Which Franz Josef helicopter tour should you book?
All 20 Franz Josef and Fox Glacier helicopter flights and heli-hikes compared by time, landing, price and rating, with a pick for each kind of traveler.
For a first flight, book a 20 to 25 minute snow-landing flight for the morning of your first full day in Franz Josef, and keep the next day free in case cloud cancels it. The Franz Josef Glacier: Helicopter Flight & Alpine Landing is the most-reviewed of the 20 flights here, 4.8 from 696 GetYourGuide reviews, from $223 per person. For $57 more, a 35-minute two-glacier flight such as the Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Helicopter Flight & Snow Landing with Glacier Helicopters, from $280 and rated 4.7 from 410 reviews, adds Fox Glacier to the same trip.
If you want to walk on Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere) itself, book a heli-hike. If Aoraki/Mt Cook is the reason you came, look at the longer flights that head toward it. Every price below is in US dollars per person on GetYourGuide, checked October 2026; operators quote NZ dollars on their own sites.
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Four questions that narrow it down
Do you want to walk on the ice? If yes, the choice is between the two heli-hikes and the extended day. A scenic flight puts you on the snow for a few minutes. A heli-hike lands you on the ice with crampons and a guide for up to 2.5 hours at Franz Josef or up to 3 at Fox, and asks for moderate fitness. The flight with a glacier landing sits between them, with up to 15 minutes on Franz Josef Glacier and no hiking. Our heli-hike vs scenic flight guide goes through the trade.
How many days do you have in the area? With two or more days, any flight works if you book it early. With one day, a longer flight gives the pilot more choice: Glacier Country Helicopters says on its 25-minute listing that the short flight has its highest cancellation rate, because it has one route and one landing site, while its longer flights have backup options.
Is Aoraki/Mt Cook the point? To land on the Tasman Glacier within sight of Aoraki, you need one of INFLITE’s two flights in the table below. For three or four glaciers in one flight, look at Glacier Country’s 45-minute and 1-hour flights.
What will you spend? Short flights are $204 to $223, two-glacier flights $260 to $280, Mt Cook flights $243 to $506, heli-hikes $480 to $508 and the Queenstown day $1,128. Our price guide works out the cost per minute in the air.
Picks by traveler
On a tight budget
The HeliServices 20-minute snow landing costs $204 per person, the lowest price of the 20, and is rated 4.9 from 195 reviews (our breakdown). Its pilots point out Mt Cook and Mt Tasman on the way. If it is full, the Glacier Helicopters 20-minute flight costs $223 and is rated 4.9 from 57.
A first flight
The 25-minute Glacier Country flight has the largest review sample on this site, 696 reviews at 4.8, from $223, with about 10 minutes on the snow. Book it for your first morning. If you would spend $57 more for a second glacier and, by the operator’s account, more backup routes on a marginal day, the same operator’s 35-minute two-glacier flight is rated 4.9 from 535 (our breakdown).
For photographers
Time on the ground and your seat matter more than flight length. The 45-minute three-glacier flight allows about 15 minutes at its landing site, from $393 and rated 4.8 from 168. Seats are allocated by weight, and several reviewers in middle or back seats said their view was blocked, so ask for a front seat at least 24 hours ahead: Glacier Country Helicopters confirms requests at check-in and charges for them.
Aoraki/Mt Cook as the goal
The INFLITE 30-minute Tasman Glacier flight crosses the Main Divide at Centennial Hut, lands on the Tasman Glacier and comes back over Climber Col, from $243 and rated 4.8 from 93. That is $20 more than a short Franz Josef flight. For an hour in the air, the Grand Circle at $395 adds the La Perouse and Balfour glaciers, though it has only 13 reviews at 4.3.
Fit walkers
Book the Franz Josef Glacier Guides heli-hike: from $508, up to 2.5 hours on the ice and about 4 hours in all, rated 4.7 from 404 reviews (our breakdown). One reviewer felt the actual walking took up much less of the day than the listing suggests, so read the 2.5 hours as a maximum. For a whole day in groups of four, the extended heli-hike with lunch costs $876 for up to about 5.5 hours on the ice, but it has a single review so far.
Families with young children
On a scenic flight, infants under 4 and under 15 kg sit on an adult’s knee on the Glacier Helicopters and The Helicopter Line listings, and older children need their own seat. Heli-hikes start at 10 years at Franz Josef (with a 35 kg and 137 cm minimum) and 9 at Fox. For children from 4 who want to stand on the ice, the Franz Josef Glacier Guides glacier landing at $395 is the option, though it needs at least four guests to run.
