Mount Cook Snow Landing

For a helicopter snow landing from Glentanner, book The Helicopter Line’s Mountains High 40 minute Flight, from $374 per person. It flies past the Hochstetter Icefall and the upper Tasman Glacier, then lands in the snow, subject to snow levels on the day. If snow underfoot is the whole point, and especially if you are visiting between December and March, book a landing on the Tasman Glacier itself: INFLITE’s ski plane and helicopter combo, from $314, lands on upper snowfields that hold snow and ice all year.

Alpine, snow and glacier landings

Operators use three phrases, and they mean different things.

• Alpine landing. The helicopter sets down on a mountain site, such as INFLITE’s Brass Peak or Liebig Dome, or a ridge in the Ben Ohau Range for The Helicopter Line. INFLITE says its alpine sites have snow for most of the year but can be bare in the heat of summer, roughly December to March.
• Snow landing. The Helicopter Line’s wording for its Mountains High and 55-minute flights, which aim for a landing site in the snow. Both listings add “subject to snow levels”, and the company uses the terms loosely: the 55-minute flight is also described as an alpine landing.
• Glacier landing. The aircraft lands on the glacier, usually the upper Tasman Glacier, the longest in New Zealand at 23 km. This is the landing that puts you on snow and ice in any month.

The Helicopter Line’s flights all include a landing of some kind. Air Safaris’ flight from Lake Tekapo does not list one.

Which flights land on snow, and when

Prices are USD per person, from each listing in September 2026. Times on the ground are the operators’ figures; Mountains High’s comes from its Viator listing.

How long you get on the snow

INFLITE gives 10 to 15 minutes on the glacier, and on the ski plane the engine is shut down so you hear the quiet of the ice. The Helicopter Line’s alpine landings are about 10 minutes, and its Mountains High listing on Viator gives 5 to 10. That is enough to step out, take photos, throw a snowball and turn around to look at Aoraki. If you want real time on the ice, a heli-hike such as Mt Cook Glacier Guiding’s 3-Hour Tasman Glacier Helicopter Ride and Hike ($569) gives you up to two hours walking on the glacier in crampons.

What to wear

The landing sites are colder than the airfield, even in summer, and INFLITE puts the difference at one to three degrees. Wear long trousers and a warm layer or light jacket, and closed shoes with a sturdy sole, because you step straight out onto snow. Sunglasses matter most: INFLITE calls them a must because the glare off the snow is strong. The Helicopter Line adds sunscreen and a warm jacket, and asks you to leave bags, selfie sticks, scarves and loose clothing behind. On a heli-hike, the guides supply boots, crampons and a waterproof jacket.

If the weather stops the landing

Snow, strong wind and sudden temperature changes are possible in any season in the national park, and every landing depends on the conditions on the day. The listings say routes and landings may vary at the pilot’s discretion, so a landing can move to a different site. If the flight is cancelled, INFLITE, The Helicopter Line and Southern Lakes rebook you or refund in full. INFLITE makes the final call any time from early morning to about 10 minutes before departure; The Helicopter Line asks you to call an hour before. The listings don’t promise a refund when the flight goes ahead but the landing is moved or skipped, so ask at check-in if that matters to you.

Book for early in your stay so there is time to move to a clearer day, and use the free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every GetYourGuide listing here.

Which snow landing to book

• December to March, and snow matters: a glacier landing. The combo ($314) is the cheapest, and Southern Lakes’ Tasman Glacier flight ($363) does it in a helicopter.
• April to November, on a budget: an alpine landing is usually snowy, and INFLITE’s 25-minute flight costs $217.
• Staying near Glentanner: Mountains High. It has 7 reviews on GetYourGuide, all five stars, and a longer record on Viator.

Our ski plane vs helicopter guide covers the two ways onto the glacier, the combo guide explains the flight that uses both, and the price table lists every flight. For ranked picks, see the best Mount Cook flights; our breakdown of Mountains High and the homepage comparison have more. When you have a date, check availability.