Franz Joseph Glacier

What: Franz Joseph Glacier

Where: Westland Tai Poutini National Park, NZ South Island

Franz Josef Glacier is located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, within Westland Tai Poutini National Park. The small township of Franz Josef sits just off State Highway 6, around a two-hour drive south of Hokitika. Despite being close to sea level, the glacier descends from the Southern Alps, making it one of the most accessible glaciers in the world and a major draw for visitors exploring this dramatic region.

The glacier is significant for its unusual combination of alpine ice and temperate rainforest. It flows from high snowfall zones near Aoraki / Mount Cook down through steep valleys, shaped by gravity and centuries of ice movement. Like many of New Zealand’s glaciers, Franz Josef has advanced and retreated over time, and while it has reduced in recent years, it remains a powerful example of the country’s dynamic landscape and changing climate.

One of the most memorable ways to experience the glacier is on a heli-hike. This involves a scenic helicopter flight that lands high up on the ice, followed by a guided hike across crevasses, ice caves and sculpted formations. Guides provide all specialist equipment and adapt the route to current conditions, making it an accessible way to explore the glacier’s constantly changing surface. It’s a rare chance to walk on ancient ice surrounded by towering peaks and sweeping alpine views.

For those who prefer to stay on the ground, there are several excellent walks that bring you close to the glacier and through its surrounding landscape. The Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk takes you through rainforest and along a glacial river to viewpoints overlooking the terminal face, while shorter walks lead to river crossings, lookouts and interpretive panels explaining the area’s geology. Together, these experiences make Franz Josef Glacier a place where adventure, scenery and natural history come together in a truly distinctive way.