The walks to the viewpoints
At Franz Josef the walk starts at the car park at the end of the Glacier Access Road, about 4 km south of the village across the Waiho River bridge. DOC puts it at under an hour; a short climb at the end gives a view up the valley, and beyond the barriers the valley is not safe. At Fox the South Side Walkway starts at a car park on State Highway 6, about 2 km south of the township past the Fox River bridge. The return walk is 6.4 km, takes about two hours and passes two viewpoints. They are hundreds of metres from the glacier face, and DOC warns against going further because of the flood risk. Both tracks close after rockfall or heavy rain, so check the daily glacier access update on the Glacier Country website before you set off.
On the ice with a guide
Franz Josef Glacier Guides fly from Cron Street in the village: about four minutes each way, then around two and a half hours on the ice, or a longer day with lunch on the glacier. The operator takes hikers from age 10, between 35 and 115 kg, at least 137 cm tall and with a reasonable level of fitness. Fox Glacier Guiding starts from Main Road in Fox Glacier, also with about four minutes in the air each way, and you spend up to three hours on the glacier. Choose the village you are staying in: the two are about half an hour apart by car, and each heli-hike starts only from its own base.
A landing instead of a hike
If a few hours of walking on ice is not for you, Franz Josef Glacier Guides also fly a short scenic flight with a landing on the glacier: about 12 minutes in the air and around 15 minutes on the ice. Longer scenic flights from both villages land in the snow higher up; they are compared on the Franz Josef and Fox Glacier pages. The Tasman Glacier at Aoraki/Mount Cook works the same way, with heli-hikes of about two hours and flights with a glacier landing from the Mount Cook area.
Good to know
Free cancellation
Every heli-hike listed here can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start (checked on each product page).
Weather calls the shots
Heli-hikes depend on flying weather. Plan a spare day, especially on the West Coast. If you cancel up to 24 hours ahead, it costs nothing.
Weight rules
For the Fox heli-hike, Fox Glacier Guiding states a minimum age of about 9–10 years, a reasonable fitness level and a maximum weight of 115 kg.
