West Coast Tours

West Coast tours in New Zealand centre on Franz Josef and Fox Glacier: heli hikes onto the ice, helicopter flights with a snow landing, a quad bike ride through the riverbeds, paddles on Lake Mapourika and coach day trips from Queenstown. Pick by how much effort you want to put in and how the weather looks. Anything on the ice or in the air depends on cloud, while the lake trips mostly carry on regardless.

Glacier heli hikes and guided ice walks on the West Coast

A heli hike is the way to get onto the ice itself. The Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike flies you to the glacier for a 2.5-hour guided walk, with crampons, boots, waterproofs and trekking poles supplied and one guide to every 11 guests. It is a popular choice.

The Flying Fox Heli Hike starts from Fox Glacier instead. It adds two helicopter flights, a long stretch on the ice and a look at Victoria Falls, the meltwater fall from the hidden Victoria Glacier. It is a 4-hour trip, and Fox Glacier Guiding asks for a moderate level of fitness: enough to climb and descend 500 to 800m while carrying a light pack.

Helicopter tours with a snow landing

If you want the view without the walking, the 20-minute Fox and Franz Josef glacier flight lands on whichever glacier the day's conditions allow. The 30-minute twin glacier flight traces the full sweep of both glaciers before a snow landing at the head of one, and the 40-minute glaciers and Mount Cook flight circles the peak of Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Other helicopter flights from Franz Josef and Fox Glacier add the Tasman Glacier, or a route from Fox township up to the west face of Mount Cook.

Quad bike tours through the Franz Josef valley

The Franz Josef off-road quad bike tour is a 2-hour ride through riverbeds, grasslands, sand, mud and forest tracks, with snow-capped peaks along the skyline. You can ride solo or share a double quad or buggy, helmets, wet-weather gear and rubber boots are included, and the ride suits beginners as well as experienced riders. It is among the more popular off-road driving experiences on the West Coast.

Kayak, cruise and walk on Lake Mapourika

Lake Mapourika is the calm-water option. The Franz Josef Classic Kayaking Tour is a 3-hour guided paddle in single or double kayaks with the glacier and the Southern Alps behind you. Morning departures give the calmer water, the afternoon breeze makes it a bit more adventurous, and sunset departures run in both winter and summer.

The kayak tour and nature walk adds a guided walk through the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary for a 4-hour trip, and the scenic cruise and nature walk swaps the paddle for a covered boat with hot drinks on board, then walks the same sanctuary on a 2.5-hour trip. The wider range of West Coast kayaking tours and lake cruises carries on in most weather.

Day tours between Queenstown and the glaciers

Coach tours link Queenstown with Fox Glacier and Franz Josef over Haast Pass, the southernmost pass between the East and West coasts of the South Island. The Queenstown to Fox Glacier day tour leaves Athol Street at 8.10am and reaches Fox Glacier at 3.40pm, passing Lake Dunstan, Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea on the way.

The Queenstown to Franz Josef day tour covers the same lakes, with a morning tea stop at Makarora and a stop at a boutique salmon farm. Going the other way, the Fox Glacier to Queenstown day tour leaves Fox Glacier at 8.35am. Franz Josef is 351km from Queenstown by road, so the coach does the driving.

How to choose a West Coast tour

Decide first if you want to be on the ice. A heli hike puts you on the glacier for the best part of a half-day, a helicopter flight gives you the aerial view and a short snow landing, and the lake trips keep you at ground level. The quad bike ride sits in the middle: a 2-hour run, fast and not dependent on a clear glacier.

Weather decides the rest. Heli hikes and helicopter flights can move or cancel when cloud closes in, so book them early in your stay and leave room to reschedule, and keep a lake trip or an indoor option from rainy days on the West Coast up your sleeve. For everything else on the coast, start with things to do on New Zealand's West Coast.

Frequently asked questions

How long is a glacier heli hike on the West Coast?

A West Coast glacier heli hike is a half-day trip: the Franz Josef Glacier Heli Hike includes a 2.5-hour walk on the ice, and the Flying Fox Heli Hike from Fox Glacier is a 4-hour trip with a long stretch on the ice. Each includes the helicopter flights and the guide.

Do West Coast glacier tours run in the rain?

West Coast glacier tours depend on the weather, so heli hikes and helicopter flights can be moved or cancelled when cloud or rain closes in. The Lake Mapourika kayak and cruise trips carry on in most conditions, and booking glacier trips early in your stay leaves room to reschedule.

How far is Franz Josef from Fox Glacier?

Franz Josef is 24km from Fox Glacier, a 24-minute drive. Most glacier trips leave from one village or the other, so it is easy to base yourself in either.

Is there a coach tour between Queenstown and Fox Glacier?

A coach day tour runs one way from Queenstown to Fox Glacier over Haast Pass, and a separate tour runs back from Fox Glacier to Queenstown.

What fitness do you need for a glacier heli hike?

A glacier heli hike needs a reasonable level of fitness, and the Flying Fox Heli Hike spells it out as enough to climb and descend 500 to 800m with a light pack. Minimum ages also apply, and they differ between tours.

Are West Coast kayaking tours suitable for children?

Lake Mapourika kayak tours have child tickets, and the guides supply all the paddling equipment, so children do not need their own gear.

Pick the glacier trip first, then fit the lake, the quad bikes or the Queenstown coach around it.