Aoraki Mount Cook National Park (Te Wahipounamu) Tours
The Adventurer: Tasman Glacier Heli-hike
5

The Adventurer: Tasman Glacier Heli-hike

By Mt Cook Glacier Guiding
Recommended by 98% of travellers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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The Tasman Glacier is New Zealand’s largest glacier and lies at the heart of the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. On this tour, soar over the national park in a helicopter, enjoy a spectacular fly-by of Mt Cook, then touchdown on the glacier at 4,265 feet (1,300 meters). Set out on a thrilling hike across the glacier, using crampons and poles to navigate the icy landscape, and enjoy stunning views of the remote snow fields.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 10-75, max of 11 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
  • Round-trip helicopter flight to the Tasman Glacier
  • Fantastic views as you hike across the glacier
  • A small group means more attention from your guide
  • Boots and outerwear are provided to keep you warm

  • Two scenic flights
  • Professional guide
  • Quality leather boots and woolen socks
  • Harness (if required)
  • Crampons (and/or snow shoes in winter)
  • Adjustable walking poles
  • Water proof jacket and over-trousers
What's not included
  • NA


Start:
  • Mount Cook Airport, Mount Cook Road, Canterbury 7999, New Zealand
    The turn off to Aoraki/Mt Cook is on SH8 by Lake Pukaki. Driving east this can be found 8kms from Twizel and driving west, 50kms from Lake Tekapo. Turn onto SH80, which leads you to the Mt Cook Village. 6kms from the Village, follow signs to the Mt Cook airport.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 66154P1

    • Please bring
    • 3-4 layers of warm upper body clothing
    • Warm trousers (no jeans)
    • Sunglasses and sun protection
    • Hat and gloves
    • Drink and snacks
    • Subject to favourable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
    • We are unable to delay the departure time of our experiences due to strict helicopter scheduling. If you miss your confirmed departure time and we are unable to resell the space created, you will be charged for 100% of the cost
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 66154P1

