Fox Glacier Express, Flying Fox or Extreme Fox?

Fox Glacier Express: the short introduction

The Express takes up to 2 hours from the base and back, with up to 1 hour on the ice. You fly up, your guide fits your crampons on the glacier, and you walk a route the guide picks for the day’s conditions. Fox Glacier Guiding says you may see ice pinnacles, crevasses, ice caves and blue ice, and that every trip is different, so no single feature is promised.

It leaves at 7:50am and the minimum age is 9. The operator rates it moderate fitness, the same as the Flying Fox, so the Express is shorter but no easier.

Who the Express suits

Choose it when a four-hour trip does not fit your day: you have a long drive south to Haast or Wānaka after it, or you only have the morning in Fox. An hour on the ice goes quickly. If walking on the glacier is the reason you came and you enjoy hiking, the Flying Fox gives you three times as long for NZ$100 more.

The Express is sold only by Fox Glacier Guiding: book it on the Fox Glacier Express page. There is no Express listing on GetYourGuide or Viator.

Flying Fox: the longer heli-hike most people book

The Flying Fox takes up to 4 hours with up to 3 hours on the ice. The GetYourGuide listing breaks the morning into a safety briefing of about 30 minutes, a short bus ride each way and a flight of about 5 minutes each way. Most of the trip is walking on the glacier in crampons behind your guide, past crevasses and blue ice where the route allows.

It departs at 8:50am and 11:50am. The minimum age is 9, and children aged 9 to 16 must come with an adult. The operator rates it moderate fitness and needs no previous experience.

Why it is our pick

Three hours on the ice is long enough to walk well away from the landing site, and it costs NZ$100 more than the Express at the operator’s price. It is also the only one of the three on a booking platform, which matters if you want GetYourGuide’s terms: free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and reserve now, pay later.

It suits first-time glacier walkers, active couples and families with children aged 9 and over who walk well. Book the Flying Fox on GetYourGuide, or read our breakdown of the Flying Fox first. Check that you are booking the Fox Glacier heli-hike from Fox village, not a Franz Josef trip or a scenic snow-landing flight with a similar name.

Extreme Fox: a full day on the ice for fit hikers

The Extreme Fox takes up to 8 hours with up to 7 hours on the ice, and leaves at 8:00am. Fox Glacier Guiding describes a day where you might cross crevasses roped together, be lowered into a moulin and climb out, climb short ice pitches or abseil down ice walls using an ice axe and crampons. How much of that you do depends on the ice that day and on the ability of your small group, and your guide teaches you to use the technical equipment.

Do you need ice-climbing experience?

No. The operator asks for no previous experience, but it rates the trip good fitness, which is a higher bar than the other two. It also requires a very good level of English, because the guide gives technical safety instructions on the ice. If your guide decides on the day that your English is not good enough, you will not be allowed to join, and the operator offers you other options.

The minimum age is 13.

Who Extreme Fox suits

Book it if a long, physical day on steeper ice is what you want from Fox, and you are happy carrying a pack all day. If ropes, exposure and eight hours outdoors sound like more than you came for, the Flying Fox is the better fit.

Extreme Fox is sold only by Fox Glacier Guiding: book it on the Extreme Fox page. Fox Glacier Guiding also runs a separate full-day trip for ice climbing itself, Fox it up Heli Ice Climbing, with up to 7 hours on the ice.

Express or Flying Fox: is two more hours on the ice worth NZ$100?

For most active first-time visitors, yes. At the operator’s prices the Flying Fox costs NZ$100 more than the Express and gives you up to two more hours on the glacier. People pick the Express for the time it saves, rarely for the money.

Neither trip guarantees a route, an ice cave or the full time on the ice. The glacier changes constantly, and the weather can shorten a trip.

Flying Fox or Extreme Fox: is a full day on the ice for you?

The two are different kinds of day. The Flying Fox is a long guided walk on the ice. The Extreme Fox adds technical ground and ropework, depending on conditions, and it asks more of your fitness. “No experience required” on the Extreme Fox does not mean anyone who can manage a gentle walk will enjoy it.

Take the Flying Fox for a memorable morning on the ice at moderate fitness. Take the Extreme Fox if you are fit and want to spend the day learning to move through steeper glacier terrain.

How fit you need to be

Fox Glacier Guiding defines its two fitness grades by what you can manage on an ordinary hike:

• Moderate fitness (Express and Flying Fox): you can climb and descend about 500 to 800 m over 4 to 6 hours carrying a 10 kg pack.
• Good fitness (Extreme Fox): you can climb and descend 1,000 m or more over 8 hours or longer carrying a pack of 12 kg or more.

Those are benchmarks of general ability. The heli-hikes do not climb those heights. If knees, balance, a fear of heights or mobility worry you, contact Fox Glacier Guiding before you book; the guide makes the safety call on the day about who walks.

Children and teenagers

The Express and the Flying Fox take children from age 9, and on the Flying Fox children aged 9 to 16 must come with an adult. The Extreme Fox starts at 13. A child also needs the fitness for the trip, boots and crampons that fit, and the patience to follow the guide’s instructions on the ice.

For a family whose children walk well, the Flying Fox gives the most time on the glacier. With children under 9, a 25-minute snow-landing flight is the way to get the family onto the snow together.

Gear: what is supplied and what to bring

Fox Glacier Guiding supplies boots, socks, crampons, poles, a waterproof jacket and overtrousers, a hat and gloves, and lends a fleece if you need one. On the Extreme Fox you also get the technical climbing equipment, and the guide shows you how to use it.

