If you want to visit the Franz Josef Glacier, this is definitely where you want to book your tour!…read moreMy boyfriend and I booked a heli-hike tour and we absolutely loved every second of it! My recommendation is to definitely book ahead of time. Although our first reservation didn't go through due to a mismatch of booking availabilities between Trip Advisor and the Guides, the FJG Guides were very helpful with trying to find a time that fit our schedule. Also, note that since many places in New Zealand do not have service, I would highly recommend booking before you arrive in New Zealand. The tour itself was amazing! We had a really funny and knowledgeable guide (I think his name is Luke, sorry if I remembered incorrectly) and he definitely made the experience even more memorable! The company provides everything you need, from jackets to snow pants to crampons to a small fanny-pack-like bag to store any snacks and cameras! The only things I recommend bringing are sunglasses and gloves. The guide also helps you take pictures as you go on the path through the glacier, so you can get amazing pictures of you and the glacier! This is one thing you don't want to miss out on if you're in the South Island of New Zealand!

We did the Heli-Hike and highly recommend FJ Glacier guides for your next adventure! They were very…read moreorganized and punctual. Our guide Jule was amazing. The helicopter ride to the glacier was so much fun! The glacier hike itself was probably about 1-1.5 miles over 2 hours interspersed with stories about glaciers, ice and lots of pictures. We got to eat some ice, drink fresh glacier water, explore the beauty of the glacier surrounded by rocky mountains, and get some steps in. The helicopter ride back was also awesome! It was pretty reasonably priced for everything they provided. I would recommend this to anyone that plans to go to Franz Josef!

Great experience with Mt Cook Glacier Gliding. We were supposed to do the 2-hr Helihike, but it got…read morecancelled because of winds in the morning. We were able to reschedule the next morning for a helicopter tour and 10-min glacier landing. Thank you to the team for being able to accommodate! We were really looking forward to the hike, but this was a nice consolation. Advice is to book early during your stay for any helicopter adventures at Mt cook, so you can reschedule if needed. I've heard as much as 50% of tours can get cancelled because of weather.

We signed up for the help hike here, didn't really know what to expect…read more Only reason why I'm giving this 5 stars is bc of the glacier hike guide can't remember her name (small - like stick thin small- woman from England). She was fan-freaking-tastic. The rest of the staff were also great but it was so unorganized, with out the staff it would have been a horrible experience. Took over an hour past our scheduled time to simply get in the air. Took just as long to get back. Honestly that killed the experience for me. Staff great, need to get more organized. So if your fine with a walk on a glacier (which should take 3 hours) Taking you 4 & 1/2 hours then this is the place for you!

We had a wonderful day with Sam Kuprus doing an out and back hike on the Routeburn Track. He was…read moredelightful and very knowledgeable! We are American and he taught us so much about the unique flora and fauna of NZ, discussed conservation and anti predation efforts. He also answered many questions we had about this beautiful and welcoming country. What an amazing and gorgeous forest walk, with epic waterfalls at the top, the azure waters of the Routeburn accompanying us most of the way!

Paula and Phil planned out a fantastic day of wine touring during our visit to Queenstown. We had…read morenever been to New Zealand prior to our trip and they did a wonderful job of recommending places to visit and eat and we took their advice on several stops. They were wonderful hosts and we enjoyed our day with them!! Thanks again from the guys from Austin, Texas!!

This is a nice moderate walk/hike around Lake Matheson, but my one tip would be:…read more If you're doing the trail to see the famous view of the mountains and glacier, take a look at the start of the hike to see if you can see the glacier! We had a cloudy afternoon with some wind that moved in fast so we couldn't see the reflection or the famous view, which made it just a regular hike. Very dependent on weather if you want that postcard view!

We walked through the trails and forest to get to the river suspension bridge (jetty view point)…read morewhich takes approximately 20 minutes, admiring the flora and fauna along the way. The track continues through the conservation forest to a pontoon that extends out onto the lake which took about 30 minutes. On a calm day, this lake create a magnificient reflection of the surrounding, especially the beautiful reflected views of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. It was very serene and pictureque.

