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Franz Josef Glacier: Small-Group Heli-Hike Adventure
4.6
572 Ratings
Franz Josef / Waiau
Explore Franz Josef Glacier by helicopter and hike. Discover stunning ice formations, learn about environmental changes, and enjoy a personalized adventure in a small group.
Explore Franz Josef Glacier by helicopter and hike. Discover stunning ice formations, learn about environmental changes, and enjoy a personalized adventure in a small group.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Franz Josef Glacier - Discover the extraordinary Franz Josef Glacier, renowned as one of the world’s most unique glaciers. As the fastest moving glacier globally, each visit offers a distinct experience. Accessible exclusively by helicopter, start your 2-hour adventure with a stunning scenic flight to the glacier, followed by an unparalleled glacier hike!
- Franz Josef Glacier - Discover the extraordinary Franz Josef Glacier, renowned as one of the world’s most unique glaciers. As the fastest moving glacier globally, each visit offers a distinct experience. Accessible exclusively by helicopter, start your 2-hour adventure with a stunning scenic flight to the glacier, followed by an unparalleled glacier hike!
What's Included
- 2-hours 15 minutes (approx.) guided glacier walk
- All hiking equipment (Gore-tex jackets, over trousers, woolen hats and gloves, leather boots, crampons)
- Round-trip helicopter flights to Franz Josef Glacier
- 2-hours 15 minutes (approx.) guided glacier walk
- All hiking equipment (Gore-tex jackets, over trousers, woolen hats and gloves, leather boots, crampons)
- Round-trip helicopter flights to Franz Josef Glacier
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Explore the stunning natural wonders of New Zealand on a small-group 2-hour and 30-minute Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike. Accompanied by a guide, take a helicopter ride to the Pinnacles area of the glacier. Embark on a moderately challenging hike through the intricate ice formations. Discover the significant environmental changes impacting the glacier…
Explore the stunning natural wonders of New Zealand on a small-group 2-hour and 30-minute Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike. Accompanied by a guide, take a helicopter ride to the Pinnacles area of the glacier. Embark on a moderately challenging hike through the intricate ice formations. Discover the significant environmental changes impacting the glacier and understand the geological forces involved. With a maximum group size of 11, enjoy a personalized adventure.
- Minimum age is 10 years old (min height 137cm)
- Minimum weight is 35kg, Maximum weight 115kg
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Glacier walks are moderately difficult, clients need to be fit and able. Refunds will not be available for clients who cannot participate on the day due to inappropriate fitness levels, i.e. it is important you are selecting the right trip for your physical fitness ability. Guides reserve the right to curtail or cancel trips for clients whose fitness is not appropriate
- Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately. Two to four warm upper- body layers of clothing are recommended, quick-drying trousers or shorts (no jeans), a hat and gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen and a camera
- The Operator reserves the absolute right to cancel or vary any service for any reason including as a result of weather conditions, insufficient reservations or any unforeseen event or circumstance. These trips are weather dependent.
- For Health and Safety reasons, we are unable to guide pregnant women. Please note: We have a weight limit of 115kg per person on the Heli Hike.
Location
Franz Josef Glacier Guides
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(572 Ratings)
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Michenk
Jun 16, 2025
Do this, such a unique cool experience! - Incredible experience and so unique!!! Jack, our guide, and all the staff, were awesome and super friendly. Highly recommend this experience!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderer53514655633
May 25, 2025
Awesome experience! - The absolute highlight of our trip to NZ. Our guide Sarah was amazing. She was so knowledgeable, but also showed such kindness and care of all those in the group. It was the most expensive part of our holiday, but we are so glad we did it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan
May 19, 2025
Amazing glacier adventure from start to finish- - From my first communication with Franz Josef Glacier Guides, I knew this was the company I wanted to book the Glacier Heli Hike with. Their first goal is the client’s safety. They had paper work to fill out, practice steps to make sure each person would be able to handle the climbing, a list of exactly what you needed to bring and what they provided. Everyone at their office had a role in the team and helping each group get ready for their ride.
We were guided by the amazing Sarah! She is an incredible guide, demonstrating several techniques to approach the different challenges of climbing up, down glaciers and even crawling through an ice hole. Sarah axed out steps, kept the group safe, knew which of ice needed an extra hand, and helped build confidence in everyone in the group. She made what could have been a scary experience one of wow moments. This is an adventure you will never forgot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Glynn_s
May 6, 2025
Ice, ice baby... - It was touch and go due to the weather but we made it onto the ice. Very professional set up, good briefing, quality kit, helpful staff and guides. The flight up and landing awesome, great pilot. By no means an easy couple of hours, take snacks and water, sunglasses a must. Ruby our guide kept us safe and informed, on our trip 1 guy pulled our early on due to effort, someone else had a bit of a fall, you gave have a moderate level of fit ess and agility, lots of up and down. Lo Ed every minute, not cheap but a once in a lifetime adventure.
Review provided by Viator
I5143uvchristophers
May 5, 2025
One of the highlights of our recent New Zealand trip - This was a wonderful experience from start to finish. We felt well prepared as we were kitted out and everything was explained to us. The helicopter ride was an experience in itself giving stunning views of the glacier. Our guide, Brian, was very informative and made sure we were safe at all times, professional but put us at our ease. Standing on the glacier will live long in the memory!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Melissa_k
May 2, 2025
This was a fantastic... - This was a fantastic experience. All gear was provided and the crampons made easy work of walking on the ice. Our guide Heather did a great job explaining the glacier features. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Bethpape
Apr 27, 2025
Excellent hike on Franz Josef - Super well organized and safely managed. The tour exceeded expectations with the great features we hiked thru like mini caves and in between ice cracks. Sarah our guide was very informative and made it fun like offering snow slushies. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
121saran
Apr 17, 2025
Awesome experience. - Our pick-wielding guide, Sarah, was absolutely awesome and incredibly knowledgeable about the glaciers. She prioritized the safety of our group at all times, carefully carving pathways that allowed us to navigate the terrain with confidence. Thanks Sarah for your hard work, other groups were also able to follow the path with ease. Sarah went above and beyond—she deserves double pay for her efforts! Well done Sarah, and thank you for taking your job so seriously.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jadeh285
May 3, 2025
Amazing glacier, helicopter ride disappointing - Stunning glacier and amazing views. We got allocated spots in the helicopter before the first flight, wish they changed up who got to ride in the front of the helicopter though for the trip there and back, my boyfriend and I got stuck in the back of the helicopter for both rides and couldn't see so well (we're quite short), which was a big disappointment as neither of us had ever been in a helicopter before and this was a huge part of the reason we booked the experience to begin with. Otherwise though, a great day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eusutsu
Apr 13, 2025
Amazing trek across the glacier - It was an amazing experience and the guide, Drew, was explaining things about the glacier and the formations we saw. Plus I was all the time watching to see if we were okay.
The helicopter ride has been short. We wish we'd flown over the glacier.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
