The heli hike we book
Tasman Glacier heli hike, up to 2 hours on the ice
★ 4.9 · 315 opinions
- Opening pricefrom $528
- Length3 hrs
- Cancel ruleIncluded
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Set your day. See what it costs.
Set your date and group size and the total follows along; the next page then shows the live price and what is still open.
- Cancel at no cost up to 24 hrs before
- Book first, pay after
- Often booked up 6 days ahead
Plan your day
Included, bring with you, excluded
Included3
- Helicopter flights in and out, 15 minutes each
- A live guide who speaks English
- Up to 2 hours guided on the ice
Bring3
- Warm layers and long trousers, not jeans
- Sunglasses and sun cream
- A good meal beforehand
Not covered2
- Your transport to Mount Cook Airport
- Not recommended for limited mobility
2hours
on the ice, weather permitting
15minutes
by helicopter each way
315reviews
from guests on GetYourGuide
23km
of ice, New Zealand's longest glacier
Alternatives
The heli hike next to the glacier flights
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- Cancel ruleIncluded
Ski plane and helicopter, no hike
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Understanding the grid
Our heli hike beside a second heli hike and the scenic flights from Mount Cook, rated and priced live.
Figures are per-person from-prices, live on GetYourGuide.
Real reviews
In guests' own words
4.8
★★★★★315 checked guest reviews
A real bucket-list morning for my husband and me. Weather moved us to the next day, which was perfect, and Hunter kept us safe while showing us everything on the ice.
DeniseJuly 2026, as a couple
Our heli hike was brilliant. Rich knew his stuff, loved his job and answered every question, and Anna on the ground got us all ready before we flew.
FionaJuly 2026, as a couple
The best part of our month away. Wind cancelled our first day but the team rebooked us, the briefing was excellent, and walking through a blue ice cave was unforgettable.
MartinMarch 2026, as a couple
Hunter was friendly, fun and full of knowledge. The day ran like clockwork, and I liked that we swapped seats so everyone got a window on the way back.
DanielMarch 2026
One of the highlights of a month in New Zealand. The team looked after us from the airport to the glacier and back, and Kirby made it fun and interesting.
JasonMarch 2026, as a couple
Our first time on a glacier and an amazing new experience. We wished for more time at the photo spot, but our guide noticed and tipped us off about the night sky.
YaroslavMarch 2026, as a couple
the morning on the ice
What a Tasman Glacier tour by helicopter is like
The Tasman Glacier tour this site books is a heli hike: you fly onto the glacier, walk on it with a guide and fly back, all in 3 hours from Mount Cook Airport. The morning begins at the Mt Cook Glacier Guiding counter in the terminal, where a 45-minute safety talk runs while boots, crampons and waterproofs are fitted. Departures leave at 8:45 AM or 10:45 AM.
Then comes the helicopter. A flight of 15 minutes carries you up the Tasman Valley and sets you down on a remote stretch of the glacier. For up to 2 hours you explore on foot in single file; where the ice tilts, your guide chops footholds into it, an old mountaineering craft. Crevasses, meltwater channels and blue ice formations change with every season.
The flight back takes another 15 minutes, followed by a short break at the airport before you are on your way. Nobody expects mountaineering skills: the company hands out the technical gear and teaches its use on the spot. What you need is a moderate level of fitness, warm layers and a little luck with the weather, which the sections below explain.
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Learn moreMore Tasman Glacier tours to browse
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Blue ice, crevasses and the peaks above
Photos from Tasman Glacier heli hikes and flights
why the tasman
New Zealand's longest river of ice
Of the 60-plus glaciers in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, the Tasman is the giant. At 23 km it is New Zealand's longest by the Department of Conservation's figure, and DOC names it in both languages as Haupapa/Tasman Glacier. The guiding company credits it with close to a third of the country's glacier ice.
Its English name recalls Abel Tasman, whose ship brought the first European sighting of New Zealand in 1642. Above the glacier rises Aoraki/Mount Cook, at 3724m the tallest of the country's big mountains. To Ngāi Tahu, Aoraki is the most sacred of ancestors, and the mountain is treated with that respect in the park.
Seeing the Tasman from the road is easy, but reaching its clean ice is not. The lower valley is a landscape of rubble, moraine walls and a growing lake, and the white ice begins far up the valley. That is why the guiding company itself calls flying in by helicopter or ski plane the best way to experience the glacier.
Book, no fee to cancelthe price
Where your money goes on the ice
The trip starts from $528 per person on GetYourGuide. The operator's own page lists the same heli hike at NZD 995 per person, so the online price is a fair reflection of the real cost, shown in your own currency. Children aged 9 to 16 pay the adult fare, since each takes a seat.
