Milford Sound Helicopter Flight And Cruise From Queenstown

The entire crew from the front office to the pilot were warm, welcoming and professional. The communicate clearly and promptly with weather adjustments. The flight and landings were beyond incredible.

Did not get to Milford Sound due to bad weather but helicopter experience was great. Experienced pilot/guide was exceptional. Overall disappointed at not seeing Milford Sound but happy with alternative offered

Amazing views, superb service, very good pilot we felt safe throughout with. Landing in glacier was the icing on the cake!

My partner and I were visiting Australia and New Zealand for the first time and Queenstown came highly recommended. We were also strongly encouraged to take a helicopter ride out to Milford Sound by our travel organizer and we are so glad we went with Over the Top! Right from when we were picked up at our hotel and transported to the airport, through check-in and boarding, we could tell Over the Top was carefully crafting an experience. I’ve forgotten the name of our pilot now, but he was great (and the back of his head is in one of the photos I’ve posted here!). Our pilot was not only a great pilot, but also a great aerial tour guide and photographer (very welcome when you’re standing on a glacier and need help capturing the moment). I expect all Over the Top pilots are of similar excellent caliber. The views were breathtaking and photos simply do not do it justice. I recall thinking as I took the photos that the photos were simply not capturing the sheer scale of southern New Zealand’s mountain range. It’s a must see. The Milford Sound cruise was also amazing with similarly breathtaking views, I think because of the contrast of earlier being above the mountains and then later sailing between them. The only advice I’d give here is to make sure you pre-pay for the cruise buffet, as you’ll be hungry by the time you arrive at the boat and the cash-only sandwiches they sell for those who did not pre-pay for a meal do not compare to the feast you could be having. The cruise is offered by a different company, so make sure to confirm with Over the Top that food is included in your package when booking. Also, I was very glad to have brought sunglasses as the glare from the snow capped mountains and the pristine Milford Sound waters would be blinding otherwise. Overall, a truly unforgettable experience. I’m writing this review almost a year after our experience and I still remember so many details. Over the Top strives for excellence and it is clear from the moment you arrive at their helicopter pad that your money was very well spent. When my partner and I return to Queenstown we’ll be planning to take another trip with Over the Top!

Very kind and friendly pilot/tour guide, beautiful place that only can be reached by helicopter, unforgettable memory, worth it.

I’ve been to 175 countries and major territories; the Milford Sound helicopter flight and cruise rates as one of my very best experiences!

Our pilot, Ben, was both fun and skillful and shared interesting points of fact, stories, gorgeous vistas, and strategic landings. He was professional and knew how to make the experience the best it could possibly be for everyone on board…a true captain of his “ship”. Highly recommend.

We had excellent weather to start. We felt extremely safe flying with Hamish who flew over spectacular heights with outstanding views. The glacier stop with a beautiful calm and stunning beauty then an awesome fly over New Zealand's steep mountain face thrilled us all. The cruise gave us a calm 2 hours viewing the majestic beauty of the fjord and mountains at water level. Seals and birds added to the excellent commentary as we learned about the area.

This company was perfect with us. Special mention to Catherine ;-) We had a splendid weather ans my niece saw the snow for her first time

One of the highlights of a highlight-packed month in New Zealand. Hamish was a friendly, calm, and competent pilot who took us over spectacular scenery, accompanied us on the Milford Sound cruise, and then landed on an alpine lake on the way back to Queenstown. We have seen a lot of beautiful vistas from the hiking trails and enjoyed seeing them from the air We were novice helicopter riders so we didn’t know what to expect. Now we’re ready to do it again!

This company lives up to its name. Everything was totally over the top! Friendly staff, state of art choppers, and a genuine desire to make the experience unforgettable. The scenery is stupendous. We LOVED our pilot, Dave, who, as a native of Queenstown, knew so much about the area. He was skilled, knowledgeable, and lots of FUN! Highly recommend this tour & flying with Dave!

