Franz Josef & Fox Glacier Hikes
Written by Viator, August 2010
RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Tip - What to See & Do,
Walking/Hiking,
Glacier
Franz Josef & Fox Glacier Hikes Reviews
We've found 297 Franz Josef & Fox Glacier Hikes reviews from Viator.com travelers and members: what they loved, what they liked and what they think could be improved. It's all here to help you make the most of your next trip.
Reply by Viator, October 2012
Doing what: Heli Hiking Franz Josef
We spent 3 weeks traveling around both of NZ Islands and this was one best experiences we had. We Did both Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.
We went as a family of 4 with two boys aged 9 and 10 who just loved the glaciers and the excitement of going on a helicopter. The guide at Franz Josef was Cliff who is very experienced and great with the boys.
We did the Fox glacier the day before however Franz Josef was much better, because of the natural ice formations had a lot more going on. Plus our guide was happy to take us to any of the ice formations that we wanted to look at so long as it was within the safe zone. Whilst at Fox they had a path marked out with stones and you were only able to see what they had planned. Many of the ice formations on Fox was generated by the guide company who were there with picks and shaping the ice.
We felt we did the glaciers in the right order with fox first and then franz Josef because be think that fox may have been disappointing if we had of done it the other way round. It's great to be able to do them both but if you can't do them both then Franz Josef by helihike is the way to go.
Reply by Viator, October 2012
Doing what: Heli Hiking Franz Josef
A bit disappointed the ice caves were no where near what is pictured
Reply by Viator, October 2012
Doing what: Twin Glacier Helicopter Flight departing Franz Josef
Can't really rate this as the weather was bad so the flight was cancelled
Reply by Viator, September 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
Frustrating trip. Due to bad weather we could not do the glacier walk. Weather is unpredictable in the area and flights get cancelled frequently during winter. I was aware of that, but the frustration is inevitable! As part of the same trip, we also got the excursion to Milford Sound cancelled twice !
We tried ski to compensate for the lost excursion, but 'The Remarkables' was also closed due to strong winds!
Bad timing I suppose ... Anyway, South Island (NZ) is so beautiful that we are planning to go back ... may be during summer.
Reply by Viator, August 2012
Doing what: Fox Glacier and Mount Cook Helicopter Flight
Fantastic and well worth the money
Reply by Viator, July 2012
Doing what: Heli Hiking Franz Josef
Awesome! Donky was a great guide. Just an unreal feeling being out there. With an exciting helicopter ride up, and an even more exciting/dodgy (from a pilot's perspective) ride back down with low cloud.
Reply by Viator, July 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
It was a really amazing way to see the glacier. The guides were professional and fun. I would definitely recommend this experience to others.
Reply by Viator, June 2012
Doing what: Heli Hiking Franz Josef
AWESOME!!!! This is a must do. The staff were incredible. They treated you with such care and respect. The helicopter ride was amazing. Our guide Richard was extremely knowledgeable and went to great lengths to make sure that we were comfortable and feeling ok throughout the hike. This is the only way to see the Glacier and I would definitely do it again. I would recommend it to anyone. It is worth every cent. Thank you for an experience of a lifetime.
Reply by Viator, June 2012
Doing what: Twin Glacier Helicopter Flight departing Franz Josef
It was awesome. We had a beautiful sunny day and the pilot was brill. We were just sad we didn't have enough time to do the heli-hike, if u have the time that would be even better.
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
Fantastic experience. A real life moment. You do need to be fit to do it though! Not for the faint-hearted!
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
Lots of ice time, professional training, but friendly and fun at the same time. Very unique experience that was tailored to fit our ability level but challenging too.
Note from Viator: This review was based on an alternate itinerary that is no longer offered due to natural changes in the glacier. The current itinerary provides you with a similar great glacier experience.
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
Loved the trip - had a fantastic time. The scenery was amazing. The only sour note was my tour guide, who I found standoffish to the point of rudeness - she evidently prefers the male customers.
Note from Viator: This review was based on an alternate itinerary that is no longer offered due to natural changes in the glacier. The current itinerary provides you with a similar great glacier experience.
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
A first class experience.
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
The glacier was an awesome experience, I wish we would have had time to do the full day walk or the helicopter tour that included hiking!! A must do when you are in New Zealand.
Note from Viator: This review was based on an alternate itinerary that is no longer offered due to natural changes in the glacier. The current itinerary provides you with a similar great glacier experience.
Reply by Viator, May 2012
Doing what: Small-Group Franz Josef Glacier Walk
The guides were experienced and very entertaining. The walk up to the glacier to the locations for ice climbing were tough, and not recommended for unfit people. We did about 7 climbs each, the first set easier than the last set, and the group size was 8 people, with 2 routes to climb in each location. We spent 2.5 hours walking to the ice climbing route and then around 3.5 hours ice climbing, with plenty of breaks in between. On the descent back tot he valley, we also looked at some ice caves.
Note from Viator: This review was based on an alternate itinerary that is no longer offered due to natural changes in the glacier. The current itinerary provides you with a similar great glacier experience.
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