Ski Plane & Helicopter Combo

If you want to fly in both aircraft and land on the Tasman Glacier, book the Ski Plane and Helicopter Glacier Combo Flight. It costs from $314 per person on GetYourGuide, lasts 45 minutes including 10 to 15 minutes on the upper snowfields, and is rated 4.7 from 361 reviews. You fly up the Tasman Valley in one aircraft, step out onto the glacier, and fly home in the other. It also costs less than INFLITE’s single-aircraft glacier flights of the same length, so the combo is the one to choose unless you specifically want the ski plane both ways or a longer route across the Main Divide.

How the combo flight works

The flight is run by INFLITE, the company behind Mount Cook Ski Planes & Helicopters, from Aoraki/Mount Cook Airport on State Highway 80, a few minutes’ drive from the village. Parking at the airport is free. When you book, the operator asks for every passenger’s full name and weight, and check-in closes 45 minutes before the flight. The general limit is 116 kg per person, and you may be weighed at check-in.

From take-off you head up the Tasman Valley over Tasman Lake, a lake that did not exist in the early 1970s and has grown as the glacier retreats. The route passes the Hochstetter Icefall, the Grand Plateau and Plateau Hut, with Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724 m) above you, before landing on the upper snowfields of the Tasman Glacier. At 23 km it is New Zealand’s longest glacier. The aircraft shut down on the snow, so for 10 to 15 minutes you are standing in the quiet at altitude with time for photos. Then you swap aircraft and return to the airport, seeing the full length of the glacier on the way down.

Our tour breakdown covers what is included and what to leave behind.

Which aircraft do you fly up in?

You can’t choose. INFLITE says seats cannot be selected or guaranteed in advance and are assigned on the day according to passenger weights. The operator does not publish how it decides who goes up in which aircraft on the combo, so assume the pilots make that call at check-in based on weight and balance. Either way, everyone gets one leg in each.

The two legs feel quite different:

• The ski plane is a Pilatus Porter carrying up to nine passengers. It lands and takes off on skis, and the moment the engine stops on the glacier is the part many passengers remember. Mount Cook’s ski-plane landings go back to 22 September 1955, when Harry Wigley first landed on the Tasman Glacier on skis of his own design.
• The helicopter is a Squirrel seating five to seven people, depending on weight. It can hover, turn close to the ridges and put down on steeper ground, which makes the views feel closer.

If you are travelling as a group of more than a few people, you may be split between aircraft on each leg. Ask at check-in if staying together matters to you.

For the wider question of which aircraft suits you, see our ski plane vs helicopter guide.

Combo vs the single-aircraft glacier flights

INFLITE sells the same valley and glacier landing in three ways, plus a longer loop. Prices are USD per person as listed:

The Glacier Highlights ski plane tour is the choice if the ski plane is the whole point for you and you want to take off and land on skis twice. GetYourGuide doesn’t sell it, so it is on Viator only.

The Glacier Highlights helicopter tour covers the same route by helicopter both ways, again on Viator only. It suits someone who has no interest in the plane, though the combo gives you a helicopter leg for less money.

The difference also shows in INFLITE’s own prices. At the time of writing the operator’s NZD rate for the combo is NZ$549 per adult and NZ$499 per child (0–12), against NZ$649 and NZ$599 for Glacier Highlights. Prices change, so check both on the day you book.

The 55-Minute Scenic Flight in Helicopter or Ski Plane adds ten minutes and a crossing of the Main Divide to see the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers on the West Coast, returning over the Grand Plateau and the Hochstetter Icefall. INFLITE’s own version of this loop, the Grand Circle, includes a 10–15 minute Tasman Glacier landing, but the GetYourGuide listing does not mention one, so confirm with the operator before you book it for the landing. Our 55-minute flight breakdown and the 25 vs 40 vs 55 minute comparison set out what the extra time buys.

Snow landings all year

The combo’s other advantage is snow. INFLITE’s shorter helicopter flights land on alpine sites that may have little or no snow roughly December to March. Its glacier landings, including the combo, are the ones it offers for snow all year round. That is still not an unconditional promise, because every landing depends on the weather and the glacier on the day. In summer, though, it makes the combo a safer bet than a 25-minute alpine landing such as the Scenic Helicopter Flight with Alpine Landing at $217. Our snow landing guide and Tasman Glacier flights page go further into where each operator lands.

Weather, cancellation and when to book

Every flight here depends on the weather. INFLITE tries to warn passengers the day before, but final decisions are made on the day, anywhere from early morning to about 10 minutes before departure. If the operator cancels, it reschedules or gives a full refund. GetYourGuide bookings can also be cancelled for free up to 24 hours before.

INFLITE suggests booking for your first day in the region, so a cloudy morning leaves you time to move the flight. If you can, keep the following day free as well.

The combo is also sold on Viator as the 45-Minute Ski Plane and Helicopter Combo Tour, from $321 with 123 reviews. The GetYourGuide listing has almost three times as many reviews and is the one this page books.

What to bring

Landing sites are colder than the airport, even in summer, so wear warm layers and long trousers. Bring sunglasses, because the glare off the snow is strong, and wear sturdy closed-toe shoes. Phones and cameras are fine on board. Bags, food and drink, drones and selfie sticks are not allowed.

If you are still deciding between flights, our best Mount Cook helicopter flights guide ranks the options and the homepage has a side-by-side comparison of every flight. If the combo is the one, check availability for your dates.