Skydiving Franz Josef: 18,000ft over glaciers & Mount Cook

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.72 (29 reviews) 79% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/9

Duration3h

GroupUp to 70

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Jump from 18,000ft and fall toward two glaciers at once

You jump tandem at 18,000 feet over Aoraki/Mount Cook, the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, and the Tasman Sea, with 85 seconds of freefall while your instructor handles the parachute. All gear, helmet and gloves are provided, plus a shared transfer from the booking office to the airport. The whole experience takes three hours, and weather determines whether your booked date runs or gets rescheduled.

Step-by-step itinerary

Tandem skydive over glaciers and mountains

Arrive at Franz Josef skydive center
Receive safety briefing and gear up
Board plane for 18,000ft ascent
Perform tandem skydive over mountains and glaciers
Enjoy 85 seconds of free fall
Parachute descent with scenic views
Land safely and conclude experience

The Experience

You're strapped to a tandem instructor in a small plane climbing to 18,000 feet, and the view keeps getting bigger — Aoraki/Mount Cook sits right there on the right wing, the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers spread below like frozen rivers, and on the left the Tasman Sea opens up blue and endless. The door opens. Then you step out and the ground disappears. Eighty-five seconds of freefall at 200 kilometers per hour, and your instructor handles the parachute while you just breathe and watch. The rainforest, the braided riverbeds, the glowing glacier ice — they're all there, and you're falling past them.

This is New Zealand's highest skydive, which means the altitude does the work for you. You don't need experience or special training; tandem skydiving is built so an inexperienced jumper can focus on the thrill while the instructor manages the technical side. The whole thing — from pickup at the booking office to landing and getting back — takes about three hours. You'll wear a helmet, goggles, gloves and a jumpsuit, and all the skydive equipment comes with it. The shared transfer from the booking office to the airport is included, so you're not figuring out logistics on top of the adrenaline.

Weather calls the shots here. If the conditions aren't right on your scheduled day, you get offered another date or your money back — that's the trade-off for jumping in a place where the mountains and ocean are the whole point. You need to be at least moderately fit, wear warm lightweight clothes and lace-up shoes, and if you weigh 100 kilograms or more there's a small surcharge assessed on the day. The minimum weight is 35 kilograms, and everyone has to fit securely in the harness. If you're pregnant or have spinal injuries or serious heart concerns, this isn't the experience for you. Children jump too, but the tandem master assesses them on arrival based on their weight, size and how the harness fits.

What’s included

Your experience includes a helmet, gloves, goggles and jumpsuit, all skydive equipment, and round-trip shared transfer from the booking office to the airport.
You jump at 18,000 feet with a tandem instructor, freefall for 85 seconds, and float under parachute to the ground.
The whole outing takes about three hours.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Skydive Franz and Fox

Is this one for you?Right for anyone wanting the highest skydive in New Zealand with mountains and glaciers as the backdrop, and who can commit to moderate fitness and flexible dates — weather determines when you jump, which is what keeps the views this good.