Mount Cook, NZ

Dinner restaurant on the top floor of the Hermitage Hotel, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing Aoraki and a polished seasonal menu. The village's destination dinner; the view alone earns the price.

Buffet-and-a-la-carte dining room at the Hermitage Hotel, with a more casual menu than the Panorama and the same alpine views. The all-day option in the village.

The independent restaurant in the village, away from the Hermitage, with a casual menu of pizzas, burgers and pasta. The non-Hermitage dinner option.

Casual bar-and-grill at the Hermitage with a long taps list, casual pub menu and the village's most lively evening room. The post-hike beer choice.

Casual lounge bar at the Hermitage with a tight menu of light meals and sharing plates. The casual option when the restaurants are busy.

Daytime cafe at the Hermitage with a tight cabinet of pastries, sandwiches and salads. The lunchtime stop between walks.

Bar attached to the Old Mountaineers' restaurant, with a long taps list and live music several nights a week. The casual non-Hermitage evening.

Country's most-loved 10km return short walk through three swing bridges to a glacial lake at the foot of Aoraki. Flat, three hours return, family-friendly, free.

Flat 2-hour return walk to a viewing platform over the Mueller Glacier terminal moraine. Pram-friendly, family-friendly.

A 4-hour return staircase climb up the steep Sealy Range to a small alpine tarn with a panoramic Aoraki view. The 'stairway to heaven' nickname tells you what to expect.

Hard 4-hour climb from the village to Mueller Hut at 1800m on the Sealy Range, the destination overnight tramp from Mt Cook. Day-trip possible for fit walkers in summer.

A 40-minute return walk from the Tasman Valley Road to a lookout over the Tasman Glacier and its terminal lake. The easy version of the Tasman experience.

A 90-minute return walk to the shore of the Tasman Glacier terminal lake, with the chance to see calving icebergs. Family-friendly.

A short 1-hour loop walk in the village through silver beech forest, the only native bush walk in the park. The under-the-radar quick option.

Half-day boat tour on the Tasman Glacier terminal lake with up-close iceberg viewing. The most accessible glacier-water experience in the country.

Scenic helicopter flight from the village over the glaciers and the summit of Aoraki, with snow landings on the upper glaciers. The aerial version of the park.

Fixed-wing scenic flight from the Glentanner airstrip with a snow landing on the upper glaciers. The slower, longer alternative to the helicopters.

Mountaineering museum and planetarium at the Hermitage Hotel, with Hillary's Everest gear, a 3D mountain film, and the village's planetarium for clear nights. The rainy-day plan.

Evening stargazing tours from the Hermitage, taking advantage of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. Guided telescope viewing with explanation of the southern night sky.

Helicopter to a landing on the Tasman Glacier with a guided 2-hour walk on the ice. The only legal way to walk on the Tasman; the splurge alternative to the lower glacier walks.

New Zealand's highest peak at 3724m, the centerpiece of the national park and visible from every angle in the village. You see it best from the Hooker Valley Track. The country's most photographed mountain.

The country's most-loved short walk, a 10km return path through three swing bridges to a glacial lake at the foot of Aoraki. Flat (124m elevation), three hours return, family-friendly, and the defining experience of the park. Free.

The country's longest glacier, with a viewing platform reachable by a short walk from the Tasman Valley Road. Calving icebergs float in the terminal lake at the foot. The aerial-and-boat tours give the dramatic version.

The hard 4-hour climb from the village to Mueller Hut at 1800m on the Sealy Range, with one of the country's most panoramic alpine views. Day-trip in summer; overnight in winter for serious mountaineers.

The mountaineering museum and planetarium at the Hermitage Hotel, with Hillary's Everest gear, a 3D theatre on the park, and a planetarium showing southern night sky on rainy nights. The rainy-day plan.

Half-day boat tour on the terminal lake of the Tasman Glacier, with up-close iceberg viewing. The most accessible glacier-water experience in the country.

A 2-hour return easy walk from the village to a lookout over the Mueller Glacier terminal moraine. Flat, family-friendly, and the casual alternative to Hooker Valley.

The tiny alpine village around the Hermitage Hotel, with a few cafes, the visitor centre, and the trailheads for the major walks. The orientation point and the only base in the park.

The DOC visitor centre at the village edge, with maps, the weather forecast, and a small museum on the park's geology, climbing history and the local flora and fauna. The orientation stop.