Mt. Cook Fly Explore Fly ex Queenstown by Glenorchy Air
Description
Fly up the spine of the South Island, enjoying panoramic views of Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea on one side and Lake Pukaki, arguably New Zealand’s most beautiful lake, on the other. Marvel at the most awe-inspiring aerial views of the summit ridge of Mt. Cook and the Tasman Glacier. Experience unparalleled aerial views of the Franz and Fox Glaciers on the West Coast and the Tasman Glacier within Aoraki Mt. Cook National Park Land in Mt. Cook National Park at Aoraki/Mt. Cook Airport on the picturesque outskirts of Mt. Cook Village. Spend up to 5 hours on the ground exploring Mt. Cook Village, with lunch at The Hermitage Hotel or enjoy walking Hooker Valley Track. Follow a different flight path on your return flight to Queenstown, taking in the tussock-drenched Lindis Pass. Experience it all from your window seat!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Spend approximately 5 hours discovering Aoraki Mt. Cook village, enjoy lunch at The Hermitage Hotel, check out the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre, walk the Hooker Valley Track before boarding your return flight to Queenstown.
The Hooker Valley Track is the most popular short walking track within the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park in New Zealand. At only 10-kilometres length and gaining only about 100 m in height, the well-formed track can be walked by tourists with a wide range of level of fitness.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum numbers required to operate this flight
Reviews(53)
Awesome experience weather permitting. If you have the opportunity, it is well worth the money. To see Milford sound from below on the water one thing but to experience it from above is a whole other experience. The pilot was awesome. He made the flight smooth and moved around the clouds so that we could maximize our viewing from the plane. Additionally, it was awesome not to have to drive back 4 1/2 hours in a Coach versus 45 to 50 minutes in a plane. If you plan to travel to New Zealand from a distance, you have to spend slightly additional extra money and take a flight back from Milford sound.
Great experience with pilot Jim. Incredible knowledge at flights, mountains, geology, glaciers and history of the region. Highly recommend to all visitors;)
Thank you for your great feedback, it’s wonderful to hear the experience left such a strong impression. We really appreciate your kind words about Jim and the insight he shared along the way, and we’ll be sure to pass this on. Thanks again for your recommendation, we appreciate your support. Kind regards, Glenorchy Air
This was one of our greatest disappointments on our trip to Australia and New Zealand. We had booked this well in advance - we only had a few days in Queenstown and were trying to thoughtfully schedule the things we most wanted to see. The company was very clear up front, that sometimes they cannot fly due to weather conditions. Now I'm curious how high a percentage of the time that actually is. We had a pick up arranged for 8:15 (9 AM departure flight) with instructions to call only 1 hour prior to flight, so 8 AM for us, just before we walked out the door, to learn that our flight was being cancelled due to weather (no rain, just clouds, not judging, because I am not a pilot). They offered to rebook us, soonest available was 7 days out, well beyond our stay in Queenstown. To their credit, they were very prompt in issuing a refund. The regret is that there was no back up plan on their part. We had to forego Mt. Cook as part of our trip, because by 8:30 in the morning, there is no other way to see Mt. Cook that day - all the day trips would have already gone. As stated earlier, we had planned each of our days thoughtfully. We found an in-town alternate activity, but am saddened that we did not get to have this experience. The only consollation prize - we met other travelers who had gone to Mt. Cook a couple days earlier and were happy to report that they never saw Mt. Cook, because the fog was so low. My recommendation to future travelors considering this tour is to give serious consideration as to how you will spend your day if this tour is cancelled last minute. It is not realistic to expect them to be able to rebook you within a day or two, so having a back up plan, or being okay bumming around Queenstown for the day, should be thought out in advance.
