Where to Stay in Franz Josef

Stay in the village your flight leaves from. Every Franz Josef helicopter flight and the Franz Josef heli-hike check in at Franz Josef township, beside Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere). The Fox Glacier flights and the Fox heli-hike check in at Fox Glacier village, about 24 km and 25 minutes south. None of the Franz Josef or Fox listings includes hotel pickup, so you make your own way to check-in, usually 30 minutes before departure. Book two nights: arrive the evening before, fly on your first full morning and keep the second day free in case cloud or rain cancels the flight. Hokitika, 1.5 to 2 hours north, has the nearest commercial airport and suits a late arrival or an early flight out.

Quick picks

• Most flights within walking distance: Franz Josef township, with rooms from shared-kitchen pods to a hotel listed as five-star.
• Flying from Fox, or Lake Matheson at dawn: Fox Glacier village, 5 minutes from the lake.
• Landing late at Hokitika Airport: one night at the Beachfront Hotel, then drive south in the morning.
• How many nights: two at least. Franz Josef Glacier Guides advises at least two days in the area.

Franz Josef township

Sleep here if your flight or heli-hike leaves from Franz Josef, which covers most of the flights on this site. The Franz Josef Glacier: Helicopter Flight & Alpine Landing starts at the Glacier Country Helicopters office, then a van takes you to the hangar. HeliServices boards at its base in the village, and Glacier Helicopters checks in at a central location in the township. Franz Josef Glacier Guides asks heli-hikers to check in 15 minutes before the trip, then walk to the helipad. At Glacier Country Helicopters a missed check-in costs you the full fare, so pick a room a few minutes’ walk from your operator.

The township has a service station, groceries and DOC’s national park visitor centre at 69 Cron Street. The trade-off is demand. Glacier Helicopters says November to March is its busiest period and suggests booking flights a month ahead then. Book the room as soon as the flight is set.

• Chateau Backpackers & Motels: pods or private rooms with a bathroom, two shared kitchens and free parking, with restaurants within 15 minutes’ walk.
• Punga Grove: apartments with a full kitchen and deck, a 2-minute walk from shops, cafes and tour operators.
• Aspen Court Franz Josef: kitchenettes and underfloor heating, a 1-minute walk from the Glacier Hot Pools.
• Legacy Te Waonui Hotel Franz Josef: listed by Booking.com as a five-star rainforest retreat on Wallace Street, with a restaurant and free parking.
• All stays in Franz Josef township on Booking.com.

Fox Glacier village

Choose Fox if you are booking a Fox flight or the Fox heli-hike. Glacier Helicopters’ Fox Glacier: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing leaves from the Glacier Helicopters base in the township, costs from $223 per person and is rated 4.6 from 127 GetYourGuide reviews. Its itinerary shows an 8-minute stop on the snow in a 25-minute trip. Fox Glacier Guiding’s Fox Glacier: Up to 3 Hours Hike with Helicopter Transfer starts at 44 Main Road, from $480 per person.

Fox also puts you 5 minutes from Lake Matheson, against about 30 minutes from Franz Josef. DOC says dawn and dusk on a fine, windless day give the best mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman, and an early start is much easier from a room down the road. The village is smaller than Franz Josef, with fewer places to eat and stay, and any flight that checks in at Franz Josef means a 25-minute drive north before check-in. Our Fox Glacier helicopter page lists which flights leave from each village.

• Fox Glacier TOP 10 Holiday Park & Motels: heated cabins and motel units with a kitchen or kitchenette, Aoraki views, and a 5-minute drive to Lake Matheson.
• Mt Cook View Motel - Fox Glacier: self-contained units with a kitchen, most with a spa bath, and views of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman.
• Heartland Hotel Glacier Country: in the center of Fox Glacier township despite the name, with a restaurant and a bar with an open fireplace.
• All stays in Fox Glacier village on Booking.com.

How many nights to stay in Franz Josef

Two nights is the minimum that works for a helicopter flight, and three suits a heli-hike. Pilots make the weather call late: Glacier Helicopters and HeliServices decide at check-in, 30 minutes before departure, and Franz Josef Glacier Guides just before the trip leaves. Glacier Country Helicopters says reschedules happen regularly and that the township and the Alps can have quite different weather, so a clear sky over your motel does not mean the landing sites are open. The heli-hike needs a four-hour window of clear weather, which is why a third night helps if walking on the ice is the reason for the trip.

Every operator advises booking for your first day in the area. A few low-star reviewers on the twin-glacier flight had their booking moved several times and left without flying, and one suggested spending a few days in town. A simple plan:

1. Night one: arrive, check your booking email and the weather.
2. Day one: fly in the morning.
3. Day two: your backup if day one cancels; if you flew, walk Lake Matheson or Sentinel Rock.

On GetYourGuide you can cancel free up to 24 hours before, and a weather cancellation gets another date or a full refund. Our weather and best-time guide covers the seasons.

Hokitika, for a late arrival or an early flight

Hokitika has the nearest commercial airport, with daily flights from Christchurch, and sits about 135 to 150 km north of the glaciers, 1.5 to 2 hours on State Highway 6. No helicopter flight checks in here. Use it for one night if you land late, then drive south the next morning; flights typically run from about 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the season and weather, so an afternoon slot on your arrival day can work as an extra chance.

• Beachfront Hotel Hokitika: private bathrooms, a restaurant and bar, free parking, and a 6-minute drive to Hokitika Airport.
• All stays in Hokitika on Booking.com.

Map

Use the map to see places to stay around Franz Josef township and its check-in points.

The three bases side by side

Booking tips

• Book the flight first, then the room. Pick a room rate you can cancel, because a weather cancellation may push your flight to the next day.
• Glacier Helicopters does not take online bookings inside 24 hours of departure; call or visit the base instead.
• Pack warm and waterproof clothing and insect repellent. DOC warns that sandflies are common in the park.
• If you drive to the glacier car park, DOC charges for parking and takes cards only.
• Six of the eight hotels named here list free parking on Booking.com. Check the listing if you have a car, because you drive yourself to Fox, the lake and the trailheads.

If you have not picked a flight yet, the comparison on our homepage sets the main options side by side, the snow landing page covers the short flights, and our Franz Josef or Fox guide helps you choose a base. Already staying in Fox? Check availability for the 25-minute flight, or read our breakdown of it and of the 25-minute Franz Josef flight.