"Kirby was an excellent guide. A great character with excellent knowledge, always prioritising our safety. You could definitely feel her passion for hiking/ the ice."
Heli Hike · Tasman
Tasman Glacier Heli Hike
Two hours on NZ's longest glacier, by helicopter.
From
$569
per person
Free cancellation
- 4.9 / 5 329+ Reviews
- About 3 hours Duration
- Up to 2 h On the Ice
- Age 9+ Youngest Minimum Age
- Free Cancellation
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
The Experience
What the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding Heli Hike Includes
Two scenic flights, a guide and all the glacier gear, with up to two hours on the Tasman Glacier, from $569 per person.
Highlights
- Land on a remote part of the Tasman Glacier, about 23 km long and New Zealand's largest
- Up to 2 hours on the ice, weather permitting, following steps your guide cuts as you go
- Helicopter views of Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3,724 m the country's highest mountain
- Ice formations that change from trip to trip as the glacier moves
- Two start times to choose from: 8:45 AM or 10:45 AM
What's Included
- Two scenic helicopter flights, about 15 minutes each way
- Glacier guide for the whole time on the ice
- Safety briefing and gear fitting at Mount Cook Airport (about 45 minutes)
- Leather boots and woolen socks
- Crampons and a walking pole
- Waterproof jacket
Can't Make These Dates?
Browse More Available Options
Other ways to see Aoraki/Mount Cook, the Tasman Glacier and Lake Tekapo: day tours from Queenstown and Christchurch, scenic flights and heli-hikes, all with free cancellation.
How the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding Heli Hike Works
Four steps from booking to the flight back to Mount Cook Airport.
Book a morning slot
Choose the 8:45am or 10:45am departure on GetYourGuide from $569 per person. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before, and a weather cancellation gets you a full refund.
Briefing and gear
Meet at Mount Cook Airport for a safety briefing of about 45 minutes, where you are fitted with leather boots, woolen socks, crampons, a walking pole and a waterproof jacket.
Fly onto the glacier
A 15-minute helicopter flight drops you on a remote part of the Tasman Glacier. Your guide cuts steps in the ice and leads you among its formations for up to two hours.
Fly back
A second 15-minute scenic flight returns you to the airport with views of Aoraki/Mount Cook. The whole trip takes about three hours, so an afternoon is free for a valley walk.
Photo Gallery
Tasman Glacier Heli Hike Photos
Blue ice, crampons and the upper Tasman Glacier.
Tasman Glacier Heli Hikes Compared
The two airport heli hikes and the two ways in from Queenstown, side by side.
| Feature | 4.9 FROM 329 Mt Cook Glacier Guiding | The Helicopter Line | True South from Queenstown | Queenstown Bus + Heli Hike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most travelers, and families with a 9-year-old | Pickup from Mount Cook Village | A Queenstown base with one day to spare | Queenstown on a smaller budget |
| Starting Price | From $569 per person | $569 | $1,170 | $692 |
| Rating | 4.9 (329 reviews) | 4.8 (261 reviews) | 4.9 (82 reviews, Viator) | 4.8 (44 reviews) |
| Time on the ice | Up to 2 hours | About 2 hours | About 2 hours | About 2 hours |
| Total time | About 3 hours | About 3 to 3.5 hours | About 7 hours | About 12 hours |
| Getting there | Meet at Mount Cook Airport | Pickup in Mount Cook Village | Fixed-wing flight from Queenstown, 1 hour each way | Minibus from Queenstown |
| Minimum age | 9 | 10 | Age limits apply; ask the operator | 12 |
| Gear supplied | Leather boots, socks, crampons, pole, waterproof jacket | Glacier boots, crampons, jacket if needed | Hiking boots, crampons, safety gear | Boots, crampons or snowshoes, jacket if needed |
| Weight limit | Ask the operator | 150 kg | 150 kg | 116 kg |
| If the weather cancels it | Full refund | Another date or full refund | May switch to the Franz Josef side | Full refund if the flight cannot run |
| Main trade-off | You make your own way to the airport | Minimum age of 10 | Twice the price of a heli hike at the park | A long day with 7 hours or more on the road |
| Check Availability | See The Helicopter Line | See on Viator | See the Combo |
Other Heli Hikes
More Ways onto the Tasman Glacier
The Helicopter Line's heli hike, the Queenstown packages, a snow landing and a high-country walk that stays off the ice.
