Illustration.
Aoraki / Mount Cook · 25-minute flights to 3-hour hikes
Mount Cook Helicopter Flights and Heli Hike
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's heli hike: a 15-minute helicopter flight from Mount Cook Airport onto the Tasman Glacier, up to 2 hours on the ice with a guide, and the flight back, about 3 hours in all. The scenic flights land in the mountains for a few minutes instead.
Pick your trip
A Flight with a Landing, or a Heli Hike?
A helicopter trip at Aoraki / Mount Cook is one of two things: a scenic flight of 25 to 55 minutes with a few minutes on the snow, or a 3-hour heli hike with up to 2 hours walking on the Tasman Glacier. The shortest flight, INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters’ 25-minute flight with an alpine landing, is from US$194 a person; for a landing on the glacier itself, its ski plane and helicopter flight is from US$277 (checked November 2026). To walk on the ice, Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s 3-Hour Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride and Hike is from US$552 a person.
Mount Cook: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Alpine Landing
INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters: 25 minutes up the Tasman Valley and an alpine landing among the mountains. Snow cannot be guaranteed all year round.
See the flight →Mount Cook: Ski Plane and Helicopter Glacier Combo Flight
INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters: a ski plane one way and a helicopter the other, landing on the upper snowfields of the Tasman Glacier, 45 minutes in all.
See the flight →Mount Cook: 3-Hour Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride and Hike
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding: 15 minutes by helicopter each way and up to 2 hours on the Tasman Glacier with a guide, about 3 hours in all. Limited to 11.
Check dates →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
What the landing is
A landing is not always on a glacier. In INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters’ own definition, an alpine landing “takes place on unique mountain sites”, while a glacier landing “is directly on the glacier itself and offers more guarantees all year-round to set foot on snow”. Its 25-minute flight makes an alpine landing, which “might not have snow during warmer months”; two of the 350 most recent reviews of that flight, in March 2024 and April 2025, found no snow. Its ski plane and helicopter flight lands on the Tasman Glacier.
The flights by price
GetYourGuide from-prices a person, checked November 2026; Viator from-prices checked November 2026. On the dates we read, INFLITE’s two flights were dearer than their from-prices: US$210.29 and US$332.36 a person.
The Mount Cook helicopter price adds the operators’ own prices and what each extra minute buys.
- 4.9 / 5 344+ Reviews
- 23 km The Tasman Glacier's length, New Zealand's longest glacier (Department of Conservation)
- 5.2 km By road from Aoraki / Mount Cook Village to Mount Cook Airport, where the heli hikes and the INFLITE flights start
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Tasman Glacier Heli Hike Includes
Two helicopter flights, a guide, boots, socks, crampons, a pole and a waterproof jacket. Food and drinks are not in the price.
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's own highlights, inclusions and notes, as listed on GetYourGuide in November 2026.
Highlights
- Witness the splendor of Aoraki/Mount Cook
- Discover the magnificent ice formations
- Spend up to 2 hours on the stunning ice
- Choose between 2 time slots 8:45 AM and 10:45 AM
What's Included
- 2 scenic flights
- Tour guide
- Leather boots
- Woolen socks
- Crampons
- Walking pole
- Waterproof jacket
Good to know: This trip is not recommended for people with limited mobility · This trip is weather dependent · If weather prevents the trip from operating, you will receive a full refund for the affected booking · Not suitable for: Children under 9 years, People with mobility impairments · Not Included: Food and drinks
From Mount Cook Airport onto the Tasman Glacier
A briefing at the airport, 15 minutes in the helicopter, up to 2 hours on the ice, and 15 minutes back: about 3 hours from start to finish.
Briefing at Mount Cook Airport
The trip starts at Mount Cook Airport with a safety briefing of about 45 minutes, when you are fitted with leather boots, woollen socks, crampons, a walking pole and a waterproof jacket.
15 Minutes by Helicopter
A scenic helicopter flight up the valley to a drop-off point on a remote part of the Tasman Glacier.
Up to 2 Hours on the Ice
You follow your guide across the ice as the guide cuts steps, for up to 2 hours, weather permitting. The glacier changes all the time, so what you see depends on how it has moved.
15 Minutes Back
The helicopter flies you back to the airport, followed by a 10-minute break: about 3 hours in all, with food and drinks not included.
