Southern Alps Air - Wanaka Scenic Flights

Andrew Leigh

18/02/2026

My wife and I just landed after the most incredible flight from southern alps air at Wanaka airport flying to Milford sound and return This truly is a moving once in a lifetime experience. One you will treasure and shake your head at what you have had the privilege to be part of. Scenery beyond description and the historical and topographical knowledge delivered by Scott our amazing pilot was truly memorable! Don't miss this experience in Wanaka and thanks again to Scott and all his team 👍👍👍

Madeline Wang

28/01/2026

An incredible experience! We did the fly-cruise-fly in Milford Sound and were blown away by the views. The views over the southern alps are spectacular with the snow capped mountains. The cruise in Milford Sound itself is a great way to see the sound and get up close to water falls. A great way to experience the sound without driving the long distance from Wanaka. A highlight from my trip to New Zealand!

Tom Van dasselaar

28/01/2026

Wij hebben met Southern Alps Air de Siberian experience gedaan. Het is veruit de beste ervaring die wij ooit gehad hebben. Eerst een fantastische vlucht met Scott. Een zeer fijne kerel, leuke uitleg over de regio, prima piloot ook trouwens ;). Daarna een prachtig stuk gewandeld om daarna met de jetboat terug te gaan. Een fantastische ervaring. Tot in de puntjes geregeld waarvoor veel dank. Wij hebben een fantastische dag gehad. Voor iedereen die dit leest, niet twijfelen maar boek de Siberia experience bij Southern Alps Air.

Juliette Lezé

11/01/2026

This was the experience of a lifetime! We were supposed to fly to Milford Sound from Queenstown earlier in the week but it got cancelled due to bad weather. We instead flew later that week from Wanake with SAA, and absolutely loved it! This gave us the opportunity to go over the Southern Alps, which were stunning and the Milford Sound cruise is not to miss. Great team at SAA!

Adam

29/12/2025

We went on southern Alps air fly and cruise trip in December 2025. Everything worked perfectly, and we highly recommend you choose this company. Booking with easy online; whenever we called, they gave us updated information promptly and comprehensively; they kept on schedule; the equipment was very functional; the pilot was skillful and knowledgeable; and they even arranged reserve tables for us on the boat. You won’t go wrong with them.

jack “jack” 柳

28/12/2025

右边这位机长非常棒👍很有耐心教学，态度很好，前台小哥也很有耐心，很开心的体验。

J Burns

22/12/2025

Do not miss the opportunity of a lifetime...if you can, make sure you take a flight over the alps. This was the absolute highlight of the trip. Our pilot, James, was brilliant; knowledgeable, professional and a skilled pilot. The flight to Milford Sound from Wanaka and back is just stunning. Highly recommend.

Tyler Chicarella

21/12/2025

What an incredible experience! We were originally supposed to go the same day we landed in Queenstown, but weather meant the team had to reschedule us for the next day. Everything worked out perfectly as the weather was great and the views were stunning. The entire team was very welcoming and helpful, especially James and Pete, who truly wanted to make sure we enjoyed every bit of our adventure. We would absolutely recommend if you have time!

Amanda Clarke

12/12/2025

Just do it! If you've flown all the way to NZ for a holiday, spent a load of money on your international flights and hotels- you'd be absolutely mad not to spend the extra on this trip. As one of the other people on my flight said "this is the best thing I've ever spent money on". The scenery is utterly breathtaking, the flight is great, the pilot was super friendly and informative. And the Milford Sound cruise was great too. I have been to Milford Sound before though; and as much as it's a thing that many people come here wanting to see....the flight trumped it by far. flying over and into the sound, flying over the mountains and glaciers and seeing them next to you at eye level- WOW. Make sure that you spend a 2-3 nights minimum in Wanaka and allow a day or two for schedule changes due to weather. Why anyone short on time would drive or take the bus trip to Milford Sound from Wanaka is beyond me. Instead of a 5 hr journey in each direction; you can jump on this trip and be back in Wanaka by 1pm. I've travelled to 63 countries, and worked in travel for 18 years, this will be one of the best things you ever do on holiday, just book it.