ALPINE GUIDESMount Cook: 3 Hour Heli Hike to the Tasman Glacier
VIA VIATORTasman Glacier Heli-Hike Tour from Queenstown
The one-hour fixed-wing flight from Queenstown to the Tasman Glacier in Aoraki Mount Cook is certainly spectacular, but the highlight of this trip is the glacier Heli Hike.
BUS + HELI-HIKEFrom Queenstown: Mount Cook Heli-Hike and Bus Tour Combo
SNOW LANDINGMount Cook: Ski Plane and Helicopter Glacier Combo Flight
NO GLACIERGlentanner High Country Heli Hike
Soar over the Southern Alps, take in breathtaking views during an 8 minute scenic helicopter flight and walk a trail of High Country history on the Glentanner High Country Heli Hike.
Heli Hike Guide
Which Tasman Glacier Heli Hike to Book
Two operators at the airport, two ways in from Queenstown, and what the day asks of you.
For a Tasman Glacier heli hike, book Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s 3-hour helicopter ride and hike at $569 per person. It is rated 4.9 from 329 reviews, gives you up to two hours on the ice, supplies leather boots, crampons and waterproofs, and takes children from age 9. The Helicopter Line’s heli hike costs the same and is just as good on the ice; the practical differences are the minimum age, the pickup and the fitness wording.
The two heli hikes at Mount Cook Airport
Both trips follow the same shape: check in at Mount Cook Airport, a safety briefing and gear fitting, a helicopter flight of about 15 minutes onto the glacier, up to two hours of guided walking in crampons, and a flight back. Each costs $569 on GetYourGuide with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
| Mt Cook Glacier Guiding | The Helicopter Line / Alpine Guides | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $569 | $569 |
| Rating | 4.9 (329 reviews) | 4.8 (261 reviews) |
| Time on the ice | Up to 2 hours | About 2 hours |
| Total time | About 3 hours | About 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Minimum age | 9 | 10 |
| Fitness (operator’s wording) | Low to moderate | Moderate: walk over 1 km, use stairs easily |
| Gear supplied | Leather boots, woolen socks, crampons, walking pole, waterproof jacket | Glacier boots, crampons, waterproof jacket if needed |
| Pickup | Meet at Mount Cook Airport | Pickup from Mount Cook Village included |
| Weather cancellation | Full refund | Another date or full refund |
The Helicopter Line’s 3-hour heli hike is guided by Alpine Guides, who have worked in the park since 1966. Its return flight passes close to the Hochstetter Icefall on the eastern side of Aoraki, and the pickup from your accommodation in the village saves a drive to the airport. The weight limit is 150 kg per person including equipment.
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding runs two departures, at 8:45am and 10:45am, and its guides cut steps in the ice as you go. Its lower minimum age is the deciding point for families with a 9-year-old. The same trip is also sold on Viator as The Adventurer, at a higher price. Our breakdowns of the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding hike and The Helicopter Line hike cover each day in more detail.
Heli hikes from Queenstown
If you are staying in Queenstown, you can fly in for the day. True South Flights’ Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike Tour takes a one-hour fixed-wing flight each way between Queenstown and Mount Cook, with a guaranteed window seat, then a helicopter onto the ice for about two hours with Alpine Guides. It runs about seven hours with transfers from central Queenstown accommodation. It is booked on Viator, where it is rated 4.9 from 82 reviews, a far stronger record than the same product’s 4.5 from 11 reviews on GetYourGuide.
Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike Tour from Queenstown
- 4.9/5 (82 reviews)
- 7 hours
- Free cancellation
- Operated by True South Flights
Includes Scenic round-trip fixed-wing flight between Queenstown and Mount Cook · Guaranteed window seat on the plane · Scenic …
From $1,170 per person
Check Availability
You'll choose your date and complete the booking on Viator.
True South may switch you to the Franz Josef side of the Main Divide if weather closes the Tasman, which keeps your day alive at the cost of the glacier you booked. Lunch is not included, so bring food. Our True South breakdown has the timings.
The cheaper Queenstown route is by road. Cheeky Kiwi Travel’s Mount Cook heli-hike and bus tour combo costs $692, is rated 4.8 from 44 reviews and runs about 12 hours, via the Lindis Pass and Lake Pūkaki. Its minimum age is 12 and its weight limit is 116 kg, both stricter than the airport operators. Other ways to reach the park from Queenstown are in our Queenstown tours guide.