    From
    $819.50
    per adult
    Select date and travellers

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Mt Cook Glacier Guiding
      126
      New Zealand
      Joined in November 2016
    • Curiosity19805649125
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Our favorite adventure from 3 weeks in NZ!
      We had an amazing day out on the Tasman glacier. Paul made us feel very safe and well taken care of as we traversed around the glacier and explored a few of its features. We also enjoyed our helicopter flights to and from and appreciated that the pilots took time to do a little sight seeing along the way! Only complaint is we should have worn more sunscreen ;)
      Written 7 January 2024
    • DKBrashear
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Experience of a lifetime
      This was an experience of a lifetime and our guide Hector, truly made this an awesome event, with his concern for safety, teaching us all about the glacier, his humorous comments and pure joy in doing his job. I highly recommend this heli-hike and count it a bonus if you get Hector as your guide.
      Written 2 December 2023
    • Elin M
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Once in a lifetime
      We had a splendid time on this tour. Rich was an amazing and knowledgeable guide who went above and beyond for us.
      Written 31 March 2023
    • KRBishop
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wiggle Tour - Once in a Lifetime Experiance!
      We went on the wiggly tour with the SUPERB Richi. From start to finish this tour exceeded our expectations. From the smooth check in and briefing, the high quality equipment provided to spending 3 plus hours exploring the glacier, ice caves and crevices, taking in the incredible views of Aoraki and surrounding area, to the ski plane rides there and back, this really was a once in a lifetime experiance we will never forget. The whole experience was made exceptional by our guide Richi whose knowledge, expertise, passion and excitement shone through in everything he did. He was commitmeted to ensuring we had an amazing experiance - and we did! 100% would reccomend this trip - we have been tracking through New Zealand for 6 months and it is the best thing we have done!
      Written 24 March 2023
    • Paultje29
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Friendly and personal guiding
      4 years ago I did the glacier heli hike at Franz Josef, today I did the heli hike at the Tasman glacier! It’s nice to see a different glacier and also the largest of New Zealand! As well the guiding was really nice, friendly and especially: personal. The guide took the time for everyone who needed and gave you enough time to let you make pictures. Also the guide took pictures and share them on onedrive, for free! He took us to a small cave, for who dares, it was a really cool and great experience! Normaly he wouldn't do this, but there was time legt because of the small group. At least, we stayed half an hour longer as a gift. No one else had plans for the rest of the day. I absolutely recommend to do the heli hike at Mt Cook glacier guiding!
      Written 23 March 2023
    • jmcscornish
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Helicopter and glacier hike an experience of a lifetime
      We took the helicopter ride from the Mt Cook heliport to the glacier. We hiked the glacier and entered ice caves. The flight scenery and the hike was amazing. They provided all the necessary equipment. Our guide Sky was super. He was strict but made the hike and the glacier experience safe and exciting. He also made the pick up by the helicopter spectacular. The pilot was skilled and really gave us great flights. Well worth the money for an experience of a lifetime.
      Written 5 March 2023
    • qzaqqa
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wonderful Scenery and Fun Guides
      We didnt know what to expect when we booked the trip except that we would get to see some amazing scenery and to get the chance to fly in a helicopter. but the enthusiasm and experience brought by our guides was what made the whole trip one of the most memorable and fun parts of our New Zealad Experience.
      Written 11 February 2023
    • garyjarret123
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent day on the Tasman Glacier
      We went on a full day ice-climbing trip- it was us ( a family of four) and a guide. The company was very flexible regarding change of dates when the weather was not ideal on our originally scheduled day. We had a very positive experience with our guide too- Very competent, professional and friendly. A fantastic highlight overall.
      Written 21 January 2023
    • BrendanDockin
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Breathtaking and unforgettable
      Tasman Glacier Ice Cave & Picnic Experience - breathtaking, unforgettable and as the 12-year old in our party of five said - "i think I have peaked early in life". Richard as the guide and Mark as the helicopter pilot are both superb. Have spent a lot of time in alpine areas in Australia and Northern Hemisphere snow skiing or bush walking - our wows and this is amazing did not stop. Agreed to walk longer on the glacier as we were enjoying this experience so much, before being picked up by the helicopter to fly to Mueller Hut in the Aoraki / Mount Cook area for lunch. Chairs and a table were then set up for an alpine lunch!!! thanks for the climbers letting as sharing this experience.
      Written 13 December 2022
    • LisaJustin
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      An awesome day on the glacier
      The ice climbing day trip was amazing- we learnt the basics of climbing as we explored the glacier and Richard made sure we were both comfortable, safe and having a great time all day. The helicopter flights up and back were awesome and gave us another perspective of the phenomenal area. Highly recommend!
      Written 25 September 2022
    • Gabrielle H
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      65th Birthday at Top of the Tasman
      Excellent adventure, fantastic guides, stunning day. This was an adventure well worth doing. Being that high up the Glacier in that much snow was a first for us. We were well looked after, had the right equipment provided and spent a couple of hours in the most spectacular place. I wished we would gave gone further up & around, but everything is weather dependent. Thank you for an amazing 65th birthday!
      Written 31 August 2022
    • Farmjack94
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Epic experience! Simply stunning!
      The hole trip was absolutely awesome. We were raving about the hole way home and still are and will definitely be coming back! Abseiling down those merlons was epic!! Iv always loved the mountains and more so now!
      Written 8 February 2022
    • hollymF6033NW
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely incredible glacier trip!
      Absolutely incredible. Our guide, Rich, did an amazing job of showing us cool ice features and keeping us nice and safe on the glacier. This was a once in a life time experience that we will cherish the memories of forever.
      Written 21 October 2021
    • 175antc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Bucket List
      We did the heli-hike on Tasman Glacier in Jul and it turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had in our lives. The trip far exceeded our expectations and we feel so blessed to have experienced this in our life time. Aston is 10 and not overly adventurous so the trip was a challenge for him but one he warmed to and one we will never forget. This is a must do in NZ - worth every dollar. Rich was our guide and was incredible and Andrew our pilot took us on an incredible flight in and out of the valley. Just do it!
      Written 13 July 2020
    • TravellingWOutMoving
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly Recommend The Wigley!
      I highly recommend this amazing experience! Mount Cook is an incredible place and was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. The scenery up on the glacier is spectacular and unique. We were a group of four, including our guide Bia. The flights to and from the glacier are an exciting experience on their own. The equipment provided was excellent - the boots and socks are top quality and very comfortable. It’s a lot of fun to walk on the ice with the crampons. The best part of the experience was our guide Bia, she is patient and extremely knowledgeable. Bia taught us about the glacier and led us up the ice and into amazing ice caves. Her stories about her work in Antartica and all over the world were fantastic, she is truely a professional.
      Written 11 March 2020
    See all 126 reviews
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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles64 reviews
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    61
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    1
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    Rob M
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I did the Tasman Glacier Heli Hike through Inflite who partner with Mt Cook Glacier Guiding to offer this experience.

