Queenstown scenic flights compared

The Queenstown helicopter operators compared here all land somewhere on the flight, and the main differences are how far you go and where you land. Glacier Southern Lakes flies The Remarkables in 25 minutes and Heliworks in 20 minutes, each with a landing on the Remarkables range, and Heliworks says snow landings are available in the winter months. Glacier Southern Lakes' Glacier Explorer takes 50 minutes. Heliworks' Earnslaw Burn Express takes 60 minutes and lands in the valley below the hanging glacier, and its Earnslaw Burn Explorer takes 75 minutes and adds a second alpine landing. Heliworks says you typically have 10 to 15 minutes at each landing site, and that all helicopter landings depend on the weather. It also says that on shared departures you may be in a helicopter with up to 9 people. Glacier Southern Lakes shows availability in an H125 Squirrel helicopter on a per seat basis, and tries to seat bookings of two or more passengers together.

How to choose a Queenstown helicopter flight

From Queenstown, the helicopter flight compared here gives you more landings, and the plane day adds a cruise and takes about half a day.

• Helicopter

  Glacier Southern Lakes' Milford Sound flight takes 1.5 to 2 hours, lands at Milford Sound for a short walk and lands again on a glacier or alpine site, depending on the season. Glacier Southern Lakes also runs a 4 hour helicopter day with a boat cruise on Milford Sound.

• Plane

  Glenorchy Air's Fly, Cruise, Fly has about 1 hour 20 minutes of flying in all, with a 1 hour 45 minute nature cruise with Southern Discoveries. It departs at 9:00am all year, at 11:30am from April to October and at 1:30pm from November to March. It guarantees a window seat, and it says that if the weather stops the return flight it arranges coach transfers back to Queenstown.

• A flight without landing

  Glenorchy Air's Milford Sound Scenic Flyover is a round trip of about 1 hour 30 minutes in the air with no landing.

• Which is less affected by weather?

  Glacier Southern Lakes says helicopter flights to Milford Sound are less affected by weather than planes, and more stable if conditions turn windy. That is the operator's own claim about its own aircraft, so treat it as a selling point rather than a guarantee.

• Children

  Glacier Southern Lakes says there is no minimum age to fly and it has extra lap belts for infants. Heliworks has no age restriction, but asks you to talk to your doctor before flying with an infant under 1. Glenorchy Air lists no minimum age on Fly, Cruise, Fly.

• Passenger weights

  Glacier Southern Lakes asks for every passenger's weight at booking and weighs passengers again at check in. It says it has no maximum passenger weight, but additional fees may apply if a declared weight is wrong and it needs another helicopter. Glenorchy Air asks you to contact it directly before booking if any passenger is 140 kg or over. Heliworks asks for all passenger weights at booking.

• Seat

  Glacier Southern Lakes does not guarantee the front seat, because the pilot allocates seats for weight and balance. Heliworks says seating depends on the helicopter's weight and balance, and encourages swapping seats after each landing.

• Getting to the flight

  Glacier Southern Lakes offers free pick ups from central Queenstown locations. Heliworks offers free transfers for central Queenstown accommodation and a pick up point on Camp Street. Glenorchy Air offers free transfers to and from Queenstown Airport.

Scenic flights are weather dependent, and Glacier Southern Lakes and Glenorchy Air both suggest booking early in your stay. These are the rules read on 10 November 2026 for the three operators whose terms we read.

• Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters

  If weather cancels your flight and you cannot reschedule, you get a full refund. Cancelling more than 24 hours before departure brings a full refund; inside 24 hours the fee is 100%.

• Heliworks

  There is no charge if it cannot fly because of the weather, and it tries to move you to the next available day. Cancelling inside 24 hours of departure brings a 50% fee plus a 2% card fee; a no show pays the full fare plus the 2% fee.

• Glenorchy Air

  If it cannot fly and cannot reschedule you, you get a full refund. Changes made more than 24 hours ahead are free; inside 24 hours the charge is 100%. It says that if you book through a third party, that agent's terms also apply.

• Booked through a link here

  A tour booked through a link on this page has the terms shown on its own booking page, which can differ from the operator's own, so read them before you pay.

• The shortest flight

  A 20 to 25 minute Remarkables flight with Glacier Southern Lakes or Heliworks.

• A glacier

  Glacier Southern Lakes' 50 minute flight for a landing on a glacier, or Heliworks' 60 minute Earnslaw Burn Express for a landing in the valley below a hanging glacier.

• Milford Sound from the air

  Glacier Southern Lakes' helicopter flight with landings, 1.5 to 2 hours.

• Milford Sound and a cruise

  Glenorchy Air's Fly, Cruise, Fly, about 5 to 5.5 hours from check in.

• Children or infants

  Check with the operator first, since very young children have special rules.