Mount Cook: 3 Hour Heli Hike to the Tasman Glacier

About This Experience

This 3-hour heli hike with The Helicopter Line leaves from Mount Cook Airport, and the listing includes pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Mount Cook Village. After check-in, a safety briefing and a fitting for boots and crampons, a helicopter flight of about 15 minutes takes you over Tasman Glacier Lake and its ice formations before landing on the Tasman Glacier, which runs about 23 km through Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

The hike lasts about 2 hours on surprisingly undulating ice, in the shadow of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, the highest peaks of the Southern Alps. A professional guide leads the group through glacial ice formations, and you walk in glacier boots and ice crampons supplied by the operator, with a waterproof jacket if you need one. The terrain calls for moderate fitness and some hiking ability.

The return flight of about 15 minutes passes close to the Hochstetter Icefall, a 1,000-meter cascade of ice on the eastern face of Aoraki. Snow and ice cover this landscape year round, so the views stay white whatever month you book. Keep a phone or camera handy for this leg, because selfie sticks, drones and tablets are not allowed on board for safety reasons.

The flight needs favorable weather and a minimum number of passengers. If it is canceled you can choose an alternative date or a full refund, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours in advance. Participants must be at least 10 years old, and the weight limit is 150 kg (331 lb) per person including equipment. The tour is not recommended for people who are pregnant.

Highlights

• Fly over Tasman Glacier Lake and its ice formations on the way in
• Hike undulating ice below Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, the highest peaks of the Southern Alps
• Return close to the 1,000-meter Hochstetter Icefall on the eastern face of Aoraki
• Explore glacial ice formations on the Tasman Glacier, about 23 km long
• Snow and ice on the surrounding peaks year round
• About 30 minutes in the air in total, split between the flights in and out

What's Included

• ✓ Pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Mount Cook Village
• ✓ Scenic helicopter flights in and out, about 15 minutes each way
• ✓ Glacier landing
• ✓ 2-hour guided glacier hike with professional, experienced guides
• ✓ Glacier boots and ice crampons
• ✓ Waterproof jacket if required, plus a safety briefing before departure

Not Included

• Food and drinks (not listed as included)
• Warm clothing and sturdy closed-toe shoes (bring your own)

What to Bring

• Warm clothing
• Sturdy closed-toe shoes
• Rain gear
• Sunscreen and sunglasses
• Phone or camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• The flight depends on favorable weather and minimum passenger numbers. If it is canceled you are offered an alternative date or a full refund.
• Your booked time is the check-in time. Allow at least 45 minutes after check-in for the safety briefing and equipment fitting.
• Maximum weight is 150 kg (331 lb) per person, including equipment.
• Participants must be at least 10 years old and need moderate fitness and hiking ability. Not recommended during pregnancy.
• Selfie sticks, drones and tablets are not permitted, for passenger safety.
• The heli hike departs from Mount Cook Airport, not from The Helicopter Line's scenic-flight base at Glentanner Park.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Meeting Point

Check in at Mount Cook Airport, Mount Cook Road. The listing includes pickup and drop-off at accommodation in Mount Cook Village, so confirm your pickup time with the operator after booking.