Fox Glacier: Up to 3 Hours Hike with Helicopter Transfer

About This Experience

This Fox Glacier Guiding heli-hike puts you on Fox Glacier for up to 3 hours of guided walking, inside a trip of about 4 hours that starts and ends at 44 Main Road in Fox Glacier village. Two short helicopter flights take you up and back, and the price includes boots, crampons and waterproofs. It costs from $480 per person and is rated 4.9 from 370 GetYourGuide reviews.

The itinerary runs in this order: a safety briefing of about 30 minutes at the base, a 5-minute bus ride to the helipad, then a 5-minute flight onto a remote part of the glacier. On the way up the listing points out ice caves, icefalls and Victoria Falls, fed by meltwater from the hidden Victoria Glacier. On the ice you wear crampons and follow steps your guide cuts, then fly back, ride the bus and finish with a 10-minute break.

Ice features change constantly, so no two trips follow the same route, and time on the ice depends on the weather. You need a reasonable level of fitness for the uneven terrain. The trip is not for children under 9 or wheelchair users, and passengers over about 116 kg face restrictions that can include cancellation. Jeans are not allowed, so wear long pants that dry quickly.

It suits travelers based in Fox Glacier who want a longer walk on the ice than the Franz Josef heli-hike offers. Weather cancellations are refunded in full, but guest-requested changes or cancellations inside 24 hours of the trip are not, so book your first available day in Fox. One reviewer felt the time on the ice was too short; treat 3 hours as the most you will get.

Highlights

• Up to 3 hours on Fox Glacier with an expert local guide
• Two short helicopter flights onto a remote part of the ice
• Views of icefalls, ice caves and Victoria Falls from the air
• Follow ice steps cut by your guide
• Rated 4.9 from 370 GetYourGuide reviews
• Starts and ends at 44 Main Road, Fox Glacier

What's Included

• ✓ Two helicopter flights, about 5 minutes each
• ✓ Expert guide on the ice
• ✓ Bus transfer between the base and the helipad
• ✓ Leather boots and socks
• ✓ Crampons and walking poles
• ✓ Wet-weather jacket and overtrousers

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drinks

What to Bring

• Warm clothing, hat and gloves
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Food and drinks
• Camera
• Personal medication

Good to Know & Caveats

• Trips depend on the weather; if yours is cancelled for weather you receive a full refund.
• No refunds or changes for cancellations or changes you request within 24 hours of the trip time.
• Your requested time is subject to availability; if the operator offers another slot that does not suit you, you can take a full refund.
• You need a reasonable level of fitness and agility for the variable glacier terrain.
• People weighing more than about 116 kg face restrictions, which may include cancellation; jeans and drones are not allowed.

Meeting Point

You check in at Fox Glacier Guiding, 44 Main Road, Fox Glacier village, where the trip also ends.