Fox Glacier weather and the best time to visit
Fox Glacier gets about 5 m of rain a year and no month is reliably dry. When to go, how weather calls and refunds work, and what to do on a rain day.
Fox Glacier (Te Moeka o Tuawe) has no dry season. The township averages about 5,000 mm of rain a year, roughly 16 feet, and heavy rain can fall in any month. The best time to visit is any stretch of your trip where you can give Fox two nights: book the heli-hike or a flight for your first full day, keep the next day free, and you get a second try if the first is canceled for cloud, wind or rain.
Glacier Helicopters, which flies from both Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, calls November to March its busiest months and suggests booking about a month ahead then, two weeks ahead the rest of the year. If you only have a short window in town, the Fox Glacier: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing takes 25 minutes from the Glacier Helicopters base in the township, from $225 per person, rated 4.7 from 129 GetYourGuide reviews. Like every helicopter trip here, it flies only when the weather allows.
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Rain, cloud and temperature at Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier both sit in Westland Tai Poutini National Park, in the path of the prevailing westerly winds. The Department of Conservation (DOC) says heavy rain can fall there at any time of year, up to five meters of it annually. The long-term record for Fox Glacier township gives an average of 5,008 mm a year (1981 to 2010). Franz Josef Glacier Guides puts its own figure at 6 to 8 meters. Either way, the area gets roughly five meters or more a year, among the wettest places in New Zealand. There is no dry month to aim for: pack a waterproof jacket in every season and plan your days around at least one wet one.
Helicopters also need visibility at the landing sites, high above town, and calm enough air to land. Glacier Country Helicopters, a Franz Josef operator, says rain, wind and cloud all count, and that the township and the mountains can have quite different weather. A blue sky over Main Road does not settle the question, and a gray morning in town does not always cancel the trip.
Temperatures on the ice are lower than in the village. Fox Glacier Guiding gives about +5 to +15 °C (41 to 59 °F) on the glacier in summer and about -5 to +10 °C (23 to 50 °F) in winter, and says the weather can change in any season. For a snow landing flight, HeliServices, which flies from Franz Josef, says the snow can be 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the village. DOC asks everyone in the park to carry warm and waterproof clothing at all times. Our what to wear guide covers the layers and the kit the heli-hike supplies.
How the weather call works on the day
Fox Glacier Guiding runs its heli-hike, sold on GetYourGuide as the Fox Glacier Heli-Hike: Up to 3 Hours on the Ice, at 8:50am and 11:50am all year, with extra departures when demand allows. You check in at 44 Main Road 20 minutes before departure. The final weather call comes 10 minutes before departure, after you have checked in and started the briefing. If it is not safe to fly, you get a full refund or a move to another departure, subject to availability.
Scenic flights work the same way with a different clock. Glacier Helicopters makes its final call at check-in, 30 minutes before departure, and the listing for the 25-minute Fox flight offers an alternative date or a full refund when a flight is canceled for poor weather. That listing also says flights, landings and routes can vary with the weather and at the pilot’s discretion. A flight can go ahead without the landing: a few reviewers of the Fox snow-landing flight got a flyover with no landing and said they wished they had understood that before they boarded. If the cloud is low on the day, ask at check-in what the pilot expects before you take your seat.
Once you are on the ice, the weather can still change. Fox Glacier Guiding says that if the helicopters cannot reach a group already on the glacier, the company waits for a window, and its guides can camp on the ice overnight with emergency supplies stored there. That is why the operator asks you to carry any medication you might need on the hike.
No operator publishes how often Fox trips are canceled. Plan as if your first slot could be the one that does not fly.
Seasons at Fox Glacier, month by month
The heli-hike runs year-round, and Fox Glacier Guiding recommends no particular season: the glacier can be walked in every month. What changes through the year is how busy it gets, how far ahead you need to book, and how cold it is on the ice.
| Months | How busy | Book ahead (Glacier Helicopters’ advice) | Also in this period |
|---|---|---|---|
| December to February | Inside the busiest months; Franz Josef Glacier Guides calls this its peak season | About a month | Summer on the ice, about +5 to +15 °C; Lake Matheson busy |
| March | Still inside the busiest months | About a month | Lake Matheson busy |
| April and May | Outside the busiest flying months | About two weeks | Lake Matheson still busy in April |
| June to August | Winter; Franz Josef Glacier Guides describes it as quieter | About two weeks | Winter on the ice, about -5 to +10 °C |
| September and October | Spring; outside the busiest months | About two weeks | Fox Glacier Guiding’s Browne Fox Heli Trek season opens on 1 October |
| November | Busiest months begin | About a month | Lake Matheson busy from November |
For warmer ice, go between December and February and book a month out. For an easier booking, go between April and October with about two weeks’ notice. October is spring in New Zealand and sits outside the busiest months; expect rain then as in any month. Some locals say winter brings more clear days. Treat that as hearsay and keep the spare day in winter too.
