Getting around Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

5 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Franz Josef/Waiau and Fox Glacier/Weheka both sit on State Highway 6 at the edge of the national park, 23.5 km apart. The glacier car parks, the lakes and the old gold town of Ōkārito are all short side trips from the same highway. Distances are small, but most walks start a drive away from the villages, so a car or a tour with transport makes the days simpler.

Distances by car

A route calculation on OpenStreetMap data gives 26 minutes from Franz Josef to Fox Glacier, 32 minutes to the Lake Matheson car park (28.5 km) and 25 minutes to Ōkārito (about 27 km). Glacier Country puts Lake Mapourika ten minutes’ drive north of the village. These are times without stops. Traffic keeps left and everyone in the car wears a seatbelt.

Up the Franz Josef valley

The glacier access road leaves the highway south of the village, crosses the Waiho River bridge and turns left into the valley. DOC describes its 4 km as unsealed but fine for cars, campervans and buses. At the end is the main car park, which DOC charges by the half hour or by the day, by card only; stays under ten minutes are free (as of November 2026). The only toilets in the valley are here, and there are no rubbish bins further up, so take your rubbish back to the car.

From the car park the Glacier Valley Walk takes about 30 minutes return. On 2 November 2026 the daily report put its viewpoint about 3,000 m from the ice. DOC closes the road and track when flooding, rockfall or slips make the valley unsafe, so read the daily glacier access report from Glacier Country before you go.

Fox Glacier valley

For Fox Glacier, drive 2 km south of the township, cross the Fox River bridge and park on the left. The South Side Walkway starts there and takes about two hours return to a viewpoint that was about 2,600 m from the ice on 2 November 2026. It doubles as a cycleway: DOC says cycling ends at an old car park, where bikes must be left. Do not go beyond the viewpoint, which DOC marks as an extreme flood hazard. Inside the village, the Minnehaha Walk starts on State Highway 6 and takes 20 minutes; bikes are not allowed on it.

Guided walks from Franz Josef include the 30-minute drive each way, or pick you up in Fox Glacier. Reviews of the half-day Fox walk mention that a fair share of the time goes on the minibus, and that the path itself is one you could also walk alone.

Lakes and Ōkārito

Lake Matheson lies beyond Fox Glacier towards the coast, and the walk from its car park to the jetty viewpoint takes 45 minutes return. Lake Mapourika is on the highway north of Franz Josef; the kayak and boat trips on it include a transfer from the village, so you do not need your own car there. Ōkārito is reached by a side road off State Highway 6 north of the lake. DOC notes that there are no shops or service stations, so bring enough food and fuel, and repellent for the sandflies. If you would rather not drive at dusk, the guided Lake Matheson tour includes the 30-minute drive from Franz Josef or a pickup in Fox Glacier, and DOC times the full 4.4 km circuit at about 1 hour 30 minutes.

On foot in the village

In Franz Josef many things are within walking distance. The DOC visitor centre at 69 Cron Street, at the north end of the village, opens daily from 8:30 am, has weather forecasts, track information, free Wi-Fi and personal locator beacons to borrow, and its phone number is +64 21 947 990. The West Coast Wildlife Centre is on Cron Street too, and the Terrace Walk starts at the edge of town and takes 30 minutes; after dark, bring a torch to look for glow-worms. A slip has closed the track beyond the seats at its end, so you return the way you came.

Fuel and supplies

DOC lists accommodation, service stations, grocery stores and souvenir shops in both villages. Parking at the Franz Josef glacier is card only, and New Zealand businesses widely accept Visa and Mastercard. The next larger towns are Hokitika, 136 km north, and Haast, 144 km south, so fill the tank before a long day out. For the long drives north and south, see getting there, and for which day to put where, the itineraries.