

Overpriced and underwhelming – not worth it under a bright moon - I really wanted to enjoy the Dark Sky Project, but unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience, especially considering the high price of NZD 200 per person. Firstly, if the moon is more than half full, don’t bother going. The moonlight makes it nearly impossible to see most stars clearly, which defeats the whole purpose of a stargazing experience. The explanations given during the tour were very basic and felt overly simplified—almost like they were intended for children. I had expected more in-depth insights into astronomy, constellations, or galaxies, but that never came. The telescope viewing was also underwhelming. You only get to look briefly, and what you see through the lens is minimal and unclear. And if you want to drive yourself to the observatory, you’re still charged an additional NZD 8 just to access the site. Overall, it felt like a tourist trap—more focused on making money than delivering a meaningful or educational experience. Honestly, you could just drive a few minutes out of town, use a stargazing app, and have a much better (and free) view of the night sky.

It was cloudy. Therefore,... - It was cloudy. Therefore, it was cancelled. And while that’s out of their control, they offered an indoor experience which was uninformative and unimpressive.

Buyer beware, waste of money and time. - What a con ! Paid for a summit experience which was very expensive, so utterly boring and not dark !! There was a full and very bright moon so it wasn't dark at all making it pointless. When I complained they told me that they expect their customers to look up the lunar cycle !!! Yeah right as if , they are apparently the experts so know the lunar cycles we'll in advance and just don't chose to tell you. I overheard a staff member asking if the tour was going ahead due to this so they already knew it would be crap. No presentations at all, waste of time, effort and lots of money. I regularly see a far better night sky from my garden in Perth ! Do not recommend , save your money.

Stargazing/Milky-way-view very bad... - I booked the event, it was confirmed and then paid for. Event did not take place without comment. Without justification (even after inquiring), this tour did not take place. Just embarrassing...