Booking choice: The Fox Glacier valley walk, from $67 per person. Check dates Tour details
For decades the classic Fox Glacier walk was the road up the north side of the valley and a short walk to the ice face. That road is gone. The Alpine Gardens landslide, the largest active landslide in New Zealand, kept burying it, and in 2019 DOC gave up.
Fox Glacier is still worth the drive from Franz Josef. You see the glacier from the south side, you walk around Lake Matheson for the most photographed reflection in the country, and you can still fly onto the ice.
The quick answer
You can still see Fox Glacier, from a viewpoint about 2.6 km from the ice. The access road on the north side closed for good after a 2019 landslide. The South Side Walkway starts 2 km south of the village and reaches its viewpoints in about 50 minutes. Lake Matheson is a 4.4 km loop, 1.5 hours, best at dawn. To walk on the glacier, book the Fox heli hike, from $507.
Can you still see Fox Glacier?
Yes, from the South Side Walkway viewpoint, about 2.6 km from the ice face, and from Peak Viewpoint and Lake Matheson further away.
The glacier is not gone, it is just harder to reach. From the main viewpoint on the south side you look across the river flats to the grey, crevassed snout of Te Moeka o Tuawe, with the icefall rising behind it. DOC's track page still says the viewpoints are "hundreds of metres from the face of the glacier" (DOC), but the glacier keeps shrinking: the Glacier Country daily access update of 21 October 2026 put the viewpoint 2,600 m from the ice.
Low cloud hides it often. A guided walk in the rain still gives you the forest, but a guest on the Fox valley walk put it simply: "Just know that you can't get near the glacier."
Why is the Fox Glacier access road closed?
A landslide blocked it in 2019, and DOC decided in August 2019 that it would not reopen. Rebuilding would cost about NZ$16 million with no guarantee it would last.
The DOC media release of 24 August 2019 said an engineering report found it no longer practical to restore road access. Debris from the Alpine Gardens landslide kept damaging the road and made the north side of the valley unsafe for walkers as well as cars. Instead the government put NZ$3.9 million into new visitor walks: the south side route, Lake Gault and Peak Viewpoint among them.
Old guidebooks and maps still show the Fox Glacier valley walk from the north side car park. Ignore them. That walk does not exist any more.
How do you walk the Fox Glacier South Side Walkway?
Drive 2 km south of Fox Glacier village, cross the Fox River bridge and park on the left. The first viewpoint is about 40 minutes in, the main one about 10 minutes further.
The track, also open to bikes for the first part, climbs and drops about 100 m through rainforest (DOC). Cyclists ride as far as the old car park and leave their bikes there; past it, it is walkers only. The New Zealand tourism board lists the return trip at 6.4 km and about 2 hours.
Stop at the main viewpoint. DOC warns of an extreme flood hazard beyond it: the river below can surge without warning when meltwater bursts out of the glacier. The track can close after rockfall or when the rivers are high, so check the daily glacier access update on the Glacier Country site first.
A guide takes you on the south side, with transport from Franz Josef and afternoon tea at the viewpoint.
Check dates for the Fox Glacier valley walkWhat other walks are there at Fox Glacier?
Lake Matheson is the famous one. Lake Gault, Minnehaha, the Moraine Walk and the Gillespies Beach tracks fill a second day, and Peak Viewpoint is a short drive.
| Walk | Distance | Time | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Side Walkway | About 6.4 km return | About 2 hours | Fox Glacier viewpoints |
| Lake Matheson / Te Ara Kairaumati | 4.4 km loop | 1 h 30 min (jetty 45 min return) | Mirror views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman |
| Lake Gault | 8 km return | 3 hours | A higher lake and panorama, 200 m climb |
| Minnehaha Walk | 1.2 km loop | 20 min | A short forest loop by the village |
| Moraine Walk | 4 km return | 1 h 30 min | Forest on old glacier moraine |
| Gillespies Beach tracks | 500 m to 6.8 km | 5 min to 3 h 30 min | Wild coast, miners' tunnel, Galway Beach seals in winter |
| Peak Viewpoint | Drive, about 9 km from the village | A short stop | Fox Glacier and the Alps, best at sunset |
Distances from the Glacier Country walks map and Lake Gault page. The Lake Gault track reopened in April 2019 after 20 years, thanks to local volunteers working with DOC. It starts from the Lake Matheson car park, so you can do both in one morning.