Winter on the ice and early or late departures
In winter (June to August) the Flying Fox heli-hike still runs at 8:50am and 11:50am. Fox Glacier Guiding supplies boots, waterproofs, a hat and gloves, lends a fleece if you need one, and suggests three or four warm upper-body layers underneath, with no jeans. Sunglasses matter in every month because of the glare off snow and ice. Glacier Helicopters says its flights typically depart between 8am and 5pm, depending on season and weather.
There is no dependable pattern of clearer mornings or clearer late mornings at Fox. The earlier heli-hike slot has one practical edge: if the 8:50am trip is canceled, the 11:50am may still have room the same day, and the operator offers a move to another departure when it can.
The spare-day rule and how many nights to book
Fox Glacier Guiding says to book once your Fox dates are confirmed and to take your first day in town. The GetYourGuide listing says the same: book the first available day in Fox Glacier for the most flexibility. Two nights gives you one full day plus a spare; three nights is safer if the heli-hike is the reason you came.
On GetYourGuide, every tour on this site shows “Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund” and “Reserve now & pay later”. For the Fox heli-hike, the listing allows no refund or change for your own cancellation inside 24 hours of the trip, and a full refund when the trip is canceled for weather. Operators say refunds on agent bookings go through the agent, which means a weather refund on a GetYourGuide booking comes from GetYourGuide. A few reviewers of a Franz Josef flight said those refunds took weeks to arrive. Keep your booking email.
Heavy rain can also close the road. State Highway 6 between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier has been shut by slips in the past, at Omoeroa and the Fox Hills, with no detour. If you are driving in on the morning of your trip, check the NZ Transport Agency’s live road map first.
What to do when the helicopters stay on the ground
You can still see Fox Glacier from the ground, from a distance. DOC’s South Side Walkway starts 2 km south of the township across the Fox River bridge. It takes about 40 minutes to the first viewpoint and about 10 more minutes downhill to the last, which DOC says is hundreds of meters from the face. Stop at the sign that marks the end of the track: DOC warns of extreme flood hazard beyond it, and the track itself can close for rockfall or flooded rivers. The old valley road to the glacier has been closed since floods and a landslide in early 2019.
Lake Matheson is about 5 km from the village. The full loop is 4.4 km and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, and the first section to the Jetty Lookout is 2.4 km return, about 45 minutes, and wheelchair accessible. DOC says the mirror reflections of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman are best at dawn and dusk on a fine, windless day, so save the lake for the evening the cloud lifts.
Two guided walks pick up in Fox. The Fox Glacier: Half-Day Walking & Nature Tour with Local Guide runs 3.5 hours in a group of up to 10, from $65 per person, rated 4.7 from 188 reviews, with raincoats, overtrousers and large umbrellas supplied. It walks in all weather and goes no closer to the glacier than the public viewpoint. The Lake Matheson Half-Day Nature Tour near Fox Glacier takes 4 hours, from $68, rated 4.8 from 18 reviews, and also goes rain or shine. Both operators keep the fee if you cancel on the day because of heavy rain, unless they cancel the tour themselves. Our Fox Glacier walks page compares them with the free DOC tracks.
Whatever you walk, bring insect repellent: DOC says sandflies are prevalent in the park.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Fox Glacier?
Any time you can give it two nights. The heli-hike runs year-round and rain can fall in any month. December to February is warmer on the ice but inside the busiest months, so book about a month ahead; from April to October about two weeks is usually enough.
What is the weather like at Fox Glacier in October?
October is spring and falls outside Glacier Helicopters’ busiest months. Expect rain as in any month, carry warm and waterproof layers, and book your first full day in Fox with a spare day after it.
What is the cancellation policy for the Fox Glacier heli hike?
On GetYourGuide you can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. Inside 24 hours the listing allows no refund or change for your own cancellation. If the trip is canceled for weather, you get a full refund, or the operator can move you to another departure if one is free.
How cold is it on Fox Glacier?
Fox Glacier Guiding gives about +5 to +15 °C on the ice in summer and about -5 to +10 °C in winter. Boots, waterproofs, a hat and gloves are supplied; wear three or four warm layers underneath.
Ready to pick a date? Check the Fox heli-hike’s availability, or see the Fox helicopter flights for a shorter trip.
Related reading:
Pick Your Day on the Ice
Heli-hikes run on the weather, so book an early day of your stay and keep one free. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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