The fare pays for the flying, a trained guide and every piece of ice gear: the company's list runs from leather boots and crampons to overtrousers, gloves and a backpack. Its guides are qualified, or working towards qualification, with the New Zealand Mountain Guides Association.
Transport is your own affair: the operator offers no transfers from Twizel or Tekapo, so most visitors drive in. Bring food as well, because the airport stocks little beyond a box of cookies and bottled water.
Book, no fee to cancel
Your morning
Pick a slot and fly onto the ice.
Choose your morning at Mount Cook, with free cancellation until 24 hours ahead.
the seasons
Summer crampons, winter snowshoes
The heli hike runs all year round, and each season changes the ice. In summer the guides fit crampons for the hard glacier ice; in winter you may wear crampons, snowshoes or both, depending on the snow. An extra insulated jacket is added to the kit in the cold months.
The valley around the glacier changes too. Icebergs usually float in Tasman Lake in summer, and in winter the lake freezes over. The boat trip among the icebergs runs only from September to June. From November to April, the Department of Conservation warns, the car park and view track below the glacier get very crowded.
Mountain weather ignores the calendar: the Department of Conservation lists snow, freezing cold, strong wind and sunburn as risks the whole year round. With UV strong in every month, Alpine Guides says, dark glasses and sunscreen go into a winter bag too. Pack for all four seasons whatever the date.
Book, no fee to cancelStars at a glance
315 ratings in one view
4.8
Excellent★★★★★
- Five stars100%
- Four stars0%
- Three stars0%
- Two stars0%
- One star0%
Each bar is based on the 10 newest reviews in our dataset, and GetYourGuide orders by best first. The score for all 315 reviews together is 4.8.
Find a date that works
from $528 · cancel, no charge
Instantly confirmed · booked through GetYourGuide
what guests praise
The guides, the flights and the ice, in guests' words
Guests praise the guides by name, again and again: knowledgeable, enthusiastic and patient with questions, and careful to keep everyone safe on the ice. The ground staff earn mentions too, for clear information and for preparing everyone well before the flight. Several reviewers call the morning the highlight of a month-long trip.
The small touches stand out. One guest liked that everyone changed seats for the flight home so nobody missed the window, and another was lucky enough to sit up front. A reviewer who walked through a blue ice cave came home with photographs and videos to keep for good, though caves are never guaranteed.
The reviews are honest about the weather as well. Guests describe a first date cancelled for wind or cloud and a rebooking the next day that turned out perfect, which is exactly how the trip is meant to work. The listing holds 315 reviews averaging 4.8, with Guide scored 5.
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FAQ
Ask us,read here.
What is the Tasman Glacier tour on this site?
A 3-hour heli hike.
Fly in, spend up to 2 hours exploring the glacier on foot behind a guide, and fly out again.
How much does it cost?
From $528.
Booked direct, the operator charges NZD 995 per person; online fares appear in your own currency.
Where does it start?
At Mount Cook Airport.
The meeting point is the guiding company's desk in the airport building, 6 km before the village.
What times does it run?
8:45 AM and 10:45 AM.
There are 2 time slots each day; take the earlier one to keep a fallback.
Do I need experience?
No.
Beginners are welcome; the guides provide and explain all the technical gear.
What equipment is provided?
Boots, crampons and waterproofs.
Leather boots and socks, crampons or snowshoes, poles, waterproofs top and bottom, a hat, gloves and a pack.
Is there an age or weight limit?
Yes.
Children from 9 years with an adult; an individual weight limit of 116 kg applies.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit.
If you can climb stairs hands-free and keep walking, with breaks, for up to 2 hours, you are fit enough.
Can I cancel?
Yes, up to 24 hours before.
Up to 24 hours before the start, cancelling refunds every cent, and payment can wait.
What if the weather is bad?
A refund or another slot.
Pilots and guides decide 10 minutes ahead of departure; a cancelled trip is refunded or rebooked.
the weather call
Who decides if the helicopter flies
Mountain weather has the last word. The go or no-go decision comes only 10 minutes before departure, the guiding company says, because cloud can roll in within minutes. Wind and low cloud are the usual reasons a morning is grounded, and they can clear as quickly as they arrive.
A weather cancellation by the operator brings a refund, or a seat on a later departure when one is free. Give yourself slack by booking the first day of your stay, the operators advise, so a lost morning still leaves another. Taking the 8:45 AM slot keeps the 10:45 AM slot free as a same-day fallback.