Thank you to NZ for making so many natural wonders free to access and visit!…read more We were excited to see the glaciers, and did the short hike to a viewpoint for Franz Josef Glacier. Sadly, the glacier has receded quite a bit, and the viewing spot doesn't get you anywhere near it so it's a bit anticlimactic. The clouds covered the view about an hour later. If you're really excited about glaciers in NZ and aren't going to the Mt. Cook area, I'd recommend doing a helicopter ride and glacier tour to get up close - otherwise you may feel it's a bit average from the viewpoint.

Hiked up to this glacier in the middle of February. We got to the area around 10am and finished…read morearound noon. You could definitely finish in less time; we stopped to take a lot of photos. The area is fairly level throughout but with no benches along the path. The trail is mostly loose gravel so I would definitely recommend hiking shoes. Bring a raincoat! I wouldn't say this hike is stroller friendly but it's definitely suitable for young kids. You don't need walking sticks unless you have trouble walking normally. - Definitely start before noon! There had to be quadruple the amount of people entering the park than leaving the park around this time. When we left around noon the parking lot was nearly full. The parking lot was massive. - Free entry - There are 3 public restrooms at the trailhead. Pretty typical for the NZ public parks, no soap available so bring your hand sanitizer! - No drone zone (due to helicopters). You will be fined $5,000 if caught with a drone. - Follow the IG account poutiniranger for details of their talks and free guided nature walks

Another hike that might not be top of your list ( Milford and Routeburn the tops) but if you want…read moreamazing views of Mt Cook this is the one. Easy hike that crosses some really cook bridges and rivers. The end is a gorgeous glacial lake. Pack a lunch and enjoy the views

Of all the places to hike this is one you will want to get up early to do. We started our hike at…read more7:3am to miss the crowds and be able to see and hear God's beautiful creation. This place is totally amazing! Layer your clothes and take water. When your body warns up you can take off. There are toilets available before your hike. Campground is also located there if your the camper type. About an hour into the hike they currently have the trail closed due to repairs to the bridge. After the hike we drove over to the cafe for hot tea and coffee. Enjoy!

We did the short walk to Peter's pool, with nice views, then carried on to the other short walks…read morewith views of Franz Josef glacier. These paths were very easy 20 minute walks suitable for anyone.

We were supposed to take a helicopter ride and do a guided hike on the glacier, but our trip was…read morecancelled due to low clouds that would have made flying unsafe. The staff at the company offered a guided valley floor walk for a fee, but they kindly noted that the trail on the valley floor was part of the national park, and was free of charge if we wanted to just drive there and walk on our own (since we did have a car!) We were very thankful for the tip! This is an absolutely beautiful park! Yes, driving there does involve a few of New Zealand's famous one-way bridges, but it is worth it! The Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk takes hikers past what the glacier left behind; geology buffs would go nuts for this! For the average person, the colors and patterns on the rocks are beautiful! There are some beautiful waterfalls along the way, and the ever changing pattern of the water in the valley floor will keep hikers on their toes! Signs are posted that give current trail conditions, and warn if flood risk is likely; as long as risk is low, it seems the worst that happens is that you may have dry shoes hiking out, but soggy ones coming back! The valley floor is very exposed, so sunscreen, a hat and water are a good idea. The views of the glacier are beautiful! The trail ends about 750m from the glacier, so, no, you don't get to walk on it, but you do get to see it pretty well! We also did the Douglas Walk to Peter's Pool which was another pretty view of the glacier reflected in the pond. As an added bonus, this trail is through the rain forest. We enjoyed the plants and birds a great deal! Finally, after dark, we did the Terrance Walk to see the glow worms. This is definitely worth doing; bring a flashlight so you don't trip, but then turn it off to enjoy the glow worm show! Trails are all nicely maintained and clearly marked! This ended up being a great plan B when our trip was cancelled!

We walked to the trailhead from our room at Mt. Lodge Motels & Inn…read more The Red Tarns route was a 1.5mile steep stairs uphill trek to the top of mountain, then including a small Red Tarn Pond loop- The entire route took about 45min return. To be honest, we cared less about the actual Red Tarns Pond- the stair climb was an excellent cardio hike- and the view from the top was amazing- we didn't bother with the red tarn pond loop once up top, we just sat and enjoyed the view, rewarding ourselves for the climb.