    Starting at Mt Cook airport, all gear is provided (literally from boots to hat!) and a short heli ride takes you over the Tasman glacier terminal lake (icebergs 😍) and drops you on the glacier, where you are met by an experienced guide (@_camboyle was an absolute legend!).

    You then get to enjoy a couple of hours of guided exploring on the glacier, walking through tunnels and exploring (slightly terrifying) moulins- holes in the glacier formed by flowing water.

    It is like being on another planet!
    After exploring the glacier, another quick hell ride back to Mt Cook airport via the gorgeous Hochstetter Glacier is the icing on the cake.
    Such a cool and unique trip! Highly recommended.
    Written 29 October 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    MemoriesHoarder
    New York City, NY181 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2024 • Couples
    We were cursed the entire trip. Our first plans were to fly to Franz Josef while we had a free day in Queenstown and then take a helicoptor to go on a heli-hike there. But weather canceled it. So then we booked this tour since we were going to be passing through Mt Cook. But on the day of, an bizarre car accident shut down the only road to the area for 8 hours causing us to miss this tour. The company was fantastic in understanding our problem so offered us 2 options: full refund or try again the next day but next day had iffy weather. We chose the next day. They run a fantastic professional operation and nothing can be faulted on them. My ever so slight disappointment was in the lack of interesting or dramatic features/activities which is of course the fault of the terrain and not the tour company. I was dead set on hiking Franz Josef or Fox Glacier which from all my research appear to be the more interesting glaciers because they are are a more dramatic slope which creates more interesting things like holes, crevices. I've seen videos of tours on those glaciers where they climb and absail even. With the firsts attempt canceled we opted to try to save the week by going to Tasman Glacier instead (we just HAD to get on a glacier!). Tasman Glacier is nice but it's slightly more boring in my opinion. It's more flat an wide so not as many opportunities to see the dramatic ice formations. That said, I realize of course that it's just a spoiled brat's view of things. If you've never been on a glacier you owe it to yourself to get on one before they melt away. It really is devastating to see. Mt Cook Glacier Guiding is a great professional company located close to Mount Cook Village. During the research I heard of their main competitor and was surprised to see that they take off from a spot much much farther away. If you could choose between the western glaciers Fox, Franz Josef, go with them. But Tasman is an ok alternative.
    Written 30 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    calums
    Auckland, New Zealand15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2022
    My partner and I did the Adventurer: Tasman Glacier Held-hike back in April, and we had an amazing time! Firstly, communication before the trip was great, with multiple questions answered for us regarding which trip to do and what we'd get to see. Check in, and preparing you to go up in the helicopter up to the glacier was seamless and safe. Richard Bottomley was our guide, and he was brilliant, a great mix of keeping you safe, entertained and informed. The time on the glacier was amazing, exploring new, and old, ice caves within the glacier, along with exploring on foot across it. The heli flight on and off the glacier was also amazing, the pilot (can't remember his name, but was living in Christchurch) was really competent and gave great commentary. Overall a brilliant and safe experience, that I highly recommend you do if you're in the Mount cook/Aoraki region!
    Written 7 June 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    momof2wildchilds
    Denver, CO837 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I’m giving this operation 5 stars because they obviously take safety first. We were scheduled to go on Thursday 21/11 and initially the weather looked like our flight would go off. The 9am had but we were booked on the 11am tour. We got weighed, our backpacks were weighed. Wrist bands, hiking boots, socks put on. Poles added to the bag. Then the flight was canceled as snow & wind came rushing in. We were gutted. We had missed out on another helicopter & hike on the Kepler trail due to Mother Nature as well. We are a Colorado family & know how quickly weather can turn in a hot minute in the mtns. We’ve had our own experience with friends hiking in our summer months. You can get sleet, snow dumping on them when it had been a sunny alpine day.
