Mt Cook Tour / Helicopter Experience
A day tour from Queenstown to Mt Cook including a scenic helicopter flight at Mt Cook Village.
Book NowAn up close view of the mighty Aoraki Mt Cook
Travel with Altitude Tours to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and join the team at INFLITE for their 25-minute Tasman Taster helicopter flight, with additional time to explore Mt Cook Village.
Your Adventure Begins
Start your day by meeting our friendly local guide at your Queenstown accommodation or nearby. You’ll travel in style in a premium Mercedes van designed for touring with only 16 seats onboard. As we depart Queenstown, the first leg of our journey takes us through the Central Otago wine regions of Gibbston and Cromwell. We then cross the dramatic Lindis Pass before making a brief stop in Omarama for refreshments and an opportunity to purchase lunch/snacks.
Welcome to Mackenzie Country
The scenery transforms as we enter Mackenzie Country, and our guide will entertain you with stories and interesting facts as we trace the edge of the Southern Alps. Along the way, we’ll pass a network of lakes and canals near Twizel, renowned for its fishing of fresh Mt Cook Alpine salmon. Once we veer off the main road, we’ll follow the stunning bright blue waters of Lake Pukaki before arriving at Mt Cook Village.
Mount Cook Adventure & Helicopter Flight
Welcome to Mt Cook! Arriving at approximately 12 pm, your guide will transport you to Mt Cook Airport where you will check in with Mt Cook Skiplanes & Helicopters for their Tasman Taster flight. You will have a quick safety briefing before taking to the skies on a unique 25-minute scenic flight in one of their state-of-the-art helicopters. Fly over the Tasman Lake before a stunning alpine landing on Brass Peak or Liebig Dome within the National Park. Your helicopter will briefly shut down where you’ll be able to disembark for some stunning photos as you look at the soaring peaks of Mt Cook above you. Reboard the helicopter for take-off as you make your way back to Mt Cook Airport and have additional free time to enjoy Mt Cook Village.
All guests receive complimentary access to the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre. This museum and theatre offer insights into Mt Cook’s unique history and the adventures of one of New Zealand’s most famed explorers.
The Journey Back
At approximately 3:30pm, you will rejoin our guide and van to commence the return journey to Queenstown. Sit back, relax, and take in the views. This day tour spans approximately 12 hours, and our smaller vehicles and attentive guide ensure your comfort and entertainment throughout the journey.
Please note: the Tasman Taster scenic flight is subject to availability at the time of booking and our team will reconfirm with you once your booking is confirmed. This is a weather-dependent activity.
Tour Overview.
Mt Cook Tour / Helicopter Experience
A day tour from Queenstown to Mt Cook including a scenic helicopter flight at Mt Cook Village.
HELI SCENIC
The best window seat in New Zealand.
Travel in INFLITE’s state-of-the-art helicopters and take in the views of New Zealand’s tallest peak and the national park.
TRANSPORT
Travel in style
Our Mercedes vans are fully equipped with complimentary wifi and panoramic windows for superior viewing so you can sit back, relax and enjoy the stunning scenery.
Mt Cook Tour FAQ's
The full-day trip takes approximately 12 hours from Queenstown. This allows us to make plenty of stops en route to ensure you enjoy the journey, with 3.5 hours in Mount Cook Village. During this time you will join a 25-minute scenic helicopter flight, with additional free time in Mt Cook to enjoy the village.
This package includes the Tasman Taster 25-minute scenic helicopter flight.
The departure time of the flight can vary depending on availability, however, we intend to book this shortly after arriving into the national park, with the remaining time free to enjoy Mt Cook Village.
Your Altitude Tours guide will transport you to the Mt Cook Airport where you will check in for your scenic flight with Mt Cook Ski Planes & helicopters, brought to you by INFLITE.
The INFLITE team will provide a safety briefing before taking you on a 25-minute scenic helicopter flight.
Please allow extra time for check-in and safety briefing.
Individual weights are required for the helicopter company at the time of booking.
- An extra warm layer of clothing
- Camera
- Sunblock & sunglasses
- Waterproof jacket
- Suitable walking shoes
This experience will take up approximately 1 hour of your total free time in Mt Cook Village.
You are welcome to use this extra free time to get lunch in the village, or alternatively, we recommend purchasing food in Omarama (a stop we make on the way from Queenstown) or bringing food from Queenstown at the start of the day.
We don’t want to give too much away! The drive from Queenstown to Mt Cook is stunning and there are plenty of scenic stops enroute, your guide knows the best spots and will choose these on the day.
We pick up from select Queenstown hotels and the main bus stop routes in Queenstown town centre and along Frankton Road. When booking, type in your accommodation and it will suggest the closest bus stop. If it doesn’t come up just check in with us and we’ll let you know where is closest for you!
As this is a weather-dependent tour, if there is a risk of adverse weather conditions that will impact the operation of the tour, you will be contacted the day prior to your trip to explore alternative options.
There may be a risk of the weather coming in on the day, and your guide will keep you updated, if needed.
Due to this being one of our most popular tours and wanting to be fair to all who join us we do not offer reserved seating. If you have a request we will do our best to accommodate but we cannot guarantee.