Resort45984065642

Great experience and amazing views Was a great experience and a beautiful way to see Milford Sound and the Southern Alps. The day was so clear we could even see up to Mt Cook! The pilot was very helpful, pointing out things along the way and letting us know if there was any turbulence expected. Milford Sound cruise was also stunning and flying in and out along the length of the sound was incredible.

Jeff M

Breathtaking and Exhilarating! Had one of my top travel experiences ever with Southern Alps Air’s Fly Cruise Fly trip to the Millford Sound. This is a life transcending opportunity to fly over glaciers and then enter from the Tasman Sea and fly down the Millford sound with beautiful mountain walls on both sides of you (in the case of Mitre Peak up to a mile high) and then land minutes from where you board a ship to cruise it by water, only then to fly back to Wanaka. I have never experienced nor can I imagine any other opportunity to pack that much truly awesome scenery and exhilaration into a 4-5 hour period. It literally left me just shaking my head in pure joy and disbelief as we were circling into and began flying straight down the Sound. Now, a couple of details. First of all, we had a spectacularly clear and beautiful fall day for our trip. That’s luck. But, the team at Southern Alps are fantastic. They manage the weather situation with you right up to one hour before your scheduled flight; letting you know they take your safety seriously. Further to that point, Pete, our pilot was very friendly and knowledgeable; most importantly though, also a very skilled and competent pilot. And, the plane we flew in was well maintained, unlike some others I have flown in in Africa and Alaska, giving me further confidence we were with a quality organization. All that said, be honest with yourself and your comfort level, this is a small plane and, even on a beautiful day, did bounce around a bit. I imagine, in more inclement weather or even just a windier day, things can get a bit rockier. But, if you enjoy a little thrill and adrenaline, and are honestly generally not afraid of flying, this is an experience you will never forget. A couple of other logistics matters, this operation ran like a well-tuned Swiss watch for us. You have to be within 30 mins from the Wanaka Airport 1 hour before your flight. You then contact them 1 hour before your flight to confirm weather is permitting a go. If so, you will make your way to the Airport to check in 30 mins before your flight time. Southern Alps has a small shop right on the Airport premises. Bathrooms are available there. You’ll be split into groups of ~ 6 per plane (at least, that was the aircraft we saw on our day). You’ll then take a flight of ~ 45 mins. and land on a strip right at the end of the sound. Most gorgeous landing you will ever have! From there, your pilot escorts you onto a bus shuttle for a 3 min ride to the marina where you will be given a boarding card. Our ship departed ~ 10 mins after we arrived to it. Amazing! After ~ a 2 hour cruise up and back down the sound, your pilot meets you coming off of the ship and escorts you back to the shuttle and airstrip for a take-off that will also blow your mind! ~ 45 mins later, taking a different flight route home, you will touchdown in Wanaka. All in 4-5 hours and the most efficient and exhilarating way, IMHO, to experience the sound. Funny thing is I set out to find a way to efficiently manage the long and, in some cases, grinding way to get to and from the sound for the Sound boat ride and experience. In the end though, don’t get me wrong, the boat ride in the Sound was gorgeous, but I actually left this experience way more thrilled and exhilarated by the flight experience than the cruise I originally set out to enjoy. Trust me, you will never forget the flight part of this trip; especially in and out of the Sound, taking nothing away from flying closely by and through glaciers. Don’t miss it; worth every penny of the cost!

Jeanette M

Unfassbar toll, bedingungslos zu empfehlen Wir sind mit Scott von Wanaka zu den Milford sounds und zurück geflogen. Die Aussicht war spektakulär und der Pilot ist super geflogen. Start und Landung waren sanft und ich fühlte mich sicher. Ich würde dieses Erlebnis jedem empfehlen, es war einfach unfassbar schön. Auch unsere beiden Kinder (fast 2 und 4.5 Jahre) hatten Spass. Alles war perfekt organisiert und alle waren sehr freundlich.

Andy G

Wonderful Trip A wonderful trip. Pilot was very knowledgeable regarding the mountains and glaciers on both legs of the trip with an insightful commentary enroute. Highly recommended.

