Queenstown helicopter flights

Helicopter flights from Queenstown range from 20-minute hops over The Remarkables to 2.5-hour Fiordland flights with glacier, alpine lake and Earnslaw Burn landings. Most leave from Frankton or Glenorchy, and a good number fly to Milford Sound. Of all the flying experiences in Queenstown, they are the quickest way into the Southern Alps.

Short helicopter flights over Queenstown and The Remarkables

If the schedule is tight, the 20-minute Remarkables flight lands on top of the range, with a snow landing in winter, weather permitting. It departs Heliworks in Frankton at 9.00am and 11.30am daily, with pick-up from central Queenstown available.

The 45-minute Queenstown Essential flight adds two landings, one on Cecil Peak and one near the Shotover Canyon, and passes over the old gold mining area. The 35-minute Grand Circle flight lands at an alpine site with hotel pick-up included.

Glacier landings from Queenstown and Glenorchy

The 50-minute Glacier Express flies over Skippers Canyon and the gold mining sites, through Mt Aspiring National Park, and lands on a glacier to see the blue ice. It departs at 9.15am and 11.45am daily.

Glenorchy flights start closer to the mountains. The 45-minute Mt Earnslaw Glacier flight crosses a high-country station and lands at Earnslaw Burn. The 75-minute Earnslaw Burn Explorer from Heliworks makes two landings, one at Earnslaw Burn with its hanging glacier and wall of waterfalls.

Milford Sound and Fiordland by helicopter

The 2-hour Milford Sound helicopter flight makes two landings, one at Milford Sound under Mitre Peak with a short nature walk and one at an alpine or glacier site. Departures run from Frankton between 10am and 4pm, seven days a week.

From Glenorchy, the 50-minute Milford Sound flyover leaves at 10.30am and 3.30pm. Fiordlands Finest is the longest flight, a 2.5-hour trip over Milford Sound, Lake Quill, Mt Tutoko and Skippers Canyon with three landings: an alpine lake, a glacier and Earnslaw Burn.

Helicopter and cruise packages to Milford Sound

A helicopter out and a boat back shows the fiord from both angles. The 4-hour Milford Sound helicopter and cruise leaves Frankton at 9.30am and 2pm, with an alpine landing and a 1.75-hour cruise. The half-day flight and cruise adds two alpine landings and a two-course lunch on a boutique boat. More of these sit with Queenstown cruises.

Heli-hikes, snow trips and helicopter combos

The Tasman Glacier heli hike flies a plane to Mount Cook Airport and a helicopter onto the glacier for a 2-hour guided hike through ice caves, leaving Queenstown at 10am and returning by 4pm. In winter, the helicopter and snowmobile trip flies to the Garvie Plateau for a 75-minute guided ride, and heli-skiing runs from July to September.

The Glenorchy helicopter and jet boat combo pairs a 45-minute flight with a 2-hour Dart River jet boat ride and a lunch stop. Other combos land at a par 3 green for altitude golf, a high-country station for a barbecue, or Gibbston for a wine tour.

Choosing between Frankton and Glenorchy departures

Frankton and airport bases, including Heliworks on Grant Road and the Blue Hangar, are the quickest to reach, and most include pick-up from central Queenstown. Glenorchy flights leave from Mull Street, a 45-minute drive out, and start much closer to Earnslaw Burn and Mount Aspiring.

Mount Cook and Wanaka have their own flights too: see helicopter flights at Mount Cook, helicopter flights in Wanaka and the wider choice of helicopter flights in New Zealand.

Frequently asked questions

How long do helicopter flights from Queenstown take?

Helicopter flights from Queenstown range from a 20-minute hop over The Remarkables to a 2.5-hour Fiordland flight. A 50-minute flight is the usual choice for a glacier landing.

Where do helicopter flights from Queenstown leave from?

Helicopter flights from Queenstown leave from bases in Frankton, from the Blue Hangar at Queenstown Airport, and from Glenorchy. Several include pick-up from central Queenstown, while Heli Glenorchy flights depart from Mull Street in Glenorchy.

Can you land on a glacier on a Queenstown helicopter flight?

Several Queenstown helicopter flights land on a glacier, including the 50-minute Glacier Express from Frankton and the 40-minute Glenorchy scenic flight. Others land at alpine sites such as Earnslaw Burn.

Can you fly over Milford Sound by helicopter from Queenstown?

Milford Sound is reachable by helicopter from Queenstown, as a 50-minute flyover, a 2-hour flight with landings, or a half-day trip that adds a cruise. Flights set off from Frankton and from Glenorchy.

Is there a snow landing on Queenstown helicopter flights?

Some Queenstown helicopter flights include a snow landing in winter, weather permitting. The Remarkables flight and the Grand Circle flight both offer it.

What can you combine with a helicopter flight in Queenstown?

Helicopter flights in Queenstown combine with a glacier hike, a Dart River jet boat ride, a snowmobile trip, a round of golf at altitude, a winery tour or a Milford Sound cruise.

A morning or afternoon flight leaves room for the other things to do in Queenstown on the same day.