Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike

A first-hand exploration of a glacier by chopper, seeing only what experienced mountaineers can reach is a wilderness experience you’ll never forget.

From our Franz Josef Village base, you’ll fly up to the Franz Josef Glacier in the Westland National Park. You’ll land on a section of this 12km long glacier where we’ve made a daily safety assessment of the conditions on this fast-moving ice flow. Equipped with glacier boots and crampons you’ll walk for two hours amongst the ice formations, pinnacles and seracs and see first-hand the extraordinary colours of the ice-flow.  Touch the ice, breathe in the fresh air.

We team up with Franz Josef Glacier Guides who have been taking visitors over this epic icefall terrain since 1990 and can trace their heritage back 100 years. They have an immaculate safety record, rigid assessments and using quality equipment, your safety and enjoyment are taken care of.

Please note: Minimum age on Heli Hike is 10 years. A child is 10– 14 years inclusive. Clients who are pregnant will not be able to participate. Weight restrictions apply, all passengers will be weighed during the check-in process. If you are travelling with a child during late May - early September, they unfortunately are not able to participate in our first morning departures as the ice conditions carry a higher level of risk during the season. To give them the best chance of participation, we recommend all parties travelling with children book our trips from 10AM onwards.