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Fox Glacier Village · Helicopter · The Ice
Fox Glacier Tour
Fox Glacier Guiding's heli-hike, about 4 hours from its base on Main Road in Fox Glacier village: a 5-minute helicopter flight onto the glacier, up to 3 hours on the ice with a guide and crampons, and the flight back.
- 4.9 / 5 372+ Reviews
- 4 hours Duration
- Up to 3 hours On the ice on Fox Glacier Guiding's heli-hike, after a 5-minute helicopter flight in
- 23.4 km By road from Fox Glacier village to Franz Josef, the other glacier village
- Free Cancellation
The Experience
What the Heli-Hike Includes
Two helicopter flights, a guide on the ice, and the gear: leather boots and socks, crampons, walking poles, a rain jacket and overtrousers. Food and drinks are yours to bring.
Highlights
- Enjoy a unique scenic flight over Fox Glacier
- Experience a 3 hour hike over the ice
- Marvel at ever-changing ice formations
- Learn informative commentary from an expert local guide
What's Included
- Two helicopter flights
- Expert guide
- Ground transport
- Leather boots and socks
- Crampons
- Walking poles
- Wet weather jacket and overtrousers
Good to know: All trips are subject to favourable weather conditions, it is recommended to book for the first available day in Fox Glacier to have maximum flexibility. If your trip is cancelled due to weather conditions you will receive a full refund. · No refunds or changes are permitted for guest-requested cancellations or changes within 24 hours of the scheduled trip time. · A reasonable level of fitness and agility is required as the glacier terrain is variable and reasonably challenging · People with a weight of more than 116 kilograms (255.7 pounds) will be subject to restrictions, this may include cancelation of your experience · Not suitable for: Children under 9 years, Wheelchair users, People over 254 lbs (115 kg) · Not Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Food and drinks
The Heli-Hike, Step by Step
From the briefing in Fox Glacier village to the flight back off the ice, about 4 hours.
Book Your First Full Day
Pick the first day you are in Fox Glacier and keep the next one free. Flights depend on the weather; a trip cancelled for weather is refunded in full.
Briefing and Boots on Main Road
Check in at Fox Glacier Guiding's base, 44 Main Road, for a 30-minute safety briefing. Leather boots and socks, crampons, walking poles and rain gear are handed out there.
Five Minutes by Helicopter
A 5-minute bus ride to the helipad, then a 5-minute flight to a landing on the ice in a remote part of the glacier.
Up to 3 Hours on the Ice
Crampons on, the guide cuts steps through the ice formations as you go. The weather on the day decides how long you stay, then the helicopter flies you back.
Photo Gallery
Blue Ice, Crevasses and the Flight In
Fox Glacier from the heli-hike: the flight onto the ice and the ice formations the guides cut steps through.
Book Your Experience
Check Availability & Prices
Pick a date on the calendar. This listing allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and refunds a trip cancelled for weather in full.
Plan Your Visit
Fox Glacier, One Question per Page
Walking on the ice, heli-hike or scenic flight, Fox or Franz Josef, the valley walks, Lake Matheson, and the weather.
Prices are each page's featured tour: GetYourGuide checked November 2026. Each price is per person, in US dollars; DOC's figures are in New Zealand units and dollars.
Four Ways to See Fox Glacier
The heli-hike onto the ice, a short scenic flight with a snow landing, a longer flight over both glaciers, and a guided walk in the valley. Time out, where you start, how close you get to the ice, and who each suits. Prices from the listings, with the month they were checked.
