Booking choice: The Fox Glacier heli hike, from $507 per person. Check dates Tour details
Franz Josef is the glacier most people come for, so its heli hike sells out first. Fox is half an hour south and quieter, and its heli hike gives you more time on the ice for a little less money. Both are four-hour trips with boots, crampons and waterproofs included.
Below: the facts side by side, who each one suits, and where a snow-landing flight or the Queenstown day trip fits instead.
The quick answer
Fox gives you up to 3 hours on the ice against about 2 h 15 min, takes kids from 9 instead of 10, and costs a little less: $507 against $536 on Viator (NZ$849 against NZ$899 direct). Franz Josef is the steeper, better-known glacier and runs three summer departures. Book whichever glacier is nearer your bed, and the early slot. A snow-landing flight ($215 to $236) is the no-hike option.
What is the difference between the Franz Josef and Fox heli hikes?
Time on the ice, minimum age and price. Everything else, from the 4-hour length to the gear, is close to identical.
Straight from the operators and the live listings, October 2026:
| Franz Josef heli hike | Fox Glacier heli hike | |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | Fox Glacier Guiding |
| Price on Viator | From $536 | From $507 |
| Price direct | NZ$899 adult or child | NZ$849 adult or child 9 to 16; family of 4 NZ$3,050 |
| Trip length | Up to 4 hours | 4 hours |
| Time on the ice | About 2 h 15 min (up to 2.5 h) | Up to 3 hours |
| Flight | About 10 min in total | About 4 min each way (guests report) |
| Minimum age | 10 (14 for the 5.5-hour option) | 9 |
| Weight and height | 35 to 115 kg, at least 137 cm | Up to 116 kg |
| Departures | Summer 7:30, 10:00, 12:30 | 8:50 and 11:50 |
| Check-in | Glacier Base, 63 Cron Street, 15 min before | 44 Main Road, Fox Glacier, 20 min before |
| Group | Up to 11 per guide | Up to 11 |
| Rating | 4.6 | 4.9 |
| Distance | In Franz Josef village | 25 km, about 30 min south |
Both listings carry free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and both operators refund or rebook if the weather grounds the helicopter.
Which heli hike gives you more time on the ice?
Fox: up to 3 hours, against about 2 hours 15 minutes at Franz Josef. If time on the ice is what you are paying for, Fox wins.
Fox Glacier Guiding keeps you on the ice for up to three hours. One guest measured the route: "The hike was easy, about 1.3 km uphill, downhill, left and right." Distance is short on both glaciers: you stop often while the guide cuts steps.
At Franz Josef, a guest made the same point: "We didn't do a lot of walking, we stopped a lot", and suggested the longer trip for keen hikers. Franz Josef Glacier Guides sells a 5.5-hour extended heli hike for ages 14 and up, booked as an option on the Franz Josef heli hike.
Up to three hours on Fox Glacier, kids from 9, and the higher rating of the two. Gear included.
Explore the Fox Glacier heli hike Tour detailsWhich is better for families with kids?
Fox. It takes children from 9 instead of 10 and sells a family pass of two adults and two children for NZ$3,050 direct.
On both trips a child pays close to the adult price; Franz Josef Glacier Guides charges NZ$899 for adults and children alike. Fox Glacier Guiding's family price saves about NZ$346 against four single tickets. Both operators need children with an adult, and Franz Josef also sets a minimum of 35 kg and 137 cm.
Under 9, neither heli hike will take your child. A snow-landing flight takes small children (infants sit on a lap), and the guided valley walk starts at 4. Parents report good days with teenagers on both glaciers.
Is Franz Josef or Fox the more impressive glacier?
Honestly, they are close. Franz Josef is the steeper, faster-moving icefall; Fox has waterfalls dropping beside the route. Your guide and the weather matter more.
Franz Josef, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, drops about 2,500 m in 9 km, and Franz Josef Glacier Guides says its main icefall moves up to 5 m a day. That speed makes the seracs and blue passages it is known for. At Fox, waterfalls drop off the valley walls beside the ice, and they show up in many guests' photos.
Ratings lean towards Fox: 4.9 against 4.6. Read the low Franz Josef reviews and most are about weather, crowded helicopter seats or short time on the ice, not the glacier.
