We're on our New Zealand "taster's" tour, and the only place we're staying on the South Island is…read moreQueenstown. And if you're going to visit Queenstown, you're going to want to visit Milford Sound (it's actually a fjord, but whatever). And if you want to visit Milford Sound and you have a time constraint, the fastest way to get there is by air (35 minutes one-way). Our travel people booked the flight out via Air Milford. Normally, I'm nervous about these things. I like my planes to have at least two sources of propulsion and yet are preferred to propellers. And honestly speaking, I'm not prone to having such adventures. Nonetheless, today was an amazing Queenstown day, and the conditions were right for the flight. The weather is temperamental around here, so the procedure was to call in the night before and call in this morning. We didn't have to call in this morning as Air Milford called us and told us the trip was a "Go!" The communication was open and informative. We got picked up in front of our hotel by a Queenstown taxi and were ferried to the airstrip. Check-in was simple. Antony came out and briefed us in front of a map. We loaded up the plane fully, and off we went. The flight was flawless. Antony told us all the landmarks and what we were seeing. Can't say I was completely calm, but Antony flies the Cessna as you or I would commute to work. We saw lakes, rivers, valleys, mountains, grasslands... everything that Frodo saw, except from the sky.... so I guess as you would were you riding a giant eagle with seat belts. On the way into Milford Sound, you fly to the Tasman Sea and turn back. You make a small turn and then plop into the air strip. On the way out, Antony had everyone (who wanted to) take pictures with the plane, and my wife even got to ride the co-pilot. The flight home was less nervous. It was a continuous stream of pictures. In short, If you like adventure... If you're time-constrained... If you like supporting family-owned, small businesses... If you like excellence in an amazing experience. You should book with Air Milford.

Right from the beginning safety talk they were professional and reassuring. Explaining what to…read moreexpect and what could happen dependent on weather. The pilot was very competent (I sat in the co pilots seat on the return flight and could see what he was doing and could listen to the radio transmissions, and while not a pilot have flown in smaller sized aircrafts with commercial airline pilots). Great scenic flight and then on to the boat for more spectacular views and complementary beverage and muffin! The boat captain narrated at times and got us close enough to walls to see details and one waterfall so close that those of us on the bow got way wetter that I expected!! (good thing my camera is weather sealed)

In A Nutshell: -This…read moreRamada actually turned out to be very nice. -It's fairly new (just over a year) & situated in a new development area (i.e townhomes, condos being built/sold nearby). -I booked it last minute on Hotels.com (rack up those free nights). -The room was an Executive Apartment, which is why it had a small kitchen & W/D. -Loved the room, the bed was super comfy & the place was clean. -Wifi is FREE & fast. Overall, the location is great bc you are 5 mins from a grocery store, bus stop & other shops. There's even a car rental place on premises.

My partner and I had a lovely stay at the Hilton in queenstown. However our stay was made…read moreextraordinary by the Manager, Mr. Vaibhov Aneja. From the moment we stepped through the doors we felt so taken care of after a long week of road tripping. He was quick to assist us in a room request and he also went out of our way to bring us wine and chocolate as we were celebrating our engagement. The rest of the staff from valet to cleaning services was also incredible and so accommodating. The room was very comfortable and the proximity to the lake is unbeatable. It is a bit outside of the CBD but it was so close to so many incredible restaurants and shops it didn't matter. They also have a water taxi that can take your down to the cbd. We would definitely recommend this place for a stay in Queenstown. We will never forget how special our stay was.

Stayed in the lake suite for 4 nights in May 2026…read more Pros. Service. Breakfast. Views from Suite. Cons. Hotel, although in pretty good shape, is a bit dated. Early 2000 decor despite ~2011 opening. Location. Nothing in less than 30 minutes walking distance as far as non hotel bars/restaurants. The hotel seemed generally clean however there was a very large cockroach in our room. Probably a good place to stay if need a night a night close to airport.

We did the quickie tour because there wasn't a lot of free time on the schedule and it was totally…read moreworth it. Quick out to the top of a mountain/hill. Quick opportunity for photos. Quick trip back over the lake. Great experience. Well organized and very safe. Pilot was great. Office was great. Transportation to and from was great. Would do a longer trip with them sometime if possible. Note that they cancel a lot of flights. Book early in your stay as you could get postponed due to weather and probably will. Enjoy!

I mean, it's just, I... Here the thing: I'm a wordy person who enjoys speaking in hyperbole, and…read moreeven I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to describe just how amazing this experience was. First off, the weather could not have been better. And the helicopter pilot could not have been more informative. And with each of the three landings (the first on a bluff overlooking the reason that Lord Of The Rings was filmed here, the second at Milford, and the third on a snowy glacier) I realized exactly why we had spent so much money to do this. It was expensive. And worth every penny. In fact, we did it again the second time we came to Queenstown. And we'll probably do it the next time as well. If you can swing it in your budget, this is an absolute MUST DO.

Wow! What an amazing experience! Super greetings from every employee and had the best pilot ever!…read moreShe has been flying for five years and she is only 24 and what a flight, best ever! Not only was the take off and landing smooth, she explained what we were looking at and educated us about Milford Sound and the surrounding area. It was fantastic! I will highly recommend this company and would fly with them again in a heartbeat. See the photos it was magical.

