Franz Josef Town: 3-Glacier Helicopter Ride with Landing

About This Experience

Glacier Country Helicopters' 45-minute flight takes in three glaciers (Franz Josef, Fox and the Tasman) plus Aoraki/Mt Cook, with a 15-minute snow landing for photos. The 45 minutes include that landing, so you are in the air for about half an hour. It starts at the operator's Franz Josef office, where you check in 30 minutes ahead and sit through a safety briefing.

A short transfer takes you to the hangar to meet your pilot. You fly over the old terminal moraine of Franz Josef Glacier, up its valley and across the head of the névé toward Fox Glacier and the Tasman, New Zealand's longest glacier. Aoraki/Mt Cook and the main peaks of the Southern Alps sit along the route, and the pilot talks you through what you are seeing over the headset.

The landing is on an elevated snow site with views across Westland Tai Poutini National Park. At $393 per person the flight costs $113 more than the operator's 35-minute two-glacier trip, so it suits you if the Tasman and Mt Cook are the reason you came. It also gives a longer stop on the snow than the shorter flights in the operator's range.

Several three-star reviews mention seating. The helicopter holds six, two of those seats are in the middle, and a few riders in the back said they could not see what the pilot was describing. Others had the landing called off or the third glacier dropped when wind and cloud came in, and the operator reprices a flight that cannot land.

Highlights

• Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman glaciers on one flight, weather permitting
• Views of Aoraki/Mt Cook and the Southern Alps
• 15-minute stop on an elevated snow landing site
• Low pass over the terminal moraine and up the Franz Josef valley
• Ice pinnacles and crevasses seen from above
• Front seat requests taken 24 hours ahead, confirmed at check-in

What's Included

• ✓ Safety briefing at the Franz Josef office
• ✓ Transfer to the operator's private hangar
• ✓ 45-minute helicopter flight with an experienced pilot
• ✓ Headset with guided commentary
• ✓ 15-minute snow landing (weather permitting)
• ✓ Landing fees

Not Included

• Comfort Seat, compulsory at half the flight price for passengers weighing 120 kg or more at check-in
• Front seat request (made 24 hours ahead, confirmed at check-in)
• Hotel pickup and drop-off

What to Bring

• Sunglasses
• Camera
• Jacket (especially in winter)
• Closed-toe, sturdy shoes

Good to Know & Caveats

• The route can change or be canceled at short notice for weather. A weather cancellation gets you a reschedule or a full refund through GetYourGuide; free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before.
• Flights need a minimum of four passengers to leave. If too few people book, you are offered a reschedule or a full refund.
• Everyone is weighed at check-in. Passengers of 120 kg or more, including what they carry, must buy a Comfort Seat at half the flight price.
• If the pilot cannot land, the operator reprices the flight as an overflight.
• Check in 30 minutes before your flight time at 10 Main Road, Franz Josef.

Meeting Point

Check in at the Glacier Country Helicopters office at 10 Main Road, Franz Josef township; a transfer then takes you to the hangar.