How fit do you need to be?
You need to be comfortable walking for about two hours on uneven ice in heavy boots and crampons, with some short climbs up steps your guide cuts. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding rates it low to moderate and requires no experience; The Helicopter Line asks for moderate fitness, which it defines as walking over a kilometer and using stairs easily. Neither trip suits people with limited mobility, and The Helicopter Line does not recommend it during pregnancy.
Minimum ages and families
The minimum age is 9 with Mt Cook Glacier Guiding and 10 with The Helicopter Line and Alpine Guides. Children aged 9 to 16 on the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding trip must be with an adult, and the operator charges the same rate for adults and children. The Queenstown bus combo takes children from 12. For a family with younger children, a snow-landing flight is the way onto the glacier: the ski plane and helicopter combo ($314) lands on the upper Tasman Glacier for 10 to 15 minutes and accepts children of all ages.
What to wear and bring
The operators supply the technical gear, so you bring layers. Wear three or four warm upper layers, trousers that are not jeans, a warm hat and gloves, and sunglasses and sunscreen, because glare off the ice is strong. Bring a small backpack with water and snacks, since food and drink are not included. Selfie sticks, drones and tablets are not allowed on The Helicopter Line’s trip, and a phone or camera on a strap is the easiest thing to carry.
Weather and cancellations
Every heli hike here depends on the weather and on a minimum number of passengers, often four to a helicopter. The call can come on the morning of the trip. If weather cancels, Mt Cook Glacier Guiding refunds you in full and The Helicopter Line offers another date or a refund. Book early in your stay at Mount Cook so a cancelled morning can move to the next day.
Tasman heli hike vs Franz Josef
Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast also has heli hikes, and the helicopter is the only way onto the ice there because the river has cut off the valley on foot. Its heli hike gives up to 2.5 hours on the ice and takes up to four hours from check-in, with a minimum age of 10. The Tasman trips give up to two hours in about three, with a minimum age of 9 on the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding trip. If both are on your route, book whichever side falls on the day with the better forecast. For the glaciers compared more broadly, including the Tasman Lake boat and viewpoint, see our Tasman Glacier tours guide.
An alternative that stays off the ice
The Glentanner High Country Heli Hike is not a glacier walk. An eight-minute helicopter flight lands you high on Glentanner Station, a private, family-owned high-country farm, and a guide walks you back down a farm track past alpine tarns, about 3.5 hours in all (4 hours with check-in). The listing says most healthy people with everyday fitness should enjoy it, so it suits anyone who wants a helicopter and a mountain walk without crampons. It is booked on Viator, rated 5.0 from 53 reviews; our Glentanner breakdown has more.
Glentanner High Country Heli Hike
- 5.0/5 (53 reviews)
- About 4 hours
- Free cancellation
- Operated by Glentanner High Country Heli Hike
Includes 8-minute scenic helicopter flight to a landing point high on the station · Knowledgeable and friendly local guide · …
From $290 per person
Check Availability
You'll choose your date and complete the booking on Viator.
Ready to pick a date? Check availability for the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding heli hike.
Guest Reviews
What Mt Cook Glacier Guiding Guests Say
4.9/5
from 329 verified guests
Ratings and review counts are the tour operators' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"Flavia was an excellant guide. The weather was great. We have loved our day"
"Everything about this trip was incredible, real bucket list stuff! Our original date was cancelled due to the weather, but we were able to be rescheduled for the following day (which turned out to be perfect!). From start to finish, you are given clear information, it is clear the staff are extremely well trained, safety was a priority throughout. The helicopter ride was phenomenal, I luckily got to sit in the front!! Stunning views the entire way! Hunter, our hike guide, was brilliant. Very informative, again made sure we were safe at all times and made sure we saw and experienced everything we possibly could. This was a huge bucket list tick for both myself and husband - highly, highly recommend!!"
"Our heli hike to the Tasman Glacier was awesome!! We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Rich our guide was excellent, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the work he does. He put everyone at ease and was happy to go into detail with our questions. Anna assisted us on ground and was excellent in prepping everyone prior to the trip."
"We had a great glacier hiking experience. I would say this is a must to do if you were in New Zealand! 👍"
"Enjoyed the cave experience and seeing the blue ice."
