Tours in Mount Cook

Mount Cook tours come in three kinds: a helicopter flight with a snow landing, a guided hike on glacier ice or high country, and a road trip that reaches Aoraki/Mount Cook from Christchurch or carries you out to Queenstown. The bases are spread around the national park and across the Southern Alps, so where you leave from matters as much as what you pick.

Helicopter tours from Mount Cook Airport and Glentanner Park

Short flights here are built around one picture: up past the Hochstetter Icefall, over the Burnett Mountains and the Mackenzie Basin, then down onto snow. The 40-minute Mount Cook scenic flight from Glentanner Park does that with pilot commentary all the way. The 35-minute Alpine Explorer from the same base trims the loop and lands on a seasonal snowfield. Māori know Aoraki as the cloud piercer.

From Mount Cook Airport, the Mount Cook Ultimate Alpine Experience is a popular choice. It is a 45-minute flight in both a ski plane and a helicopter, finishing with a snow landing on the Tasman Glacier. The Glacier Highlights helicopter flight covers similar ground in a helicopter only. The longest option, the 50-minute Aoraki Mt Cook Ultimate, circles the summit, lands on the Haupapa and carries on to the blue ice of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers.

Heli hikes on the Tasman Glacier and Glentanner Station

A heli hike swaps the loop for time on foot. The Tasman Glacier Heli Hike from Mount Cook is a popular choice: a helicopter flight onto the glacier, then up to a 2-hour guided walk over ice formations, with glacier boots, crampons and waterproofs supplied. The Adventurer, run by Mount Cook Glacier Guiding, is a 3-hour Tasman Glacier heli hike.

To stay off the ice, the Glentanner High Country Heli Hike flies to a landing point high on private Glentanner Station. A guide then leads a 7km walk along a 4x4 track in the Ben Ohau Range, with a stop at a restored historic field station and a drink and snack. It is a 3.5-hour trip over uneven ground.

West Coast glacier flights that include Mount Cook

Some helicopter flights listed for Mount Cook leave from the other side of the Southern Alps. They depart from the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier townships on the West Coast, not from the village. The Fox Glacier and Mount Cook helicopter flight follows the full 13km length of Fox Glacier, then comes level with the west face of Aoraki before a glacier snow landing.

The 40-minute Glaciers and Mount Cook flight adds Franz Josef Glacier and circles the peak.

Day tours to Mount Cook and the road to Queenstown

Plenty of people would rather keep their boots on the ground. The full-day Mount Cook tour via Tekapo from Christchurch leaves at 7am and gets back around 8pm. Stops include Fairlie Bakehouse for meat pies, Lake Tekapo and the Church of the Good Shepherd, and Lake Pukaki, before the run into Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in a small group.

Heading the other way, the Mt Cook to Queenstown scenic tour picks up from selected accommodation in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village and drops you at a hotel in central Queenstown. On the way it stops at Lake Pukaki, High Country Salmon, Lindis Pass, Jacksons Orchard and the Kawarau Suspension Bridge.

How to choose between Mount Cook tours

Short on time? A 35 to 40-minute flight from Glentanner Park fits around a drive. Want variety in the air? The ski plane and helicopter combination from Mount Cook Airport changes aircraft mid-trip. Want to walk? Choose glacier ice on the Tasman or a historic hut on Glentanner Station. Prefer the ground? Take a day tour.

Flights and hikes run weather permitting, so book the flight early in your stay and leave a spare day in case cloud closes in. Scenic flights and helicopter tours cover more of the sky, Mount Cook activities add skydiving and skiing, and the wider things to do in Mount Cook include dinner and stargazing on Lake Pukaki after a flying day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mount Cook worth visiting?

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is worth the trip for New Zealand's highest peak, its longest glacier and the turquoise water of Lake Pukaki on the drive in. Tours here let you get close by helicopter, ski plane, glacier hike or a guided day on the road.

What are the main things to do in Mount Cook?

The main things to book at Mount Cook are a scenic helicopter flight with a snow landing, a guided heli hike on the Tasman Glacier, a tandem skydive and a stargazing dinner at Lake Pukaki. Day tours from Christchurch and a one-way scenic tour to Queenstown cover the road side.

How long are helicopter flights over Mount Cook?

Mount Cook scenic helicopter flights from Mount Cook Airport and Glentanner Park are typically 35 to 50-minute trips with a snow or glacier landing. Heli hikes are longer, 3-hour or 3.5-hour trips, because the walking is part of it.

What happens if the weather is bad on the day of a Mount Cook flight?

Mount Cook flights depend on favourable weather. On the 40-minute scenic flight from Glentanner Park, a flight cancelled for poor weather can be moved to another date or refunded. Cancellation terms differ by tour, so check the free cancellation window on yours.

Can you do a day trip to Mount Cook from Christchurch?

A full-day Mount Cook tour via Lake Tekapo runs from Christchurch, leaving at 7am and returning around 8pm. It stops at Fairlie Bakehouse, Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki before reaching Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Are Mount Cook tours suitable for kids?

Many Mount Cook tours sell child tickets, but age rules differ by tour. The Tasman Glacier heli hike sets a minimum age of 10, while scenic flights and day tours include child tickets that start at a younger age. Look at the age range on the tour you pick.

Local tip: Flights leave from three different bases around Mount Cook: Mount Cook Airport, Glentanner Park (a 15-minute drive from the national park) and, across the Alps, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. Check which one your tour uses before you plan the drive.

Mount Cook tours stretch from a 35-minute flight over the Tasman Glacier to a full-day trip from Christchurch. Pick the one that matches your time and your head for heights, then lock in a date.