Mount Cook: 3 Hour Heli Hike to the Tasman Glacier

About This Experience

This heli-hike with The Helicopter Line starts at Aoraki/Mount Cook Airport, with pickup from Mount Cook Village included. A 15-minute helicopter flight takes you over Tasman Glacier Lake and its ice formations and lands you on the Tasman Glacier, below Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.

You then hike for about two hours over the glacier's surprisingly undulating ice with professional guides. Glacier boots and crampons are provided, along with a waterproof jacket if needed, and reviewers single out guides who explain the glacier and the surrounding mountains as they go.

On the flight back you pass close to the Hochstetter Icefall, a 1,000-metre wall of ice on the eastern face of Aoraki, before returning to the airport, looking out over mountains that stay white with snow and ice all year.

Hikers must be at least 10 years old, under 150 kg including equipment, and have moderate fitness and hiking ability. The trip is not recommended during pregnancy. It needs good weather and minimum numbers to run; if it is cancelled you choose another date or a full refund.

Highlights

• A helicopter landing on the Tasman Glacier below Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman
• About two hours hiking on the ice with professional guides
• A flight over Tasman Glacier Lake and its ice formations
• A close pass of the 1,000-metre Hochstetter Icefall on the way back
• Glacier boots, crampons and a waterproof jacket supplied
• Pickup and drop-off in Mount Cook Village included

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Mount Cook Village
• ✓ Scenic helicopter flights to and from the glacier (about 15 minutes each way)
• ✓ Glacier landing
• ✓ 2-hour guided glacier hike
• ✓ Professional, experienced glacier guides
• ✓ Glacier boots, ice crampons and a waterproof jacket if required

Not Included

• Food and drinks
• Drones, selfie sticks and tablets (not permitted on board)

What to Bring

• Warm clothing
• Sturdy, closed-toe shoes
• Rain gear
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• A phone or camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• Your booked time is the check-in time. Allow at least 45 minutes after check-in for the safety briefing and gear fitting.
• Participants must be at least 10 years old.
• The maximum weight is 150 kg per person, including equipment.
• You need moderate fitness and hiking ability.
• The trip needs favourable weather and minimum passenger numbers. If it is cancelled, you choose an alternative date or a full refund.
• Selfie sticks, drones and tablets are not permitted, for passenger safety.

Meeting Point

Check in at The Helicopter Line's office upstairs in the terminal at Aoraki/Mount Cook Airport, State Highway 80. Your booked time is the check-in time; allow at least 45 minutes after check-in for the safety briefing and fitting of hiking gear. Pickup and drop-off in Mount Cook Village is included.