Staying in Fox Glacier
Three products clearly start in Fox Glacier village: the Glacier Helicopters 25-minute snow landing at $223 (4.6 from 127), The Helicopter Line’s Fox Glacier and Mount Cook flight at $280 (4.5 from 44), and the Fox Glacier heli-hike at $480, rated 4.9 from 370 with up to 3 hours on the ice (our breakdown). Everything else means the 25-minute drive north. The Fox Glacier helicopter page covers the village in more detail.
Staying in Queenstown
The True South Flights day trip at $1,128 is the only way on this list to do a heli-hike and be back in Queenstown the same day. Driving takes about 5 hours each way, more with stops, so the alternative is a night or two in Franz Josef and a local heli-hike at $508. People over 115 kg or under 30 kg cannot join, and one reviewer’s hike was called off by low cloud after the flight over. See the Queenstown page.
All 20 flights by type
Eight companies sell these 20 on GetYourGuide: five helicopter operators, the two glacier-guiding companies and True South Flights from Queenstown. The time column is the flight as the listing gives it, landing included; add 15 to 30 minutes for check-in.
Short flights with a snow landing
| Flight | Operator | Time | Landing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef: Glacier Helicopter Ride with Snow Landing | HeliServices.NZ | 20 min | Snow landing | $204 | 4.9 (195) |
| Franz Josef Glacier Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing | Glacier Helicopters | 20 min | Snow landing | $223 | 4.9 (57) |
| Franz Josef Glacier: Helicopter Flight & Alpine Landing | Glacier Country Helicopters | 25 min | Snow or alpine, about 10 min | $223 | 4.8 (696) |
| Franz Josef: Scenic Glacier Flight with Snow Landing | The Helicopter Line | 25 min | Snow or alpine landing | $223 | 4.9 (7) |
| Fox Glacier: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing | Glacier Helicopters | 25 min, from Fox | Snow landing, about 8 min stop | $223 | 4.6 (127) |
These five follow the same outline: up the valley, over the icefall, a landing on snow high on the glacier, and back. What changes is five minutes of flying and how long you stand on the snow, which the operator sets. Glacier Helicopters quotes about 6 to 8 minutes on the snow and Glacier Country Helicopters about 10 to 15 minutes including loading. In summer, the 25-minute flights from Glacier Country and The Helicopter Line may land on an alpine site with no snow.
Two-glacier flights
| Flight | Operator | Time | Landing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef: Twin Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers Helicopter Trip | HeliServices.NZ | 30 min | Snow landing, 10 min | $260 | 4.9 (154) |
| Franz Josef: 35-Minute Helicopter Trip over Two Glaciers | Glacier Country Helicopters | 35 min | Snow landing, about 10 min | $280 | 4.9 (535) |
| Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Helicopter Flight & Snow Landing | Glacier Helicopters | 35 min | Snow landing | $280 | 4.7 (410) |
| Franz Josef: Twin Glacier Helicopter Flight and Snow Landing | The Helicopter Line | 35 min | Snow landing, about 10 min | $280 | 4.8 (12) |
Each adds Fox Glacier to the Franz Josef icefall. Glacier Country Helicopters’ listing says you see Franz Josef and then either Fox or the Tasman, depending on the day, and one reviewer saw only one glacier when the weather turned.
Mt Cook, Tasman and Grand Circle flights
| Flight | Operator | Time | Landing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef: 30-min Flight Franz Josef & Tasman Glaciers | INFLITE | 30 min | Tasman Glacier landing | $243 | 4.8 (93) |
| Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight | The Helicopter Line | 35 min, from Fox | Fox snowfield, about 10 min | $280 | 4.5 (44) |
| Franz Josef, Fox Glacier & Mt Cook Helicopter Scenic Flight | The Helicopter Line | 40 min | Snow landing on a glacier | $393 | 3.9 (13) |
| Franz Josef Town: 3-Glacier Helicopter Ride with Landing | Glacier Country Helicopters | 45 min | Snow landing, about 15 min | $393 | 4.8 (168) |
| Franz Josef: Grand Circle 60 Minute Scenic Flight | INFLITE | 60 min | Tasman Glacier landing | $395 | 4.3 (13) |
| Franz Josef: 4-Glacier Helicopter Ride with 2 Landings | Glacier Country Helicopters | 60 min | Two snow landings | $506 | 4.8 (30) |
Aoraki/Mt Cook, 3,724 m, and the Tasman Glacier, about 23 km long, sit on the east side of the Main Divide. INFLITE’s two flights cross the divide and land on the Tasman Glacier, and INFLITE markets itself as the only West Coast operator landing there. The Helicopter Line’s Fox flight lands on the Fox snowfield first and then flies past Aoraki. Glacier Country’s 45-minute flight lands in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, and its 1-hour listing names the Tasman among four glaciers without saying where the two landings are.
