Which Fox Glacier tour should you book?
Which Fox Glacier tour to book: the heli-hike, snow-landing flights, twin-glacier flights, guided walks and a Queenstown day trip compared by traveler.
If you are 9 or older, under about 115 kg and happy to walk on uneven ice for up to 3 hours, book the Fox Glacier Heli-Hike: Up to 3 Hours on the Ice. It is the only Fox Glacier heli-hike on GetYourGuide (as of October 2026), from $483 per person and rated 4.9 from 370 GetYourGuide reviews. If the limits or the 4 hours rule you out, take a flight with a snow landing from Fox Glacier township: the Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight takes 35 minutes, from $281 per person, and also flies you past Aoraki/Mt Cook. A shorter 25-minute snow-landing flight costs from $225.
Everything else on this page answers a narrower need: a base in Franz Josef, a start in Queenstown, a smaller budget or a day when the helicopters stay on the ground. Prices are per person in US dollars on a real date, checked in October 2026, and every helicopter trip depends on the weather on the day.
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Heli-hike or snow-landing flight
Make this choice first, because it sets your budget and half a day of your schedule. A heli-hike puts you on the ice with a guide and crampons for hours. A scenic flight puts you on snow high in the mountains for a few minutes, between two stretches of flying.
On the Fox heli-hike you check in at 44 Main Road, fly about 5 minutes onto the glacier, and spend up to 3 hours on the ice following steps your guide cuts. Plan on about 4 hours from start to finish. The listing asks for a reasonable level of fitness and agility, rules out children under 9, people over about 115 kg and wheelchair users, and bans jeans. Fox Glacier Guiding supplies the boots, crampons, poles and waterproofs.
The Fox flights ask much less of you. The 25-minute Fox snow-landing flight lists about 8 minutes on the snow, and its operator states no per-person weight limit, though it may reschedule you if your weight on the day is 15 kg or more above what you declared. The 35-minute Fox and Mount Cook flight adds a pass by Aoraki/Mt Cook. On either flight the pilot chooses the route and the landing on the day. Two low-rated reviews of the 25-minute flight describe an overflight with no landing because of the conditions.
The money gap is about $200 to $260 per person between the heli-hike and a Fox flight. Choose the heli-hike if walking on the glacier is the point of your trip. Choose a flight if you want the view from above and a few steps on snow, or if a child under 9 is coming with you.
Where each tour starts: Fox, Franz Josef or Queenstown
Where you sleep narrows the list fast. Only three of the 11 tours compared here take off from Fox Glacier township: the heli-hike from Fox Glacier Guiding’s base at 44 Main Road, the 25-minute flight from the Glacier Helicopters base, and the Fox and Mount Cook flight from The Helicopter Line’s base on Main Road (check your voucher for the exact spot).
All three twin-glacier flights leave from Franz Josef, 24 km north, about a 25-minute drive. GetYourGuide files two of them under Fox Glacier, which is easy to misread when you search, so read the departure point before you book. The Franz Josef heli-hikes also check in at Franz Josef. None of the West Coast helicopter operators collects you from your accommodation, so a Fox-based traveler drives up and back.
The two guided walks from Glacier Valley Eco Tours work both ways. They depart from the company’s base in Franz Josef with a drive of about 30 minutes each way, or pick you up in Fox township or at your accommodation there. The walks themselves happen near Fox, at the glacier valley and at Lake Matheson.
The Queenstown day trip is the outlier. It starts in Queenstown, flies you by plane to Franz Josef for a heli-hike on that glacier, and flies you back the same day. No package on GetYourGuide flies from Queenstown to the Fox heli-hike. If you want Fox itself, you drive about four and a half hours from Queenstown, or more with stops, and stay in Fox.
All 11 Fox Glacier tours by type
Time is the duration GetYourGuide prints on each listing: the whole trip for heli-hikes and walks, the flight time including the landing for scenic flights. Ratings are GetYourGuide’s, with the review count in brackets.
