The 15 Best Scenic Flights in Queenstown

1.Milford Sound Small Group Tour from Queenstown with Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 324 reviews · from $557Our pick

Spend about 10 hours touring Milford Sound with a local guide in a 16-seat Mercedes van. Stop at Lake Te Anau, Mirror Lakes, Eglinton Valley, and Homer Tunnel, cruise for two hours, then fly back to Queenstown for a grand view of Fiordland.

“Amazing experience… going by road stopping in the most incredible places , tour by a boat in the fiord and the flight back was one of the must amazing experiences in my life. Tour guides were incredible friendly and helpful”

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2.Milford Sound Coach, Cruise, Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 113 reviews · 9 hours · from $465

Ride the Milford Road with Southern Discoveries, stopping at Mirror Lakes, the Homer Tunnel, and The Chasm. Cruise Milford Sound with lunch, then fly back to Queenstown with Glenorchy Air. Guides such as Greg, Stan, and Craig are known for lively commentary, but the return flight depends on weather.

“The coach had a mechanical issues on our way out but our driver, Keith handled it extremely well. We got on another bus for a while , then he caught up with us on a new bus. Great cooperation among the bus companies and we were able to get on a boat just 15 min later. Only comment would be perhaps about bus maintenance”

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3.30-Minute Alpine Scenic Flight from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $251

Fly from Queenstown over the Wakatipu Basin and Skippers Canyon with Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters. Your pilot provides commentary through a headset, and you may land in the alpine country for photos if weather allows. The flight lasts about 20 minutes within a 30-minute experience.

“It was an amazing experience-Will was our pilot and was awesome showing us the sights. We had time on the mountain to get some great photos!”

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4.Milford Sound and Big Five Glaciers Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · from $343

From Queenstown, Air Milford takes you over Coronet Peak, Shotover Canyon, Mt Aspiring, glacier country, Milford Sound, Sutherland Falls, Lake Te Anau, and the Remarkables. Expect a one-hour flight, live pilot commentary, central hotel pickup, and no landing or cruise at Milford Sound.

“It’s a good journey. The pilots are very friendly and professional and they are pretty knowledgeable about the geography and geology along the flight routes. The service staff are very communicative.”

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5.Milford Sound & Big 5 Glaciers Scenic Flight from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 43 reviews · 1h 30m · from $280

You’ll fly from Queenstown with Air Milford in a modern 12-seat Cessna, crossing the Southern Alps to view Milford Sound and glaciers including Rob Roy, Bonar, Dart, Volta, Olivine, and Donne. Expect about one hour in the air, pilot commentary, central hotel pickup, and weather-based route changes.

“Sehr flexibel, möchten bestes Erlebnis bieten. Super Rundflug!”

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6.Milford Sound Scenic Flight from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 40 reviews · from $330

Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound and back in about 80 minutes, with a pilot pointing out Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, Glenorchy, Sutherland Falls, and Fiordland’s highest peaks. Pickup is offered from set locations, and the flight carries no more than 12 people.

“Crazy moment! Weather conditions excellent, guide information's great! One of the most beautiful scene I ever seen!”

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7.20 minute Queenstown Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $143Best value

Fly from Queenstown Airport over the Remarkables, Arrowtown, Coronet Peak, the Shotover River, Moke Lake, Lake Wakatipu, and the gondola. Your pilot provides live commentary, with a maximum of 12 people aboard. Pickup is offered, and the flight returns to the airport.

“Excellent way to sightsee within a short timeframe! Breathtaking views and felt that we almost touched the mountains. Tom, our pilot, was professional throughout even though some turbulence. This is a weather dependent activity and no promises that it'll happen so do call 10min before the activity to double confirm that it's flyable weather condition.”

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8.The Grand Circle Scenic Helicopter Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 30 reviews · from $308

Take a six-passenger helicopter over the Wakatipu Basin, Shotover River, Skippers Canyon and Coronet Peak, then land in the Remarkables at 5,045 feet. Your pilot provides commentary, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“We did this tour with our friends as they had never been in a helicopter before. Definitely a must to see Queenstown from the air. The commentary by the pilot was informative and he sat the helicopter down on one of the mountains which really made you feel like you were on top of the world. A very special memory has been created for us.”

