Queenstown: The Grand Circle Scenic Helicopter Flight

My wife and I greatly enjoyed our ‘grand circle’ tour. Sam our pilot was really engaging and explained what we were seeing throughout the flight. Landing on top of the range with spectacular views was special.

I purchased a flight as a surprise for my hubbys birthday as we were in the area on holiday with friends. It was an amazing flight and landing in the snow on Cecil Peak on a clear, sunny morning was a bonus. Scenery was spectacular. Book via phone as booking fees online are high. Easy checkin process and clear instructions around safety. Hubby and friends very happy.

The person in the Queenstown Helicoptor Line, office was underwhelming as she studied her phone while be waited......then said 'that maybe your bus out the front' Maybe? Perhaps its best you check as we have paid $970 - I think you need to be sure. The start did not fill us with confidence. The reception staff at the airfield were a bit shabby in their presentation and a bit slapdash in their organisation. Finally however we were greeted by someone a lot more professional - Sam our pilot. From then on it was unbelievably great. There were only 5 on our trip and the day was the most perfect conditions that they had had for 3 months. Bright blue sky, fresh snow and no wind. Smooth flying, with informative commentary from Sam. We landed on a snow covered mountain, were able take photos, walk around safely with instruction from Sam. The return flight followed the Shotover river then over Lake Wakatipu to the airfield. A perfect landing and it was over all to soon.

The check-in process, communication at the departure area, flight, pilot, and everything was great. Weather (wind) meant a slightly reduced flight and lower landing, but that isn't the tour operators fault. Some better communication up front would be great. I thought I had a pickup at my hotel, but could not confirm and there was no communication ahead of time so I took a rideshare to the departure just to make sure. I did get a ride back to the hotel, so I think it was just a lack of communication.

The personnel were very friendly and the flight was great. Weather is a huge factor at certain times with the mountains and my flight was shortened due to this, but they communicated all that ahead of time and adjusted pricing. Plus, they can't really control the weather. The transport from the hotel in the morning was not well communicated and I ended up using Uber to get there, but they did transport me back. If I had not been so busy and could have called the day before, I probably could have figured out the pick-up.

We had perfect weather, and the pilot was great. It was like a bus tour in the sky with amazing views. Had a blast.

Was a fantastic experience, will definitely do another tour with them again next time. Felt safe and pilot was lovely.

Amazing and spectacular the best experience. Jono our pilot and team were fantastic. Highly recommend.

Fantastic way to end our 12 day holiday in Queenstown and Te Anau. Weather prevented the Milford to glacier landing so it was a real bonus to get the opportunity to do the scenic flip around Queenstown, helped by a last minute walk-in to get the minimum numbers required. Great pilot in Jono. Will have to come back and do the winter wonderland when the snow arrives

The booking process was pretty poor as we got charged in usd. The flight experience was awesome. Got to land on the snow and get out the helicopter for pics and to look around us.

An amazing experience for the whole family! Would highly recommend it to anybody, Our pilot kept us informed and gave us a commentary the whole time which was gret. Thank you!

Fantastic. Well organised, fabulous views, terrific pilot. One of the best experiences we’ve had and would highly recommend!

Super friendly staff. Happy experience all round! The best way to experience and see Queenstown by far! Highly recommended A++

Took the Grand Circle tour with them. Booked the night before on a whim, they called in the morning to confirm about 2 hrs before the tour. Multiple free pick up / drop off points across Queenstown, so you are pretty much covered even if you dont drive. Briefing and the tour was conducted professionally and they even take effort to swap the passengers around for the return journey so everyone gets a front seat or window seat at some point. There is a standard upselling of a totally optional printed photo at the end. Nothing wrong with that, but at 25NZD, its a bit steep. One more thing, booking direct with them seems the most expensive, there are travel agencies and other websites w referral codes that can get u 10 - 20 % off the list price.

Did the Grand Circle for my wife's special birthday. Fabulous experience. It was a perfect day which made the experience even better! Landed on a mountain ridge overlooking a lake, which was spectacular! Special thanks to our pilot Richard and our driver/host Damian. The memories linger much longer than the price paid. so do it!

Fantastic trip, Skids (Richard) our pilot was excellent, informative and helpful throughout, a real credit to Helicopter line.

I cannot rate this highly enough was a beautiful day and the flights / pilot , whole experience was amazing. I will certainly to it again when I am next in Queenstown the views were amazing , glaciers incredible and the pilot was fun.Its a MUST do for sure worth every penny.

I spent a lovely time and had a great experience. I satisfied with this special trip🥰 Thank you so much!

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our flight. It was a glorious day, the landing was amazing and we had plenty of time for photos and playing in the snow. This flight was so memorable and one of the best experiences on our whole NZ trip. Very safety conscious and professional and picked up directly from hotel and took us back.

We were blessed with perfect weather on the day my friend and I did this helicopter flight. Was magical. The views were amazing and the landing and hanging out on the snow at the glacier was fantastic. Highly Highly recommend.