| Feature | THIS PAGE Heli-hike | Fox Glacier scenic flight | Franz Josef and Fox flight | Guided valley walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What You Pay | From US$479 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$223 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$279 per person (checked November 2026) | From US$65 per person (checked November 2026) |
| Time Out | About 4 hours, up to 3 of them on the ice | About 25 minutes, with a snow landing of about 8 | About 35 minutes, with a snow landing | 4 hours (3 from the Fox pickup) |
| Where You Start | Fox Glacier Guiding, 44 Main Road, Fox Glacier village | Glacier Helicopters, Fox Glacier village | Glacier Helicopters, Franz Josef village | The DOC building in Fox Glacier village, or the operator's base in Franz Josef |
| On the Ice? | Yes: walking with crampons among the ice formations | A snow landing above the icefalls, a few minutes on foot | A snow landing high on one of the glaciers | No: no closer than the public viewpoint |
| Who It Suits | Fit walkers aged 9 and over, 116 kg or less | Anyone short of time; children from 4 in their own seat | Anyone staying in Franz Josef who wants both glaciers | Families and anyone who wants the valley with a guide, in any weather |
| Check dates | See the scenic flight | See the two-glacier flight | See the valley walk |
More Ways to See the Glacier
Other Fox Glacier Tours
A twin-glacier flight from Franz Josef, a flight over Fox Glacier and Aoraki/Mount Cook from Fox Glacier village, and a guided walk around Lake Matheson. One card per listing.
BOTH GLACIERS, FROM FRANZ JOSEFFranz Josef: Twin Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers Helicopter Trip
HeliServices NZ's twin-glacier flight from Franz Josef township, about 30 minutes: over the icefall of the Franz Josef Glacier, up among the peaks for a snow landing of about 10 minutes, and across the snowfields of the Fox Glacier, with Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman in view. Departures, routes and the landing depend on the weather and the pilot.
FOX AND AORAKI/MOUNT COOKFox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing
The Helicopter Line's flight from Fox Glacier village, 35 minutes in all: over the Fox Glacier and its snowfields, a snow landing of about 10 minutes above the icefalls, then along the west face of Aoraki/Mount Cook before descending to the valleys. Shared flights carry up to 6. The weather check is made at check-in, 30 minutes before departure.
LAKE MATHESON, ON FOOTFranz Josef: Half-Day Nature Tour to Lake Matheson
Glacier Valley Eco Tours' guided walk around Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier township, about 4 hours with transport from its base in Franz Josef (a 30-minute drive) or a pickup in Fox Glacier: the well-formed lakeside track through old forest, bridges and boardwalks, a tea break, and the mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman when the air is still, best in the early evening. Rain gear, umbrellas and walking poles are supplied; water and dinner are not. It runs rain or shine. Groups are limited to 10.
The Ice by Helicopter, the Valley on Foot
How a Fox Glacier Tour Works
Why every trip onto the ice starts with a helicopter, what the heli-hike includes, the flights for anyone who cannot walk it, the free walk to the viewpoint, and what was open when this page was checked.
A Fox Glacier tour that puts you on the ice starts with a helicopter: the Department of Conservation (DOC) calls helicopters the only safe way onto the glacier, and the walks in the valley stop at a viewpoint 2.6 km from the ice. The trip that does it from the village is Fox Glacier Guiding’s Fox Glacier: Up to 3 Hours Hike with Helicopter Transfer, about 4 hours from its base at 44 Main Road, from US$479 a person (checked November 2026), with boots, crampons and rain gear included.
The short answer
There are two ways to see Fox Glacier up close, and both fly. The heli-hike lands you on the ice for up to 3 hours with a guide; a scenic flight shows you the whole glacier in 25 to 40 minutes and lands on the snow above the icefalls. Fox Glacier Guiding has run trips on the glacier since 1974, and its heli-hike listing has 372 reviews (checked November 2026). It takes walkers aged 9 and over who weigh 116 kg or less, and the weather decides every departure: book your first full day in the area, and a trip cancelled for weather is refunded in full.
Heli-hike, flight or a walk: pick your kind of trip
Fox Glacier: Up to 3 Hours Hike with Helicopter Transfer
Up to 3 hours on the ice with a guide, two helicopter flights, and leather boots, crampons, poles and rain gear supplied. Ages 9 and over.
