Mount Thomson is set on the crest or Main Divide of the Southern Alps and is situated on the boundary shared by the West Coast and Canterbury Regions of South Island.

This peak is located six kilometres (3.7 mi) west-northwest of Mount Cook Village and set on the boundary shared by Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park and Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

Topographic relief is significant as the summit rises 1,450 metres (4,757 feet) above the Mueller Glacier in two kilometres.

This climate supports the Douglas, Frind, Donne, and Fyfe glaciers surrounding the peak.

The months of December through February offer the most favourable weather for viewing or climbing this peak.