Is it cheaper to book the heli hike direct?
Not by much. NZ$899 direct is close to the $536 Viator price at 2026 exchange rates, and NZ$849 at Fox close to $507. The online booking adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Direct, Franz Josef Glacier Guides lists NZ$899 per person until 30 September 2027, and Fox Glacier Guiding NZ$849. Fox charges the full price if you cancel within 24 hours when booked direct. The 2026-27 numbers, and how they moved, are in the heli hike price check.
The real saving is elsewhere: a Fox heli hike plus the free walks costs about $30 less than the Franz Josef trip, for more time on the ice.
Book Franz Josef with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and keep a weather day in hand.
Check dates for the Franz Josef heli hikeHeli hike or snow-landing flight?
A heli hike if you want to walk on glacier ice for two to three hours. A snow-landing flight if you want the view from the air and ten minutes on the snow.
Snow-landing flights last 20 to 25 minutes and cost $215 to $236. They cross the Franz Josef icefall, often Fox too, and land on the névé, the snowfield high above both glaciers, for about 10 minutes. Glacier Helicopters' 25-minute flight is the most booked; the 20-minute private flight gives your group the helicopter to itself.
The flight shows you more of the glacier. The heli hike puts you inside it, in crampons, among the seracs. If your budget runs to one and you are fit and over 10, take the hike. With small children, a bad knee or one hour to spare, fly.
The no-hike option: 25 minutes over the glaciers and about 10 minutes standing on the snow. Small children welcome.
Explore the 25-minute snow-landing flight Tour detailsIs the Queenstown heli hike day trip worth it?
If you are short on days and staying in Queenstown, yes. It costs $1,250 against about $536, but saves two long driving days on the West Coast road.
The Queenstown day trip picks you up at your hotel, flies you in a small plane over the Southern Alps to Franz Josef (window seat guaranteed), and hands you to Franz Josef Glacier Guides for two helicopter transfers and about two hours on the ice. Back in Queenstown the same day, about 7 hours in all. Adults 14 and up, children 10 to 13. Lunch is not included, and confirmation can take 48 hours.
Weather can change the plan: two guests report the trip was switched between the Tasman and Franz Josef glaciers on the day, so expect the operator to go where the sky is clear.
Which heli hike should you book?
Fox for more ice time, younger kids and a quieter base. Franz Josef if you are staying there, want the famous icefall or need a third departure time.
- Book Fox if you want the most time on the ice, have a 9-year-old, or are driving south towards Wanaka anyway.
- Book Franz Josef if you are staying in Franz Josef, are heading north, or want the 7:30am slot with the best odds of clear sky.
- Book either on your first morning in the area, and keep the next morning free. See weather and cancellations.
Then pack properly: what to wear on a heli hike has the list for each glacier.
The famous one: fly onto Franz Josef's icefall and walk it for about two hours with the only company allowed to guide there.
Explore the Franz Josef heli hike Tour detailsFrequently asked questions
Is Fox Glacier heli hike better than Franz Josef?
For time on the ice and price, yes: up to 3 hours from $507 against about 2 h 15 min from $536. The two glaciers look much alike on the ice, so choose by where you are staying.
Can I do both heli hikes?
You can, but most people find one enough. A better pair is one heli hike plus the free valley walk at the other glacier.
Which heli hike is less likely to cancel?
Neither. Both depend on the same West Coast weather, and the glaciers are only 25 km apart. Early departures on either glacier give you the best odds.
Do both heli hikes include the gear?
Yes. Both lend boots, socks, crampons, a waterproof jacket and over-trousers. Franz Josef adds a hat, gloves and a small waist pack.
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 Heli Hike
- Two helicopter transfers
- Guide for up to 3 hours on the ice
- Leather boots and socks, crampons and poles
Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike
- Helicopter flights up and back, about 10 minutes in all
- Guided walk on the ice, about 2 h 15 min
- Boots, crampons, waterproof jacket and over-trousers, hat and gloves
25-Minute Glacier Flight with Snow Landing
Above the glacier and onto the snow for about 10 minutes, no hiking
