Franz Josef & Fox Glacier: Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/2

Duration30m

GroupUp to 300

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Land on the Snow Between Two Glaciers

You board a helicopter in Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, fly over both glaciers' blue ice and snow-covered peaks, and land on the snowfields for a few minutes on the ground. The thirty-minute flight includes a pre-flight safety briefing and views of the névé catchment areas where decades of winter snow compress into moving ice. Departures are weather-dependent and subject to minimum passenger numbers.

30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Scenic flight over twin glaciers

Depart from Franz Josef
Fly over Franz Josef Glacier
Fly over Fox Glacier
Land on snowfield for 30 minutes
Return to helicopter flight office
Visit souvenir and gift store
Enjoy cafe at flight office

The Experience

The helicopter lifts off and within minutes you're looking down at blue ice that's been accumulating for decades. Franz Josef and Fox Glacier sit on the South Island of New Zealand just miles apart, and this flight lets you see both in a single thirty-minute loop—something you can't do from the ground. The pilot banks toward the snowfields, and that's when the scale hits you: the glaciers are massive, carved into the mountainside, with crevasses and névé fields spreading out below like a frozen maze.

You'll actually land on the snow. Not just fly over it—land on it, step out, feel the altitude and the cold and the silence that comes with being up there. The pre-flight safety briefing covers what to expect, and then you're in the helicopter with maybe five or six other people, strapped in, watching the landscape tilt as you approach the landing zone. The snow is hard-packed and white, and the views back toward the peaks are the kind of thing that doesn't translate in photos. After the landing, the flight continues over both glaciers so you see the full geography: how the ice flows down from the catchment areas, how the valleys below are still carved by the glaciers' slow movement.

Departures run from both Franz Josef and Fox Glacier—they have separate schedules, so check which location works for where you're staying. The whole experience is about thirty minutes in the air, which sounds short until you're up there and realize how much ground you've covered. Minimum passenger numbers do apply, so there's a small chance of cancellation if the group doesn't fill, but the operator will offer an alternative flight or a refund if that happens. The flight office, café, and gift shop are at both locations, so you can grab a coffee before or after and decompress a bit.

What’s included

Your experience includes the thirty-minute helicopter flight departing from either Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, a landing on the snowfields of one or both glaciers, a pre-flight safety briefing, and access to the flight office café and gift shop at your departure location.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by HeliServices.NZ Fox & Franz

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to see both glaciers and land on snow in one flight without a full day commitment. The thirty-minute duration means you're back on the ground by early afternoon, which works if you're moving between towns or have other plans the same day.