Check dates →Fox Glacier: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing
About 25 minutes from Fox Glacier village over the icefalls and crevasses, with a snow landing of about 8 minutes. Groups of up to 6.
See the scenic flight →Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Helicopter Flight & Snow Landing
About 35 minutes over the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers with a snow landing, from the centre of Franz Josef village.
See the two-glacier flight →Fox Glacier: Half Day Walking & Nature Tour with Local Guide
About 4 hours from Franz Josef, 3 from the 2 pm pickup at the DOC building in Fox Glacier, through the rainforest to views of the upper glacier and Mount Tasman, with hot drinks and rain gear. It does not go onto the ice.
See the valley walk →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Where everything is
Fox Glacier village, also called Weheka, sits on State Highway 6 on the West Coast of the South Island, with the glacier in the valley above it. Fox Glacier Guiding’s base is at 44 Main Road in the middle of the village, where the InterCity bus stops; the helicopter companies for the scenic flights, Glacier Helicopters and The Helicopter Line, have their Fox Glacier offices on the same main road. The South Side Walk to the glacier viewpoint starts from a car park 2.0 km by road south of the village, across the Fox River bridge, and Lake Matheson’s car park is 5.0 km by road to the west.
Fox Glacier Guiding’s heli-hike, step by step
The day starts at the base on Main Road with a 30-minute safety briefing and the gear: leather boots and socks, crampons, walking poles, a waterproof jacket and overtrousers. A 5-minute bus ride takes the group to the helipad, and a 5-minute flight lands it on the ice in a remote part of the glacier. From there the guide leads the way, cutting steps through the ice formations, for up to 3 hours depending on the weather; then the helicopter flies the group back and the bus returns it to the base. Groups are up to 11, with departures at 8:50 am and 11:50 am all year. Bring warm layers, sunglasses, sunscreen and food; jeans and drones are not allowed.
What it costs, and what the price buys
The heli-hike costs about twice a short scenic flight: from US$479 a person against US$223 for Glacier Helicopters’ 25-minute flight (checked November 2026). Fox Glacier Guiding’s own price for the trip is NZ$849 an adult, the same for children aged 9 to 16 (its site, November 2026). The money buys two helicopter flights, the guide and the gear, and up to 3 hours in a part of the glacier no walking track reaches. The same heli-hike is also sold on Viator, from US$501 (checked November 2026): see Fox Glacier Guiding's heli-hike on Viator.
Heli-hike or scenic flight lists every flight from the village with its price, and can you walk on Fox Glacier covers fitness, clothing and what the ice is like.
The walk to the viewpoint, and what was open
The free way to see the glacier is DOC’s Fox Glacier South Side Walk: 6.4 km return, about 2 hours, through rainforest to a viewpoint across the valley. DOC’s daily glacier access update of 3 November 2026 had it open, with the viewpoint 2,600 m from the glacier’s terminal face. The old road up the north side of the valley was destroyed by a storm in March 2019, and DOC closed it for the indefinite future: an active landslide above it has made that side of the valley unsafe. DOC’s alerts showed no closure on the Fox Glacier walks or at Lake Matheson when this page was checked in November 2026. The tracks close after rockfall or flooding, so read the daily update on the morning you go. Fox Glacier walks has every track, with times.
When to go
DOC says the national park can have heavy rain at any time of year, up to 5 m of it annually, and every helicopter trip depends on the weather on the day. The trips run all year, weather permitting; the walks are busiest from November to April. Fox Glacier Guiding makes its final weather call 10 minutes before departure and refunds or rebooks a trip it cancels. The weather page covers what happens on a grounded day.
Getting to Fox Glacier
The only road is State Highway 6. Fox Glacier village is 23.4 km by road south of Franz Josef, 159 km by road from Hokitika Airport, the nearest airport with scheduled flights, and 327 km by road from Queenstown over the Haast Pass. InterCity’s buses from Queenstown take about 7 hours 15 minutes. Slips closed the Haast Pass road between Makarora and Lake Hāwea from 28 August 2026; NZTA reopened it fully on 23 October, with a 50 km/h limit at Waterfall Slip and stop/go at Windy Point while recovery work continues: check the Journey Planner before you drive it. If the trip carries on south to Fiordland after the glaciers, milfordsoundtouroptions.com covers the Milford Sound tours from Queenstown and Te Anau.
