Pilot's Choice - 2 Glaciers with Snow Landing - 35mins
5
Pilot's Choice - 2 Glaciers with Snow Landing - 35mins
By Glacier Country Helicopters
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 35m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- All Fees and Taxes
What's not included- Comfort Seat
- Start:
- 10 Main Road, Franz Josef / Waiau 7886, New ZealandPlease check in at our office 30 minutes prior to your flight time. We recommend bringing sunglasses, a jacket, camera, and shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Our only base operates from Franz Josef. Cancellations within 24hours due to customer booking the wrong location will not be refunded.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 113645P2- Most travellers can participate
- Please let us know if you have limited mobility e.g. injury, arthritis or recent surgery? There are two high ladder style steps into the helicopter. This information could effect what helicopter we fly you in.
- Our helicopter seats are 40cm wide. If you would like extra space or are wider than this we highly recommend booking a comfort seat which guarantees an empty seat next to you.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 113645P2
From
AU$415.81
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 10 Main Road, Franz Josef / Waiau 7886, New ZealandPlease check in at our office 30 minutes prior to your flight time. We recommend bringing sunglasses, a jacket, camera, and shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Our only base operates from Franz Josef. Cancellations within 24hours due to customer booking the wrong location will not be refunded.
- Pass byFranz Josef GlacierFox GlacierTasman Glacier
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- neilsL1990XZ0 contributionsAmazing must do experiencePhenomenal trip,even though the weather made the ride 15 minutes shorter. Th reaction from Viator was amazing and quick, refun was taken care if before the trip was over.Written 10 January 2025
- Global596770592530 contributionsAwesome communicationThe experience was awesome. But the thing that really stood out for us was the communications in the 24 hours leading up to our scheduled booking, where they let us know weather was looking marginal and assisted us to easily and confidently book for the next day. The early and clear communication enabled us to rebook and still maximize our time in Franz.Written 6 January 2025
- Adventurer4365590 contributionsExcellent experienceExcellent. We were booked for late in the day but the team at Glacier Country emailed us the evening prior asking to move our booking earlier as there may have been bad weather around the time of our booking. The experience was excellent.Written 4 January 2025
- Ashwin A0 contributionsMagical & MajesticThe trip was magical and majestic. It was an experience of a lifetime to go on the glacier and admiring the views from the helicopter.Written 29 December 2024
- Paradise622916638850 contributionsPerfect!We jagged the most perfect weather for our flight, so very lucky!! What an amazing experience, and our pilot Poppy was lovely. Loved the views of the glaciers and the snow landing was lovely too!!Written 18 December 2024
- sallygibbins0 contributionsGreat views, a must do trip if visiting the area.Excellent trip with great views. Landing on top of glacier was amazing. They had to extend the trip due to incoming cloud cover too.Written 18 December 2024
- CRFfe0 contributionsPhenomenal experienceFriendly, relaxed and efficient staff and pilot looked after us well in this once in a lifetime experience. Originally we'd booked for the previous afternoon and the team contacted us the day before to ask if we wanted to go earlier as the clouds often rolled in after 11am. So we arrived around 2.30pm but alas the clouds precluded the flight that day, but the team offered an upgrade to a different glacier landing, a refund or delay to following day. We chose the latter as we were staying nearby and are so glad we did. Day dawned with very limited cloud and the trip was on. A weigh in and 5 minute bus to the helipad, then soon after we were skybound and en route to the Southern Alps. Incredible and smooth journey, with a landing and plenty of time for photos on Middleton Glacier with uninterrupted views of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Stunning. A real privilege given the rapid decline in glacier size and accessibility. Our thanks to the team, great experience and not to be missedWritten 17 December 2024
- laurarW7381GY0 contributionsAwesome! 🌟Everything about this trip was amazing. The views, the weather, the experience. Gus our pilot was very knowledgeable about the landscape and safety was priority 👌 We had our engagement on a snow landing which topped it off! 💍Written 17 December 2024
- dalensue0 contributionsExcellent companyWe booked direct through the office for the following day. However on the morning of the flight we could see the clouds coming down from our hotel, then we received an email stating because of the weather our flight was cancelled, we were offered an alternative to Shackleton Glacier and Ice Lake, rebook for the next day or a cancellation. We chose the alternative flight We were all weighed and our seats allocated accordingly. We had a good flight with Mike, our pilot who took photos for us on the snow, however we didn't have long on the snow landing before the cloud started to descend and we took off back to base Glacier Country helicopters certainly have safety as a top priority and I would certainly recommend them. We even received a refund for our time lost on the snow landingWritten 2 December 2024
- Flysouthforwinter0 contributionsThe only way to see the glaciers in their full gloryCan't rate this company highly enough. It can't be easy running a company that is so weather dependent, but this family run company certainly try their best to give everyone a good experience. They could see the cloud cover was going to mean no flights would go when we were booked in and kept us informed whilst offering us an earlier flight that had more chance of going. In the end time ran out and we couldn't do the 45 min with snow landing as it wasn't safe, but we did have a fantastic 35 minutes in the air viewing the glaciers and surrounding area. It was incredible and we were so lucky that they were flexible enough to get us up there. Thank you to Poppy.Written 19 November 2024
