Discover the picturesque Southern Alps, one of New Zealand's most iconic land features. Fly over the immense checkerboard of the Canterbury Plains, across the tresses of the braided Waimakiriri River and to the sheer sides of a steep gorge to touch down at Chest Peak. Sitting at just under 6,500ft, the peak dwarfs most other mountains in the region. Take in breathtaking, 360 degree vistas stretching from as far as the eye can see, including the Blockbuster backdrops of Castle Hill, the Lees Valley, Flock Hill Station and beyond. All our pilots proudly call Canterbury home and will share their wealth of knowledge and personal anecdotes as you fly near their much-loved and noteworthy spots. Please note we are unable to guarantee snow at any time particularly during Summer months (November – February). Please note this flight does not include glaciers, however if glaciers are what you are interested in please see our 'Rakaia Glaciers' or 'World in a day' experiences!
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 3.
Fly across the tresses of the braided Waimakariri River
See the incredible rock scape of Castle Hill
Fly over the vast Canterbury Plains inbound for Chest Peak - one of the highest mountains in the region at just under 6,500 ft, where you will land at the top to witness the truly breathtaking beauty this magnificent mountain range has to offer
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Southern Alps Scenic lasts about 1h 15min. The itinerary has 3 stops.
Prices start at $1,268 per person for this Christchurch experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is 25 Aviation Drive - Enter the Harewood Aviation Park and Christchurch Helicopters is the first on your right. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 15 travellers can book together.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 8 verified reviews; it is run by Christchurch Helicopters.
Amazing experience with stunning views of landscapes and wildlife. Super smooth and informative flight by our excellent pilot and guide, Tim Murdoch. Jess Waters in sales and marketing was a delight to work with. Thank you to the ChristChurch Helicopters team!
Thank you so much Hal for the lovely review! It was our pleasure. Again, thank you for choosing to fly with us!!
Started the adventure with cheerful greetings and welcome from Jess at reception. After the safety video we took off on our adventure. Our pilot Scott was a professional. He did a really nice job explaining the sites and views, shared fun stories about other trips and pointed out movie locations on the trip. We landed at the Chest Peak and had amazing views and chance to explore. Overall had an amazing experience, loved it!!!
A great experience, professional team, adjusted schedule due to weather and Easter concerns and we had a great time. Knowledgeable pilot and all worked smoothly! Probably better in winter or start of summer with snow on mountains but still very good and family enjoyed their first trip in helicopter!
Excellent pilot and staff. Marketing materials led me to believe there would be a glacier and there was not. It was a nice flight but not what I wanted
Hi Tammy! You booked a Southern Alps Scenic where there was no mention of a Glacier flight. We offer a flight called the Rakaia Glaciers, which had you have mentioned you wanted this we most definitely would have flown you there! Thank you for your lovely comment about our pilot and staff though! Have a great Christmas :)
An amazing company offering incredible tours. I cannot speak highly enough of the professional and caring relationships I have experienced when dealing with Christchurch helicopters. Jess and Tim particularly were top-notch and would recommend a tour with these guys any day of the week. Keep u the amazing work!
Thanks to Jess for arranging the 2 combined flights. Jess went out of her way to make sure we got the best experience. We combined the Akaroa & Banks Peninsula with the Southern Alps which was breath taking. What topped the experience off was that we had Richie McCaw as our pilot. One of the nicest guys I have ever meet. Thanks again for a great experience Jess and Richie. Hamish and Karen.
The weather wasn't playing the game in the morning, but Jess kept in contact regularly and made sure I could get up as soon as it cleared. Once I arrived, I was greeted by her friendly smile and made to feel right at home - until Richie McCaw stepped into the room. Fair to say I was somewhat overawed by his presence, however he is a very down-to-earth and personable bloke. After a safety briefing, we were soon flying towards the Southern Alps. He was quite informative, pointing out heaps of interesting things I would have otherwise missed, and he obviously knew how to fly that machine. And I'll tell you something for nothing, the views from up there were incredible. So much so that I was speechless for much of the flight. Just staring out the windows like an idiot. Flying in a helicopter so close to the mountains gives an amazing new perspective on "our backyard", and I encourage anyone who hasn't experienced it to give Christchurch Helicopters a call. You will not regret it.
Thank you so much Luke for such an amazing review! We were honestly so pleased we could get you up there! You are so right about the views, they are pretty spectacular and am pleased you were happy with the pilot! Hopefully we will see you here again one day soon. Always welcome to have a turn behind the controls aswell!!
The flight was a 94th birthday gift for Louis,my father in law, absolutley loved the flight up to an old ski field chest peak...awesome pilot Richie McCaw something my rugby mad father in law never stops talking about. Richie pointed out things of interest there and back and the boys felt safe. Jess made booking easy,paid a deposit to secure and kept us notified on the weather etc. Was put off one day due to fires in Canterbury and choppers were used but we were rebooked and kept in the loop. Awesome service, great choppers, took heaps of photographs etc...would highly recommend. They have a waiting area where people not going on the flight can wait if need be. Theres a great range of flights this one was about an hour nd half I think but it was cut shirt due to weather and other passenger was catching a flight!! But it was still awesome....😃
Thank you for flying with us! Was our pleasure to take Louis and Paul up in the air! We are so pleased you all enjoyed it and we hope to see you here again one day soon. :)
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Alps Scenic | 1h 15min | 4.8 (8) | $1,268 | |
 Small Group Southern Voyager 7 Days Tour | 7 days | 5.0 (77) | $1,320 | View |
 Christchurch Scenic Private Tour with Local Guide Half Day | 4 hours | 4.6 (19) | $137 | View |
 Waipara Valley Winery Tour Wine Tastings and Scenic Views | 5–6 hours | 5.0 (13) | $218 | View |
 Lyttelton Shore Ex: 3.5 hr Guided Scenic Hike. Transport & Food | 3–4 hours | 5.0 (2) | $183 | View |
 Christchurch Hop-On Hop-Off Tram | 1 day | 4.5 (975) | $24 | View |
 International Antarctic Centre General Admission Ticket | 2–3 hours | 4.5 (555) | $42 | View |