THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Take to the skies over New Zealand’s most iconic glaciers on a 30-minute helicopter tour with INFLITE - West Coast. Witness Franz Josef, Fox, and Tasman Glaciers alongside towering alpine peaks in a compact but breathtaking flight.
Take to the skies over New Zealand’s most iconic glaciers on a 30-minute helicopter tour with INFLITE - West Coast. Witness Franz Josef, Fox, and Tasman Glaciers alongside towering alpine peaks in a compact but breathtaking flight.
Book with INFLITE - West Coast
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by INFLITE - West Coast · Franz Josef / Waiau, West Coast
Set against the raw and rugged landscape of New Zealand’s West Coast, INFLITE - West Coast offers a helicopter tour that delivers an aerial perspective of some of the Southern Alps’ most extraordinary glaciers. The Franz Josef & Tasman Glaciers | Tasman Experience runs for a brisk 30 minutes, carrying adventurers above towering ice fields and alpine peaks that defy easy description.
Taking off from Franz Josef heliport, the flight ascends swiftly toward the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, two of the few glaciers in the world that descend into native rainforest. This juxtaposition of dense greenery and sharp ice edges forms a uniquely dramatic scene. As the helicopter pushes further inland, the vast Tasman Glacier comes into view—New Zealand’s longest glacier, stretching over 23 kilometers. Its frozen expanse contrasts sharply with the jagged summits of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, which stand guard as the highest peaks in the country.
This route crosses the Main Divide at Centennial Hut, providing sights few ever witness. It’s a visual feast of crevasses and icefalls, layered snowfields, and alpine rock faces, a terrain carved over millennia by glaciers in relentless motion. The flight path includes the opportunity to dip low and land on the Tasman Glacier itself under suitable weather conditions, offering an immersive encounter with this massive ice river.
INFLITE’s operation is a vital gateway to appreciating the West Coast’s dynamic geology and its fragile ecosystems. Located in Franz Josef / Waiau, this business plays a key role in sustainable tourism, balancing access with protection of the natural environment. For anyone with a passion for off-the-beaten-path vertical landscapes and glacier scenery, this 30-minute helicopter journey stands out as an unforgettable adventure that shortcuts the climb but keeps the awe intact.
easy.
30 minutes.
No special fitness needed as the tour is helicopter-based with minimal physical exertion required.
The tour lasts approximately 30 minutes, covering several glaciers and alpine peaks.
Yes, there are weight limits for safety—please check with INFLITE - West Coast prior to booking.
Flights are rescheduled or refunded if weather conditions make flying unsafe.
Children are welcome, but consider the altitude and weather; check with the company for specific age policies.
Under certain weather conditions, the helicopter may land on the Tasman Glacier for a brief excursion.
Early mornings often provide the calmest air and clearest visibility.
The Franz Josef Glacier was named after Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria during an 1865 Austrian survey of New Zealand’s glaciers.
Tour operators like INFLITE support conservation efforts through controlled landing zones and minimizing disturbance to fragile alpine ecosystems.
INFLITE - West Coast operates from Franz Josef / Waiau on New Zealand’s West Coast and offers helicopter sightseeing, glacier landings, alpine picnics and tandem skydives across the Southern Alps. The business provides a range of guided aerial experiences that showcase Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman Glaciers, as well as views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and surrounding peaks. INFLITE’s program includes 30-minute scenic flights such as the Tasman Experience, extended circuits like the Franz Josef, Fox & Tasman Glaciers Grand Circle, and private glacier landings for picnic experiences on the Tasman Glacier. For adrenaline seekers, INFLITE offers tandem skydives at multiple altitudes — options include 10,000ft, 13,000ft, 16,500ft and 18,000ft — plus combo packages that pair a helicopter glacier landing with a 13,000ft skydive. All operations are based in Franz Josef / Waiau and focus on delivering aerial sightseeing and tandem skydive experiences in the Westland and Aoraki/Mount Cook regions. Trip itineraries cover glacier overflights, ice landings, and scenic approaches that reveal lakes, rainforests and alpine terrain. Specific durations and freefall times vary by jump altitude (for example, the 13,000ft skydive includes about a 45-second freefall and the 18,000ft option includes about an 85-second freefall). Prospective guests should review official trip listings for current availability, altitude options, and booking details.
Book with INFLITE - West Coast