    We thank the team for your kindness & professionalism. We’ll be back to Mt Cook and allow more time. Because Fri was epic but we had to travel to Christchurch to stay on our schedule. We did our own nice hikes in the Tasman Glacier area. But a helicopter tour would have been the best!
    Written 22 November 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Rigger Reid
    Timaru, New Zealand582 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2022
    Awesome adventure doing the Heli hike on the Tasman Glacier, Rich was our guide who gave us a safety briefing and made sure we were comfortable walking with crampons, they made it so easy walking on the glacier.
    Rich was very knowledgeable and had some great stories very passionate about what he does which made it very interesting for us all.
    Saw some amazing ice holes carved out of the glacier by the running water, beautiful colours in the ice holes so smooth.
    Really did not wont our time on the glacier to end it was breathtaking, we were so lucky to have a stunning day.
    The helicopter flight to and from the glacier was very smooth and the landing on the ice, thank you to our pilot Tom, great job.
    This a trip well worth doing you will not be disappointed awesome adventure, would love to do this again.
    Thank you to all the team for making this happen, Jason, Tom & Rich.
    Written 11 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Terry
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2022
    The team did a fantastic job from start to finish. Loved the experience and highly recommend the team to assist you on site seeing or and adventure you will never forget and rave about for a long time to come. Thanks Rich and Jason
    Written 9 February 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    alexsE4070XW
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2022 • Couples
    Thank you so much to our guide Rich for making our special day so amazing. Rich literally moved ice for us so we could walk through a crevasse to get to a beautiful blue ice cave so I could propose to my partner. The entire team were so helpful in making this occasion happen as a surprise for my partner. Even without the proposal we had the best day, exploring the ice and getting to see sights we had never experienced before. Would definitely recommend this experience to everyone!! Thanks Mark for being a great pilot and keeping us safe :)
    Written 1 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Rachael O
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2022
    We had an amazing time with this adventure. Rich was an amazing guide and made you feel extremely safe. Tom our Helicopter pilot also made you feel safe and at ease. Both Rich and Tom pointed out points as we travelled back and forth from the glacier. I'd really recommend this experience even if you feel apprehensive, both Rich and Tom put you at ease right away.
    Written 18 January 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Rebecca M
    Brisbane, Australia36 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We absolutely loved this tour! The staff were incredible from start to finish - friendly, helpful and loads of fun. We were well prepared with gear and guidance. The heli ride to the glacier had spectacular views of Mt Cook, lake and mountains. We had 2 hours on the glacier. Our guide Richard was absolutely awesome! So experienced, so much fun and had incredible knowledge of the glacier and surrounding area. He was so attentive to our experience, our safety and made sure we saw lots of cool stuff. The time spent on the glacier was the coolest thing we've ever done. My words can't capture the amazing views, cool ice formations, flowing rivers of blue, and waterfalls. The most beautiful blue! We had time to soak it all in and take lots of photos. It was not too challenging but enough to be fun. Our heli ride back was even better. We got up close to mountains and rivers and it was a blast. Thanks to Mark our awesome pilot. We highly recommend this tour with Mt Cook Glacier Guiding. Definite bucket list and great value for money. Thanks Richard and team for a brilliant experience!!
    Written 4 December 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Paige
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2021 • Family
    Scott was an AMAZING tour guide. He was so passionate about the glacier and taught us a lot about the surrounding areas as well as the glacier itself! He was really great with my brother Alec, (he has a disability so trips like this can be overwhelming sometimes) but Scott was so great with him too and Alec was super happy. The pilot, Brook was really chill and we felt really safe on the flight over, and the views were INCREDIBLE. Overall, if you wanna see the glacier up high and in person I 100% recommend this trip.
    Written 30 July 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    The Adventurer: Tasman Glacier Heli-hike provided by Mt Cook Glacier Guiding

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