Helicopter flights over Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Guided walks from the valley floor onto the Franz Josef Glacier stopped in 2012, and at Fox Glacier in 2014, because the thinning ice left the valley walls unstable. DOC now puts it plainly: the upper snowfields are reached by helicopter or ski plane. That is why several helicopter companies check guests in along Main Road in Franz Josef, and why Fox Glacier village, about 25 minutes south by car, has bases of its own.

Most flights follow the same pattern. You check in at the operator’s office, watch a safety briefing and are driven a short way to the hangar or helipad. The flight climbs over the moraine and the icefall, lands high on a snowfield for around ten minutes and comes back down over rainforest. What changes from one flight to the next is the number of glaciers, the length of the landing and how close you get to Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Short flights up one glacier

The shortest flights run 20 to 25 minutes and stay with a single glacier. HeliServices.NZ flies 20 minutes from its base in Franz Josef past the ice pinnacles to a snow landing, with the pilot pointing out Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. Glacier Country Helicopters, at 10 Main Road, runs a 25-minute flight up the Franz Josef valley to a landing in the mountains. The operator is frank about its limits: it has one route and one landing site, so it is cancelled more often than the longer flights, and in summer the landing can be on rock instead of snow.

From Fox Glacier village, Glacier Helicopters flies 25 minutes over the icefalls and crevasses of the Fox Glacier and lands on the snow above them. That suits you if you are staying in Fox or driving south the same day.

Two or three glaciers and Mount Cook

The 30 to 45-minute flights are the middle ground. The 35-minute flight by Glacier Country Helicopters covers the Franz Josef and then either the Fox or the Tasman Glacier, decided on the day, with ten minutes on foot at the landing. Glacier Helicopters flies a twin route of similar length over the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, landing midway. From Fox Glacier, The Helicopter Line flies a 35-minute route with at most six passengers, landing above the Fox icefalls before turning towards the west face of Mount Cook.

At 40 and 45 minutes the routes reach the Tasman Glacier on the far side of the Main Divide and pass Aoraki/Mount Cook. The Grand Tour by HeliServices.NZ lands for 8 to 10 minutes, and the 45-minute flight by Glacier Country Helicopters for 15.

Across the Main Divide to the Tasman Glacier

Inflite Franz & Fox Helicopters takes a different line. From Franz Josef Heliport the 30-minute flight climbs the Franz Josef Glacier, crosses the Main Divide at Centennial Hut and lands on the Tasman Glacier, the longest in New Zealand, before returning over Climber Col. The operator says no other West Coast company flies there. Reviews explain the catch: the landing area sits higher than those of the other companies, so it is more exposed to weather, and several guests had their time moved more than once. The exact flight time is confirmed by email after booking and can differ from the one you asked for. Inflite sets a weight limit of 116 kg per passenger.

The long flights

The 60-minute flight by Glacier Country Helicopters is the longest shared flight here. It covers the Franz Josef, Fox, Tasman and Shackleton glaciers, passes Mount Cook and lands twice, the second time near the Shackleton Glacier. The operator also points out the peaks used for the beacon scenes in the Lord of the Rings films. The same company flies a 50-minute Shackleton route with a 15-minute landing, where you can try a sample of Shackleton whisky with glacier ice if you want to.

For a group that wants the helicopter to itself, the private three-glacier flight follows the 45-minute route with a 15-minute landing. Allow another 45 minutes for check-in and the van to the helipad. You may still share the check-in and the van with other passengers.

Weight, seats and luggage

The Helicopter Line asks for every passenger’s weight at booking. At Glacier Country Helicopters, passengers of 120 kg and over must book a comfort seat, and front seats can be requested 24 hours ahead. Reviews of the two-glacier flight say the front is worth asking for: one guest in the second row on the right saw most of the snowfields only on the far side, and others found the return leg quick and green. HeliServices.NZ does not allow bags or selfie sticks on its Grand Tour, and Glacier Helicopters bans drones, selfie sticks and tablets.

Some reviews mention a fuel surcharge paid at check-in, and on the short flight an extra charge when the pilot switched to a different route. Read the confirmation email before you arrive.

Rain, cloud and the time of year

Franz Josef is wet. NIWA recorded an average of 5,751 mm of rain a year at the village between 1981 and 2010, with rain on 206 days. December is the wettest month and July the driest, though July still has rain on 14 days. Low cloud is what grounds the aircraft, and the reviews show how it plays out: a landing on a different peak, a flight over one glacier instead of two, or a cancellation the evening before. One reviewer’s advice is to plan several days in the village, and the heli-hike operator asks guests to book their first available day.

Flights run all year. Winter days are short: on 21 June the sun rises at 08:12 and sets at 17:10, flat horizon assumed, and the mountains cut the light further. In midsummer it is up from 05:55 to 21:20. UV on snow and ice is strong in every season, so bring sunglasses even under cloud. Glacier Helicopters only flies between 9 am and noon on Christmas Day. For the months in more detail, see the best time to visit and weather and what to wear.

Flying or walking on the ice

A flight shows you the scale of the glaciers. If you want time on the ice itself, a heli-hike uses the helicopter as a transfer and gives you two to three hours in crampons with a guide. From the ground, the walk up the Franz Josef Glacier valley ends at a viewpoint well short of the ice.

Flights from the eastern side of the Main Divide, from Mount Cook Airport and Lake Tekapo, are covered on visitmountcook.com.