- shhj130 contributionsGreat experience.It was a wonderful experience. Our pilot (Mike) was calm and very competent even though the visibility got worse as our time went by. We had booked the 45 but couldn’t get to Mt Cook. To our surprise we were given a credit for the missed part of the trip. This is a very well managed and buttoned up organization. The views and our ability to see the glaciers was incomparable. Highly recommend.Written 8 November 2024
- russellfN6768YJ0 contributionsOutstanding ExperienceThis was an outstanding experience and I could not recommend it more highly. The company were great to deal with and made it very special. It is not cheap but we viewed it as a once in a lifetime experience and do not regret for a minute spending the money. We were blessed with a fine blue sky day. Don't overthink it just do it!Written 7 November 2024
- catmarc010 contributionsAwesome experienceSuch a wonderful experience to see the glaziers close up. This flight with snow landing is such an amazing thing to do and shouldn't be missed. Staff were so very helpful changing our times to suit the weather. Great pilot and a professional tour.Written 2 November 2024
- samcQ6519TD0 contributionsA good experience.We had a great experience. The trip was dictated by weather so unfortunately for us no snow landing but the helicopter view of the glacier was one i won't forget. Happy to recommend these guys.Written 1 November 2024
- U6538WCandrews0 contributionsGreat, but not the air time we paid forThe views were amazing and the pilot was great. The only fault was that we paid for 45 minutes of air time, and only got 35 minutes.Written 19 October 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
147 reviews
Excellent
138
Very good
3
Average
1
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Outandabout
Greater Sydney, Australia44 contributions
Mar 2023
I did a lot of research into which helicopter company and flight would best suit the 2 of us when on a holiday on the West Coast. I ended up booking with this company and this flight as it ticked all the boxes, even though there were a number of other companies competing at this location. We were fortunate with the timing of our booking time of 1.00 pm as all the morning flights were cancelled due to the weather. Our booking had to be pushed back about an hour, but without the snow landing. We were not charged the full price because of the reduced flying time and I thought it was fair under the circumstances. The flight was great and the scenery was to die for, so we were very happy with the experience. The pilot was very good and wouldn't take off unless we were all strapped in and 100%, which is always a good thing with anyone in control of an aircraft. I would fly with them again.
Written 20 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fforde
Manchester, UK433 contributions
Mar 2021
As a solo traveller this company offers flexibility to ensure you can get in the air.
With minimum numbers required for a helicopter to take off, the office was very helpful in co-ordinating my request for a 45 minute tour (including snow landing) with at least two other people (the minimum number required).
Exceptionally safety focused, the van driver and helicopter pilot went out of their way to offer commentary and answer questions, take photos, and ensure everyone was safely buckled in.
Highly recommended. Great views. To top it all off, a family run business putting money back into the community.
With minimum numbers required for a helicopter to take off, the office was very helpful in co-ordinating my request for a 45 minute tour (including snow landing) with at least two other people (the minimum number required).
Exceptionally safety focused, the van driver and helicopter pilot went out of their way to offer commentary and answer questions, take photos, and ensure everyone was safely buckled in.
Highly recommended. Great views. To top it all off, a family run business putting money back into the community.
Written 22 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for being flexible with your time too! And for the lovely review. Your support is very much appreciated by our family & team! :)
Written 28 July 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
dave r
57 contributions
My wife and I went on this tour with our friends and several of the group were nervous as they had not flown on a helicopter before. Poppy our pilot was amazing and very calm and re-assuring. The whole
Experience was a delight and could not have been any better. 35 mins experience went in a heartbeat; the views and snow landing were expertly narrated by our poppy.
I would highly recommend this to anyone; we felt
completely safe and overwhelmed by the whole
Experience. Thanks Poppy.
Experience was a delight and could not have been any better. 35 mins experience went in a heartbeat; the views and snow landing were expertly narrated by our poppy.
I would highly recommend this to anyone; we felt
completely safe and overwhelmed by the whole
Experience. Thanks Poppy.
Written 4 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Momelco
Denver, CO558 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
I hesitated to book this reservation for a few reasons (dependent on weather with limited time, I live near the Rocky Mountains, and I used to fly smaller airplanes). I wasn’t sure if I would have the same experience as others have described or the wow factor I was looking for. I’m SO glad I decided to go and encourage everyone else to do the same if you’re debating or on the fence.
At check-in, you complete a form/waiver, they weigh you (for weight and balance), review a safety video, and get your assigned seats for the helicopter. Your group takes a shuttle for a quick 5-minute drive to the helipad.
