Franz Josef: Glacier Helicopter Ride with Snow Landing

About This Experience

This 20-minute flight with HeliServices is the cheapest of the 15 tours with a page on this site, at $204 per person on GetYourGuide. It holds 4.9 from 195 GetYourGuide reviews. You board at the operator's base in Franz Josef, climb over the glacier to a snow landing high in the Southern Alps, and fly back down the same valley. The 20 minutes include the time on the snow.

After takeoff the pilot heads up into the Southern Alps and crosses the ice pinnacles and crevasses of the Franz Josef Glacier on the way to the landing site. Through your headset the pilot gives a running commentary and points out Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, New Zealand's highest peaks. On the way home you drop back across the glacier and over temperate rainforest to the base.

At the landing site you step out onto the snow with time for photos before reboarding. The listing does not give a set number of minutes on the ground, and the flight, the route and the landing all depend on safe weather and the pilot's call. HeliServices says it can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler on the snow than in the village, so dress for it.

It suits travelers who want a snow landing for the lowest price on this site and do not need a second glacier. The trade-off is time: with the landing inside 20 minutes, the flying part is short. HeliServices makes its final weather call at check-in, 30 minutes before departure. Book for your first day in the area so a cancelled flight can move to another day.

Highlights

• Cross the ice pinnacles and crevasses of the Franz Josef Glacier
• Snow landing high in the Southern Alps with time for photos
• Views of Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, New Zealand's highest peaks
• Return over temperate rainforest to the base in Franz Josef
• $204 per person, the lowest price of the tours with a page on this site

What's Included

• ✓ 20-minute scenic helicopter flight from the base in Franz Josef, landing time included
• ✓ Snow landing, weather and pilot permitting
• ✓ Headset carrying the pilot's running commentary
• ✓ Pilot pointing out Mount Cook, Mount Tasman and other landmarks
• ✓ Return flight to the base

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

What to Bring

• Covered shoes (sneakers are fine) or hiking boots
• Sunglasses for the snow glare
• Warm outdoor clothing you can stand on the snow in
• Camera

Good to Know & Caveats

• Departures, routes and the snow landing depend on safe weather and the pilot's discretion. If weather cancels the flight, GetYourGuide offers a reschedule or full refund; you can cancel free up to 24 hours before.
• HeliServices makes the final weather call at check-in, 30 minutes before departure.
• Infants 3 years and under who weigh less than 15 kg sit on an adult's lap but must be declared as passengers when you book; heavier infants pay the child fare.
• Hotel pickup is not included; you make your own way to the base in Franz Josef.

Meeting Point

Check in at the HeliServices base in Franz Josef 30 minutes before departure; the exact address is on your voucher.