Heli & Adventure
Fjords, glaciers and private guides to where few ever reach.
- Adventure · Private
- Ideal length: 6-9 days
- Best time: October through April, when the Southern Hemisphere summer opens the reef, the vineyards and the alpine trails all at once.
- Private guiding, access and transfers throughout
- From US$15,500 per traveler — a starting point, tailored to you
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
- Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels
Fjords, glaciers and private guides to where few ever reach.
Two nations at the edge of the world offer coral gardens, ancient rainforest, glacial peaks and some of the most remote luxury on earth.
When to go
October through April, when the Southern Hemisphere summer opens the reef, the vineyards and the alpine trails all at once. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.
The experiences
A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:
- A helicopter over Milford Sound with a landing on a glacier few ever touch.
- A private guided hike into fjordland country closed to the roads.
- A heli-picnic on a high alpine ridge above the Southern Alps.
- A day on a remote river with a guide who knows its every pool.
A sense of the rhythm
Adventure here is measured by flight time and fresh air. Mornings lift off toward the fjords and glaciers; afternoons find you deep in country most never reach. The pace is active but never frantic, and every evening earns its rest.
Heli-based days or overland expeditions
Heli-access reaches the glaciers, the fjords and the ridges in a single morning, saving long overland hours. Travelling by foot and vehicle rewards patience with a slower, more intimate read of the land. The best trips weave in some of both.
How to do it well
The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:
- Weather rules the peaks; leave room in the plan for the best flying days.
- Milford Sound is finest by air and best seen before the day boats.
- A private guide unlocks fjordland few travellers see up close.
- Pack layers; alpine weather turns quickly at altitude.
What only your advisor can open
The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.
Who it's for
Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.
Estimated investment
From US$15,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.
Designed entirely around you
Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.
Your Virtuoso privileges
As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.
Continue exploring Queenstown & the South Island
Part of our Queenstown & the South Island travel guide. Related private journeys:
Begin the conversation
Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Heli & Adventure around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →
Questions, answered.
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