Heli-hikes and time on the ice
| Flight | Operator | Time | Landing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef: Scenic Helicopter Flight & Glacier Landing | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | 1 h | Up to 15 min on the ice, guided | $395 | 4.2 (3) |
| Fox Glacier: Up to 3 Hours Hike with Helicopter Transfer | Fox Glacier Guiding | 4 h, from Fox | Up to 3 h on the ice | $480 | 4.9 (370) |
| Franz Josef Glacier Heli-Hike with Helicopter Transfer | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | About 4 h | Up to 2.5 h on the ice | $508 | 4.7 (404) |
| Franz Josef: Extended Heli-Hike with Lunch (Small Group) | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | 8 h | Up to about 5.5 h on the ice | $876 | 5.0 (1) |
On these the helicopter is a transfer, about 4 minutes each way on the Franz Josef heli-hike. Franz Josef Glacier Guides says it is the only company that can take you onto Franz Josef Glacier on foot, and Fox Glacier Guiding runs the Fox hike. Age limits differ: 4 and over for the glacier landing, 9 for Fox, 10 for the Franz Josef heli-hike and 14 for the extended day.
From Queenstown
| Flight | Operator | Time | Landing | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queenstown: Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike & Scenic Flight | True South Flights | 6.5 h | Heli-hike, about 2 h on the ice | $1,128 | 4.8 (28) |
This is the most expensive of the 20 and the only one that starts in Queenstown: hotel pickup, a plane flight of about an hour each way over the Southern Alps, a helicopter transfer onto the Franz Josef icefall and two hours of guided hiking.
Know before you book
Book early in your stay and keep a spare day. Operators make the final weather call at check-in, and a GetYourGuide booking cancelled for weather gets a reschedule or a full refund. Several low-star reviews of the 35-minute Glacier Helicopters flight describe repeated reschedules and slow refunds, so if you cannot make a new slot, ask for the refund straight away.
No landing is guaranteed, whatever a listing says. The pilot chooses the site on the day and can skip it in cloud. Glacier Country Helicopters says it adjusts the price when a flight ends up as an overflight. It also sells an 18-minute twin-glacier overflight with no landing at $223, for travelers who would skip the snow and for days when cloud keeps flights low.
Check where your flight starts. GetYourGuide files some flights under Fox Glacier while the listing text starts in Franz Josef township, and the reverse. Your voucher gives the address. You check in at the operator’s office or heliport in the village, and no local operator offers hotel pickup.
Arrive on time. Check-in is 30 minutes before departure at most helicopter operators and 15 minutes at Franz Josef Glacier Guides, and Glacier Country Helicopters keeps the full fare if you miss it.
Weights are checked at check-in. Glacier Country Helicopters asks anyone 120 kg or more to buy a Comfort Seat at half the flight price, INFLITE lists a 116 kg limit, and the heli-hikes stop at about 115 kg. Drones need a permit, and selfie sticks and tablets stay on the ground.
Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund on GetYourGuide. The Fox heli-hike allows no changes inside 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Which Franz Josef helicopter tour is best for a first visit?
The 25-minute flight with Glacier Country Helicopters, from $223 per person and rated 4.8 from 696 GetYourGuide reviews, the most-reviewed flight on this site. Book it for your first morning and keep a second day free for weather.
What is the cheapest helicopter flight at Franz Josef?
The HeliServices 20-minute flight with a snow landing, from $204 per person, rated 4.9 from 195 reviews. Glacier Helicopters, Glacier Country Helicopters and The Helicopter Line all sell 20 to 25 minute flights at $223.
Which company is best for a Franz Josef heli-hike?
Franz Josef Glacier Guides says it is the only company that can take you onto Franz Josef Glacier, and its heli-hike costs from $508 for up to 2.5 hours on the ice. At Fox Glacier, Fox Glacier Guiding runs a hike with up to 3 hours on the ice from $480, rated 4.9 from 370 reviews.
Do any flights land on the Tasman Glacier?
Yes. INFLITE’s 30-minute flight ($243) and 60-minute Grand Circle ($395) cross the Main Divide and land on the Tasman Glacier, within sight of Aoraki/Mt Cook. INFLITE says it is the only West Coast operator landing there.
Ready to choose? Check availability for the featured 25-minute flight, or compare by type on the snow landing, twin glacier and Mt Cook pages.
Related reading:
Pick Your Day Above the Glacier
Flights run on the weather, so an early slot leaves room to rebook. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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