Lowest price here25 min
25 minWānaka: Helicopter Scenic Flight Wānaka Experience
★ 5.0 · 4 reviews
- 25m, Twenty-five minutes over Lake Wanaka
- Departs from Wanaka
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$214$513.60 / hour
Check availability→ Every flight, compared
Wanaka helicopter tours: 14 flights and hikes, priced and compared
Wanaka helicopter tours run from a twenty-five-minute loop over Lake Wanaka to a full day on foot at the Rob Roy Glacier, and six of them add a landing on a glacier or on snow in the Southern Alps. This page lines up all fourteen bookable trips from Wanaka, with live prices from $214 and their current review counts, so you can see which of the Wanaka helicopter tours actually matches the day you have.
Quick answer
The short answer. The cheapest Wanaka helicopter tours start at $214 for a scenic loop with no landing. Six flights add a stop on a glacier or on snow, from $214. The two Rob Roy Glacier hikes on this site carry no helicopter at all, from $248.
Wanaka helicopter tours on this site
- Wanaka helicopter tours listed here
- 14flights and Rob Roy Glacier hikes
- Land on glacier or snow
- 6 flightsthe rest fly over or land elsewhere
- On foot, no helicopter
- 2 hikesRob Roy Glacier, from $248
- Cheapest flight, no landing
- $21425 minutes over Lake Wanaka
- Cheapest flight with a landing
- $21425 minutes, a snow landing
- Most reviewed flight
- 97 reviews$307 · rated 5.0
- Two landings on one flight
- 2 toursMt Aspiring Explorer and the Mt Cook flight
- Longest flight without a landing
- $4454.5 hours to Milford Sound
- Longest day out
- 8 hoursthe Rob Roy Glacier hike, $248
- Milford Sound from Wanaka
- 2 flightscruise or landing, from $377
- New this season
- 2 listingsno reviews yet
- Free cancellation
- On every trip hereper the listings
The two kinds of trip
A flight, a landing, or a walk
Twelve flights, two hikes, and six of the flights actually land on the ice.
Fourteen trips leave Wanaka for the Southern Alps and Mt Aspiring, and they split into three groups. Twelve are helicopter flights. Two are guided hikes to the Rob Roy Glacier that use no helicopter at all, from $248.
Inside the twelve flights, the difference that matters most is whether the helicopter puts you down. Six of the Wanaka helicopter tours land on a glacier or on snow: the pilot sets down, the doors open, and you stand on the ice or the snowfield for part of the flight. The other six stay in the air the whole way, or land somewhere other than ice or snow — the Wānaka Max flight, for example, sets down on alpine peaks rather than a glacier.
Two flights also combine a landing with something on the ground. The Siberia Experience flies in, hikes the Siberia Valley, and comes out by jet boat on the Wilkin River. The private heli-hike flies in for a walk on foot and back out again. Both are priced and timed differently from a straight scenic flight, and neither counts toward the six glacier landings above.
By length and price
Every Wanaka helicopter tours option, grouped
Durations and prices are the current listing figures.
- Twenty-five minutes — from $214
The shortest and cheapest way into the Southern Alps: a scenic loop with no landing at $214, or the same length with a snow landing at $214.
- Thirty-five to forty-five minutes — from $307
The Glacier Experience at $307 spends ten minutes on the ice, the most reviewed flight on this site. The Wānaka Max flight at $316 lands on alpine peaks instead.
- One hour to seventy-five minutes — from $406
A Mt Aspiring flyover with no landing at $406, an hour with a snow landing at $491, or the Mt Aspiring Explorer with two landings at $564.
- Two to four and a half hours, flight only — from $377
The Milford Sound landing flight at $377, the Mt Cook flight with two glacier landings at $1,467, or the longer Milford Sound cruise at $445.
- Four to six hours, a flight plus a hike — from $360
The Siberia Experience at $360 pairs a flight with a valley hike and a jet boat out. A private version that swaps the jet boat for a longer walk runs $1,382.
- Six to eight hours, on foot — from $248
The Rob Roy Glacier hike at $248 is a full eight-hour day with lunch included. A private version for your group alone runs $333.
Want to know exactly which flights set you down on the ice, and which only fly over it?
Which flights land on the glacier→Milford Sound, and what a pilot adds
The one detour, and what you are paying for
Milford Sound is reachable from Wanaka by flight, by cruise, or by both together.
