Franz Josef with kids

6 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

Franz Josef is a small village, and most of what children enjoy is close at hand: forest walks that start at the edge of town, glow-worms in the banks after dark and a kiwi house on Cron Street. The glaciers themselves can only be reached on foot as far as the viewpoints, and onto the ice only by helicopter, with age limits that depend on the trip. This page goes through what works at which age.

Short walks

DOC grades several walks as easiest or easy. In Franz Josef, Sentinel Rock takes 20 minutes return from the glacier car park on a short, steady climb, with panels and old photos that show how far the ice has retreated. The Glacier Valley Walk from the same car park takes about 30 minutes return to the viewpoint. In the village, the Terrace Walk takes 30 minutes; a slip has closed the track beyond the seats at the end, so you come back the same way.

In Fox Glacier, DOC describes the 20-minute Minnehaha Walk as suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. At Lake Matheson the track to the jetty viewpoint is wheelchair accessible and takes 45 minutes return; the full 4.4 km circuit takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. In the glacier valleys, keep children behind the barriers and away from the riverbed, which DOC warns can flood within minutes in heavy rain. There are no bins or toilets beyond the car park.

Glow-worms after dark

Both the Terrace Walk in Franz Josef and the Minnehaha Walk in Fox Glacier have glow-worms. DOC suggests going after dark with a torch. In summer it does not get dark until late: on 21 December civil twilight ends at 21:55. In June it is dark before 6 pm, which suits younger children better.

Kiwi and penguins

The West Coast Wildlife Centre in the village keeps live kiwi in an open nocturnal room without glass and hatches chicks of the rowi and the Haast tokoeka, the two rarest kiwi. Tuatara and penguins are part of the visit, with penguin feeding at 11 am and 3 pm, and the ticket is valid for 48 hours. Reviews mention that the kiwi room is small and dark, and that only a couple of birds may be visible.

The backstage tour shows the incubation and hatching rooms in about 40 minutes, for up to eight people, at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm. It is not for children under five or babies. Reviews point out that eggs are not always in the incubators and that there are no extra kiwi to see; some guests were lucky enough to see chicks.

On the lake

Lake Mapourika, ten minutes north, suits families in two ways. The two-hour cruise uses a boat with a closed cabin and a covered deck, includes tea and coffee and the transfer from the office in the village, and you may bring your own snacks. Reviews say the commentary can be hard to hear at the back of the boat, and on some days few birds show up. The three-hour kayak trip uses stable double sea kayaks and paddles into a creek in the Ōkārito Kiwi Sanctuary; the tour pages do not set one clear minimum age, so check before you book.

Flights and the ice

Several scenic flights take children of any age. On the 20-minute Franz Josef flight with a snow landing, infants under four and under 15 kg sit on an adult’s lap, and children over 15 kg need their own seat. For time on the ice with a younger child, a guided trip from the Franz Josef Glacier Guides base lands on the glacier for 15 minutes with an ice guide, in a group of at most six, and is open from age four. It starts and ends with a short walk through the bush.

The full heli-hikes are for older children. At Franz Josef the minimum is ten years, 35 kg and 137 cm, and under-18s must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian. At Fox Glacier the minimum age is nine. Both involve hours of walking on uneven ice in crampons.

Guided walks with small children

The guided walks in the Franz Josef valley and at Lake Matheson carry a baby carrier for children under three if you ask, along with rain gear and walking poles. The Lake Matheson tour describes its track as suitable for beginners and all ages. Reviews of the valley walk mention that only about half of the three hours is spent walking, with the rest on stops and the short drives.

Sun, sandflies and safety

Sandflies are common in the park. Te Ara recommends products with less than 10 per cent DEET for children. UV is damaging from September to April between 10 am and 4 pm and on snow, ice and water all year, so pack hats and sunscreen even on cloudy days. DOC asks visitors not to feed the kea or any other wildlife. In an emergency dial 111, free from any phone in New Zealand, and for health advice Healthline answers on 0800 611 116. The DOC visitor centre on Cron Street has weather updates and safety information. For a warm end to a wet day, Glacier Hot Pools in the village has pools between 36 and 40 degrees in the rainforest, open all year.