Bucket list experience:
Along with nearby Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier is the main tourism draw card on the wild and pristine West Coast.
These wonders of nature mesmerize from afar with their sheer size and beauty, and delight close up with magical ice caves and tunnels, filled with spectacular ice formations. A magnet, then, for our door enthusiasts.
Due to the combination of the temperate zone and high rainfall, the two glaciers are unique in the world in existing at low altitudes – making them easier to access.
Twelve-kilometre-long Franz Josef Glacier, the steeper and more dramatic of the two, descends from over 3,000m into lush rainforest of the Westland’s National Park. Using a fleet of helicopters, visitors can take scenic flights from the nearby township, or be dropped onto the ice for exhilarating hikes, that also include exploring ice caves and other natural formations.
One of the best places in the world to get up close to a glacier, all with a constant backdrop of snow-covered mountains. Unmissable.
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Destination Guide >Franz Josef is a five-hour drive from Queenstown, and two hours from Greymouth. There are coach services, but self-drive is best.
The only way to hike on the glacier is by taking a guided helicopter excursion; trips last around four hours, which includes around 2.5 hours on the ice. Moderate fitness is required, and a minimum age of 10. All equipment is provided.
Helicopter flights are available by Helicopter Line, New Zealand’s leading helicopter company. You can opt for flying over just Franz Josef (20 mins), or both glaciers in one flight (30 mins).
Guided hikes are only available through local specialist Franz Josef Glacier. The price includes the helicopter flight with Helicopter Line.
While Franz Josef is a year-round destination, the weather is notoriously changeable. Helicopter tours and hiking on the glacier are weather dependent, and access roads may be impassable in winter.
Hiking tours run several times a day during summer months. Helicopter flights operate throughout the day.
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Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand
Hearty, comfortable lodge, the best around, providing a homely base from which to explore Franz Joseph glacier.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
South Islands, New Zealand
A primordial playground with truly spectacular scenery on the grandest scale, outdoor adventure activities galore, colourful and compelling Maori culture and terribly nice Kiwis.
Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand
One of the world’s greatest skydives, over a spell-binding panorama of snow-capped mountains, ocean, rivers, forest and the magnificent snaking form of the Franz Josef Glacier.
Best for ages: 13+ | £140 | 3 hours
Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Franz Josef, South Island, New Zealand
Nature lovers, especially bird lovers, should not miss a cruise on this huge estuarine lagoon, filled with birds and other wildlife. Two-hour guided tours on a flat-bottomed jetboat allow you access even to shallow areas, where you can spot iconic white herons, godwits and oystercatchers. All to a magnificent backdrop of Mount Cook. Daily tours Nov-May.
Best for ages: 4+ | £50 | 2 hours
Takapo, South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand’s premier astronomical research observatory, sited 1,029m up, sits in the largest accredited International Dark Sky Reserve in the world – offering unrivalled star-gazing. 1 hour 45 mins tours from Takapo allow you to spy through 16-inch optical telescopes. Operates daily, all year round, weather permitting.
Best for ages: 7+ | £90