Two of the Wanaka helicopter tours head to Milford Sound instead of staying over the Alps. The Milford Sound Glacier Flight and Cruise at $445 flies out over the glaciers and the Olivine Ice Plateau, cruises the fiord, and returns by a different route. The shorter Milford Sound flight with a landing, at $377, lands once near the fiord instead of cruising it. Both start and finish in Wanaka, with no drive to another departure town first.
Closer to town, the plainest of the twelve is the Wānaka Experience at $214, which stays over Lake Wanaka for the full twenty-five minutes with no landing. It is the shortest helicopter ride Wanaka lists, and one of two at that length — the other, at the same price, adds a snow landing. Most of the helicopter rides Wanaka offers beyond that run sixty minutes or longer.
Across the twelve flights, what you are paying for is the same three things: the aircraft, the route over ground with no road to it, and — on six of the twelve — the landing itself. Small groups, wheelchair access on several listings, and pickup on the two Rob Roy Glacier hikes are the extras that vary from one listing to the next.
Two listings are new this season and carry no reviews: the private heli-hike and the Mt Cook flight. Both are bookable and both are priced above; neither is rated yet.
Book direct
The Wanaka helicopter tours people book most
The cheapest flight, the most reviewed landing, an alpine flight with peak landings, the cheapest flight that lands on snow, the Rob Roy Glacier hike, and the Milford Sound landing.
Our top pick35 min
35 minWanaka: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Glacier Experience
★ 5.0 · 97 reviews
- 35m, Thirty-five minutes with a glacier landing
- Departs from Wanaka
- Most booked
- Free cancellation
$307$526.29 / hour
Check availability→ 
45 min15 reviews
45 minWānaka: Scenic Helicopter Flight Wānaka Max
★ 5.0 · 15 reviews
- 45m, Forty-five minutes over the Southern Alps
- Departs from Wanaka
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$316$421.33 / hour
Check availability→ 
25 min2 reviews
25 minWānaka: Scenic Flight Experience with Snow Landing
★ 5.0 · 2 reviews
- 25m, A short flight that still lands on snow
- Departs from Wanaka
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$214$513.60 / hour
Check availability→ 
8 h5 reviews
8 hWanaka: Rob Roy Glacier Guided Hike with Lunch
★ 5.0 · 5 reviews
- 8h, A full day on foot to the Rob Roy Glacier
- Departs from Wanaka
- Longest tour here
- Free cancellation
$248$31.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
2 h12 reviews
2 hFrom Wanaka: Milford Sound Flight with Landing & Glaciers
★ 4.5 · 12 reviews
- 2h, Milford Sound flight with a landing
- Departs from Wanaka
- Guided tour
- Free cancellation
$377$188.50 / hour
Check availability→ Every trip, current fare
Every trip, current fare
All fourteen listings, with cost per hour worked out for the ones sold by time.
| Flight | Length | Price | What is included | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanaka: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Glacier ExperienceThirty-five minutes with a glacier landing | 35 min | $307 | Thirty-five minutes with a glacier landing | $526.29 | 5.0 · 97 |
| Wānaka: Scenic Helicopter Flight Wānaka MaxForty-five minutes over the Southern Alps | 45 min | $316 | Forty-five minutes over the Southern Alps | $421.33 | 5.0 · 15 |
| Wanaka: Siberia Experience Scenic Flight, Hike, and JetboatFlight in, alpine walk, jet boat out | 4 h | $360 | Flight in, alpine walk, jet boat out | $90.00 | 5.0 · 7 |
| Wanaka: Rob Roy Glacier Guided Hike with LunchA full day on foot to the Rob Roy Glacier | 8 h | $248 | A full day on foot to the Rob Roy Glacier | $31.00 | 5.0 · 5 |
| Wānaka: Helicopter Scenic Flight Wānaka ExperienceTwenty-five minutes over Lake Wanaka | 25 min | $214 | Twenty-five minutes over Lake Wanaka | $513.60 | 5.0 · 4 |
| Wanaka: Mt Aspiring and Glaciers Scenic FlightMt Aspiring and the glaciers that feed it | 60 min | $406 | Mt Aspiring and the glaciers that feed it | $406.00 | 5.0 · 5 |
| Wānaka: Aspiring Snow Special with Glacier/Snow LandingAn hour with a landing on snow | 60 min | $491 | An hour with a landing on snow | $491.00 | 4.4 · 3 |
