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Franz Josef Heli Hiking Guided Tour
Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, New Zealand
Likely to Sell Out
From $438.23
Select Date and Travelers
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
- 3 hours
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience a Franz Josef Glacier heli-hike as you explore ice caves and other glacial terrain with a professional guide. Then don provided boots, jacket and ice axe for a guided hike past deep crevasses and towering ice-blue pinnacles before the return chopper ride down. Choose from seasonal departure times to suit your schedule.
- Franz Josef Glacier helicopter tour and guided hike
- Take a helicopter flight between two icefalls
- Follow a professional guide on a hike on the glacial terrain
- Equipment provided, including glacier boots and ice crampons
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Expert mountaineering guides and equipment make this tour ideal for first-time glacier hikers.
What's Included
- Helicopter ride
- Professional guide
- 2-hour hike on the glacier
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 63 Cron Street, Franz Josef / Waiau 7886, New Zealand
Check in is located at 63 Cron Street. This is the Glacier Base building. Check in time is 15 minutes prior to the time you are booked in for. Please make sure to contact The Helicopter Line at least 24hrs prior to your departure time to reconfirm your booking.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Start your Franz Josef Glacier tour at a helicopter base in town. Receive a safety briefing and be fitted with provided gear including a waterproof jacket, glacier boots with socks and ice crampons, and an ice axe.
Then board the AS355 twin-engine Squirrel, a helicopter whose open-plan cabin offers prime views for all six passengers. Hover above remote landscapes with access to the 7.5-mile-long (12-km) Franz Josef Glacier. Fly right by towering peaks, over deep crevasses, and past pristine blue waterways. Admire the sparkling ice before an exciting landing high up on the glacier between two icefalls.
Then hop out to begin your guided hike over the picturesque icy terrain, most often seen only by skilled mountaineers.
Clamber in and around ice caves as your guide points out dramatic pinnacles and seracs, and learn about the history and current conditions of Franz Josef Glacier. Enjoy plenty of photo ops before you reboard the helicopter for the ride back to town.
Then board the AS355 twin-engine Squirrel, a helicopter whose open-plan cabin offers prime views for all six passengers. Hover above remote landscapes with access to the 7.5-mile-long (12-km) Franz Josef Glacier. Fly right by towering peaks, over deep crevasses, and past pristine blue waterways. Admire the sparkling ice before an exciting landing high up on the glacier between two icefalls.
Then hop out to begin your guided hike over the picturesque icy terrain, most often seen only by skilled mountaineers.
Clamber in and around ice caves as your guide points out dramatic pinnacles and seracs, and learn about the history and current conditions of Franz Josef Glacier. Enjoy plenty of photo ops before you reboard the helicopter for the ride back to town.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- What to bring
- Warm upper-body clothing (preferably 3-4 layers)
- Leggings or light trousers, although shorts are acceptable
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
Caroline_U
The staff and pilots are extremely professional and yet really fun!!! We enjoyed all our time learning how to walk in the ice and experience a beautiful new world! Thanks!!!
Reviews
4.5
246 reviews
Emma_M, Mar 2024
The helicopter ride was a fantastic experience. We saw the whole glacier. The hike wasn’t too difficult and our guide Rosa was knowledgeable about the glacier. It was a trip to remember.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Kia Ora Emma,
Thank you so much for your 5-star review. We are so pleased to hear you had a fantastic experience on the helicopter flight on the way and back from your hike. Our pilots enjoy showing off our backyard and giving you the best views of the glacier. We’re also pleased to hear that the hike wasn’t too strenuous for you, and your guide Rosa was so knowledgeable and gave great commentary about the glacier. We aim to go above and beyond.
Ngā mihi,
The THL Franz Josef Team
Marti_H, Mar 2024
Our guide Anna was wonderful giving us a memorable experience on the glacier and educating us along the. She always emphasized safety. Even when the weather turned for a time delaying our extricate she kept things fun and kept us warm in a large divvy. We truly got the full experience!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Marti,
It sounds like your trip was memorable, exciting and packed full of adventure. We're pleased to hear how Anna's guiding was fun and educational whilst keeping you all safe and warm when the weather turned. It’s a magical experience from start to finish. The excitement of the helicopter flight to and from the glacier and being able to navigate through with friends/family or on your own makes for a wonderful day. Thank you for joining us on an epic adventure.
Best wishes,
The Helicopter Line
Martyn_S, Mar 2024
We were extremely lucky with the weather and set off in blue skies although the cloud came in later meaning we were the last trip of the day.