Photo Gallery
The Tasman Glacier and the Peaks Above It
Ice formations on New Zealand's longest glacier, the Southern Alps from the air and the valley below Aoraki.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's Tasman Glacier heli hike: a 15-minute helicopter flight each way from Mount Cook Airport and up to 2 hours on the ice with a guide, boots, socks, crampons and a jacket included. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Plan Your Flight
Planning a Mount Cook Helicopter Trip
What each flight costs, the Tasman Glacier heli hike, ski plane or helicopter, flying in from Queenstown, where the flights start, and the weather.
Prices are each page's featured tour: Viator checked November 2026; GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Tour prices on GetYourGuide and Viator are in US dollars; the operators' own prices are in New Zealand dollars (NZ$).
The Heli Hike Against the Flights from Mount Cook Airport
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's heli hike beside INFLITE's 25-minute helicopter flight, its ski plane and helicopter combination, and The Helicopter Line's own heli hike: time on the snow or ice, length, the kind of landing, group size and limits. GetYourGuide prices with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Heli hike (11 max) | 25-minute flight | Ski plane and helicopter | Heli hike (10 max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$552 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$194 per person (the dates we read showed US$210.29 a person; checked November 2026) | From US$277 per person (the dates we read showed US$332.36 a person; checked November 2026) | From US$552 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Length | 3 hours, with a 45-minute briefing | 25 minutes | 45 minutes | 3 hours; allow at least 45 minutes after check-in for the briefing and gear |
| On the Snow or Ice | Up to 2 hours walking on the Tasman Glacier with a guide | An alpine landing among the mountains; snow cannot be guaranteed all year round | A landing on the upper snowfields of the Tasman Glacier | A 2-hour guided hike on the Tasman Glacier |
| Aircraft | Helicopter, 15 minutes each way | Helicopter | Ski plane one way, helicopter the other | Helicopter, 15 minutes each way |
| Where It Starts | Mount Cook Airport | Mount Cook Airport; check-in closes 45 minutes before | Mount Cook Airport, free parking; check-in closes 45 minutes before | Mount Cook Airport, with pick-up in Mount Cook Village |
| Group | Limited to 11 | Limited to 6 | Not stated | Limited to 10 |
| Limits | Not for children under 9 or people with mobility impairments | Weight and balance limits apply to all aircraft | Every passenger's name and weight given at booking; no bags | Age 10 and up, moderate fitness, at most 150 kg including equipment; not recommended in pregnancy |
| If the Weather Stops It | A full refund for the affected booking | A new tour within 30 minutes or a full refund | Refundable; the operator tries to reschedule you | An alternative date or a full refund |
| Best For | Two hours walking on New Zealand's longest glacier, boots, socks and jacket included | A short flight and a landing in the mountains at the lowest price in this table | Landing on the glacier itself, and a flight in a ski plane | The same glacier with pick-up from your village accommodation |
| Check dates | See the flight | See the flight | See the hike |
More Flights at Aoraki / Mount Cook
Other Helicopter and Ski Plane Trips
A second Tasman Glacier heli hike, 30 to 55-minute helicopter flights with a landing, and a ski plane that lands on the glacier, on GetYourGuide and Viator.
SECOND HELI HIKEMount Cook: 3-Hour Heli Hike to the Tasman Glacier
The Helicopter Line Mount Cook's 3-hour heli hike from Mount Cook Airport: a 20-minute briefing, a 15-minute flight over the Tasman Glacier lake, a 2-hour guided hike on the glacier, and a return flight close to the Hochstetter Icefall. Pick-up and drop-off in Mount Cook Village included. Limited to 10; from age 10, moderate fitness, at most 150 kg a person including equipment.
30 MINUTESMount Cook: Helicopter Flight with Alpine Landing
Glacier Helicopters' 30-minute flight from 81 Bowen Drive, Aoraki / Mount Cook, over the lower Tasman Glacier and the Liebig Range, with an alpine landing. Limited to 5. Concession fees included. If the weather or too few passengers stop it, an alternative date or a full refund.
40 MINUTESMount Cook: Mountains High 40-Minute Helicopter Flight
Totally Tourism - The Helicopter Line's 40-minute Mountains High flight past the Hochstetter Icefall and the upper Tasman Glacier, with a 5 to 10-minute alpine landing in the snow, and home over the Burnett Mountains and the Mackenzie Basin.