| Wānaka: Private Rob Roy Glacier Guided Hike LunchThe Rob Roy walk with your group alone | 6 h | $333 | The Rob Roy walk with your group alone | $55.50 | 5.0 · 1 |
| Wānaka: Mt Aspiring Explorer Scenic Flight with 2 LandingsTwo landings on one alpine flight | 75 min | $564 | Two landings on one alpine flight | $451.20 | 5.0 · 2 |
| Wānaka: Scenic Flight Experience with Snow LandingA short flight that still lands on snow | 25 min | $214 | A short flight that still lands on snow | $513.60 | 5.0 · 2 |
| Wanaka: Milford Sound Glacier Flight & Scenic Nature CruiseGlacier flight and a Milford Sound cruise | 4.5 h | $445 | Glacier flight and a Milford Sound cruise | $98.89 | 4.9 · 86 |
| From Wanaka: Milford Sound Flight with Landing & GlaciersMilford Sound flight with a landing | 2 h | $377 | Milford Sound flight with a landing | $188.50 | 4.5 · 12 |
| Wanaka: Private Alpine Heli-HikeA private day: fly in, walk, fly out | 6 h | $1,382 | A private day: fly in, walk, fly out | $230.33 | New |
| Discover Mt Cook: Scenic Flight with Glacier/Snow LandingMt Cook with a glacier or snow landing | 3 h | $1,467 | Mt Cook with a glacier or snow landing | $489.00 | New |
Month by month
When to book a Wanaka helicopter tour
The Southern Alps carry snow on the peaks most of the year; what changes through the seasons is daylight and how far ahead the popular flights sell out.
Dec – Feb
Long days, most flights
The longest daylight of the year, so operators run the most departures. Book a popular landing flight, such as $307 at heli-glacier, several days ahead.
Mar – May
Autumn light over the Alps
Shorter queues than the summer months, with snow already sitting on the higher peaks where the landing flights set down.
Jun – Aug
Winter, snow lower down
Snow cover reaches further down the mountains, so the snow-landing flights at $491 and $214 run through the season.
Sep – Nov
Spring, changeable mornings
Some morning departures move to the afternoon or the next day as conditions in the Alps shift; every listing here carries free cancellation, so a moved slot costs nothing extra.
Prefer to reach the ice on foot instead of by helicopter? The Rob Roy Glacier hike is its own page.
The Rob Roy Glacier hike→Common questions
Wanaka helicopter tours, answered
How many Wanaka helicopter tours are there?
Fourteen listings leave Wanaka for the Southern Alps, Mt Aspiring and Milford Sound: twelve helicopter flights and two guided hikes to the Rob Roy Glacier that use no helicopter.
Which Wanaka helicopter tours actually land?
Six land on a glacier or on snow: the Glacier Experience, the Aspiring Snow Special, the Snow Landing flight, the Mt Aspiring Explorer with two landings, the Mt Cook flight, and the Milford Sound landing flight. The rest fly over without setting down, or land on alpine peaks rather than ice or snow.
What is the cheapest Wanaka helicopter tour?
The Wānaka Experience flight at $214 for twenty-five minutes with no landing. The cheapest flight that does land, on snow, is the Snow Landing flight at $214, also twenty-five minutes.
Can you reach Milford Sound from Wanaka?
Yes, on two listings that both depart and return from Wanaka: a glacier flight combined with a cruise of the fiord at $445, and a shorter flight with a landing at $377. Both carry free cancellation.
Is there a way to see the glacier without a helicopter?
Yes — the Rob Roy Glacier hike, a full eight-hour guided day with lunch included, from $248. A private version for your own group runs $333.
Do the new listings without reviews still fly?
Yes. The private heli-hike and the Mt Cook flight are both bookable and both carry free cancellation; they opened this season and have not collected reviews yet.
Go deeper
More on glacier flights and glacier hikes from Wanaka
Glacier landings
Glacier landings
Which listings actually put you down on ice, and which only fly past.
Rob Roy on footRob Roy on foot
The guided walk to the Rob Roy Glacier, and what the track is like.
PricesPrices
What a flight costs from Wanaka, listing by listing.
To Milford SoundTo Milford Sound
The two listings that fly from Wanaka over to Milford Sound.
Best timeBest time
Season by season, and why flights get cancelled.
Heli-hikeHeli-hike
Fly in, walk on the tops, fly out: the combined days.