"Amazing morning! Everything ran smoothly and our guide Johnny was helpful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend."
"i did not participate in the activity due to a severe delay in my flight and was unable to meet the 24h cancellation but the staffs were very helpful in allowing for us to do a refund and full cancellation. Will definitely be back to try it !"
Read all 329 verified reviews
See All ReviewsBook the Tasman Glacier Heli Hike
Up to two hours on the ice with a guide, boots, crampons and waterproofs supplied, from $569 per person with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Starting from $569 per person.
Check Availability & BookTasman Glacier Heli Hike: Common Questions
Fitness, ages, gear, weather and how the Tasman compares with Franz Josef and Fox.
Yes, if you want to walk on glacier ice. For $569 per person you get two scenic helicopter flights and up to two hours on the Tasman Glacier with a guide, with boots and crampons supplied. The Tasman's lower reaches are covered in rock, so a heli hike is the way to reach clean ice. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding's trip is rated 4.9 from 329 reviews.
Mt Cook Glacier Guiding and The Helicopter Line both cost $569 and give about two hours on the ice. Choose Mt Cook Glacier Guiding if a child aged 9 is in your group or you want the 4.9 rating; choose The Helicopter Line if you want pickup from Mount Cook Village. From Queenstown, True South Flights flies you in on a seven-hour day, booked on Viator.
You need to walk for about two hours on uneven ice in heavy boots and crampons. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding rates it low to moderate with no experience needed. The Helicopter Line asks for moderate fitness, meaning you can walk more than 1 km and use stairs easily. It does not suit people with limited mobility, and The Helicopter Line does not recommend it during pregnancy.
It depends on the operator. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding takes children from 9, and children aged 9 to 16 must be with an adult. The Helicopter Line and Alpine Guides take children from 10. Cheeky Kiwi's Queenstown bus and heli-hike combo takes children from 12. For younger children, a ski-plane or helicopter snow landing on the glacier accepts all ages.
Up to about two hours, out of a trip of about three to three and a half hours. The rest is check-in, a safety briefing and gear fitting of around 45 minutes, and a helicopter flight of about 15 minutes each way. Time on the ice can be shorter if weather or glacier conditions change during the trip.
Three or four warm upper layers, trousers that are not jeans, a warm hat, gloves, sunglasses and sunscreen. The operators supply boots, socks, crampons and waterproof jackets, and Mt Cook Glacier Guiding adds walking poles and overtrousers. Bring a small backpack with water and snacks, because food is not included, and carry a phone or camera on a strap.
You are not charged. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding gives a full refund if weather prevents the trip, and The Helicopter Line offers another date or a full refund. Trips also need a minimum number of people per helicopter, often four. Book early in your stay at Mount Cook so a cancelled morning can move to the next day. See available dates.
Guided heli hikes are built around safety. You get a briefing before the flight, crampons and boots fitted by the guides, and a guide who chooses the route and cuts steps in the ice where needed. The trips run only when the weather allows. The real risk is going onto ice without a guide: DOC warns that people have died after crossing the barriers at Franz Josef.
Yes. True South Flights flies from Queenstown to Mount Cook in about an hour each way, then a helicopter takes you onto the ice for about two hours with Alpine Guides; it is booked on Viator and rated 4.9 from 82 reviews. Cheeky Kiwi's bus and heli-hike combo is $692 and takes about 12 hours. See our Queenstown tours guide.
They are close. Franz Josef's heli hike gives up to 2.5 hours on the ice in up to four hours, with a minimum age of 10. The Tasman trips give up to two hours in about three, with a minimum age of 9 on Mt Cook Glacier Guiding. On both glaciers you reach the ice by air, so book the side with the better forecast on the day.
Fox and Franz Josef are on the West Coast, and the walk to Franz Josef runs through rainforest, while the Tasman sits on the eastern side of the Main Divide above an iceberg lake. The Tasman is New Zealand's longest glacier. If you want to see the West Coast glaciers as well, The Helicopter Line's 55-minute flight crosses the Divide to view them. See our Tasman Glacier tours guide.
No. It is a helicopter flight of about eight minutes to a high point on Glentanner Station, followed by a guided walk down a farm track past alpine tarns, about four hours with check-in. It suits people who want a helicopter and a mountain walk without crampons. It is booked on Viator and rated 5.0 from 53 reviews.
Still have questions? Email us at info@mountcooktours.com
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