There is a second cushion in the booking itself: nothing is charged upfront, and you are refunded in full for any cancellation made 24 hours or more before the start. A bleak forecast the night before is your cue to swap the flight for the lake or the free lookout walk.
Book, no fee to cancel1974year
A lake from nothing
Tasman Lake did not exist until 1974.
It has grown so much since then that it now carries commercial boat and kayak tours, and its terminal moraines show where the glacier once ended.
photos on the ice
Cameras, phones and the drone rule
Bring a camera; the scenery asks for it. Heavier cameras should hang from a strap, and The Helicopter Line keeps drones, tablets and selfie sticks off its aircraft altogether. On the glacier, gloves make phones fiddly, so set your camera up before you land and keep the phone in an inside pocket between shots.
Drones stay in the car: the national park bans them, and the guiding company says it confiscates any flown on its trips, with a NZD 5,000 fine on top. The helicopter flights give you the aerial views anyway: the valley, the lake and the icefalls spread out below the windows.
On the ice, share the best spots. In a group of up to 11 people, a little patience at the edge of a crevasse or the mouth of an ice cave lets everyone get the photograph they came for. Glare off the ice is strong, so dark sunglasses help your eyes and your pictures alike.
Book, no fee to cancelThe trip in brief
Fly in.Walk the ice.Fly out past the peaks.
Our pick for a Tasman Glacier tour takes 3 hours from Mount Cook Airport. After a safety briefing, a helicopter lifts you onto the glacier in 15 minutes, you spend up to 2 hours exploring the ice behind a guide, and the same short hop brings you back. Groups stay at 11 people or fewer, guiding is in English, and the price starts from $528, backed by 315 reviews and an average of 4.8.
Free cancellation until 24 hours before
what to wear
Layers, long trousers and dark glasses
Layering is the secret. A thin shirt, a fleece and a windproof top, three or four upper layers in all, sit under the waterproof the guides hand out. The weather on the ice can differ sharply from the weather at the airport, so it is better to carry a layer you never use.
Denim is a poor choice: wet jeans weigh you down and chill your legs, so wear track pants or other long trousers, or shorts on a hot summer day. Add a warm hat, gloves, sun protection, a drink, a snack and any daily medication.
Footwear is handled for you: boots, socks and crampons or snowshoes are part of the kit. Wear comfortable shoes for the drive and the airport, and bring a small bag for what you leave in the car. In winter, the extra insulated jacket from the guides goes on under your waterproof.
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getting there
Finding Mount Cook Airport
Every trip departs from Aoraki/Mount Cook Airport, 6 km before the village on State Highway 80. By the guiding company's reckoning, Twizel is 50 minutes away, Tekapo 1.5 hours, Queenstown 3.5 hours and the village just 10 minutes. Add extra time in winter, when snow can affect the road.
Do not stop at the wrong airfield. The operator warns that Glentanner Airport, further down the valley, has confused visitors before: keep driving towards the village. There is plenty of free parking at Mount Cook Airport. Be punctual: the flights cannot wait, and a no-show pays the full fare.
Without a car, look at the packaged days from Queenstown. A 12-hour coach day builds the heli hike into its schedule, and a 6-hour version flies you in by plane. Self-drivers should shop in Twizel, the closest supermarket at 65km from the village.
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other ways in
The boat, the flights and the free track
Helicopters are one route of several. On Tasman Lake a boat trip, billed by the Mackenzie tourism body as the country's only glacial boat tour, threads between icebergs from September to June. The lake has only existed since 1974, according to DOC.
Scenic flights land in the snow for 10 to 15 minutes, and the ski planes switch off their engines so you hear the silence of the snowfield. The ski plane began here too: Harry Wigley made the first retractable-ski flight on 22 September 1955, carrying Sir Edmund Hillary that day.
For nothing at all, DOC's view track climbs more than 300 steps in about 30 minutes return to look down the lake. No booking is needed, which makes it a good warm-up for your Tasman Glacier heli hike or a plan B on a grounded morning.
Book, no fee to cancelwho it suits
Is this morning right for you?
If you are comfortable on your feet and want to be on the glacier, not just admire it, this is your trip. The bar is a handrail-free flight of stairs and a steady walk, with pauses, of up to 2 hours. Experience is not required, and children aged 9 and over can come with an adult.
There are limits. The listing steers people with reduced mobility away, and aircraft rules set a 116 kg maximum per person. At least 4 people are needed for a departure; for smaller parties the operator says it will try to place them with others.
It also asks for flexibility. Weather decides the morning, so leave a buffer day around your visit to the Tasman Glacier at Mount Cook. If walking is not for you, a scenic flight suits all ages and needs no fitness at all, and the lake boat brings you among the icebergs.
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