Heli-hikes
| Tour | Operator | Starts in | Time | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Glacier Heli-Hike: Up to 3 Hours on the Ice | Fox Glacier Guiding | Fox Glacier, 44 Main Road | 4 hours | $483 | 4.9 (370) |
| Franz Josef Glacier: 2.5-Hour Heli-Hike with Helicopter Transfer | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | Franz Josef | 4 to 8 hours | $511 | 4.7 (404) |
| Franz Josef: Extended Heli-Hike with Lunch (Small Group) | Franz Josef Glacier Guides | Franz Josef | 8 hours | $881 | 5.0 (1) |
Fox flights with a snow landing
| Tour | Operator | Starts in | Time | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Glacier: Scenic Helicopter Flight with Snow Landing | Glacier Helicopters | Fox Glacier | 25 minutes | $225 | 4.7 (129) |
| Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight | The Helicopter Line West Coast | Fox Glacier | 35 minutes | $281 | 4.5 (44) |
Twin-glacier flights (depart Franz Josef)
| Tour | Operator | Starts in | Time | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef: Twin Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers Helicopter Trip | HeliServices.NZ | Franz Josef | 30 minutes | $262 | 4.9 (154) |
| Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Helicopter Flight & Snow Landing | Glacier Helicopters | Franz Josef | 35 minutes | $281 | 4.7 (410) |
| Franz Josef: Twin Glacier Helicopter Flight and Snow Landing | The Helicopter Line West Coast | Franz Josef | 35 minutes | $281 | 4.8 (12) |
Walks without a helicopter
| Tour | Operator | Starts in | Time | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Glacier: Half-Day Walking & Nature Tour with Local Guide | Glacier Valley Eco Tours | Franz Josef base or pickup in Fox | 3.5 hours | $65 | 4.7 (188) |
| Lake Matheson Half-Day Nature Tour near Fox Glacier | Glacier Valley Eco Tours | Franz Josef base or pickup in Fox | 4 hours | $68 | 4.8 (18) |
From Queenstown
| Tour | Operator | Starts in | Time | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queenstown: Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike & Scenic Flight | True South Flights | Queenstown (flies to Franz Josef) | 6.5 hours | $1,134 | 4.8 (28) |
Two ratings rest on few reviews: the extended Franz Josef heli-hike has a single review, and the Lake Matheson walk has 18, so treat those scores as early signs.
Picks by traveler
First-timer who can walk for 3 hours
Book the Fox heli-hike. It gives you more time on the ice than the standard Franz Josef heli-hike (up to 3 hours, against up to 2.5) and has the highest rating of the heli-hikes with more than 30 reviews. Our breakdown of the Fox heli-hike has the full itinerary.
Too young, or over the weight limit
The Fox heli-hike starts at age 9 and the Franz Josef one at 10, and both cap weight at about 115 kg. The 25-minute Fox flight lists no minimum age: under-4s under 15 kg ride on an adult’s knee, and children from 4 to 14 over 15 kg need their own seat. Our Fox Glacier helicopter page compares it with the longer flight.
Tight budget
The Fox Glacier walking and nature tour is the cheapest tour here at $65, with tea, a rain jacket and walking poles included. The walk goes no closer to the ice than the public viewpoint, though, and never onto the glacier. The DOC walks are free: the South Side Walkway reaches its first viewpoint in about 40 minutes, and the Lake Matheson loop takes about 1 hour 30. For snow under your feet, the 25-minute flight from $225 is the lowest-priced landing of the tours compared here.
Photographers
Pick the flight with the widest view of the peaks. The 35-minute Fox and Mount Cook flight adds Aoraki/Mt Cook to the glacier views. On shared flights you may not get to choose your seat, and one reviewer of the Helicopter Line twin-glacier flight ended up in the middle of the back row with a blocked view. Selfie sticks, drones and tablets are banned on the Glacier Helicopters and Helicopter Line flights.
Staying in Franz Josef
Book the Franz Josef heli-hike, from $511, rated 4.7 from 404 GetYourGuide reviews, the most-reviewed heli-hike here. For a longer day on the ice with lunch and at most 4 guests, the extended small-group heli-hike costs from $881 and needs you to be 14 or older. For a flight, the HeliServices twin-glacier trip crosses both glaciers in 30 minutes from $262, rated 4.9 from 154 reviews. Our twin-glacier flight page compares all three.
Based in Queenstown
The Queenstown plane-and-heli-hike day, from $1,134, is the most expensive tour here and the only one that starts in Queenstown. It includes hotel pickup, two plane flights and about 2 hours of hiking on Franz Josef Glacier. One reviewer had the glacier walk cancelled by low cloud after flying over. If you have two or three days, driving to Fox and booking the heli-hike there costs less than half as much per person, before accommodation. Our Queenstown page weighs the two.
Your weather backup
Hold a ground option for the day the helicopters stay down. Both Glacier Valley Eco Tours walks go out in all weather and pick up in Fox; the Lake Matheson nature tour suggests early evening for the best chance of reflections. Our page on Fox Glacier without a helicopter covers the free walks too.
Know before you book
- Every helicopter trip here depends on the weather. Fox Glacier Guiding makes its final call 10 minutes before departure and offers a full refund or another departure. Book your first full day in Fox and keep the next day free; our weather and best-time guide explains why.
- GetYourGuide lets you cancel free up to 24 hours ahead on all 11 tours. Inside 24 hours, the Fox heli-hike allows no refund or change at your own request.
- A snow landing is never guaranteed. Pilots choose the route and the landing site on the day.
- Flights need minimum passenger numbers. If a departure does not fill, you are offered another one or a refund.
- The walking tours run in heavy rain. Cancelling on the day for rain gets no refund unless the operator cancels.
- On the Fox heli-hike, food and drink are not included and you leave your own backpack behind. Our what to wear guide lists what to bring.
- A few reviewers of one twin-glacier flight said a weather refund was slow to arrive. Keep your booking confirmation until the refund shows on your card.
Still deciding between the two glaciers? The Fox or Franz Josef guide compares the two towns and heli-hikes, and the price guide covers what each option costs. Check your exact dates on the booking page, because departures and prices change through the season.
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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