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!

We took the Flying Fox helihike at $425 per person. As the weather forecast was rain, we were told…read moreupfront that we would get a full refund if the flight is cancelled, 60% if we were flown there but not allowed to hike and 30% if the hike was less than an hour. Thankfully we had weather good enough to fly and hike for an hour or so. We were provided waterproof pants, jacket, crampons and hiking socks and shoes. Our guide Larn was very helpful and tried to make the visit as interesting for us as possible, creating photo opportunities which were delightful! We felt very safe and had a great morning. The only bummer being that we had to cut short our hike as the pilots anticipated bad weather. Highly recommended if you've not been on a glacier.

Visiting Fox Glacier and nearby Franz Josef Glacier will be a highlight for any visitor to New…read moreZealand. We signed up for the Flying Fox. It's not cheap, around £150 each but incredibly good value for a helicopter ride and fully guided tour on the glacier. The set-up is extremely professional. You can book online, at the tourist office or directly at the office in the village. Trips go most days but because of the helicopter flight check in the morning to ensure no adverse weather will delay or cancel the trip. First off you take a bus down to the helicopter pad about 5 minutes away. You're kitted out with proper ice boots and crampons and given a health and safety demo and check. Then it's off into the helicopter for a short 10 minute flight up the glacier. The pilot will point out a few things and then land you on the ice - pretty impressive. You meet up with your guide who then shows you how to put your crampons on and walk on the ice. You get around three hours on the ice, which is plenty of time to see ice caves, take some pretty cool photos and have a play around. Our guide, Willy, was excellent and had extremely good knowledge of the glacier. The helicopter comes back to pick you up and your day is complete! Expect to have some achy muscles the next day. Your pictures will be amazing and you'll have some good stories to tell your friends.

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

My family and I took our first-ever helicopter ride to Tasman glacier with Mountain Helicopters and…read moreit was unforgettable, mostly because of Michael and Therese. We spoke to Therese on the phone and explained that we had a wheelchair user in our party. She was very helpful, described the "trip" and what to expect, and offered to assist as needed. Because they are a smaller company, we got to take our time getting in and out of the helicopter and our experience was more personal. Even though I was scared during the flight initially, I felt completely confident in their skills so I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery . I am glad that we chose the 40 minute experience because once we were on the glacier, we had enough time to take in the beauty, take pictures, and get to know more about New Zealand. Please choose Mountain Helicopters over any of the "bigger", more commercial companies in the area. The hospitality and more personal customer service makes this company stand out, and trust me, you will not be disappointed.

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!

Went on a flight with them and some of my coworkers and we had a great time. Tim was our pilot and…read morehe took us over MT Cook, and several of the glaciers and glacier lakes of the area. It was a fantastic experience and one of the highlights of my NZ trip.

From the owner: Experience our premier scenic flight, the 'Grand Traverse' of Mount Cook and Westland National…read moreParks, with over 200 kilometres of New Zealand's most spectacular alpine scenery. Flying from Lake Tekapo, Glentanner Park and Franz Josef Glacier. Every passenger has a window seat and all aircraft have wings-above to ensure optimum viewing below. Pilots provide a full and informative commentary with multi language commentary brochures supplied. The company also specializes in charter flights between Christchurch, Mount Cook, and Queenstown, and excursions to Milford Sound. Trans-Divide flights between Franz Josef and Lake Tekapo or Mount Cook are popular options.

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!!

Bautiful glacier, I agree that it was underrated and less popular than Franz Josef but it is also…read morenice because it was alot more laid back and the road less crowded. The holiday park at Mount Cook has a beautiful outdoor kitchen with the glacier showing in the background. I knew that this park was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life and I planned to propose on top of the glacier here; the photos came out amazing and the tour guides/helicopter pilot was super friendly and awesome to work with. They pointed out that in front of the national park is where a large LOTR battle took place but the actual glacier should have been the feature because of its beauty. Go visit at least once in your life!

There is nothing in NZ which is not must do. NZ is gods own country ... beauty all over the place …read more Mt cook is definitely one of the best places I saw in my trip . It's beauty is hard to describe in words , snow capped mountain peaks , bright piercing sun light creating numerous small rivers n glaciers , beautiful wild flowers , crystal white color sheeps , most amazing n helpful people , this place is like a meditation center ... so so so beautiful .... we took helicopter ride which was bit expensive but definitely so worth it ....

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!