You can no longer walk onto Franz Josef Glacier from the valley. DOC's walk to the viewpoint is 1.7 km return, about 30 minutes, from a car park 4 km south of the township. To stand on the ice you need a helicopter: the guided heli hike gives up to 2.5 hours on the glacier.
Franz Josef Glacier, or Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, comes down from the Southern Alps to less than 300 m above sea level on the West Coast. DOC says it is one of only three glaciers to end that close to the coast. You can see it two ways. Walk up the valley to a viewpoint, which is free apart from parking. Or fly onto the ice with a guide, which is the only way to stand on it.
People could once walk from the valley floor onto the ice. That ended in 2012, when the glacier’s front became unstable after years of fast retreat. Today DOC puts it plainly: “Helicopters are the only safe way to get people onto the glacier for guided walks.”
From Franz Josef/Waiau township, drive south over the Waiho River bridge and turn left onto the Glacier Access Road. The road is unsealed but fine for cars and campervans, and runs about 4 km to a car park with flush toilets. There are no toilets further up the valley.
DOC lists the walk to the viewpoint as 1.7 km return, about 30 minutes, graded easy to intermediate. It winds through rainforest with glimpses of waterfalls and the upper glacier, then a short climb brings you out above the Waiho River. Older guides and the AA give 5.4 km and about 90 minutes, which matches the longer valley walk of past years. Go by DOC’s figure.
The walk stops where it does for a reason. DOC warns that glacial rivers can be dammed by falling ice and then burst, that heavy rain loosens the valley walls, and that floods can rise within minutes. People have died after climbing over the barriers. Stay behind them.
| Walk near the glacier | Distance | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef Glacier walk | 1.7 km return | 30 min | To the valley viewpoint |
| Sentinel Rock | 900 m return | 20 min | Short climb; panels show the retreat |
| Lake Wombat | 3.8 km return | 1 h 30 min | Rimu forest, good with children |
| Te Ara a Waiau | 8.7 km return | 2 h walk, 1 h by bike | Township to the glacier car park |
| Roberts Point | 12.3 km return | 5 h 20 min | Advanced, for experienced hikers |
| Alex Knob | 17.2 km return | Full day | Steep; start early in summer |
Checked November 2026. Source: DOC track pages.
Sentinel Rock is worth the extra 20 minutes. When Julius von Haast came up the valley in 1865, the rock had only just emerged from the ice, and the ice still pressed against nearby Harper Rock until 1909. Now the glacier is far up the valley. For the closest view without a helicopter, DOC points to the Alex Knob Track, a long, steep day that is best started early before the afternoon cloud comes in.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Car park fee | NZ$2.50 per half hour or NZ$20 a day |
| Free period | Up to 10 minutes |
| Payment | Debit or credit card at the machine, no cash |
| Annual permit | Online only |
| Closures | Track and road can close for flooding, rockfall or landslides |
| Visitor centre | Westland Tai Poutini National Park Visitor Centre, 69 Cron Street |
Checked November 2026. Source: DOC.
The national park itself is free to enter. If you’d rather skip the parking fee, the Te Ara a Waiau Walkway/Cycleway starts outside the DOC visitor centre on State Highway 6 and runs to the glacier car park. Bikes must be left at the rack at the end.
Before you set out, check track conditions at the visitor centre or on the Glacier Country website’s daily glacier access update, which DOC links to. The park gets up to five metres of rain a year, and the weather turns fast.
A heli hike is a short helicopter flight onto the glacier, followed by a guided walk on the ice in crampons. Franz Josef Glacier Guides, part of Ngāi Tahu Tourism, says it is the only operator with landing rights to guide on the glacier itself. Its helicopters are run by Inflite.
| Franz Josef Glacier Guides | Glacier Heli Hike |
|---|---|
| Total time | Up to 4 hours from check-in |
| Time on the ice | Up to 2.5 hours |
| Price | NZ$899 adult or child, valid to 30 September 2027 |
| Summer departures | 7:30 am, 10:00 am, 12:30 pm |
| Minimum age | 10 years |
| Weight range | 35 to 115 kg |
| Group size | 1 guide to 11 guests |
| Check-in | Glacier Base, 63 Cron Street |
Checked November 2026. Source: franzjosefglacier.com.
The operator rates it a moderate hike. If you’re comfortable walking for up to 2 hours with some uphill sections, you’ll most likely manage it. Tell them at booking about knee, back or heart problems. Bring sunglasses and warm layers, and leave jeans behind.