UPPER TASMAN GLACIERMount Cook: Tasman Glacier Helicopter Flight
Glacier Helicopters' 40-minute flight from its Aoraki / Mount Cook base over the Hochstetter Icefall and the upper Tasman Glacier, with a landing among the snowfields and views of the Burnett Mountains and the Mackenzie Basin. Limited to 5. If the weather stops it, an alternative date or a full refund.
SKI PLANE45-Minute Glacier Highlights Ski Plane Tour from Mount Cook
Mount Cook Ski Planes and Helicopters' 45-minute Glacier Highlights flight by ski plane from Mount Cook Airport, past Aoraki/Mount Cook to land at the top of the Tasman Glacier; the ski plane has 9 seats. A minimum of 4 people per flight applies.
55 MINUTESMount Cook and The Glaciers 55-Minute Helicopter Flight
Totally Tourism - The Helicopter Line's 55-minute flight: over the Tasman Glacier lake and the length of the Tasman Glacier, an alpine landing with seasonal snow in view of Aoraki/Mount Cook, then across the Main Divide to the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers and back. If the weather stops it, an alternative date or a full refund.
Helicopters at Aoraki / Mount Cook
Where They Fly From, the Heli Hike and the Weather
Where each trip starts, how the Tasman Glacier heli hike runs, the two operators that guide it, and what the weather does to the day.
Where the flights start
Most trips start at Mount Cook Airport, 5.2 km by road from Aoraki / Mount Cook Village on State Highway 80. INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters flies from there, and so do both Tasman Glacier heli hikes. The Helicopter Line flies its scenic flights from Glentanner Park, 22.2 km by road from the village (helicopter.co.nz, checked November 2026), and Glacier Helicopters checks in at 81 Bowen Drive, Aoraki / Mount Cook. Book the trip that starts where you are staying, or allow for the drive.
Getting to Mount Cook Airport and Glentanner has the distances from Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Queenstown.
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s heli hike, step by step
The trip starts at Mount Cook Airport with a safety briefing of about 45 minutes, where you are fitted with leather boots, woollen socks, crampons, a walking pole and a waterproof jacket. A 15-minute helicopter flight takes you to a drop-off point on a remote part of the Tasman Glacier.
You then spend up to 2 hours on the ice, weather permitting, following your guide as the guide cuts steps. The glacier changes all the time, so the route and what you see change with it. A second 15-minute flight brings you back, with a 10-minute break at the end. The group is limited to 11, and the trip is not for children under 9 or for people with mobility impairments.
The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s largest and longest, 23 km long and up to 3 km wide (Department of Conservation, checked November 2026). It is retreating: the lake at its foot did not exist until 1974.
What the price buys
The US$552 on the calendar is the price of the one option, and it was the same, US$552.08 a person, on the January and March 2027 dates we read, with two adults paying twice that (checked November 2026). It buys the two flights, the guide and the gear. Food and drinks are not included. If weather stops the trip, you get a full refund for the affected booking.
Two heli hikes on the same glacier
Two operators guide walks on the Tasman Glacier from Mount Cook Airport, at the same GetYourGuide from-price. The Helicopter Line Mount Cook's heli hike is limited to 10, includes pick-up and drop-off in Mount Cook Village, takes people from age 10 with moderate fitness, and sets a maximum of 150 kg a person including equipment. On the way back it flies close to the Hochstetter Icefall, on the eastern face of Aoraki. The Tasman Glacier heli hike sets the two side by side.
When the weather says no
Every operator here flies only in suitable weather, and each makes its own call. INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters aims to warn you the day before if conditions look likely to affect your flight, but makes final decisions on the day, “anytime from early morning up to approximately 10 minutes before departure”. The recent reviews of its ski plane and helicopter flight show what that means in practice: of the 350 most recent, 38 mention weather or a cancellation, among them flights moved, a combo flown as a ski plane only without a landing, and a 45-minute combo turned into a 20-minute helicopter flight.
Book the first day you are at Aoraki / Mount Cook and keep the next one free. Weather and cancellations sets out what each operator pays back. For the forecast, MetService publishes an Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park forecast.