Hannah G

Super Scenic Flights with Southern Alps Air We were blown away by this experience. The pilot Pete, did a great job giving us interesting local information. Well worth the money!!!

Nella O

Amazing! What an incredible experience with Pete, Scott and the rest of the Southern Alps Air team. We absolutely loved our visit to Milford Sound from Wanaka. The team was professional, had amazing knowledge of the area and a great sense of humour. We will definitely be recommending this to any friends or family visiting Wanaka in future. Thank you Southern Alps Air team!

Marika T

Professional and memorable Very professionally organised flight over glaciers and Milford sound cruise👍 A life-time memory - Thrilling and besutiful👌

John T

Wow.... just wow The most awesome day apart from getting married, Ryan, Scott and the team took us to heaven and back, my wife is extremely grateful. This is the highest highlight of our three weeks in New Zealand so far. Seriously wonderful experience. So glad I bit the bullet and paid the money. Worth every single penny.

Cam-AKL-NZ

Worth It It was a bit of a last minute decision to go.. called and went on the Milford Sound flight and cruise. I didn’t regret it.. The initial flight is great goes over to the west coast and shows some pretty impressive views of Mt Aspiring and other mountains and glaciers. The cruise was much better than expected, Milford is pretty touristy but the cruise shows the sounds really well, impressive sights (don’t rely on paywave to buy food on the boat). The flight back was a bit shorter but different terrain and flew over the Routeburn, Glenorchy, Motatapu valley and near Mt Ernslaw, so again beautiful rugged scenery.. All in all a good experience totalling about 4 hours costing about $650.

OnAir22549918977

Spectacular experience of the Southern alps I cannot rate this experience highly enough. The flights to and from Milford Sound take you through the alpine peaks with breathtaking views of the scenery below and alongside you. Our pilot, Hamish, maintained a commentary of our location but allowed time for us to just enjoy the moment and take pictures. Milford Sound is a spectacular geographical feature and the Southern Explorer cruise provides the perfect platform to see it. As a seasoned traveler I can’t remember another experience to better this package. Southern Alps Air do everything to ensure you have the best time. Don’t hesitate.

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50+ YEARS OF OPERATION

Southern Alps Air is Wanaka’s only locally owned and operated scenic flight company operating fixed wing.

PERSONALISED SERVICE

Window seats for every passenger. We take pride in offering unobstructed views.

SAFETY AND EXPERIENCE

As a Qualmark endorsed company, we take pride in working to the highest industry standards.

OUR COMMITMENT TO NEW ZEALAND

The Tiaki Promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it. We are committed to helping to protect our land, our sea and our culture.

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385

Milford Sound & Wanaka Scenic Flights

Southern Alps Air Scenic Flights

Milford Sound from Wanaka (Fly Cruise Fly + Glaciers)

Milford Sound Flight + Landing & Glaciers

Mt Aspiring & Glaciers

Our Destinations

Siberia Experience - Scenic Flight, Bush and Valley Walk, Jet Boat River Safari

Why choose Southern Alps Air...

50+ YEARS OF OPERATION

PERSONALISED SERVICE

SAFETY AND EXPERIENCE

OUR COMMITMENT TO NEW ZEALAND

Southern Alps Air Video Gallery

0800 345 666
or +64 (0)3 443 4385

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385

Milford Sound & Wanaka Scenic Flights

Southern Alps Air Scenic Flights VIEW ALL

Milford Sound from Wanaka (Fly Cruise Fly + Glaciers)

Milford Sound Flight + Landing & Glaciers

Mt Aspiring & Glaciers

Our Destinations

Siberia Experience - Scenic Flight, Bush and Valley Walk, Jet Boat River Safari

Why choose Southern Alps Air...

50+ YEARS OF OPERATION

PERSONALISED SERVICE

SAFETY AND EXPERIENCE

OUR COMMITMENT TO NEW ZEALAND

Southern Alps Air Video Gallery

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385 BOOK NOW

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385 BOOK NOW

Southern Alps Air Scenic Flights

0800 345 666
or +64 (0)3 443 4385

0800 345 666 or +64 (0)3 443 4385