Queenstown: Sunset Heli Flight & Remarkables Alpine Landing

About This Experience

The same twenty-minute Remarkables flight, flown in the last hour of daylight — which is the hour every photographer in Queenstown waits for. Low sun rakes across the Wakatipu Basin, the Crown Range and Cecil Peak go gold, and the lake turns from blue to bronze while you are still climbing.

You land on the Remarkables range with the sun sitting on the horizon, and the pilot shuts down so you can stand there and take it in. A drink is included at the landing site — sparkling wine, beer, or a non-alcoholic alternative; you pick when you book by leaving your preference in the comments box at checkout.

It is the most-requested flight for proposals and anniversaries in Queenstown, and at $210 it costs barely more than the daytime version. The catch is availability: sunset slots are a single departure window each day, they move by an hour or more between summer and winter, and they sell out first.

Highlights

• Flown at golden hour, when the basin and the Crown Range are lit side-on
• Alpine landing on the Remarkables with the sun on the horizon
• A complimentary drink at the landing site — sparkling, beer or non-alcoholic
• Views over Lake Wakatipu, Coronet Peak, the Crown Range and Cecil Peak
• Rated a straight 5.0 by every guest who has reviewed it so far

What's Included

• ✓ Courtesy coach transfers from selected Queenstown pickup points
• ✓ 20-minute helicopter flight with an alpine landing
• ✓ A complimentary drink at the landing site
• ✓ Experienced pilot and full safety briefing
• ✓ Live in-flight commentary on the landmarks below

Not Included

• Food
• Hotel pickup outside the listed transfer points
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Warm layers — it is colder at altitude at dusk
• Sunglasses
• Camera
• Comfortable closed shoes

Good to Know & Caveats

• Leave your drink preference (sparkling, beer or non-alcoholic) in the comments box at checkout
• Departure time shifts through the year with sunset — check the time on your voucher rather than assuming
• There is one sunset window a day, so this flight sells out further ahead than the daytime version
• Flight paths and the landing site depend on conditions and are at the pilot's discretion
• Smoking, drones and selfie sticks are not permitted
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure

Meeting Point

Courtesy coach transfer from selected Queenstown pickup points to the Glacier Southern Lakes base at 35 Lucas Place, Frankton.