Top Helicopter Tours Across Australia & New Zealand: Above the Reef & Fjords

Some helicopter tours are about the view. Others are about where they take you.

From coral reefs the size of a small country to volcanic craters and towering fjords, a helicopter offers more than a spectacular view. It reveals patterns, colors, and perspectives that simply aren't visible from the ground, with landings in remote locations few travelers ever reach.

Whether it's a scenic flight, a remote landing, or an unforgettable arrival, these are some of our favorite helicopter tours across Australia and New Zealand.

Our Favorite Australia Helicopter Tours

The Great Barrier Reef

From the water, the Great Barrier Reef is a vibrant world of coral gardens and marine life. From the air, it becomes something entirely different. Stretching for more than 1,400 miles, the reef transforms into an intricate mosaic of coral formations, shifting sand cays, and brilliant shades of turquoise, aquamarine, and deep sapphire extending to the horizon.

Many travelers pair a helicopter flight with a reef pontoon landing for snorkeling, combining aerial views with time exploring the reef below. Others choose a scenic flight before joining a Whitsundays sailing charter, experiencing the reef from both the air and the water.

For the ultimate experience, a helicopter landing on Vlasoff Cay offers a rare moment of complete seclusion. This tiny white sand cay, surrounded by turquoise water in every direction, is accessible only by boat or helicopter and often feels like your own private island. It's one of Australia's most exclusive and unforgettable ways to experience the Great Barrier Reef.

Daintree Rainforest

The Daintree is the world's oldest tropical rainforest, and few experiences reveal its scale like a helicopter flight. From above, the Mossman River winds through an endless emerald canopy while waterfalls tumble into hidden pools. As the rainforest gives way to the Coral Sea, one of Australia's most remarkable natural spectacles comes into view, where two UNESCO World Heritage Sites meet at the edge of the coast.

Many travelers combine their flight with a guided exploration of Mossman Gorge, where a local Kuku Yalanji guide shares the stories, traditions, and deep cultural connection to this ancient rainforest. Others pair a helicopter tour of the Daintree with a flight over the Great Barrier Reef, witnessing one of the few places on Earth where the world's oldest tropical rainforest meets the world's largest coral reef system.

Uluru & Kata Tjuta

Standing at the base of Uluru, the sandstone monolith commands your full attention. From the air, it becomes part of a much larger story. As the helicopter climbs, the immense scale of Australia's Red Centre is revealed, where Uluru and the domes of Kata Tjuta rise from an ancient outback landscape shaped over millions of years. Seeing these sacred landmarks together from above offers an appreciation that is both humbling and unforgettable.

Our Favorite New Zealand Helicopter Tours

Rotorua & Mount Tarawera

Sparkling lakes, steaming vents, clockwork geysers, and mineral pools in brilliant shades of orange and teal paint the landscape of Rotorua. While these geothermal wonders are impressive from the ground, a helicopter reveals the full scale of the region's volcanic past, where steaming valleys, ancient craters, and emerald forests stretch across the North Island.

At the heart of it all is Mount Tarawera. Its dramatic 1886 eruption reshaped the landscape overnight, and more than a century later, it remains one of New Zealand's most fascinating volcanic sites. Helicopter tours land on the summit, where travelers can walk the mile-long rift while learning about the geology, the eruption that transformed the region, and its significance in Māori history.

Auckland

Auckland is one of the few cities in the world where a helicopter flight takes in sparkling harbors, extinct volcanoes, rugged coastlines, and island vineyards in a single journey. From above, the city's unique geography comes into focus as the Waitematā Harbour, the Hauraki Gulf, and the volcanic cones that shaped Auckland's landscape unfold beneath you. It's a vantage point that reveals why New Zealand's largest city feels so closely connected to the sea and surrounding islands.

For many travelers, the flight is just the beginning. Helicopters can whisk you across the Hauraki Gulf for a long lunch at one of Waiheke Island's acclaimed vineyards, where you step directly from the aircraft into a leisurely afternoon of exceptional wine, cuisine, and sweeping coastal views. Others venture inland, pairing their flight with a visit to Hobbiton or the magical Waitomo Glowworm Caves, proving that the journey can be just as memorable as the destination.

Wharekauhau Country Estate

Sometimes the helicopter isn't the experience. It's the arrival. At Wharekauhau Country Estate, the experience begins with a spectacular flight from Wellington across Cook Strait and the rugged Remutaka Ranges before descending onto the estate's private helipad. Surrounded by rolling farmland and sweeping views of Palliser Bay, it's an arrival that sets the tone for the days ahead, where elegant country living, exceptional cuisine, and warm Kiwi hospitality await.

Milford Sound

A sip from an alpine lake. A stroll along a beach so remote few people ever set foot there. A champagne toast atop ancient glacial ice. These are the moments that transform a helicopter tour through Milford Sound into something extraordinary. Soaring above rainforest-covered fiords, waterfalls, and glaciers is unforgettable, but it's the opportunity to land in these remarkable places that makes the experience truly exceptional.

More Than a Scenic Flight

Some of these flights are worth taking for the view alone. A pass over the Great Barrier Reef reveals a living system of color and shape that no boat trip or dive can fully capture, the kind of perspective that only exists a few thousand feet up. Others are worth taking for where they land. Setting down on the rim of a volcano with guides who know both the geology and the Māori history of the mountain.

Like every Swain Destinations itinerary, these flights are added to your itinerary intentionally, chosen because they reveal a destination in a way that's impossible from the ground.