Franz Josef Glacier Helihike ex Queenstown

Fly from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier on a one hour fixed wing flight, with wide views before the main part of the day begins on the ice. The total tour duration includes check in time in Cooks, plus the return flight between Queenstown and Franz Josef Glacier.

At Franz Josef Glacier, the heli hike starts with a scenic helicopter flight into a deeper section of the glacier. On the way, you pass over the icefalls, deep crevasses and waterfalls before landing on the upper ice fall of Franz Josef Glacier. This gives you direct access to terrain that would otherwise take much longer to reach.

Once on the glacier, you’ll be fitted with crampons for around two hours on the ice with experienced guides. The hike takes place on Franz Josef Glacier itself, where you explore ice caves and move through a landscape that is constantly changing. The contrast between the rainforest and the alpine environment is a defining part of this area, and seeing that shift up close is part of what makes the hike distinct.

This tour combines air travel, helicopter access and guided glacier walking in one day, with time spent both above and on Franz Josef Glacier in the South Island of New Zealand.