15+ years old Price from
4-14 years old Price from
Full Day
9.00am
2 Hours
2 Hours
4 years old
October - May
Our three Mt. Cook flights (Heli Hike, Explore, and Glacier Explorers), all share the same scenic flights in and out so that means you can all fly in at the same time time, even when booking different products.
If booking individually please note down Booking IDs in ‘special requirements’ so we can do our best to seat you in the same aircraft.
Please call us on 0800 676 264 1 hour before your scheduled flight time on the day of your flight for your Weather Check.
If you are self driving to us at Queenstown Airport, your check in time is 30 minutes prior to departure.
This is a Full Day experience. From check in 30 minutes before departure, to landing back at Queenstown Airport, is approximately 8 hours. Please note, this does not include time for self-driving or using our complimentary transfers. If you have plans immediately either side of your experience with us, please let us know.
We suggest you bring the following with you to make it a great day out:
Your roundtrip flight will be approximately 2 hours.
Glacier Explorers will provide life jackets for your boat trip.
No, food is not included.
You are welcome to bring your own picnic lunch with you as well. You will also have some time after your Glacier Explorers trip to grab a bite to eat at the Hermitage Hotel Cafe, with Mt. Cook as your view.
No. As we operate fixed-wing aircraft, we are unable to land on glaciers. Your landing for this trip will be on a runway/airstrip on the outskirts of Mt. Cook Village. We will then team you up with our partners at Glacier Explorers for your boat trip on the Tasman Terminal Lake.
You will need to be able to walk 1.5km (1 mile) in 25 minutes. This is an alpine walk through the Mt. Cook National Park to the boat departure point.
The minimum age for children on this trip is 4 years old. Each child aged 4-9 years inclusive must be accompanied by an adult (i.e. 1:1 ratio).
Glacier Explorers operates from September/October to April/May. The glacier lake freezes over in winter. The start of each season is subject to the lake thawing.
This is a Half Day experience. From check in 30 minutes before departure, to landing back at Queenstown Airport, is approximately 5 to 5 1/2 hours. Please note, this does not include time for self-driving or using our complimentary transfers. If you have plans immediately either side of your experience with us, please let us know.
It’s always a good time to fly! If the option is there, we would suggest either our 9.00am or 1.30pm departures. Please note, our 1.30pm departure time is only available at certain times of the year. Whilst we cannot guarantee it, Milford Sound can sometimes be a little bit quieter at these times.
We suggest you bring the following with you to make it a great day out:
Your flights between Queenstown and Milford Sound are approximately 40 minutes each way.
Your Nature Cruise through Milford Sound with our partners Southern Discoveries is 1 hour 45 mins.
No, lunch is not included. When making your booking online, you have the option to add a picnic lunch for an additional cost that will be ready for you on the cruise. We have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options available.
Complimentary tea, coffee and water is available. A selection of small snacks are available to purchase onboard. You are also welcome to bring snacks of your own.
Yes, the cruise has a large indoor area with comfortable seating and tables.
Your cruise through Milford Sound is on a boat with a large open-top deck and comfy interior cabins with full-height windows for optimal viewing. Take in the stunning scenery of Mitre Peak, Stirling Falls, Copper Point, and the Tasman Sea. Keep an eye out for seals, dolphins and penguins.
We would say the cruise is suitable for all ages.
Yes, there is a nappy changing facility onboard the cruise.
Our pilots will always look at the forecast for the full duration of your trip and if we feel like the weather may change, we will not leave Queenstown. Due to the weather-dependent nature of flying in the Southern Alps to Milford Sound, it is unfortunate that there are very rare occasions where the forecast changes on us and although uncommon, it can be a case that we are unable to operate the return flight. The safety of our passengers is always our highest priority and in the unlikely event that this ever occurs, we will arrange coach transfers back to Queenstown. We fully appreciate the inconvenience this will cause and do everything we can to look after our passengers.
We had a great trip with Glenorchy Air! We did the trip where they hand your over to Tasman Explorers for a boat tour of Tasman Lake and the glacier at Mt Cook. I’ll review the Tasman Explorers part separately. The flight was fabulous! The van picked us up at our hotel and communicated well about their arrival time. We waited only a few minutes before getting on board a little Cessna - we had only 3 passengers total plus another employee. Every seat has a window view and the pilot told us about what we were seeing in our incredible views. Upon landing at Mt Cook, the pilot and colleague took one passenger to the Hooker Valley trailhead and then took us to the Hermitage to hand us off to our guided tour. They met us when we returned and we flew home on another scenic route with more explanation of what we were seeing. We felt safe and thrilled the entire trip! Flying to Mt Cook was incredible because of the views and vantage point - it was a great use of our time and worth the cost.
JoKnits via Tripadvisor