Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hikes

A heli-hike is a short helicopter transfer onto the glacier followed by a guided walk on the ice in crampons. In Franz Josef, Franz Josef Glacier Guides runs the Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike with Helicopter Transfer, from $508 per person, with up to 2.5 hours on the ice. Fox Glacier Guiding’s hike gives up to 3 hours on the ice from $480, but it departs Fox Glacier village, about 24 km and 25 minutes’ drive south of Franz Josef.

You need to be at least 10 for the Franz Josef hike and 9 for the Fox hike, and to weigh no more than about 115 kg. Both run only when the helicopter can fly, so book your first day in the area.

Quick picks for walking on the ice

• Franz Josef heli-hike, up to 2.5 hours on the ice, from $508 per person (4.7 from 404 GetYourGuide reviews): View Dates & Prices or Check Tour Details
• Fox Glacier heli-hike, up to 3 hours on the ice, departs Fox Glacier village, from $480 per person (4.9 from 370 reviews): View Dates & Prices or Check Tour Details
• Extended Franz Josef day, up to about 5.5 hours on the ice in a group of four, from $876 per person (one review so far): View Dates & Prices or Check Tour Details

Heli-hike or snow landing

A snow landing is a stop of several minutes on a scenic flight, long enough for photos. A heli-hike puts you on the ice for hours, with a guide cutting steps, crampons on your boots and a route through crevasses and ice formations. Foot access to Franz Josef Glacier from the valley ended around 2011-12, so a helicopter is now the only way onto the ice for guided walks.

The trade-off is weather and eligibility. A heli-hike needs a longer clear spell and has age, weight and fitness rules, while a scenic flight may still run on a day when the hike cannot. Our heli-hike vs scenic flight guide compares the two in detail.

Who can go: the rules compared

Families should read this section first. Each hike sets its own limits, and a child who is too young or too light cannot join on the day.

The figures come from each tour’s own listing. Franz Josef Glacier Guides adds on its own site that the 35 kg minimum can rise to 40 kg on slick days, and its terms bar anyone more than 12 weeks pregnant. It describes the fitness needed this way: if you can walk comfortably for 2-3 hours on uneven ground, including steps cut into the ice, you will likely manage.

Children too young to hike can still land on the snow. Our kids and seating guide lists each scenic operator’s child rules.

What is provided and what to bring

Both hikes lend you the technical kit. Franz Josef Glacier Guides lists crampons, boots, poles, waterproof gear, helmets and gloves on its GetYourGuide listing. Fox Glacier Guiding lists leather boots and socks, crampons, walking poles and a wet-weather jacket and overtrousers.

You bring warm layers, long pants (both companies say no jeans), sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera. Fox Glacier Guiding also asks you to bring a hat, gloves, food and drinks. Drones are banned on both, and the Franz Josef hike also bars selfie sticks. Our what to wear guide covers the layers.

Time on the ice and total time

On the Franz Josef hike you get up to 2.5 hours on the ice and about 4 hours from check-in to the end. The Helicopter Line, which also takes bookings for the same hike, calls it a 2-hour hike, so plan on about 2 to 2.5 hours walking. One reviewer felt the walking was much shorter than advertised, with long waits on the ice; another had the trip called off minutes after landing.

The Fox hike’s itinerary is a 30-minute safety briefing, a 5-minute bus ride, a 5-minute flight, up to 3 hours on the ice and the same trip back, about 4 hours in all. The extended Franz Josef day runs about 8 hours, with up to about 5.5 hours on the ice, a picnic lunch on the glacier and a 1:4 guide ratio. It needs a minimum of four guests to run.

Weather, cancellations and refunds

Franz Josef Glacier Guides needs a four-hour window of clear weather and makes the final call just before departure. If the helicopter cannot fly, the hike does not run: there is no walk-in alternative. The company may offer its shorter Scenic Helicopter Flight & Glacier Landing instead, if that can still go. On the Fox hike, the Viator listing says the weather call is made 10 minutes before check-in.

Booked on GetYourGuide, you can cancel free up to 24 hours before, and a weather cancellation means a reschedule or a full refund. If a trip is cut short, Franz Josef Glacier Guides’ direct-booking terms consider a partial refund only below 1.5 hours on the ice. Every operator advises booking for your first day in the area, and Franz Josef Glacier Guides suggests allowing at least two days. Our weather and cancellations guide has the full rules.

Franz Josef or Fox Glacier for the hike

Book the hike in the village you are staying in, since each starts at its own guiding base in town and the two are about 25 minutes apart by road. The Fox hike gives up to 30 more minutes on the ice for $28 less, and takes children from age 9. The Franz Josef hike suits you if you are based in Franz Josef. Our Franz Josef vs Fox Glacier guide compares the two villages.

Which heli-hike to book

Book the Franz Josef hike if you are staying in Franz Josef and everyone in your group is 10 or older. Choose the Fox hike if you are staying in Fox Glacier, have a 9-year-old with you or want the extra half hour on the ice. The extended day suits fit adults who want most of a day on the glacier and can accept a $368 premium over the standard hike and a listing with one review.

If a hike is not possible for your group, a snow landing flight puts everyone on the snow for a few minutes, and a private flight keeps a family or group of up to six in one helicopter. When you have a date, check availability for the Franz Josef heli-hike.