Franz Josef & Fox Glacier: Helicopter Flight & Snow Landing

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Free cancellationExcellent qualityLikely to sell out

1/7

Duration35m

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Land on Ancient Ice: Franz Josef Glacier from the Air

You fly 30 minutes over Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers with a pilot who narrates the route, then land on the snow at Franz Josef's head and walk across the ice for photos and close views of the valleys below. The flight and landing are guaranteed, all fitness levels work, and the whole experience takes 35 minutes from takeoff to landing back at base.

35m

Step-by-step itinerary

Twin Glacier Helicopter Flight Experience

Fly over Franz Josef Glacier
Land on Franz Josef Glacier
Explore ancient ice and valleys
Fly over Fox Glacier

The Experience

The helicopter door slides open and the rotor wash hits your face before you've even stepped up. Below, the Franz Josef Glacier spreads out in white and grey, carved into the landscape like something from another planet. You're strapped in tight, headset on, and the pilot is already pointing out the valleys the ice has cut over centuries—deep grooves that look almost soft from up here, but you know they're not. The flight lasts 30 minutes total, and in that time you'll see both Franz Josef and Fox Glacier from angles that don't exist from the ground.

What makes this different from just flying over is the landing. The helicopter sets down on the snow at the head of Franz Josef Glacier, and you actually step out onto the ice. The air is sharp and thin. Your guide—the pilot who flew you there—walks you across the frozen surface, pointing out the crevasses and the direction the glacier has moved. You can feel how old it is just by standing on it. The snow crunches under your boots. People take photos, but mostly they just stand there looking at the valleys below, the ones the ice carved out, trying to understand the scale of it.

The whole thing—flight, landing, walkabout—takes 35 minutes. It's not long, but it doesn't need to be. You're not hiking a glacier here; you're landing on one and getting the view that matters. Wear warm clothes and good boots; the temperature up there is real, and the wind on the glacier doesn't care how prepared you think you are. Children under 15 kilograms sit on a parent's lap during the flight, and the operator needs your weight at booking—not to judge, just to balance the aircraft.

What’s included

Your 35-minute experience includes helicopter pickup and return, a 30-minute scenic flight over both Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers with live pilot commentary, a guaranteed snow landing at the head of Franz Josef Glacier, and time to walk on the ice and take photographs. Warm clothing is recommended due to cold temperatures on the glacier.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Totally Tourism - The Helicopter Line

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see both glaciers and actually stand on one without arranging your own transport or timing—the fixed 35-minute schedule and guaranteed landing are what fit the full experience into a single morning or afternoon.