Booking choice: The Franz Josef heli hike, from $528 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Franz Josef Glacier, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, falls from about 3,000 metres to 500 metres over roughly 9 kilometres, and has the lowest terminal elevation of any glacier flowing into temperate rainforest. For decades you could walk up to it and onto it from the valley.
The glacier has since retreated, the lower ice became unstable, and the Waiho River cut off the old route. This guide explains what that means for your visit.
The quick answer
No, not on foot from the valley. Guided walks from the valley floor stopped in 2012 as the glacier retreated and became unstable, so a helicopter is now the only way onto the ice. The free DOC valley walk, about 30 minutes return, ends at a viewpoint well short of the glacier. To stand on the ice, you book a heli hike or a flight with a landing.
Can you walk on Franz Josef Glacier without a helicopter?
No. Guided walks from the valley stopped in 2012, and today a helicopter is the only way onto the ice.
There is no public path onto the glacier and no way to reach it on foot. The free valley walk is still worth doing, but it stops at a viewpoint, and the river has cut off the old route further up the valley.
Want to stand on the ice? The heli hike lands you on the main ice fall in about five minutes.
Check dates for the Franz Josef heli hikeWhy did the valley walks stop?
The glacier retreated up the valley, the lower ice became unstable, and the Waiho River has cut off access further up.
Glaciers on the West Coast move and change quickly, and Franz Josef is described by its guides as the fastest moving commercially guided glacier in the world. Once the lower ice was no longer safe, guiding moved up to the ice fall, and the helicopter became the way in.
What can you see on the free valley walk?
Rainforest, waterfalls on the valley walls and a view of the glacier's terminal face from a viewpoint, in about 30 minutes return.
Glacier Country Tourism lists the Department of Conservation track from the glacier car park as free, 1.7 km return and about 30 minutes. It is a good walk in its own right, but expect to see the ice from a distance, not touch it. If you want the plants, the geology and the stories explained, a small-group guided walk covers the lookouts in about three hours.
Prefer a guide for the valley? The short nature tour visits the lookouts with poles and rain gear provided.
Check dates for the short nature tourHow do you get onto the ice now?
Book the heli hike: a helicopter flight of about five minutes each way and up to 2.5 hours walking on the ice with a guide.
You check in at Glacier Base in the village, are fitted with boots, crampons and waterproofs, and fly up the valley to land high on the main ice fall. It costs NZ$899 per person on the operator's site, or from $528 on Viator. See the price guide for what is included.
The only way to walk on Franz Josef Glacier: five minutes in the helicopter, then up to 2.5 hours on the ice with a guide.
Explore the Franz Josef heli hikeWho is allowed to guide on the glacier?
Franz Josef Glacier Guides, which says it is the only company that can get guests onto Franz Josef Glacier.
Other helicopter companies in the village sell scenic flights, some with a short snow landing high up on the snowfield, but they do not take you walking on the glacier. If a trip promises a hike on Franz Josef Glacier, it is run by Franz Josef Glacier Guides.
Is a snow landing the same as walking on the glacier?
No. A snow landing gives you a few minutes on the upper snowfield beside the helicopter; a heli hike spends hours on the ice itself.
Franz Josef Glacier Guides also run a Glacier Landing flight with about 15 minutes on the ice with a guide, from age 4. That is the middle ground for families and anyone who cannot do the hike. Compare the options in heli hike vs scenic flight.
Short on time or fitness? The 25-minute flight lands on the snow, no walking needed.
Check dates for the 25-minute flight with snow landingHow hard is the walk on the ice?
Moderate: you need to be comfortable walking two to three hours on uneven ground, including steps your guide cuts into the ice.
Crampons give you grip, and guides set the pace for the group. Heli hikers must be at least 10, weigh 35 to 115 kg and be at least 137 cm tall, and the operator does not guide pregnant guests. Guides can stop anyone who is not fit enough, with no refund, so book within your limits.
Is it any different at Fox Glacier?
No: Fox Glacier, 25 km south, is also reached by helicopter, through a different operator, Fox Glacier Guiding.
The Fox heli hike works the same way, takes children from age 9 and costs about the same. If your route or the weather suits Fox better, read Franz Josef vs Fox.
Staying at Fox? Its heli hike has two helicopter transfers and all the gear included.
Check dates for the Fox Glacier heli hikeFrequently asked questions
When did walking on Franz Josef Glacier from the valley stop?
In 2012. As the glacier retreated and the lower ice became unstable, guided walks from the valley floor ended and guiding moved to helicopter access.
Is the Franz Josef Glacier valley walk free?
Yes. The Department of Conservation track is free and takes about 30 minutes return (1.7 km) from the car park, ending at a viewpoint.
Can you touch the glacier on the valley walk?
No. The track ends at a viewpoint well short of the ice, and the Waiho River has cut off access further up the valley.
Can children walk on Franz Josef Glacier?
From age 10 on the heli hike. From age 4, the Glacier Landing flight gives about 15 minutes on the ice with a guide.
Ready to book
Choose your trip
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike
- Return helicopter transfers, about 5 minutes each way
- Up to 2.5 hours guided on the ice, up to 11 guests per guide
- Boots, socks, crampons, waterproof jacket and over-trousers, hat and gloves
Short Franz Josef Nature Tour
A guided rainforest walk to the glacier lookouts
Snow Landing Flight
- Scenic helicopter flight over Franz Josef Glacier
- Snow landing high on the glacier, weather permitting
- Professional guide and photo opportunities throughout