A must do in Queenstown! Great trip both on the helicopter to Milford Sound and the cruise on Milford Sound. It’s about a 20 minute helicopter ride each way over the mountains with incredible views all the way. Then about a 90 minute boat ride through the fiord to the Tasman Sea and back. The fiord is also spectacular. If you drive to Milford from Queenstown, it’s 5 hours. So you must go by air. Rene, our pilot, was fantastic and made the trip so much fun. The ground staff were super friendly and helpful. Over the Top was indeed over the top!

I researched countless heli cruise options for Milford Sound from Queenstown and ultimately chose Over The Top. I could not have made a better choice! We were a couple and we were joined by 4 other people. The helicopter was large and looked new and it was very easy to see everything. The pilot, Renee, was extremely knowledgeable and confidence inspiring. He let us know that we'd switch seats on the way back, so the folks who sat in the front on the way there would sit in the back on the return. That removed any angst about who was sitting where. They also assisted us with getting our seat belts fastened properly. They also had a step stool for those who needed a little extra assistance getting on and off the helicopter. The pilot narrated everything along the way. We arrived at the sound and one of the guests was walking with a cane and was very slow (it was a significant distance from the helipad to the bus). As a result, by the time we got to the place where the boats embark, we had missed our boat. I'm sure it wasn't easy, but our pilot very calmly worked things out and we ended up getting a boat all to ourselves! It was a fantastic benefit. We saw the boat we would have been on, and it was crammed with people. So we really lucked out. The pilot accompanied us on the cruise and augmented the captain's narrative with much helpful information. We were provided a picnic lunch upon our disembarking the boat and the pilot then took us to an area up in the mountains high above one of the lakes. He turned off the helicopter and we all got out and enjoyed our lunch while sitting on the local boulders with truly spectacular views. Over The Top is the company to use if you want a truly memorable experience. We hesitated a bit to spend this much money (rather than the much cheaper bus-cruise-bus option), and we agreed that every penny was worth it and more.

We had booked this tour from the States. All went smoothly from beginning at the Queenstown airport to end at same.. Steve, our experienced and knowledgeable pilot, provided helpful information and made sure that we took turns being in the front seat. He kindly took photoes at scenic points when requested. Wonderfu!! To experience the wild beauty of this part of New Zealand, and to stand on top of a glacier, as we did on the return trip, was mind-boggling. We were also lucky, as the weather was perfect and visibility clear and this is not always the case. Highly highly recommend!

We had this tour planned for the day after we arrived in Queenstown but because of the forecast it was rescheduled . We were whisked away shortly after we arrived at our hotel and the adventure didn’t end until we arrived back. The staff is extremely professional and knowledgeable! The tour is absolutely stunning! Landing on the glacier, unbelievable! Our pilot, Mike is skilled and knowledgeable. The staff on the small cruise was fabulous! This will be a very special memory for our family!

We did the helicopter flight to Milford Sound with boat cruise and glacier landing. Truly incredible and absolutely worth doing. Everyone at Over the Top (pilot was Brad) was first class. Highest recommendation. Over the Top is aptly names.

Had originally booked a plane flight and cruise to Milford Sound with another company but that was cancelled due to the weather. Walked around Queenstown Airport and discovered this company who had space for a 10.30 heli-flight and cruise. First time up in a helicopter and what an experience; big shout out to our pilot Dan who was very informative with the commentary on what was beneath us and put us down on an amazing glacier. If you have the budget, highly recommend this experience for seeing Milford Sound but do have a back up plan if the weather isn't co-operating.

Spend the money and take this trip. It is the most awsome and professionally run experience you will have in New Zealand. Great reception prior to our flight, modern, spacious helicopter, and big thanks to Rène our pilot... who made us all feel safe and comfortable onboard. We flew over the most amazing scenery, got up close to some glaciers and small mountain lakes and once landed in Milford, went on a short shuttle bus ride to the boat, which was waiting for us. Milford sound was really scenic and worth seeing for sure but the helicopter ride was the best. On the way back to Queenstown we landed on a small patch of snow in the mountains and Rène shut down the helicopter and we just stood in awe of the mountains around us. Brilliant trip and thank you again Rène.