Heli hike prices 2026-27

How much does a heli hike cost in 2026-27?

NZ$899 per person for Franz Josef and NZ$849 for Fox, booked direct. On Viator the same trips start at $536 and $507.

Franz Josef Glacier Guides charges NZ$899 for an adult or a child, valid until 30 September 2027. Fox Glacier Guiding charges NZ$849 for an adult or a child aged 9 to 16, also valid to 30 September 2027, and NZ$3,050 for two adults and two children, which saves NZ$346.

The table puts every trip on this site in one place. The USD column for direct prices is our conversion, not a price anyone charges.

Why is the Viator price in US dollars so different from the NZ$ price?

Mostly the exchange rate. At about NZ$1.76 to the US dollar, NZ$899 is roughly $512, so Viator's $536 is around 5% more, not 40% less.

The New Zealand dollar has been weak against the US dollar, so NZD prices look big to Americans. Convert and the gap is small: about $24 a person on Franz Josef and $24 on Fox, in the operators' favour at today's rate. The valley walk is almost level at $67 against NZ$115 plus a booking fee. Rates move every day, so the gap can close or flip by the time you book.

Cancellation is the same both ways. Viator refunds in full up to 24 hours before. Booked direct, Franz Josef Glacier Guides and Fox Glacier Guiding also let you cancel free up to 24 hours ahead, and both refund trips they cancel for weather. Book direct if you pay with a card that has no foreign transaction fee and like dealing with the operator. Book on Viator if you want to pay in US dollars, keep all your trips in one account, or are comparing several companies in one go.

Is Franz Josef or Fox the better value?

Fox, on paper: it costs less and gives up to 3 hours on the ice against about 2 h 15 min. Franz Josef is the bigger name and the steeper icefall.

Work it out per hour on the ice and Fox wins clearly: about NZ$283 an hour at NZ$849 for 3 hours, against roughly NZ$400 an hour at Franz Josef. Fox also takes children from 9 rather than 10, and its family deal brings four people down to NZ$3,050. Groups are capped at 11.

Franz Josef has its own case. It is the glacier most people drive here for, it starts in the village where you are probably staying, and it runs three summer departures (7:30, 10:00 and 12:30) against Fox's two on Viator. Book the early slot at either: if the weather calls it off, a later one is still there as a backup. The full comparison is in Franz Josef or Fox.

The only guided way onto Franz Josef Glacier: a short flight to the icefall and about two hours on crampons, with boots and waterproofs supplied.

★ 4.6 · 4 hours · from $536

Explore the Franz Josef heli hike → Tour details

What does the heli hike price include, and what costs extra?

Flights, the guide and all the ice gear are included. Hotel pickup, food and drinks are not, and there is no refund if you fail the weight limit or cannot keep up.

Both companies lend you boots and socks, crampons, poles, a waterproof jacket and over-trousers. Both also hand out a hat, gloves and a small pack. You bring warm layers, sunglasses, sunscreen, water and a snack. Our list of what to pack is in what to wear on a heli hike.

The traps are in the small print. Franz Josef Glacier Guides takes guests from 35 to 115 kg and states that if you fall outside that on the day, no refund is given; the same goes for anyone who cannot finish because of fitness. Fox caps weight at 116 kg. Drones are banned on both glaciers, and Fox warns that a drone will be confiscated with a NZ$5,000 fine. Neither heli hike starts at the DOC glacier car park, so you will not pay its parking fee either.

What do snow-landing flights and the cheaper trips cost?

Snow-landing flights cost $215 to $236 on Viator for 20 to 25 minutes, with about 10 minutes on the snow. The valley walks are $67, and the lake trips $93 to $104.

The flights are where the extras hide. The 20-minute flight from the Alpine Adventure Centre is run by HeliServices.NZ; the Viator listing excludes a fuel surcharge and souvenir photos, and the operator's booking page shows the flight from NZ$360 and a temporary NZ$20 per passenger fuel surcharge. The Glacier Explorer requires a comfort seat for anyone weighing 120 kg or more at check-in, charged at half the flight price, and refunds a $30 landing fee if weather stops the landing. In summer its landing site can be bare rock.

The cheaper trips are simpler. The valley walk includes rain gear, poles and a hot drink. The Lake Mapourika kayak trips include photos, and the kayak-and-walk trip adds national park fees. If the helicopter is grounded, these are the trips that still run.

Is the $1,250 Queenstown heli hike day trip worth it?

Only if you cannot get to the West Coast. It flies you from Queenstown, adds about two hours on Franz Josef Glacier, and has you back the same day.

The Queenstown trip costs $1,250 a person, roughly NZ$2,200. That buys hotel pickup, return scenic flights over the Southern Alps with a window seat for everyone, two helicopter transfers and the guided ice walk with Franz Josef Glacier Guides. Lunch is extra, and adults must be 14 or older.

Drive to Franz Josef instead and the heli hike costs NZ$899, but you spend most of a day on the road each way through the Haast Pass. If you have three days, drive. If you have one free day in Queenstown and the glacier is the point, the fly-in trip is the only way to do it. Book a morning with settled weather and keep the next day free, since the West Coast cancels often.

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