Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing

Franz Josef township – check-in on the West Coast

Franz Josef, known in Māori as Waiau, is a small township on State Highway 6 in the heart of New Zealand's West Coast, surrounded by temperate rainforest and only a few kilometres from the glacier that gave it its name. It is the main base for glacier flights, walks and hot pools in the area, and most visitors stay one or two nights.

Your experience begins at the helicopter office at the south end of the main street, opposite the police station, where you check in and attend a safety briefing. You are then driven by van to the hangar to meet your pilot. If you are planning how to get to Franz Josef, it is about five hours by road from Christchurch via Arthur's Pass, or a scenic drive north from Wanaka.

The terminal moraine and the glacier valley

Soon after take-off the helicopter flies over the terminal moraine of the ancient Franz Josef Glacier, the huge ridges of rock and gravel that mark how far the ice once reached. Below, the grey braided channels of the Waiho River carry meltwater out of the valley towards the Tasman Sea, and the steep valley walls are cloaked in green rainforest.

From the air you clearly see how much the glacier has retreated over the last century, a story your pilot explains through the headset. Walking access onto the ice from the valley floor is no longer possible because of this retreat, which is why a Franz Josef Glacier helicopter flight is now the best way to see the glacier up close and is one of the top things to do on the West Coast.

Franz Josef Glacier – ice pinnacles and crevasses

The Franz Josef Glacier, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere in Māori, flows about 11 kilometres from the high snowfields of the Southern Alps down towards the rainforest, one of the few glaciers in the world to descend so close to lush forest and the sea. Heavy snowfall on the mountains feeds the ice, which moves much faster than most glaciers.

As the helicopter climbs up the valley you fly above the icefall, where the glacier breaks into blue-white pinnacles, seracs and deep crevasses. The colours are strongest on clear days and in soft morning or late afternoon light. Have your camera ready, sit back and enjoy the view, as the flight route over the ice is short but unforgettable.

The Southern Alps and the snow landing

Above the glacier the helicopter continues among the impressive peaks of the Southern Alps, including some of New Zealand's highest mountains, before landing on an elevated snow landing site. You have 10 minutes to step out onto the snow, breathe the clear alpine air and take photos of the peaks and snowfields all around you.

In summer, if there is not enough snow, the landing may be on an alpine site instead. This 25-minute flight has a single route and landing site, so it is more likely than longer flights to be affected by weather. We recommend booking early in your stay to allow time for a new date if needed. The best time of day is usually the morning, when skies are often clearest.

Westland Tai Poutini National Park – from rainforest to ice

The Franz Josef Glacier lies within Westland Tai Poutini National Park, part of the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area of south-west New Zealand. In a few minutes of flight you pass from temperate rainforest of ferns and podocarp trees to bare rock, glacier ice and permanent snow, a contrast that makes this region unique.

After the flight there is plenty more to enjoy around Franz Josef: short rainforest walks, viewpoints over the glacier valley and the nearby hot pools. Many travellers combine the flight with a visit to the Fox Glacier area to the south and Lake Matheson. Is a Franz Josef helicopter flight worth it? For most visitors it becomes the highlight of their South Island journey.