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9.Mount Cook Day Trip via Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 8 hours · from $471

Fly from Queenstown to Aoraki/Mount Cook with a guaranteed window seat, circling Mount Cook, Fox, Franz Josef, and Tasman glaciers. After landing, you get up to five hours near Mount Cook village for the Hooker Valley Track, lunch, or the Sir Edmund Hillary Centre before flying back.

“The scenic flight with Will was amazing. We circled the Frank Josef, Fox and Tasman glaciers several times and experienced Mt Cook and other awe-inspiring views as we waited on a weather hold due to cloud cover over the Mt Cook airport. Will’s commentary was entertaining and informative, even while he was a bit stressed by the weather. We had a literal last chance landing at the airport and Will skillfully put us gently on the ground then delivered us to the start of the Hooker Valley Track for our fantastic trek to the Hooker Lake. After our fabulous 3 hour hike, Will collected us precisely on time, dropped us…”

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10.Franz Josef Glacier Hike & Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 6h 30m · from $1,015

You fly from Queenstown to Franz Josef with pilot commentary, then take two short helicopter flights and a guided two-hour glacier hike. Sarah and the local glacier team handle safety and crampons, while weather may shift your visit between Franz Josef and Tasman Glacier.

“Amazing trip. View was amazing on the plane to Franz Josef. Lily is an amazing pilot. Glacier hike was an a great experience. Sarah is great guide and I felt safe the whole time”

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11.Milford Sound Scenic Flight with Landing from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $407

Fly with Air Milford from Queenstown to Milford Sound in a small aircraft, with live pilot commentary, a 35-minute flight each way, and up to two hours on the ground. See Skippers Canyon, Mitre Peak, Bowen Falls, Sutherland Falls, Lake Te Anau, and Lake Wakatipu.

“This felt extravagant during the planning but I’m here to tell you it is worth the money. Do it when you first arrive as weather is a big issue. We were able to fly in as scheduled but a front moved in quickly and we had to skip our cruise which was sad but better safe than sorry. So wonderful from the air. A great 1/2 day!”

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12.Milford Sound Scenic Helicopter Flight with Landing

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 2 hours · from $705

Fly from Queenstown to Milford Sound with an English-speaking pilot, land for a short nature walk near Mitre Peak, then touch down on a glacier or snowy alpine ridge. Pilots such as Jeremy, Matt, and Luke have shared film-set stories and local insight during this two-hour flight.

“Actually not glacier landing, more like alpine landing. We landed on the mountain top covering with snow. Also the flight only flied around Mitre Peak, but not to the Tasman Sea. Milford Sound Extended route with 3 landings maybe a better choice. Still, the view was amazing.”

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13.Day Trip to Stewart Island via Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $459

Fly with Glenorchy Air from Queenstown over the Oreti River, Toetoes Bay, Dog Island, and Ruapuki Island. You get about five hours in Stewart Island, with time for Rakiura National Park, Oban, Ulva Island, walks, wildlife, or a booked local tour. Connor may be your pilot.

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14.Milford Sound Scenic Flight & Nature Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 3 reviews · 4h 30m · from $328

Fly with Glenorchy Air from Queenstown to Milford Sound, crossing Lake Wakatipu, Mt. Aspiring National Park, glaciers, and Fiordland. After landing, you get two hours for the Foreshore Loop Track, Lookout Track, Mitre Peak views, and lunch before the return flight.

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15.Sunrise Glacier Scenic Flight

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours · from $298

Meet at Queenstown Airport before dawn for a 1-hour-15-minute fixed-wing flight around Mt. Aspiring. You get a guaranteed window seat, views of glaciers and icefalls, and a calm sunrise over Mt. Aspiring National Park. The flight carries no more than nine people and does not land.

“the planning of the flight and the validation of the parking. excellent service overall.”

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