Bring three or four warm upper-body layers, sunglasses, sun protection, a drink and snacks, a camera and any medication you need. The operator asks you to carry enough medication for a night, because a group can be held on the ice if the weather closes in. Jeans are not recommended and drones are not allowed. On the Extreme Fox, pack lunch as well as snacks.

Fox Glacier Guiding limits carry-on items to 3 kg per person and gives 116 kg as the passenger weight limit on all three trips. The GetYourGuide listing for the Flying Fox gives about 115 kg. If you are near either figure, ask the operator before you book. Our what to wear guide covers clothing in more detail.

Do the helicopter transfers count as a scenic flight?

You see the glacier and the mountains from the air on all three trips, but the flight is there to get you to the ice. On the Flying Fox it takes about 5 minutes each way, much shorter than a 25- to 40-minute scenic circuit with a snow landing.

If you mainly want to see Fox Glacier and the peaks from above, book a scenic flight. If you want to explore the ice on foot, book a heli-hike. Our guide to which Fox Glacier tour to book sets the flights and heli-hikes against each other.

Weather calls, cancellations and rebooking

All three trips need the helicopter to reach the glacier safely, and the weather in the village does not always match the weather on the ice. Fox Glacier Guiding makes its final weather call 10 minutes before departure, after you have checked in, so turn up on time unless the operator tells you the trip is off. It recommends booking early in your stay so there is room to move to another day.

If the operator cancels for weather, you get a full refund or a move to another departure when one is free. If you cancel yourself, the direct terms for heli-hikes allow it free up to 24 hours before reporting time, with 100% charged after that or for a no-show. GetYourGuide’s listing for the Flying Fox also allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Fox Glacier Guiding runs trips in the rain, so do not cancel because the village forecast looks wet. Our weather and best-time guide explains how the call works and what to do on a grounded day.

Where the heli-hikes depart from

All three leave from Fox Glacier Guiding’s base at 44 Main Road in Fox Glacier village. Check in 20 minutes before your departure time.

These are Fox Glacier trips from Fox village, about 25 minutes’ drive south of Franz Josef. That matters when you compare listings with similar names on booking sites.

Each trip needs at least three people to run. If you are booking alone or as a couple, ask whether your departure has enough people; the operator may be able to combine separate bookings onto one trip.

Which heli-hike is the best value?

Each suits a different kind of traveler.

• The Express, at NZ$749, suits you when time or stamina is short and you still want to walk on the glacier.
• The Flying Fox, at NZ$849, gives the most ice time per dollar of the two moderate trips, and it is the one to book on GetYourGuide.
• The Extreme Fox, at NZ$1,049, buys a longer and more technical day. Pay for it because you want the ropes and steeper ice. For a walking day, the Flying Fox takes you onto the same glacier for NZ$200 less.

Do not pick the Express to save NZ$100 if you have the time and fitness for the Flying Fox.

Frequently asked questions

Is Fox Glacier Express the same as Flying Fox?

No. The Express takes up to 2 hours in total with up to 1 hour on the ice. The Flying Fox takes up to 4 hours with up to 3 hours on the ice. Both include a guided walk on the ice and a helicopter flight each way.

Which Fox Glacier heli-hike is best for beginners?

The Express and the Flying Fox both need no previous glacier experience and are rated moderate fitness. The Flying Fox is our pick for active beginners; the Express suits a shorter introduction.

Is Extreme Fox suitable for beginners?

You need no technical experience, but Fox Glacier Guiding asks for good fitness and a very good level of English, and the day can run up to 8 hours on steeper ground.

Can you see ice caves on the Fox Glacier Express?

Possibly. Fox Glacier Guiding lists ice caves among the features you may see, but no cave, formation or route is guaranteed on any of the three trips.

Does the Flying Fox include a helicopter flight?

Yes. It includes a helicopter flight from Fox village to the glacier and back, about 5 minutes each way. It is a transfer to the ice and shorter than a scenic flight.

How much does the Fox Glacier Express cost?

Fox Glacier Guiding lists it at NZ$749, valid to 30 September 2027. Check the total for your date at checkout.

How much does the Flying Fox cost?

Fox Glacier Guiding lists NZ$849 for adults and children aged 9 to 16, valid to 30 September 2027. On GetYourGuide it starts from $483 per person.

How much does Extreme Fox cost?

Fox Glacier Guiding lists NZ$1,049, valid to 30 September 2027.

Can a nine-year-old do a Fox Glacier heli-hike?

Yes, on the Express or the Flying Fox, if the child meets the fitness and gear requirements. On the Flying Fox, children aged 9 to 16 must come with an adult. The Extreme Fox has a minimum age of 13.

Is Extreme Fox an ice-climbing tour?

Partly. It is a full-day heli-hike that may include ropework, short ice pitches or abseiling, depending on conditions and your group. Fox Glacier Guiding runs a separate full-day ice-climbing trip, Fox it up Heli Ice Climbing, for climbing itself.

Should I book the first day of my visit?

Yes, if you can. The trips depend on the weather, so a first-day booking leaves later days free for a new slot. It does not guarantee the trip will fly.

Our verdict

With only a short window, book the Fox Glacier Express. For a long morning on the ice without a technical day, book the Flying Fox. If you are fit and want ropes and steeper ice, book the Extreme Fox.

For most first-time glacier walkers, the Flying Fox is the one: up to three hours on the ice makes the glacier, not the helicopter, the main part of the day.

Ready to pick a date? Check the Fox heli-hike’s availability, or compare every Fox trip on the Fox helicopter page.

Related reading:

• Which Fox Glacier tour to book
• How much the Fox Glacier heli-hike costs
• Fox Glacier weather and the best time to visit