The weather (maybe aircraft traffic) determines which glaciers you get to see. Our pilot, Poppy, pointed out the areas to focus our attention on and took pictures for us once we landed. She took a picture of everyone with her camera and printed them onsite (on the glacier) and put it in a brochure that you can purchase (for $20 at checkout) or you can give it back.
The views were incredible and I was pleasantly surprised how smooth the ride was. I expected it to be a bit choppy since we were flying through the clouds and over mountains, but it was smooth sailing!
Definitely recommend this tour if you can fit it in your budget.
Note: You cannot take any bags, backpacks, etc. with you as it would increase the weight. You can either leave it in a open locker (not locked) that is only accessible by the staff or you can lock it in your car.
At check-in, you complete a form/waiver, they weigh you (for weight and balance), review a safety video, and get your assigned seats for the helicopter. Your group takes a shuttle for a quick 5-minute drive to the helipad.
The weather (maybe aircraft traffic) determines which glaciers you get to see. Our pilot, Poppy, pointed out the areas to focus our attention on and took pictures for us once we landed. She took a picture of everyone with her camera and printed them onsite (on the glacier) and put it in a brochure that you can purchase (for $20 at checkout) or you can give it back.
The views were incredible and I was pleasantly surprised how smooth the ride was. I expected it to be a bit choppy since we were flying through the clouds and over mountains, but it was smooth sailing!
Definitely recommend this tour if you can fit it in your budget.
Note: You cannot take any bags, backpacks, etc. with you as it would increase the weight. You can either leave it in a open locker (not locked) that is only accessible by the staff or you can lock it in your car.
Written 1 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elliot J
1 contribution
Dec 2022
Arrived a day early and found out weather was likely to cancel the tour we had scheduled. Without prompting the staff worked to get us on a flight that was open before weather canceled the remaining flights. Could not be more grateful for it. The views are spectacular and well worth the cost
Written 18 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria V
Venice, FL15 contributions
The tour company was great to work with. They contacted us to offer moving us to an earlier time which allowed us to see the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers in the morning light. Beautiful. Our pilot Poppy was awesome, flying us over the mountain ranges and glaciers telling us the names as she went. We had a great spot to land and take pictures. The outfitter provided us with a souvenir picture on the glacier for a small fee. Would highly recommend this tour.
Written 28 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leanne A
4 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
When we were advised on arrival for our flight that cloud cover had impacted the ability to undertake a snow landing (operator's landing site at Shackleton glacier was closed due to clouds), we almost gave up the flight. So glad we didn't! The modified (and reduced price) flight over the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers was absolutely stunning and highly recommend. Friendly ground team ensured we were all relaxed before boarding. A bit more commentary from the pilot would be welcomed. The weather here is fickle. Take your opportunity when you can.
Written 5 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie G
14 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
Great experience! Our original heli hike got cancelled due to bad weather so we were able to book this instead on the morning we were leaving Franz Josef. Stunning views, nice pilot, well worth it. I’m afraid of heights but felt very safe and actually not scared at all in the helicopter. We were able to do a snow landing for a few minutes and it was breathtaking on top of the mountain. They take your photo and you can have it printed in a nice booklet for $20nz, we thought it was really cute and so seldom have physical photos of our travels so we went for it. Would definitely do again!
Written 28 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
auntieh22
East Preston, UK165 contributions
Had a fantastic trip with Gus this morning. We were booked for 11.30 but were happy to change to an earlier flight when we were called the day before warning that the weather forecast wasn’t too good. Glad we did as it worked out better to fly first then take our time over breakfast. Flew over both glaciers and stopped on Franz Josef for photos. We appreciated being in a small group of just three people. Neither of us has been in a helicopter before but we thoroughly enjoyed it and this has been the highlight of our trip round NZ so far. We also enjoyed meeting Jonty the cat whose job seems to be wooing the customers. My husband Graham doesn’t do on line reviews ever but he has asked me to say a special thanks to all the team from him. Highly recommend this small but beautiful local family business. Thanks again.
Written 28 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Imightberegisteredalready
5 contributions
Because of weather conditions earlier, the 25 minute trip I'd planned had to be cancelled, and I had the option of a refund or the 35 minute two glacier trip for an extra 100 dollars. I went for the upgrade. The people in the office were friendly and efficient, the guy who drove us to the heliport gave an interesting insight into glaciers in NZ, and our pilot Dion kept us informed and reassured on the spectacular trip, and managed to take a good picture of me on the glacier despite my phone screen being very faint. Only negative was a fellow Brit in the office who didn't understand that weather conditions can affect helicopters, and had apparently come thousands of miles to make a fool of himself.
Written 24 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave such a great review!! It is very much appreciated and you're understanding around the changes - life would be a lot easier if we could control the weather here!
Written 12 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi, the snow landing was about 20 minutes. We had plenty of time to take our own photos, the pilot took a couple with our camera, and then used her camera and the wi-fi printer mounted in the aircraft - a very neat set up and a great photo to save.
Written 1 January 2023
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.