Getting to Mount Cook Airport and Glentanner
Where the Mount Cook helicopter flights and heli hikes start: Mount Cook Airport, Glentanner Park and the village, distances by road from Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Queenstown, pick-ups, parking and check-in.
Most Mount Cook helicopter trips start at Mount Cook Airport, on State Highway 80, 5.2 km by road from Aoraki / Mount Cook Village. INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters flies from there, and both Tasman Glacier heli hikes, including Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s 3-Hour Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride and Hike from US$552 a person (checked November 2026), start there too. The Helicopter Line’s scenic flights leave from Glentanner Park, 22.2 km by road from the village. INFLITE runs no shuttle from Twizel or Lake Tekapo, so plan on driving.
The calendar above is Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s; its trip starts at Mount Cook Airport.
Which trip starts where
| Starts at | Trips | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Cook Airport | 3-Hour Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride and Hike (Mt Cook Glacier Guiding), 3-Hour Heli Hike to the Tasman Glacier (The Helicopter Line Mount Cook), Scenic Helicopter Flight with Alpine Landing (INFLITE), Ski Plane and Helicopter Glacier Combo Flight (INFLITE) | 5.2 km by road from the village; free parking for the combo flight |
| Glentanner Park | The Helicopter Line’s scenic flights, such as Mount Cook and the Glaciers | 22.2 km by road from the village; 18.7 km from the airport |
| 81 Bowen Drive, Aoraki / Mount Cook | Helicopter Flight with Alpine Landing (Glacier Helicopters) | In Aoraki / Mount Cook |
Distances by road, routed in November 2026. Start points from each listing, and for The Helicopter Line’s scenic flights from helicopter.co.nz, checked November 2026.
Glentanner Park lies south of the airport, on the way in from State Highway 8, so if you are driving up from Twizel or Lake Tekapo you pass it first.
Pick-ups, parking and check-in
- The Helicopter Line’s heli hike includes pick-up and drop-off in Mount Cook Village; allow at least 45 minutes after check-in for the briefing and fitting.
- INFLITE’s 25-minute flight: pick-up and drop-off in Mount Cook Village can be arranged with the operator directly. Check-in closes 45 minutes before the flight.
- INFLITE’s combo flight: free parking at the airport; check-in closes 45 minutes before.
- Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s heli hike: starts with a 45-minute safety briefing at the airport.
- From Twizel or Lake Tekapo: INFLITE Mt Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters does not run a shuttle; limited pre-booked pick-ups from Mount Cook Village accommodation may be available (checked November 2026).
Driving there
By road, Aoraki / Mount Cook Village is 64.3 km from Twizel, 104.0 km from Lake Tekapo, 262.3 km from Queenstown and 329.1 km from Christchurch. The Department of Conservation gives the drive as 3.5 hours from Queenstown and 4.5 hours from Christchurch, reached off State Highway 8 at the end of State Highway 80, and warns that access may be limited in the winter months, June to September, by snowfall (checked November 2026).
Plan to arrive early. The heli hikes and INFLITE’s flights close check-in 45 minutes or more before departure, and a 64 km drive from Twizel on a cold morning is not one to rush.
If you want to see the glacier from the ground
The Department of Conservation’s Tasman Glacier View Track starts from the Tasman Valley car park, 8.3 km by road from the village. It is 1.5 km return, about 30 minutes, up more than 300 steps to a view over Tasman Lake towards the glacier; parking is free and no booking is needed. The Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre is at 1 Larch Grove, in the village.
Flying from Queenstown instead of driving? See from Queenstown.
More 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.
The Heli Hike Starts at Mount Cook Airport
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's Tasman Glacier heli hike: briefing at Mount Cook Airport, 15 minutes by helicopter each way, up to 2 hours on the ice. About 3 hours in all.
Check dates