Fiordland Scenic Flights
Hours, prices and access verified by the Fiordland Tours team — last checked 2026-09-21.
Fiordland scenic flights leave Queenstown in small fixed-wing planes and land beside the fiord for a cruise. They turn a 13-hour road day into about five hours.
Fiordland scenic flights from Queenstown
★★★★★ 4.9 (1,841 reviews · 5 hours)
Fly in, cruise, fly backQueenstown hotel pickupFlights both ways
The most-reviewed way to fly in: over Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, two hours on the water with a partner cruise company, and home on a different path. Passengers up to 150 kg; infants under 11 kg ride on a lap.
From $428 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Top rated
★★★★★ 5.0 (279 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes)
Fly in, cruise, fly backQueenstown hotel pickupFlights both waysMax 12 guests
A plane of up to 12, briefed on a map before take-off, lands at the fiord after 35 minutes. You cruise for 1 hour 45 minutes on a small nature boat, then fly home by another route. Morning tea is included.
From $482 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.9 (34 reviews · 9 hours)
Coach in, fly backQueenstown hotel pickupFlight back includedPicnic lunch included
Only one leg in the air: the coach takes the road in with stops, you cruise for two hours and eat a picnic lunch, and a 40-minute flight brings you home. If weather keeps the plane down, you return by coach, part-refunded.
From $540 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Fly in, cruise two hours, fly home
About five hours from your Queenstown hotel, with a weather-cancelled flight rebooked or refunded in full.
Check availability
What a scenic flight over Fiordland is
A scenic flight here is a small fixed-wing plane from Queenstown to the airstrip at
Milford Sound, with a cruise on the fiord in between. You fly for 30 to 40 minutes over the
mountains, land, walk to the boat and cruise for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Then you fly
home on another route. One day reverses half of it: the road in, the plane home.
It turns a 13-hour road day into four and a half to five hours. The flight is the reason
to book. You see the mountains, the lakes and the fiords from above, which no boat or
coach can show you.
Why choose a scenic flight
You get most of the day back
The flight and nature cruise takes four and a half hours door to door. The plane and boat
day takes about five. The coach does the same trip in 11 to 13.
The flight is its own sight
The plane and boat day crosses Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, and both
fly-both-ways days return on a different path from the one they took in.
The groups are small
The flight and nature cruise seats 12 at most, with reserved seats and a briefing on a map
before take-off. Time permitting, your pilot may walk you to the boat.
You can still see the road
The coach-in, fly-back day drives in with stops at Mirror Lakes, Knobs Flat and the
Eglinton Valley, then flies you home in 40 minutes.
Scenic flights vs the coach day
Both reach the same cruise. Here is what the plane changes, from the tours' own terms.
| Scenic flight | Small-group coach day |
|---|
| Hours from Queenstown | 4.5 to 5; 9 if you drive in | 13 |
| Fare, per person | $428 to $540 | $215 |
| Cruise on the fiord | 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours | Two hours |
| Weight limit | 150 kg per passenger | None; 130 kg on its fly-back option |
| Bad weather | Rebooked or refunded | Runs in all weather |
| Road stops | Only on the fly-back day | Lakes, valley and lookouts |
Check the plane and boat day from $428
Take the plane if time matters more than money. Take the coach if you want the road and
the lower fare; the tours from Queenstown set out both.
What you get, and what you don't
- Pickup: from Queenstown hotels on all three. The plane and boat day also
lets you park free at the base; check in 45 minutes early.
- On board: commentary in the air; tea and coffee on the cruise; morning
tea on the flight and nature cruise.
- Lunch: a picnic lunch on the coach-in, fly-back day only. On the other
two, bring your own food.
- Weight: 150 kg per passenger. Infants under 11 kg sit on an adult's lap
on the plane and boat day.
The shortest day: four and a half hours
A plane of up to 12, 35 minutes each way, and a 1 hour 45 minute small-boat nature cruise between the flights. Morning tea is included.
Check availability
Planning a scenic flight
- Budget: $428 to $540 a person. These are the dearest day fares
in the park.
- When to book: early in your stay, on your first day in Queenstown if you
can. A weather day then leaves room to try again.
- Weather: a flight cancelled for weather is rebooked or refunded in full.
On the coach-in, fly-back day you ride home by coach and part of the fare comes back. Routes
can change with the weather on the day.
- Season: our best time to visit Fiordland explains why winter is often the most settled
season.
Our post on flying or driving to the fiord sets out the whole trade, hour by hour.
Who should choose something else
- If you are over 150 kg. Take a coach day, which has no weight limit.
- If your budget is tight. The small-group coach day is $215 with lunch,
and a cruise at the terminal starts at $96 if you drive.
- If you have one day and it may rain. A cancelled flight cannot be moved
if you leave the next morning. A coach day runs in all weather.
- If you want Doubtful Sound. No flight here goes there; take one of the
Fiordland boat tours from Manapouri.
Frequently asked questions
Which scenic flight should I choose?
For the shortest day, the flight and nature cruise, $482 in four and a half hours. For the most-reviewed, the plane and boat day at $428. To see the road on the way in, the coach-in, fly-back day at $540.
Do scenic flights have a weight limit?
Yes: 150 kg per passenger on the Queenstown fly-cruise-fly days, and 130 kg on the fly-back option of the premium small-group day. Infants under 11 kg fly on a lap.
What happens if my scenic flight is cancelled?
The flight operators rebook you or refund you in full when weather cancels a flight. On the drive-in, fly-out day you return to Queenstown by coach instead, and the flight part of the fare is partly refunded. Book a flight early in your stay so there is room to reschedule.
When should I book my flight?
Early in your stay, and on your first day in Queenstown if you can. Flights are rescheduled or refunded when the weather closes in, and a spare day gives you another try.
Can children fly?
Yes. Infants under 11 kg sit on an adult's lap on the plane and boat day; older children need their own seat at a child rate.
What happens if it rains in Fiordland?
Cruises run in the rain, and rain is when the waterfalls are at their biggest. Fiordland gets around 7 m of rain a year, so pack a rain jacket whatever the forecast says. Scenic flights are the exception: they are rebooked or refunded when the weather closes in.
Prefer to keep your feet on the ground? Every trip in the park is compared on Fiordland Tours.