Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike from Queenstown

• Get up to 10% cash back per person when you book with us!
• A full-day tour to the Southern Alps, including both fixed-wing & helicopter flights
• Return fixed-wing aircraft between Queenstown & Franz Josef Village, taking a different route back via Mt. Aspiring if possible, with guaranteed window seats
• A heli-hike to Franz Josef Glacier, with 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 min of time on the ice & scenic helicopter flights to & from the glacier
• Use of all necessary equipment for your glacier hike, including crampons, boots, socks, & ice axes
• Convenient return transfers from selected Queenstown accommodation

Relish the opportunity to hike the ever-changing Franz Josef Glacier, the fastest commercially guided glacier in the world, on this epic day out in the Southern Alps. 

Beginning with pick-ups from selected Queenstown accommodation, you'll board a fixed-wing flight from Queenstown to Franz Josef Village. You'll fly over the Southern Alps, home to over 3,000 small glaciers, to Franz Josef Glacier on the western face of Aoraki/ Mt Cook. 

The weather in this mountainous region can be very changeable, with rain frequent on the western side. Should the weather not be suitable to visit Franz Josef, you might have the option of Tasman Glacier instead – both experiences are very similar.

On arrival at Franz Josef, your guide will accompany you to your check-in with the helicopter and guiding partners, who will provide you with all the necessary equipment and a safety briefing.

Then, with your professional glacier guide, you will fly high via scenic helicopter flight over the jaw-dropping landscape – an opportunity to take in the full panoramic majesty of Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere/Franz Josef Glacier. Finally, you will land high up on the main ice fall of the glacier, where your guide will help you make the final preparations for your adventure.

Here, you'll be fitted with crampons for the 2 hours on the glacier ice. Because Franz Josef Glacier is the fastest commercially guided glacier in the world, its features are constantly changing, so you'll have a good chance of seeing the glacier calving around you. You might find yourself sliding through narrow crevasses, navigating between staggering ice towers, or squeezing through ice caves. 

At the end of your glacier experience, the adventure continues with a fixed-wing aircraft flight back to Queenstown. If the weather and conditions permit, your pilot will take an alternate route back, passing by Tititea/Mount Aspiring.

Where we Visit:

• Southern Alps
• Franz Josef Glacier
• Franz Josef Village

• Cancellations by the operator due to weather will be fully refunded
• Changes or cancellations made with more than 24 hours warning incur no penalties
• Cancellations made within 24 hours prior to your reserved flight incur a 100% cancellation fee and in the case of a "no show" The Operator will charge you the full cost of the flight

• A minimum of three passengers is required for this tour
• The pilot in command is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and everyone on board at all times. Service can be refused if the pilot's instructions are not complied with
• The Operator is required to ensure that the aircraft is operated within its maximum weight limitations and the aircraft’s centre of gravity is within limits. The Operator, therefore, requests passenger weights at the time of booking to assist with operational planning and managing seat availability and to provide a great customer experience. Please ensure you inform your weight (including any luggage), especially if any passengers are 100kg or 260lb or over, prior to the date of travel. Any deviation of weight could result in the flight being rescheduled and/or a surcharge applied
• On the helicopter, clients who are over 115kg and/or pregnant will not be able to participate
• Passenger seat allocation is at the pilot's discretion due to the weight and balance of the aircraft
• The minimum age is 8 years and 35kg & children must have a minimum shoe size is EU 32, US 2.5, 200 mm, NZ/AU/UK size 2