Kia Ora, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I’m really sorry to hear how disappointing this was, especially when you had planned your time in Queenstown so carefully, I completely understand your frustration. Alpine flying is incredibly weather-dependent, and conditions can change very quickly. On the day of your flight, low-level cloud meant we were unable to operate safely under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). While it may not always look severe from the ground in Queenstown, these conditions do significantly limit where we can fly, and safety will always be our top priority. We make weather calls as close to departure as possible to avoid cancelling unnecessarily. If we cancel too early, conditions can improve and we risk disappointing guests who could have flown; if we wait too long, we risk asking guests to travel out only to cancel. It’s a difficult balance, and never a decision we take lightly. For transparency, our Mt Cook flights operate at around a 60% success rate across the year due to these alpine conditions. As outlined in our terms and conditions, all departures are weather dependent, and unfortunately this can mean last-minute changes. I’m truly sorry we weren’t able to offer a same-day alternative or a closer rebooking option during your stay. We do understand how important this experience is for many of our guests, and we always aim to communicate cancellations as quickly as possible so you can make alternative plans. Thank you again for your understanding, and while I know this doesn’t make up for the missed experience, I do hope you otherwise enjoyed your time in New Zealand.
An amazing experience. Highly recommend Glenorchy Air if you are thinking about this once in a lifetime experience. Pilot Isabel was superb.
We were overwhelmed by the trip and the great company with Pilot Rob! Great flight, unforgettable views, wonderful advice and ground service from Rob at Mt Cook Village! Is there a question Rob can’t answer? We HIGHLY recommend this trip. 1 hr flying each way, 4.5 hrs in the ground. So glad we did this!
Thank you for your amazing review! ✈️🏔️ We’re so glad you had a fantastic experience on the Mt. Cook Fly Explore Fly tour. Rob will be delighted to hear you enjoyed his flying, advice, and the ground service at Mt. Cook Village. It’s great to know the views and overall trip left such a strong impression!
I had a great experience flying over Mt. Cook and other highlights. The pilot was professional and friendly. I was picked up and dropped off at my Queenstown hotel, plus the entire process was easy. If you're in the South Island, I highly recommend Glenorchy Air.
We’re so glad you enjoyed the flight over Mt. Cook and the stunning scenery of the South Island. It’s great to hear that the whole journey, from pickup to landing felt effortless and that your pilot made the experience both professional and enjoyable. We really appreciate your recommendation and are thrilled that Glenorchy Air could help make your visit to the South Island so memorable.
We had booked a day trip to Mount Cook and we had a great day. The weather was beautiful and Jim, our pilot made us feel like VIPs all day. The flight over the different glaciers was above expectations and with only one word to describe, spectacular! We can recommend everyone this day.
Mount Cook really is special isn't it? And Jim's one of our best entertainers for sure. Happy you had a great time! Come back for a flight to Stewart Island next perhaps, haha? Cheers, Rob
Our Pilot Rob was amazing! Took care of us from start to finish. The glacier hike at Mt Cook was breathtaking. This whole trip lasted 6-8 hours so be packed for a full day.
Galcier Hikes in mount cook are incredible indeed. So happy we could help you guys with making that happen. Thanks for choosing Glenorchy Air. Cheers, Rob
Rob the pilot is fantastic and the trip breathtaking The planes are brand new and great day out ,the weather when we went was great so I would highly recommend
Thanks for the comment! We do proudly operate the most modern scenic plane fleet in New Zealand and Rob definitely is one of the nicest pilots you'll ever meet. Happy you got to experience that in person. Hope to fly with you again some day. Cheers, Rob
Awesome day out at Mount Cook! The flight was amazing and our pilot Rob was so friendly and informative, we felt safe the whole time with him. When we arrived he gave us lots of options of things to do and the Kea point trail was beautiful. We loved our day out and flying with Glenorchy Air is a must do when you’re in queenstown! The whole experience was so well organised from pick up to drop off. Thank you, can’t wait to come back and do the Stewart island trip next
Thank you so much for the amazing review! We're so glad you had such a great day at Mount Cook with Rob, he’ll be thrilled to know you felt safe and well looked after. The Kea Point trail is such a beautiful spot, and it’s awesome you got to experience it in perfect conditions. We can’t wait to welcome you back for your next adventure to Stewart Island! ✈️🏔️🐧