The glacier’s Māori name, Te Moeka o Tuawe, names it as the moeka, the final resting place, of the ancestor Tuawe. It lies in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, established in 1960 and part of Te Wāhipounamu, the South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
Walk on Fox Glacier with a Guide
Book the heli-hike for your first full day in Fox Glacier and keep the next one free: flights stop in bad weather, and a trip cancelled for weather is refunded in full. Starting from US$479 per person.
See datesMore Operators at the Glaciers
Glacier Tours with Open Dates
Heli-hikes, scenic flights and guided walks with live availability. Times, what is included and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Fox Glacier Tours: Questions
Walking on the ice, prices, where the heli-hike starts, age and weight limits, the weather, and Fox or Franz Josef.
Only on a guided heli-hike. The Department of Conservation (DOC) says helicopters are the only safe way to get people onto the glacier. The road up the north side of the valley has been closed since a storm in March 2019, and DOC's South Side Walk ends at a viewpoint that its daily access update of 3 November 2026 put 2,600 m from the glacier's face. Fox Glacier Guiding's heli-hike is from US$479 (checked November 2026). See can you walk on Fox Glacier.
Yes, when checked on 3 November 2026. DOC's daily glacier access update had the Fox Glacier South Side Walk open, 6.4 km return and about 2 hours, with the viewpoint 2,600 m from the terminal face. The tracks close after rockfall or flooding, so read the update on the morning you go. See Fox Glacier walks.
About 2 hours for the South Side Walk, 6.4 km return. The first view of the glacier comes after about 40 minutes, and the viewpoint about 10 minutes beyond. The Lake Matheson circuit is 4.4 km, about 1 hour 30 minutes; the Minnehaha Walk by the village is a 20-minute loop. See Lake Matheson.
From US$223 for a 25-minute scenic flight to US$479 for the 4-hour heli-hike (checked November 2026). Those are per-person prices for adults; children pay less. The 35-minute flights that add the Franz Josef Glacier or Aoraki/Mount Cook sit in between, and a guided walk in the valley, which does not go onto the ice, is from US$65. See heli-hike or scenic flight.
At 44 Main Road, in the centre of Fox Glacier village, on State Highway 6. The heli-hike checks in there, has its 30-minute safety briefing and boot fitting there, and ends there; a 5-minute bus ride takes the group to the helipad. Fox Glacier village is 23.4 km by road south of Franz Josef. This site is an independent guide, not Fox Glacier Guiding.
About 4 hours in all, with up to 3 hours on the ice. The rest is the briefing and boot fitting, the bus to the helipad and two 5-minute helicopter flights. The weather on the day decides how long the group stays on the glacier. Departures are at 8:50 am and 11:50 am on the Viator listing (checked November 2026).
Yes: 9 years and over, and 116 kg or less per passenger. The weight limit is for the helicopter's weight and balance. Walkers need a reasonable level of fitness and agility for uneven ice. The scenic flights take children from infancy, with those aged 4 to 14 over 15 kg in their own seat.
You get a full refund. Fox Glacier Guiding makes the weather call 10 minutes before check-in and refunds a trip cancelled for weather in full; it advises booking the first available day you are in Fox Glacier. Glacier Helicopters offers another date or a full refund when it cannot fly. See the weather.
Both glaciers are reached the same way, by helicopter, and the villages are 23.4 km apart by road. The heli-hike on Fox Glacier is from US$479 and the one on Franz Josef from US$531 (both checked November 2026); several flights cover both glaciers in one trip. Pick by where you are staying. See Fox or Franz Josef.
Still have questions? Email us at info@foxglaciertour.com