Shorter options exist too. The same company sells a Glacier Landing: one hour in total with about 15 minutes on the ice. Scenic flights with an alpine landing run from about 25 minutes, and a 35-minute flight can add Fox Glacier or the Tasman Glacier. DOC warns that the weather here changes fast, so book early in your stay rather than on your last morning.
For a cheaper guided outing on foot, a local company runs a 3-hour walk up the glacier valley with one guide per ten guests.
Do the walk whatever you decide, since it’s free once parked and takes half an hour. Add the heli hike if walking among blue ice and crevasses is something you want from this trip and the budget allows. At close to NZ$900 a head, it is one of the bigger single costs of a South Island holiday. If the money is tight, a 25-minute flight with a snow landing gets you above the glacier for much less.
Comparing the two West Coast glaciers? Fox Glacier’s heli hike gives up to 3 hours on the ice and takes children from age 9. Our Franz Josef vs Fox Glacier guide sets them side by side.
The only road in is State Highway 6. DOC puts the park about an hour and a half’s drive from Hokitika to the north and about two hours from Haast to the south. The closest commercial airport is Hokitika, with daily flights from Christchurch.
From Christchurch Airport the usual route crosses Arthur’s Pass, about 372 km and five hours of driving before stops. From Queenstown or Wānaka you come over the Haast Pass, about 345 km from Queenstown Airport. The roads are slow and winding, so add 15 to 25 percent to map times.
Fox Glacier village is a short drive south, and Lake Matheson, just past it, is about 30 minutes from Franz Josef. For beds, see where to stay in Franz Josef, and for how this glacier fits with Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Tasman Glacier, see our guide to New Zealand’s glaciers.
4-8 hours
The classic Franz Josef heli-hike: a helicopter lands you on the glacier for up to two and a half hours of guided walking among blue ice, crevasses and ice formations, with boots, crampons and waterproofs supplied.
from$499
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The most-reviewed glacier flight on the West Coast: a short helicopter trip over the ice pinnacles and crevasses of Franz Josef Glacier with an alpine landing.
from$222
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A longer flight out of Franz Josef that covers Franz Josef Glacier and then either Fox or the Tasman Glacier on the Mount Cook side, with about ten minutes on the snow.
from$279
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A low-cost way to see the glacier without flying: a walk up the glacier valley through podocarp rainforest with one guide per ten guests, rain gear and boots if needed, and a tea and cookie break.
from$65
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A fixed-wing loop from Tekapo airport with a window seat each, over the turquoise lakes to Aoraki and the Tasman Glacier, then across the Main Divide to the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.
from$314
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You can walk to a viewpoint, not to the ice. DOC's Franz Josef Glacier walk is 1.7 km return and takes about 30 minutes from the car park at the end of the Glacier Access Road. DOC says the river has cut off access further up the valley, so you cannot go further on foot. Walking access onto the glacier ended in 2012.
Franz Josef Glacier Guides charged NZ$899 per adult or child for its Glacier Heli Hike, a price it lists as valid until 30 September 2027 (checked November 2026). That buys up to 4 hours from check-in, with up to 2.5 hours walking on the ice. Boots, crampons, helmets and poles are supplied, and the minimum age is 10.
Yes, if you set your expectations. The glacier is far away from the viewpoint, so you see the ice at the top of a wide, rocky valley rather than up close. The walk is short and easy, the car park has flush toilets, and Sentinel Rock nearby adds a second view with photos of how far the ice has retreated.
DOC charges NZ$2.50 per half hour or NZ$20 a day at the glacier car park (checked November 2026). Stays of up to 10 minutes are free. The machines take debit and credit cards only, not cash. To skip the fee, walk or cycle the 8.7 km return Te Ara a Waiau track from the township instead.
Beyond the glacier walk and heli hikes, DOC lists Sentinel Rock (20 minutes return), Lake Wombat (1 hour 30 minutes return through rimu forest) and two hard day hikes, Roberts Point and Alex Knob. Scenic helicopter flights with a snow landing start at about 25 minutes. Lake Matheson, just past Fox Glacier village, is about 30 minutes' drive south.
Fox Glacier, or Te Moeka o Tuawe, is best seen on foot from DOC's South Side Walkway: 6.4 km return, about 2 hours, starting 2 km south of the village.
Pick Fox Glacier for a heli hike: up to 3 hours on the ice, NZ$50 cheaper and open to children from 9.
Lake Matheson, 5 minutes' drive from Fox Glacier village, is the lake known for mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.
New Zealand's glaciers are in the Southern Alps.
Stay in Franz Josef for the wider choice of hotels, from holiday parks to a 5-star retreat, and for most glacier heli-hikes.
Haast Pass (Tioripatea) is the lowest road crossing of the Southern Alps, 563 m above sea level on State Highway 6.