Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike
★ 4.6 (655 operator reviews)
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before · Reserve now, pay later
Overview
The heli-hike is the only tour that puts you on foot on Franz Josef Glacier itself. Since the 2012 collapse ended access from the valley floor, the ice can only be reached by air, and this trip is built around that reality. A helicopter carries you to a landing high on the glacier, and from there a guide leads you across it for roughly two and a quarter hours.
What the guide does is the point. Franz Josef is a live, moving glacier, its surface reshaping week to week. Guides read the ice each day, cut steps where the route needs them, and thread a safe line through crevasses, caves and pinnacles that a solo walker could never find or judge. The flight is spectacular, but it is the time on the ice that makes this the most-booked tour at the glacier.
It is a physical trip. The hike is moderately challenging, on uneven ice, for a couple of hours, so a reasonable level of fitness helps. Everything technical is supplied — boots, crampons, jacket, over-trousers, hat and gloves — so you arrive with just warm layers and a willingness to walk.
What to Expect
1. Check in at the base
Meet at the Glacier Base on Cron Street. Check in 30 minutes before departure — it's enforced, and weather is often assessed at this point.
2. Safety briefing and kit
Collect and fit your hiking gear: boots, crampons, waterproofs, hat and gloves. Guides run a safety orientation before you fly.
3. Helicopter to the ice
A short scenic flight lifts you over the icefalls and crevasses to a landing high on the glacier — views you cannot get from the ground.
4. Guided hike, ~2h15m
Crampons on, ice axe to hand, you follow your guide across the glacier past caves, pinnacles and seracs, learning the glaciology as you go.
5. Fly out
The helicopter returns you to base. Total trip is around four hours door to door.
What's Included
Included
- ✓ Round-trip helicopter flights to the glacier
- ✓ About 2h15m guided hike on the ice
- ✓ All hiking equipment: jacket, over-trousers, boots, crampons, hat, gloves
- ✓ Expert ice guides
- ✓ Commentary on glaciology and Māori history
Not included
- ✗ Hotel pickup and drop-off
- ✗ Food and drinks
- ✗ Gratuities
Meeting Point & Logistics
Te Ao Marama, Glacier Base, 63 Cron Street, Franz Josef. Check in 30 minutes before your scheduled departure; late arrivals may forfeit the booking.
Traveller Reviews
“The guides carved steps in the ice and explained the glacier as we walked. Worth every dollar, even with the odd pause to cut the route.”
James P. · United Kingdom · couple · 2025
“First time on a glacier and I felt safe the whole way. Zoe was a brilliant guide, patient with everyone. Book an early slot for the best chance of clear weather.”
Marn K. · United States · family · 2026
“The flight alone was incredible, then two hours on the ice among the caves and pinnacles. The single best thing we did in New Zealand.”
Adrian C. · Australia · couple · 2026
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