Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike
5.0
10 Ratings
Mount Cook Airport
Embark on a Tasman Glacier Heli-Hike: Scenic flight, guided hike, and epic ice formations in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Experience New Zealand's longest glacier.
Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu) - Snow landing with the mighty Aoraki/Mount Cook before you.
  • Tasman Glacier - Aerial views of the Tasman Glacier Lake and the stunning Tasman Glacier itself before landing on the Tasman Glacier for your guided hike.
What's Included
  • Return Scenic Helicopter Flights
  • Glacier Landing
  • 2 hour Guided Hike on Tasman Glacier
  • Informative pilot commentary
  • Waterproof Jackets
  • Waterproof Trousers
  • Woolen socks
  • Crampons and quality Walking Boots
  • Walking Poles
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

The Tasman Glacier is Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest glacier measuring at 27km long and as wide as 4km in places, so this is an experience of a lifetime to explore the ever changing ice formations that carved this wonderful landscape in the Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. Your journey will begin with a scenic helicopter flight to the Tasman Glacier, landing 1200m above sea level. A two hour hike with professional and experienced guides amongst epic glacial ice formations, gentle undulating terrain below the highest peaks of the Southern Alps. The snow-clad giants tower above vast icefalls that flow down the mountain sides. On the return flight, pass the Hochstetter Icefall as your adventure nears its end.

  • Minimum age is 8 years
  • Please note: A guided walk among ice caves is usually part of the tour but all tour activities are dependent on the weather
  • Moderate level of fitness is required
  • The maximum allowable weight for a person on a rear helicopter seat is 120kg.
  • It is recommended that you wear sturdy footwear and bring warm layers due to cold temperatures
Location
Mount Cook Airport
Mount Cook Road
Check in is at the time of your chosen departure time. Please be at the Mount Cook Airport and head up the stairs where you will get checked in for your trip.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(10 Ratings)
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Boya_w
May 23, 2024
A must do at Mount Cook! - We totally enjoyed our trip. Our tour guide Maddie and pilot Greg were so nice, helpful and informative. It was a very special experience for me and my parents, and I’m proud they made it at the age of 68 & 74. Highly recommended. The view was absolutely stunning although a bit sad to see the glacier retreat due to global warming.
Review provided by Viator
Northstar04839366329
May 5, 2024
A must go experience in Mt Cook - Definitely worth it. The whole trip lasts about three hours. Went through three blue ice holes, lucky enough to be the first public group to one of the newly found blue hole by our professional lovely guides.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
K3547rfedb
Dec 29, 2023
Could not recommend this enough - words do not do it justice! - This was the best experience from our entire 3 week trip to New Zealand. Landing on the glacier and then hiking across it for a mile before being picked up by helicopter and flown back across the mountains was like nothing we had ever experienced before and there honestly aren't enough superlatives to describe how much we enjoyed it! Matt and Sam (our guides) were brilliant - super friendly, very knowledgeable and really went out of their way to ensure we had the best time possible on the trip. Could not recommend this enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Loren_c
Dec 11, 2023
Once in a lifetime - It was an amazing experience! We had a great time with our guides. Highly recommend a morning trip due to weather conditions!
Review provided by Viator
Winnie_l
Oct 14, 2023
Amazing and friendly guide - Awesome experience! Definitely 5 stars! Our guide Emma is helpful and friendly. She told us how the cave and the glacier shape were formed, and also helped us taking some great photos.
Review provided by Viator
Lecons
Aug 17, 2023
Breathtaking, like stepping onto another planet... - Always try to allow additional days around a Heli-hike to account for poor weather. Heli-hikes were cancelled in the days leading up to our departure, however we were fortunate with the weather on our day, beautiful blue skies, and low wind. There were 5 people in our group, plus our guide who was Andy. The helicopter portion was 9 minutes long and absolutely incredible. I had never been in a helicopter before and at every turn, I was in awe. Incredible views of the Tasman glacier, snowy capped mountains and Mt Cook! The landing was smooth and those first steps onto ice felt like from a movie set. After fitting our crampons and receiving a short lesson on how to use them efficiently, Andy was able to create a route based on the ability of the group. We slowly made our way across the glacier, stepping over crevasses, with Andy having no set path to traverse across the ice. Our first ice cave we visited was said to be the longest one that had been found in a long time, slowly getting bigger over time. We were given a generous amount of time to spend in here, taking pictures and walking through at our own pace. The second ice cave, whilst smaller, was a unique shape and had some chutes which I could climb into, making it exciting to explore. We spent 1 hour and 50 min on the ice and walked around 4km, very achievable for most people and could be more or less depending on the group. The helicopter back was also around 9 minutes and we got to ride in the front seat, where we were once again treated to breathtaking views. Andy was a good guide and explained quite in depth how glaciers were formed. We were not required to wear a harness and tether ourselves to one another so there was lots of freedom on the ice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marcusroyce
Jun 20, 2023
Best tour the entire trip, worth every dollar - This was the best tour of the entire trip. Scott was our guide and he was safe, clear, passionate and very helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience exploring the glaciers, the Mulans, the heli ride, it was simply a breathtaking trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tavia14999
Feb 14, 2023
Definitely worth doing - Really enjoyed our heli hike experience with Troy as a guide. We saw lots of cool things on the ice and the glacial water we collected tasted so pure and fresh it was great. Would have liked it to have more of a safety briefing of what to do on the ice if something happened. It was all fine but the health and safety briefing was all about getting on and off the helicopter and nothing about the equipment that Troy was carrying or if anything happened to him. Also some bigger sizes in coats would have been appreciated and water proof trousers people got very muddy and wet through the holes in the ice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Natalya_budski07
Nov 16, 2022
Best experience ever - My friend Rachel and I did this tour on 1/11 with Eddie and Scott and it was amazing. One of the best things tours that I have ever done. I didnt want to leave! Eddie and Scott were amazing guides and really made the experience even better than what it already was. They were very attentive and went out of their way to make sure that we had a great time. Thanks guys for creating an amazing holiday memory. I'll definitely be back!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Newzhnd
Oct 31, 2022
Take a hike on the glacier side! - We took the heli-hike to Tasman Glacier. This is experience vastly exceeded our expectations. The guides and pilot were outstanding and took the time to make sure we were comfortable with the equipment and knew how to walk with crampons. When needed, the guides gave a helping hand to navigate difficult parts of the terrain for whomever needed it. They provided useful information about glaciers and showed us some noteworthy aspects including an ice cave, a cascade of melting ice, and water trickling underground at the bottom of a crevasse. Kudos to our team of guides, Scott, Eddie, Zach and Troy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 11 guests
1 Adult
July 2024
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