Your day begins with a 7:30am pick up from or near your Queenstown accommodation. Travelling in a premium Mercedes van designed for small-group touring, the journey starts comfortably as you head north towards Aoraki Mt Cook, with your guide sharing commentary along the way.

The first part of the drive takes you through the Central Otago wine region, passing Gibbston and Cromwell before crossing Lindis Pass. This stretch of the journey is a big part of the experience, with changing scenery, open country, and a strong sense of heading deeper into the South Island.

A brief stop in Omarama gives you time to stretch your legs, grab refreshments, and purchase lunch or snacks before continuing on to Mt Cook. It is a useful stop, particularly for guests wanting to make the most of their free time in the national park later in the day.

As the journey continues into Mackenzie Country, the bright blue waters of Lake Pukaki come into view. This part of the drive is one of the visual highlights of the day, with the lake leading you towards Mt Cook Village and the Southern Alps rising ahead.

On arrival in Mt Cook at around midday, your guide transfers you to Mt Cook Airport to check in with INFLITE for the Tasman Taster helicopter flight. After a short safety briefing, you will take off on a 25-minute scenic flight over Tasman Lake and the surrounding alpine landscape, before making an alpine landing on Brass Peak or Liebig Dome within the national park. The helicopter shuts down briefly, giving you time to step out, take in the setting, and enjoy the views before flying back to the airport.

After the flight, you will have additional free time to enjoy Mt Cook Village. You may choose to take a short walk, relax in the village, or visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre, which is included for all guests on tour. This extra time gives the day a more relaxed feel and lets you experience the national park beyond the flight itself.

At approximately 3:30pm, rejoin your guide and begin the return journey to Queenstown. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the drive south as the day winds down. Over the course of around 12 hours, this experience combines a scenic road trip, a mountain flight, and time in Mt Cook Village in a way that feels full without being rushed. Please note that the Tasman Taster scenic flight is subject to availability at the time of booking and is weather dependent.

The full-day trip takes approximately 12 hours from Queenstown. This allows us to make plenty of stops en route to ensure you enjoy the journey, with 3.5 hours in Mount Cook Village. During this time you will join a 25-minute scenic helicopter flight, with additional free time in Mt Cook to enjoy the village.

This package includes the Tasman Taster 25-minute scenic helicopter flight.

The departure time of the flight can vary depending on availability, however, we intend to book this shortly after arriving into the national park, with the remaining time free to enjoy Mt Cook Village.

Your Altitude Tours guide will transport you to the Mt Cook Airport where you will check in for your scenic flight with Mt Cook Ski Planes & helicopters, brought to you by INFLITE.

The INFLITE team will provide a safety briefing before taking you on a 25-minute scenic helicopter flight.

Please allow extra time for check-in and safety briefing.

Individual weights are required for the helicopter company at the time of booking.

• An extra warm layer of clothing
• Camera
• Sunblock & sunglasses
• Waterproof jacket
• Suitable walking shoes

This experience will take up approximately 1 hour of your total free time in Mt Cook Village.

You are welcome to use this extra free time to get lunch in the village, or alternatively, we recommend purchasing food in Omarama (a stop we make on the way from Queenstown) or bringing food from Queenstown at the start of the day.

We don’t want to give too much away! The drive from Queenstown to Mt Cook is stunning and there are plenty of scenic stops enroute, your guide knows the best spots and will choose these on the day.

We pick up from select Queenstown hotels and the main bus stop routes in Queenstown town centre and along Frankton Road. When booking, type in your accommodation and it will suggest the closest bus stop. If it doesn’t come up just check in with us and we’ll let you know where is closest for you!

As this is a weather-dependent tour, if there is a risk of adverse weather conditions that will impact the operation of the tour, you will be contacted the day prior to your trip to explore alternative options.

There may be a risk of the weather coming in on the day, and your guide will keep you updated, if needed.

Due to this being one of our most popular tours and wanting to be fair to all who join us we do not offer reserved seating. If you have a request we will do our best to accommodate but we cannot guarantee.