We chose this helicopter flight over the Queenstown area as it appeared to give the best value for money. The previous day, we had planned a trip over Fox glacier but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. This service came recommended by our travel guide and we weren’t disappointed. We had door to door pick up and return via minibus to our accommodation which was prompt and friendly. After our safety briefing, and with perfect, calm weather, we were strapped in for our adventure, 1.5 km above Queenstown. Our pilot gave a running commentary of what could be seen all around us and reassuringly gave plenty of notice of his manoeuvres so that there were no surprises. Landing in the snow at this time of the year was a treat we will never forget. It was soft and powdery, as we sunk up to our knees and laughed so much it hurt until we found firmer footings. There was about 10 minutes of “magic time” to take photos and to try to absorb the breathtaking vistas that totally surrounded us. A quick reshuffle of seating was organised to share photo opportunities for our return journey back to the airport. Optional souvenir photos were available to purchase from the reception area upon our return. It may be a comparatively short flight, but it certainly lived up to the advertised promise and provided a “grand view” of the Queenstown basin topography.

My husband has mobility issues. The pilot was so very kind and accommodating helping him in and out of the helicopter. I couldn't ask for a more positive experience!

The flight and views were spectacular and to land and experience snow was fabulous !!!Jono our pilot was great too

We did the Grand Circle helicopter trip this morning. WOW - what a fantastic way to view the most unbelievable scenery. We would highly recommend this flight to both young and old. The snow landing was a special highlight as we have never experienced snow before. Zippy, our pilot, provided great commentary. What great way to end a very memorable trip to Queenstown.

This is a fantastic way to explore Queenstown, or anywhere for that matter. This was a highlight of my holiday. I’d definitely do this again.

So many options of what to do in Queenstown. 😏The other of the 1 options had done versions off. Helicopter never done so chose this . Was a fun flight. Landed in the snow which was cool. Took photos and stayed there for a bit. Good professional pilot. Ticked off things to do ✅️😎😀

The best activity we did. We enjoyed the ride very much and the amazing views. Love it..We will do it again.. Highly recommended.

What a fantastic experience, a highlight of our stay in Queenstown. The staff and the service were wonderful and our pilot, Jono, was entertaining and knowledgeable.

Glad it went ahead as it got changed twice re times. Also glad I got window seat. Was great trip. Nz really has some majestic views

This helicopter ride was the highlight of my Queenstown holiday! Jono was our pilot and could tell we were in good hands as soon as we met him. Awesome pilot and top notch commentary! We got picked up and dropped off at our hotel and it was a stress free experience. I highly recommend booking a trip with these guys! Thank you so much I will never forget this experience. - Michelle B

Breathtaking, surreal, just incredible! Mountains look great from the ground but from above? It’s a whole other world.you feel so humbled and it is really quite overwhelming being surround by such beauty. Staff and our pilot were informative and friendly. You park on top of a nosy mountain and can see the whole range surrounding you. It’s magical. You get about 10 minutes to take some really great pictures. I know these scenic tours are pricey but they’re worth every penny. The best thing I’ve ever done.

What a great experience! Seeing Queenstown from the ski was amazing. The helicopters are fitted with many windows (even on the roof) which allow for an amazing view from all seats. The pick up and drop off from the hotel was smooth and appreciated. Seeing fresh snow on the alpine mountain was a highlight of my stay.

I booked a last minute trip with the Helicopter Line on Queens birthday oMnday. The entire operation from the phone booking through to the flight was completely professional and friendly. Our pilot Gerard was a great guy with a fab sense of humour and lots of knowledge and I felt completely safe. The flight is incredible. You see the gorgeous Queenstown and surrounding mountain area from up high including a landing on a peak with super views. Spectacular experience and shouldn't be missed. I'll definitely return and do another flight with them and can't recommend The Helicopter Line highly enough.

What a spectacular flight! We the perfect blue sky day for our pilot, Ben, to show us the best of Queenstown. The landing close to Cecil peak was out of this world, with panoramic views of lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables. Cannot recommend highly enough. A massive thanks to Haley, Simon and of course Ben for this wonderful experience. Will recommend highly to all!

Our family of 5 including an 11 year old loved the tour. We chose the 30 min. ride so we could land on the mountain and take photos. The pilot was professional, friendly and informative. The ride was smooth and we all loved it.

<p>We did this tour with our friends as they had never been in a helicopter before. Definitely a must to see Queenstown from the air. The commentary by the pilot was informative and he sat the helicopter down on one of the mountains which really made you feel like you were on top of the world. A very special memory has been created for us.</p>

The flight was absolutely amazing! The views were stunning, and words can not describe them. Definitely worth doing. Pilot was lovely and very knowledgeable! The whole trip was a breathtaking experience! Loved it!

Uncomplicated, friendly, punctual Two days earlier a tour booked in an office in the city. Short introduction and off we went. The time in the air went by way too fast, unfortunately, but it was beautiful!