When is the best time for Lake Matheson?
At dawn, on a still, clear morning. The reflection of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman is sharpest before the wind gets up.
Lake Matheson is on Cook Flat Road, about 5 km from Fox Glacier village. The full loop is 4.4 km and 1.5 hours; the jetty viewpoint, the famous shot, is 45 minutes return. Dark water stained by the forest makes the mirror. Any breeze ripples it, so arrive at first light.
Dusk works too, when the peaks catch the last pink light. If the summits are in cloud, the walk through the kahikatea and rimu forest is still good, and Lake Gault starts from the same car park.
Is the guided Fox Glacier valley walk worth it?
If you are staying in Franz Josef and have no car, yes. It walks the same South Side route with a guide, off-track side trails and tea at the viewpoint.
The Fox Glacier valley walk by Glacier Valley Eco Tours costs $67 on Viator and takes 3 to 4 hours, departing the Franz Josef office at 1:30pm, with pickup offered. Ages 5 and up, groups of 10 at most, all weather. Rain gear, umbrellas, poles and even baby carriers are lent.
Guests describe "7 km walk, not steep" and a guide who points out the 2019 landslide, the plants and the birds. One reviewer put the honest version: "you can't get as close to the glacier as was once possible without flying to it." Book it for the walk and the stories.
The south side with a local guide: rainforest, glacier viewpoints and a hot drink, with transport from Franz Josef.
Explore the Fox Glacier valley walk Tour detailsHow do you get onto Fox Glacier?
Only by helicopter. The Fox Glacier heli hike flies about 4 minutes each way and gives you up to 3 hours on the ice, from $507.
The Fox Glacier heli hike is run by Fox Glacier Guiding from 44 Main Road, with departures at 8:50am and 11:50am. Check in 20 minutes early. It takes ages 9 and up, a 116 kg weight limit and groups of up to 11. Boots, socks, crampons, poles, a jacket and over-trousers are supplied.
One guest timed it: "The flight takes about 4 minutes each way. We spent about 3 hours on the glacier on a sunny day." If you are torn between this and Franz Josef, our comparison sets them side by side.
Fly four minutes onto Fox Glacier and spend up to three hours on the ice with a guide. From age 9.
Explore the Fox Glacier heli hike Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is the Fox Glacier walk closed?
The old walk from the north side car park is closed for good: the access road was abandoned after the 2019 landslide. The South Side Walkway is open, except after rockfall or floods.
How long is the Fox Glacier South Side Walk?
About 40 minutes to the first viewpoint and 10 more to the main one, roughly 6.4 km and 2 hours return, with about 100 m of up and down.
Is Lake Matheson worth it if it's cloudy?
For the forest walk, yes. For the mirror view of Aoraki/Mount Cook you need a clear, windless sky, ideally at dawn. Stay two nights to give yourself two chances.
Can you see Fox Glacier from the road?
Not well. Peak Viewpoint, a short drive from the village, gives a distant view of the glacier and the Alps; the South Side Walkway gets you much closer.
Ready to book
Choose your glacier trip
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Fox Glacier Valley Walk
Rainforest and a distant Fox Glacier view, with transport from Franz Josef
Fox Glacier Heli Hike
- Two helicopter transfers
- Guide for up to 3 hours on the ice
- Leather boots and socks, crampons and poles
Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk
- Local guide, groups of 10 at most
- Rain jackets, umbrellas and walking poles
- Boots on request (limited stock)
