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Chasing Ice: A Guide to Visiting Franz Josef and Fox Glacier

  • Writer: Barbara
    Barbara
  • Mar 2
  • 4 min read

In New Zealand, you can visit two famous glaciers: Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. They’re in the same region and fairly close to each other, so it’s possible to see both in one trip.


We drove to the region from Hokitika and stayed near Franz Josef overnight, giving us a full day to visit. The best time to visit is when it’s not raining (a much more pleasant walk), and there are no clouds (better visibility). We were a bit unlucky: it was both rainy and cloudy. After checking the weather app, we noticed a short break with less rain around 13:00, so we went to Fox Glacier first (it was farther for us) and then drove back to Franz Josef. That gave us the best chance of catching clearer views.


Table of Contents:


Glacier landings and tours (heli-hikes) for Franz Josef and Fox Glacier:


If you want to actually step onto the glacier, you’ll need to go by helicopter with a guided tour. Operators typically land on either Franz Josef or Fox.

Fox Glacier


Clouds hover over lush green hills with a snow-capped mountain and new zealand glacier in the background, creating a serene and picturesque landscape.
Fox Glacier is a few kilometres longer than Franz Josef and has a gentler gradient. While Franz Josef can feel like a steep staircase of ice, Fox is more like a long, winding ramp.
One of the coolest things about Fox is the setting: it’s one of the few places on Earth where you can see a glacier terminating in temperate rainforest just 300 metres above sea level, a surreal contrast.

A Māori legend

There is a Māori legend that surrounds the glaciers. According to the legend, a woman named Hine Hukatere loved climbing and persuaded her lover, Tuawe, to join her. He tragically fell to his death, and her tears were frozen by the gods to form the glacier.

Where to get the best views:


Iron sculptures resembling traditional boats in a green field, with a stone path leading to misty mountains under a cloudy sky with a glacier in the background.

Easy viewpoint:

If you’re staying in town, you can still get good glacier views from nearby viewpoints. The easiest is the Fox Glacier Viewpoint / Te Kopikopiko o Te Waka (Fox Glacier 7886). You can drive there. There’s a small car park, an iron boat structure, and the glacier visible behind it.


The hike: Fox Glacier South Side Walk

A lush, green rainforest path, surrounded by moss-covered trees and ferns, creates a serene and vibrant natural setting.
We wanted to get closer, so we did the South Side Walk (start point: Haast Highway, Westland National Park 7886). It’s a relatively easy forest walk and because you walk through the forest it feels magical.
The route is well-marked. It starts as a wide gravel track (bikes can use this section). Then as you go further along there is for pedestrians only. At one point if you want you can take a small detour with the Moraine walk through the forest (it will then join back into the main road and the walking time is similar. This track is for pedestrians only, no bikes).
Woman kneels by a warm spring, touching water, surrounded by lush green ferns. A sign reads "Warm Spring." Natural, serene setting.
Along the route there are three viewpoints of the glacier. It is about a 5km return and it took about 1.5h return to the last viewpoint and back through the Moraine walk. The views were very good and the walk was easy.




Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere)


Snow-capped mountains and a glacier between lush green forests under a cloudy sky, creating a serene and chilly atmosphere.
Franz Josef is the “steep and deep” glacier, more dramatic, and the town around it is quite lively.
It’s also famously fast-moving: while many glaciers move only a few centimetres per day, Franz Josef has been recorded moving up to 4 metres in a single day.
The glacier was named in 1865 by a German explorer, in honour of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria.

Our walk choices

We originally considered the Alex Knob Trail (a 5-hour hike), but with dark clouds looming, we switched to something shorter, as we didn’t fancy a five-hour shower.
Dense green rainforest with mossy trees and ferns, a narrow stone path winds through the lush foliage, creating a serene, natural setting.
Instead, we did the Sentinel Rock Walk. From the car park, the trail eventually splits:
  • Sentinel Rock (600 m): short, a bit of a climb with steps, and a stunning elevated view.
  • Glacier View via Forest Walk (1.4 km): longer but much flatter.

Our advice: do both. They’re short enough to combine, and the glacier views framed by rainforest are spectacular from each angle.

Viewing platform overlooking lush green mountains and a glacier under cloudy skies. An info sign reads "A shadow of its former self."


Where to stay and eat

Wooden house with glowing lights in lush garden of ferns and palms at dusk. Trees in the background against a blue evening sky.
After a day of chasing glaciers, you’ll want some creature comforts.
We stayed overnight at Legacy Te Waonui Hotel, which is beautiful, immersed in nature, with big glass windows and has a great restaurant.




In the morning we stopped at Full of beans for coffee and delicious fresh pies and for a post-hike brew we went to the Cook Saddle Cafe and Saloon for a drink and some rest. 

Ready to explore the West Coast?
The glaciers are constantly changing, so there’s no better time to see them than now!



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All recommendations in this article are 100% based on my personal experience and are currently unpaid. I aim to keep my content genuine, but please note that I am open to future collaborations, and any paid partnerships will always be clearly disclosed.


I routinely check my articles. If you spot any outdated information, please contact me so I can update it immediately!


 
 
 

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