Mount Cook Helicopter Tours

For a first helicopter flight at Aoraki/Mount Cook, book the 25-minute scenic flight with an alpine landing from Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters, from $217 per person. It is the most-reviewed helicopter flight at the park on GetYourGuide, rated 4.7 from 517 reviews, it leaves from Mount Cook Airport a few minutes from the village, and it puts you on your feet in the mountains above the Tasman Valley. Pay more only when you want a longer flight, a landing on the Tasman Glacier itself, or a crossing to the West Coast glaciers.

Mount Cook helicopter flights by length

Six helicopter flights leave from the Mount Cook side of the Alps. Prices are USD per person as of September 2026.

The two 25-minute flights cost almost the same, so choose by base and by number of reviews. The Ski Planes flight has hundreds of reviews and a free transfer from any accommodation in the village; our breakdown of the alpine landing flight covers the route. The Helicopter Line’s Alpine Vista sweeps over the Ben Ohau Range from Glentanner Park, which suits you if you are driving up from Lake Pūkaki or staying at Glentanner.

At 40 minutes, Mountains High adds the Hochstetter Icefall on Aoraki/Mount Cook and the upper Tasman Glacier before its landing, then flies home over the Burnett Mountains. It is the step up for anyone who wants to see the big ice from close range without paying for a West Coast crossing.

The 55-minute Mount Cook & the Glaciers flight is the longest here. It follows the full length of the Tasman Glacier, lands in the snow with the mountain in front of you, then crosses the Main Divide to look down on the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers. GetYourGuide sells it too ($500, 4.8 from 45 reviews), but the Viator listing carries far more reviews. It is booked on Viator:

Mount Cook and The Glaciers 55-Minute Helicopter Flight

• ★ 4.7/5 (141 reviews)
• 55 minutes
• Free cancellation
• Operated by Totally Tourism - The Helicopter Line

Includes 55-minute scenic helicopter flight · Alpine snow landing (seasonal) · Pilot guide, with commentary in English

From $525 per person Check Availability

You'll choose your date and complete the booking on Viator.

Snow landing, alpine landing or glacier landing

The word on the listing tells you where the helicopter puts down. An alpine landing is on a mountainside, not on a glacier, and on the shorter flights that spot might not have snow in the warmer months. The Ski Planes listing for the 25-minute flight says its landing has snow about 95% of the year. The Helicopter Line describes every Mount Cook landing as a seasonal snow landing.

A glacier landing is on the upper snowfields of the Tasman Glacier, which carry snow and ice all year. The aircraft shuts down and you get 10 to 15 minutes on the snow. If standing in snow is the point of the flight, book a glacier landing. The 45-minute Glacier Highlights helicopter flight from Mount Cook Airport is the helicopter-only way to do it, and it is booked on Viator:

The same landing comes at a lower price on the ski plane and helicopter combo, which our scenic flights guide compares with the ski plane on its own. For up to two hours walking on the ice, see the Tasman Glacier heli hike.

Mount Cook Airport or Glentanner Park

Helicopters fly from two bases on State Highway 80, and the operators warn people not to confuse them. Driving up from Lake Pūkaki you reach Glentanner Park first, home of The Helicopter Line. Mount Cook Airport, base of Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters and the departure point for Southern Lakes Helicopters, is about 15 minutes’ drive further on and about 6 km before the village.

Check-in times differ too. The Ski Planes flights close check-in 45 minutes before departure. The Helicopter Line closes check-in 30 minutes before, and it can arrange free transport from the village for the 55-minute flight. With SH80 under stop/go roadworks until about 8 October 2026, leave a little extra time.

Flights from Franz Josef and Fox: check the departure point

Some listings with Mount Cook in the name leave from the West Coast, on the far side of the Main Divide. The Helicopter Line West Coast’s Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight ($277, 4.5 from 44 reviews) departs from Fox Glacier Village. The Franz Josef 30-minute flight ($228, 4.8 from 85 reviews) lands on the Tasman Glacier but starts at the Franz Josef heliport. Glacier Helicopters’ Aoraki/Mount Cook Spectacular also leaves from its Franz Josef base on SH6.

These are good flights if you are staying on the West Coast. If you are at Mount Cook Village, Twizel or Tekapo, check the departure point before you pay, because the other side of the Alps is a long way round by road.

Weight, age and seats

Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters sets a general limit of 116 kg per person and may weigh you at check-in. Seats are assigned on the day to balance the aircraft, so a window seat cannot be guaranteed. Children of all ages can fly, with ear protection and child lap belts provided, but an infant on a lap still needs an allocated seat and is charged for it.

The Helicopter Line carries up to six passengers or a combined 480 kg per helicopter. Infants under 15 kg sit on an adult’s knee, heavier infants need their own seat, and children must fly with a paying adult. On every flight, wear warm layers, sturdy closed shoes and sunglasses, and leave loose scarves behind.

Weather calls

Every flight here depends on the weather, and no operator publishes how often it cancels. Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters aims to warn you the day before, but the final call can come until about 10 minutes before departure; you get a new time or a full refund. The Helicopter Line asks you to phone 0800 650 651 an hour before departure for the final check, and offers another date or a refund.

Book for your first day in the area so a cancelled flight has room to move. GetYourGuide bookings can also be cancelled free up to 24 hours before. For what each flight costs against the ski planes, day tours and heli hikes, see our Mount Cook tour prices, or check availability for the alpine landing flight.