Aoraki Mount Cook Heli Hike: Helicopter Flight & Walk

Helicopter access to a working high country station most visitors never reach

The Glentanner High Country Heli Hike is a guided tour in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park combining a scenic helicopter flight and a 7km walk on private family-owned Glentanner Station. You fly over the Southern Alps and Lake Pukaki, then hike a well-maintained 4x4 track through high country farmland shaped by glaciers, with stops at a restored historic field station for tea, coffee and home-baked snacks. The tour runs 4 hours total with a live English-speaking guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Helicopter flight and guided hike

• Check in and attend safety briefing
• Take scenic helicopter flight over Southern Alps
• Enjoy aerial views of Lake Pukaki
• Land on Glentanner Station private land
• Walk 7KM along well-maintained 4x4 track
• Visit restored Historic Field Station and exhibition

The experience

Four hours gets you a helicopter flight, a walk, and access to land most Mount Cook visitors never see. The 8-minute flight takes you over Lake Pukaki (one of the bluest lakes on Earth), and the Tasman River Delta before landing high on Glentanner Station, a family-owned property that has been part of New Zealand's high country farming story for generations. From there, a guide leads you along a 7km track across terrain carved by ancient glaciers, with views of Aoraki Mount Cook National Park unfolding as you walk.

The track itself is well-maintained and follows a 4x4 route, so the hiking is steady rather than technical. Hiking poles are provided, and the pace is built for moderate fitness: most people with everyday street-level fitness manage it comfortably. Partway through, you reach the fully restored Historic Field Station, where the guide shares the story of early high country farming while you warm up with hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate and home-baked snacks. Sunscreen and insect repellent are on hand.

The helicopter is the gateway: it puts you down where a road does not, so the walk itself feels remote even though the track is maintained. You see Lake Pukaki from above during the flight and again from the high country as you hike, and the Mackenzie landscape (the wide tussock basins, the river deltas, the mountains) stays visible the whole way. This is not a crowded loop. It is a working station, and the access is the thing.

What’s included

• Scenic 8-minute helicopter flight to the landing point on Glentanner Station.
• guided 7km walk along a well-maintained 4x4 track.
• access to the fully restored Historic Field Station and exhibition.
• hiking poles.
• hot tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
• home-baked snacks.
• sunscreen.
• insect repellent.
• live English-speaking guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 13:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (under 15)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Glentanner High Country Heli Hike

Is this one for you?Small groups work best here: the helicopter capacity and the private station setting keep numbers intimate, so you get a genuine conversation with the guide about the land and the farming history rather than a scripted commentary for a crowd. Book this if you want Mount Cook scenery and high country access without the busy walking tracks around the village.

Traveler reviews

4.98★★★★★★★★★★

53 verified traveler reviews

5 ★52

4 ★1

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 15).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How fit do I need to be for the Glentanner High Country Heli Hike?

Moderate fitness is the baseline. Most healthy people with everyday street-level fitness enjoy this tour comfortably. The 7km track is well-maintained and you walk at a steady pace with a guide. Hiking poles are provided. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.

What is the helicopter flight like on this tour?

The scenic flight lasts 8 minutes and takes you over the Southern Alps, Lake Pukaki and the Tasman River Delta before landing on Glentanner Station. You get bird's-eye views of Lake Pukaki during the flight and see the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park landscape from above before the walk begins on the ground.

What happens at the Historic Field Station?

The fully restored field station is a stop partway through the walk where the guide shares the history of high country farming on Glentanner Station. Hot tea, coffee and hot chocolate are served, along with home-baked snacks, so you can rest and warm up before continuing the hike.

Is this tour only for experienced hikers?

No. The 7km track is well-maintained and follows a 4x4 route, so it is not technical hiking. Hiking poles are provided, and the pace is guided and steady. The tour suits anyone with moderate fitness who wants to walk through high country landscape without scrambling or climbing.

What views will I see on the walk itself?

From the high country, you see Lake Pukaki, the Tasman River Delta, and the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park landscape: the tussock basins, river valleys and mountains shaped by ancient glaciers. The views span the entire 7km walk, not just from the helicopter.