I'm very happy with you Glenorchy Air! What an unforgettable flying experience, especially for…read moreaviation enthusiasts like myself. Glenorchy took us on a scenic flight over some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. This company operates out of Queenstown, New Zealand, offering flights to Milford Sound, maybe the 8th world wonder in the world in my opinion. Flying with Glenorchy Air was the highlight of my New Zealand trip. The staff were incredibly friendly and professional, ensuring everything ran smoothly from check-in to landing. The pilot allowed me to sit SIC (second-in-command) and explained auto pilot which I'm a little novice on. Very much appreciated. The views from the cockpit were unmatched. You're looking out over dramatic alpine ranges, glacial valleys, and winding rivers visible at every turn. About the only time in my life I was ok with looking and not wanting to fly.

Heli Tours is probably one of the greatest ways to see Milford Sound, beautiful Queenstown, and…read moreglaciers so quickly! It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth the $$$$! We booked our tour through Happy Travels in downtown Queenstown for the fly+cruise+fly package! Our tour details: 9am - We called ahead to make sure the weather was good to fly and our trip was not going to get canceled. There was a Heli Tours van that picked us up from our hotel in Queenstown! 9:15am - We got to the Heli Tours office and waited for 2 more people to arrive. 9:30am - Our tour was suppose to start at 9:30am sharp, but the other folks never showed up. 9:45am - Only 4 of us, including the pilot (Ben)! It was so awesome!! There was a quick safety briefing. We got on the heli and we were all super excited to be in a heli for the very first time! Ben did some commentary, but it was honestly difficult to hear everything he was saying. Also the window had our reflections so it was a bit difficult to take pictures through the window clearly. We flew over many beautiful rivers and mountains. 10:25am - When we landed in Milford, Ben escorted us onto the bus that took us to where the boats were. We hopped onto a small boat for our 10:45am departure with about 20 other people and they had a sectioned off area for the Heli Tours group inside the boat!! There was free tea/coffee and chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed the cruise through Milford Sound and because we were on a smaller boat, we got to go up close to the waterfalls!! Got a free shower too! LOL! 11:45am - After the cruise, Ben escorted us back onto the bus heading back towards the helipads! 12:30pm - Landed on a glacier! Took a bunch of photos! It was quite the experience! The fluffiest powder of snow I've ever felt and stepped in! It was so fresh!!! Unbelievable! 1:00pm - Headed back and flew over towards Queenstown 1:30pm - Arrived back at the Heli Tours office by the airport 1:45pm - Got a van ride back to our hotels 2:00pm - Arrived at our hotel It was definitely one of the greatest experiences ever. If you can afford a helicopter ride to see Queenstown/Milford, it's by far the best way to see so much in a short amount of time! This tour was really great because we got escorted throughout our tour and we were well taken care of! Ben was a great pilot and he made everyone get a chance to sit up front! I only wished they somehow had a Milford/Doubtful Sound tour! That would be so worth it since I haven't seen any tour group have both in one day! TIPS: - If you do book this tour, I recommend booking it thru Happy Travels. - Wear sunscreen and apply frequently (I got sunburned) and bring sunglasses! Wear appropriate shoes for the wet boat ride and the snowy glacier. Layer because it gets hot inside the helicopter and then it's quite cold outside the boat and on the glacier!

Good news is they were on time, very friendly and overall pretty decent...they did what they are…read moresupposed to do. BUT...had a chance to fly business/1st class internationally on this airline and I will say it was a major disappointment. It felt like bunk beds....meaning for the price, we basically got a seat to ourselves, it did lay flat...but absolutely no privacy. literally felt like you were at camp in beds and could see everyone. So you got a seat with low dividers, no real pods or privacy and open air. Hate complaining about first class international...but for the money...not a great experience.

We had a pleasant experience with Air New Zealand…read more The staff were very friendly and helpful. The safety video was quite entertaining and engaging. The wife loves the footage of all the beautiful people in the video. Overall good experience flying from Sydney to Wellington.

WOW! Fantastic helicopter ride to land on a glacier! Pilot was informative, friendly, and very…read morenice. The helicopter takes 6 people and we had a turn sitting in the front on the way back. The views even from the back, were spectacular. I would thoroughly recommend this company. They do pickups from hotels, or there are a few parking spaces right outside their building. It was a wonderful experience, lasted about an hour, and I'm so glad we did it!

Completely agree with the previous reviews from Tas & Timothy, Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters…read morewas a once in a lifetime experience that I highly recommend to anyone visiting Queenstown. We arranged a roundtrip helicopter flight to Milford Sound with a two hour cruise ($945.00 NZ) in early January 2017. There high reviews, perfect safety record, and updated helicopter fleet were some of the main reasons we decided to go with them. Our initial flight was canceled, however, Glacier Southern was able to have us rebooked for the following afternoon flight with the caveat that it was unlikely we would do a glacier landing, but instead do some sort of alpine landing. Upon checking in, we were introduced to our "special" pilot, Alfie Speight, who was the filming pilot for several Hollywood movies - The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings. Flight over the mountains from Queenstown was beautiful, and the views over Lake Wakatipu and Glenorchy were amazing. Alfie pointed out various sights/trails along the way, and was more than happy to answer any questions regarding the helicopter, terrain, landmarks, or films he had been involved in. The highlight of the flight was landing on a glacier, where we spent 15-20 minutes enjoying the views and snow. We continued our journey towards Milford Sound with an amazing approach to the airfield with what seemed like just a few feet over the tree tops. We spent the next two hours on a two hour cruise that heads out to the Tasman Sea. Views were amazing on the cruise. Do bring a jacket as it was a little chilly going out with the wind coming towards us. The return had us stopping to see New Zealand Fur Seals and a large waterfall. After the cruise we all hopped back into the helicopter for the return journey to Queenstown. The helicopter trip to Milford Sound with Alfie and Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters is not to be missed. These guys were truly professional the entire way!