Experience Highlights
- Soar over Moonlight Saddle and the Richardson Mountains on an exclusive private helicopter flight to Earnslaw Burn
- Explore peaceful high-country plains and native tussock fields on an easy guided hike through untouched Middle Earth landscapes
- Witness towering waterfalls, vivid blue ice and the dramatic hanging glacier in a remote valley few ever reach
- Enjoy seamless luxury with accommodation transfers, a private guide and custom lunch options available from September to May
- Duration: 2.5-3 hours
- Type: Private Experience
Nicola
Travel Specialist
Step beyond the usual trails and into the heart of Middle Earth on this exclusive heli-hiking adventure. Departing directly from your accommodation, you’ll be transferred to your privately chartered helicopter, where the journey begins in style. As you rise above Queenstown, the landscape unfurls into sheer cliff faces and dramatic ridgelines, flying over Moonlight Saddle and the Richardson Mountains before sweeping towards the mighty Mount Earnslaw.
Your pilot will set down in a remote valley accessible only to Alpine Luxury Tours and Heliworks, ensuring complete tranquillity and uninterrupted views. With your private guide leading the way, you’ll wander through fields of golden tussock and across rolling high-country plains, following a path shaped by wild White Tail deer. As the valley narrows, the scenery transforms; glaciers glint above you and waterfalls plunge from towering bluffs.
The one-hour, easy-grade hike brings you to the awe-inspiring Earnslaw Burn waterfalls and hanging glacier, a filming site that Tolkien fans will recognise as Rivendell. Whether you come for the cinematic magic or the raw alpine beauty, the moment is unforgettable.
Your helicopter awaits on the valley floor for a breathtaking ascent past the falls, climbing 1,000 vertical metres to reveal vivid blue ice. The return flight traces Lake Wakatipu and the Humboldt Mountains before you’re delivered back to your accommodation, rounding off a once-in-a-lifetime experience offered from September to May, with optional picnic lunch available on request.
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Would you like to speak to a Queenstown expert?
Contact our Travel Specialists for a bespoke quote or some first-hand knowledge.
Monday - Friday: 9am - 7:30pm
Saturday: 9am - 5pm
