Mount Cook Helicopter Flights

Several helicopter flights from Franz Josef reach toward Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Tasman Glacier, on the far side of the Main Divide. Start with Glacier Country Helicopters’ 3-Glacier Helicopter Ride with Landing: 45 minutes over the Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman glaciers with views of Mount Cook and a 15-minute snow landing, from $393 per person and rated 4.8 from 168 GetYourGuide reviews. You see the mountain only if the cloud allows, and the pilot sets the route on the day.

Three flights to compare first:

• 45 minutes, three glaciers, from $393: Glacier Country Helicopters’ flight from Franz Josef. View Dates & Prices or Check Tour Details.
• 40 minutes along the Main Divide, from $413: The Helicopter Line’s Mountain Scenic Spectacular, rated 5.0 from 38 Viator reviews. View Dates & Prices.
• 30 minutes with a Tasman Glacier landing, from $243: INFLITE’s flight across the Divide and back. View Dates & Prices or Check Tour Details.

Seeing Aoraki/Mt Cook from a Franz Josef flight

Aoraki/Mt Cook measures 3,724 m since a 2013 GPS survey, and Mount Tasman 3,497 m. Operators list both peaks among the sights on their longer flights, and say which peaks you see depends on the route and the cloud, at the pilot’s discretion. Glacier Country Helicopters adds that the township and the Alps can have quite different weather, so a clear sky over Franz Josef tells you little about the summits.

On your trip that means booking the flight for your first morning and keeping a second day free. A flight can go ahead with Aoraki hidden. A few low-star reviewers on the three-glacier flight could not land because of the weather, and one missed the third glacier in strong wind.

Seats matter too. Several reviewers in back or middle seats found their view limited on the three-glacier flight. Seats are allocated at check-in by weight and balance, and no operator promises a window seat. Glacier Country Helicopters takes front seat requests 24 hours ahead and confirms them at check-in, and passengers of 120 kg or more must buy a Comfort Seat at half the flight price.

Which flights cross the Main Divide

The Tasman Glacier, about 23 km long and New Zealand’s longest, lies in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on the east side of the Main Divide. Franz Josef Glacier is on the west side. The listings describe the crossing in different ways:

• INFLITE’s 30-min Flight Franz Josef & Tasman Glaciers climbs Franz Josef Glacier, crosses the Main Divide at Centennial Hut and lands on the Tasman Glacier, with views of Mount Tasman and Aoraki, then returns over Climber Col. From $243, rated 4.8 from 93 reviews.
• INFLITE’s Grand Circle 60 Minute Scenic Flight crosses the Divide past the La Perouse, Balfour, Fox and Franz Josef glaciers and lands on the Tasman Glacier, where the listing says the helicopter shuts down completely. From $395, rated 4.3 from only 13 reviews, a thin record so far. GetYourGuide files it under Fox Glacier, but it checks in at 69 Cron Street, Franz Josef.
• The Helicopter Line’s 40-minute mountain scenic flight lands on Franz Josef Glacier first, then flies along the Main Divide for views of the Tasman Glacier and Aoraki.
• Glacier Country Helicopters’ 45-minute and 60-minute flights name the Tasman Glacier on their routes but do not say whether they cross the Divide.

INFLITE says it is the only West Coast operator landing on the Tasman Glacier. Its flights carry a 116 kg passenger weight limit, and INFLITE emails you after booking to confirm the exact flight time, which may differ from the one you asked for.

30, 40, 45 or 60 minutes

Book INFLITE’s 30-minute flight if standing on the Tasman Glacier matters most: at $243 it is the lowest-priced of the Mount Cook flights on this page. Book Glacier Country Helicopters’ 45-minute flight for three glaciers from the air and the longest single landing listed here, 15 minutes. The Helicopter Line’s 40-minute flight suits you if a high landing on Franz Josef Glacier, around 2,134 m, appeals more than a landing across the Divide.

For the longest route, Glacier Country Helicopters’ 4-Glacier Helicopter Ride with 2 Landings runs 60 minutes over the Franz Josef, Fox, Tasman and Shackleton glaciers with two snow landings, from $506 and rated 4.8 from 30 reviews. Our three vs four glacier comparison weighs it against the 45-minute flight.

Every listed time includes the landing. On the 45-minute flight, a 15-minute stop leaves roughly half an hour in the air, and on the 60-minute flight two landings of about 10 minutes each leave roughly 40. Glacier Country Helicopters asks you to allow an extra 45 minutes on top of the flight for check-in, the transfer to the helicopter, loading and the return to its office, so a 45-minute flight takes about an hour and a half of your morning.

Flying toward Mount Cook from Fox Glacier

The Helicopter Line’s Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight leaves from its base on the main road (State Highway 6) in Fox Glacier village, 24 km south of Franz Josef. The 35 minutes include a snow landing of about 10 minutes at the top of Fox Glacier, after which the pilot flies past Aoraki/Mt Cook on the way back. It costs from $280 and is rated 4.5 from 44 reviews.

Book it if you are staying at Fox; from Franz Josef, the flights above save the 25-minute drive. The Franz Josef vs Fox guide covers which flights leave from each village.

If the cloud stays down

Operators make the final weather call at check-in, 30 minutes before departure, and no cancellation rate is published. If the flight runs but cannot land, Glacier Country Helicopters adjusts the price for an overflight. INFLITE’s listings say weather cancellations are fully refundable, and every GetYourGuide booking here cancels free up to 24 hours before, with a new date or a full refund if weather cancels it. The weather and refunds guide has the detail.

If a shorter flight fits your plans, a twin glacier flight covers Franz Josef and Fox in 30 to 35 minutes, and the snow landing flights take 20 to 25. For the cost of each flight type, see helicopter prices. When your dates are set, check availability for your first morning in Franz Josef.