What reviewers mention
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s heli hike has 344 reviews on GetYourGuide, averaging 4.9. We read all of them, the newest dated 3 November 2026 and the oldest 10 December 2019: 10 give three stars or fewer, and four of those have text. Two say the walk was gentler than the word “hike” suggests: one in May 2026 describes a circuit of about 3 km walked slowly, with most of the 2 hours spent taking photographs, and one in April 2025 calls it “more of a glacier explore than a glacier hike”, with time spent waiting while others explored ice caves. One in January 2026 was cancelled. If you want a hard walk, this is not it; if you want time on the ice to look around, it is.
Before you book
- Days. Book the heli hike or your flight for your first day at Aoraki / Mount Cook and keep a spare one.
- Where. Mount Cook Airport for INFLITE and the heli hikes; Glentanner Park for The Helicopter Line’s scenic flights.
- Snow. An alpine landing may have no snow in summer; a glacier landing is on snow and ice all year.
- Weight. Each operator sets its own limit; for INFLITE's combo flight every passenger’s name and weight is needed at booking.
- Bags. No bags on that flight, only phones and cameras.
- Cancelling. Every GetYourGuide trip here can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later.
Two Hours on the Tasman Glacier
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's heli hike: a 15-minute flight each way from Mount Cook Airport and up to 2 hours on the ice with a guide, boots and crampons lent. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from US$552 per person.
Check datesMore at Aoraki / Mount Cook
Other Trips near Aoraki / Mount Cook with Open Dates
Flights, glacier trips and day tours in the Mackenzie and the national park with live availability. What each includes and its cancellation terms show before you book.
Mount Cook Helicopter: Questions
What a flight costs, alpine and glacier landings, snow in summer, the Tasman Glacier heli hike, where the flights start, ski plane or helicopter, and flying in from Queenstown.
From US$194 a person for a 25-minute flight with an alpine landing (checked November 2026). That is INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters' scenic flight; on every date we read it was US$210.29. Its 45-minute ski plane and helicopter flight is from US$277 (US$332.36 on the dates we read), and the two Tasman Glacier heli hikes, such as Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's, are from US$552. See the price of every flight.
Where the aircraft puts down. In INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters' own definition, an alpine landing 'takes place on unique mountain sites', while a glacier landing 'is directly on the glacier itself and offers more guarantees all year-round to set foot on snow'. Its 25-minute flight makes an alpine landing; its ski plane and helicopter flight lands on the upper snowfields of the Tasman Glacier.
Not always on an alpine landing. On INFLITE's 25-minute flight snow cannot be guaranteed all year round, because of a lack of snowfall in summer; two of the 350 most recent reviews, in March 2024 and April 2025, found no snow. A landing on the glacier itself, as on the ski plane and helicopter flight, lands on snow and ice that lie all year.
A 15-minute helicopter flight from Mount Cook Airport onto the Tasman Glacier, up to 2 hours walking on the ice with a guide, and the flight back: about 3 hours in all. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's is limited to 11 and lends boots, socks, crampons, a pole and a jacket; The Helicopter Line's is limited to 10 and includes pick-up in Mount Cook Village. Both are from US$552 a person (checked November 2026). See the Tasman Glacier heli hike.
23 km long and up to 3 km wide, covering 101 square kilometres, in the Department of Conservation's figures (checked November 2026). It is New Zealand's longest glacier, and it is retreating: the lake at its foot did not exist until 1974. The heli hikes, such as Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's, land on it, and the longer flights follow it up the valley.
Most from Mount Cook Airport, 5.2 km by road from Aoraki / Mount Cook Village. INFLITE's flights and both heli hikes start there. The Helicopter Line flies its scenic flights from Glentanner Park, 22.2 km by road from the village, and Glacier Helicopters checks in at 81 Bowen Drive, Aoraki / Mount Cook. See Mount Cook Airport and Glentanner.
For a landing on the glacier itself, the ski plane; for the shortest, cheapest flight, the helicopter. INFLITE's ski plane and helicopter flight gives you one of each and lands on the Tasman Glacier. Its 25-minute helicopter flight makes an alpine landing that may have no snow in summer. See ski plane or helicopter.
Yes, on a day trip by plane. Glenorchy Air's Fly Explore Fly lands at Mount Cook Airport, not on a glacier, and gives you about 5 hours in the village, from US$499; True South Flights' heli hike from Queenstown adds a helicopter onto the Tasman Glacier and about 2 hours on the ice, from US$1,219 (checked November 2026). See from Queenstown.
Still have questions? Email us at info@mountcookhelicopter.com