Choose an early trip if possible - best chance of good weather.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you, Martyn for the wonderful review. You’re so right with the weather becoming changeable so quickly here. The early morning is a great time to experience our thrilling Heli Hike. We're so glad you enjoyed your time with us and thank you for your support.
Kind regards,
The Team at The Helicopter Line
Kirk_F, Mar 2024
Once in a lifetime amazing experience. The tour is weather dependent but worth the risk. Our guide Ula made the experience special, safe but exciting and informative. She knew a lot about the glacier! Great stories. She managed the timing for the hike and story telling. Overall great views and great pics along with physical challenge.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Kia Ora Kirk,
It sounds like it was a massive tick off your bucket list. Thanks for choosing to experience the glacier with us. It sounds like your guide, Yula made you feel safe even when the risk of the weather changing can impact the trip. We're pleased to hear the physical challenge was as expected and that you were able to take home memorable photos. How special to have been able to view first hand the glacier from flight and by foot. Thank you for recommendation.
Best wishes,
The Helicopter Line
Dirk_M, Mar 2024
The helicopter ride was amazing! Walking on the glacier was very cool. Really well organized. The guide, Aidan, was fantastic. Lots of great photo ops, definitely worth it!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thanks for your 5-star review Dirk. We love to hear from happy guests who enjoyed the hike and the helicopter flight to and from the glacier. Aidan is a fantastic guide and is extremely knowledgeable about the glacier. It sounds like he made the adventure a lot of fun. The photo ops not only on the glacier, but from the air are what makes it such a unique and unforgettable experience. We are pleased you found it a worthwhile activity as part of your greater trip.
Kind regards,
The Helicopter Line
Lindley_J, Feb 2024
This operation was very organized and prepared. Gear was distributed smoothly. The helicopter ride to the glacier was short but beautiful and the hike was well done. My only concern was that there were so many groups on the glacier we stood around on the ice not moving for a great deal of time. Would have preferred more actual walking.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Lindley,
We are happy to hear your tour went smoothly and you felt it was well organized. Whilst the helicopter ride is short there and back, it still provides stunning views of the glacier with plenty of photo opportunities. It can be busy during summer months to be a very popular activity, which is why there can be more groups on the ice at the one time. We hope the walking you did achieve was still enjoyable and you were provided with plenty of commentary and knowledge around the glacier itself.
Kind regards,
The Helicopter Line
Ramya_N, Feb 2024
Great experience! Cannot miss out if you are going to the glacier area! We were lucky to have good weather to make it. Our guide Jule was great too!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you so much for your 5-star review, Ramya. We are pleased to hear your experience was great and that you loved our beautiful West Coast. The weather here does change quickly and with very little warning. It's awesome for us to hear that our guests enjoyed their time with our guides, who are not only knowledgeable but make you feel safe whilst still having a fun memorable experience. Thank you for exploring the glacier with us.
Best wishes,
The Helicopter Line
Emma_C, Feb 2024
Caleb was a great guide. Fantastic experience. Beautiful up on the glacier. And helicopter ride was fun.
The team were committed to a safe experience and watched the weather closely, communicating with us the whole time. Our trip was cut short due to a deterioration on of the weather but in spite of this Caleb ensured we got the best out of our experience. A highlight of the trip.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Kia Ora Emma,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your experience with us and Cale made it even more special. We hope to have you back again on the West Coast soon.
Best wishes,
The Helicopter Line
Connor_R, Jan 2024
The trip was canceled due to weather and therefore did not happen. Getting refund from Viator for it.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Kia Ora Connor,
We are sorry your flight was cancelled due to weather. Please be in touch with our team if you have any issues with your refund. We hope to see you for a flight on your next West Coast visit.
Jamie_B, Jan 2024
What an unbelievable and special trip this was. Having the chance of exploring a glacier is a once in a lifetime opportunity due to climate change. However, this would not have been the trip without the utterly professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff from the Glacier Guides.
Alex, our guide, is an incredible human being who made our trip extra special. He had the ability to comfort, make jokes and conversate with people from multiple backgrounds and ages.
Due to weather, we were actually stuck on the glacier for an extra 2 hours. We were completely warned of this prior to going on the trip. Although there was tensions of anxiety throughout the customers, all the staff were very reassuring and comforting, turning the 'bad luck' in to a much better experience overall.
You must do this experience.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Hello Jamie,
Thank you for leaving a review with us. We are very happy to hear you enjoyed your experience hiking on the glacier with guide Alex. Will be sure to pass along your feedback. We hope to have you back again on the glacier soon. We thank you for joining us for a West Coast adventure.
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Likely to Sell Out
Franz Josef Heli Hiking Guided Tour
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