8 epic New Zealand glaciers and how to see them

Feb 5

Fox and Franz Josef are the starlets of New Zealand’s glaciers.

Both beautiful and showy, the twin glaciers on the West Coast of the South Island are visible from short walks and even roadside viewpoints, making them the most accessible glaciers in New Zealand.

If you’re up a bit of adventure though, you can heli hike or hike to other glaciers in the South Island.

1. Franz Josef glacier

*Franz Josef glacier, during a heli hike*

Once upon a time, you could hike right up to the face of Franz Josef Glaceir. You could touch the ice, or walk up onto it.

Now, the ice has receded so far up the valley you can only see it from distant viewpoints. It’s still one of the most impressive glaciers to see in New Zealand though, and one of the most accessible.

Go on a glacier heli hike at Franz Josef

I treated myself to a heli-hike on Franz Josef for my birthday one year. It’s a big ticket item.

It was a pretty incredible experience to walk on the glacier.

The highlights were walking through an ice cave and getting to see the blue glow of the glacier up close.

I did have some reservations about the experience, though:

I felt guilty taking a helicopter up to a glacier that is retreating as a result of climate change, which is driven from emissions from gas guzzling machines like… helicopters. It made the whole thing feel a bit like disaster tourism.

A few things to know about glacier heli-hikes

A 4 hour heli-hike trip doesn’t involve a lot of actual hiking. It’s slow going on the ice as the group stops for photos, and you have to accommodate a range of people, some of whom might not be that fit. So you can expect a glacier walk rather than strenuous hike.
Heli hike tours on Franz Josef glacier are highly weather dependent. The West Coast is the wettest region of New Zealand, so there’s a good chance your tour might be canceled — if you have the time, allow an extra day in case your plans change because of the weather.

Walk the Roberts Point Track

Roberts Point Track is perhaps the best walk to see Franz Josef glacier. The walk in the bottom of the valley is easier, but it’s crowded with people and the views aren’t the best (it’s lower down in the valley).

Roberts Point Track gets you to a point on the mountainside, where if the weather is on your side, you’ll be looking straight at the face of the glacier.

It’s pretty impressive.

The hike takes around 5 hours return and covers some muddy and rocky ground, but it’s not too difficult overall (I say that as someone who hikes a lot). As long as you have good shoes and wet weather gear, you’ll be okay.

Go early in the morning - as early as you can. You’ll have a better chance of seeing the glacier without clouds, and it will be quieter on the track. Plus, you get to enjoy some time without the helicopters buzzing up and down the valley, if you’re lucky.

I left at around 6.30am from the carpark and was the first one to the viewpoint, so I had it to myself while I ate my breakfast. Pretty magical!

Hike up to Alex Knob

Alex Knob looks challenging, because of the elevation gain, but it’s actually a well formed track. As long as you plug away, it’s not too hard to reach the top.

From up on the knob, you’ll have an epic view down across the valley to Franz Josef (if there are no rain clouds, of course).

Alex Knob is a popular spot for camping overnight, so you can wake up to a sunrise view of the glacier.

2. Fox Glacier

*Fox Glacier, seen from the top of Mount Fox*

Franz Josef’s neighbour Fox is also well worth a look, but there are several other glaciers you can hike to as well. These are a couple of glacier hikes in the South Island that I’ve loved.

Mount Fox Route

Mount Fox Route is only suitable for fitter and more experienced hikers. The track is pretty rough and you have to scramble a lot up steep banks.

It’s worth it on a clear day though, as you get amazing views of Fox Glacier pouring out of the mountains.

I also loved the views out to sea and up and down the West Coast, as well as the kea that came swooping overhead.

This is another awesome spot for camping overnight, but be aware that afternoons tend to cloud over and rain, so it might be a damp night. Carrying weight up the hill also makes it a fair bit tougher.

3. Tasman glacier

Tasman Glacier Lookout Walk

In Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, you can see New Zealand’s longest glacier - the Tasman Glacier.

The lookout walk starts from the road into Mount Cook Village and only takes one hour return, so it’s a nice accessible walk.

From the viewpoint, you can see the opaque glacier lake and the terminus of the glacier, which is often covered in rock dust.

It’s pretty cool to see the longest glacier this close, but this lookout point is one of the less spectacular ones I’ve been to.

The Glacier Boat tour is a better way of seeing this glacier, in my opinion.

4. The Hooker Glacier

Visiting Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is one of the best things you can do in New Zealand, hands down.

This national park is home to New Zealand’s highest mountain peak, as well as 72 names glaciers.

One of these is visible on the Hooker Valley Walk.

At the end of this track, you’ll have views across a glacial lake toward the peak of Aoraki/Mount Cook (if the weather is on your side and the mountain isn’t draped in cloud).

Feeding the lake is the Hooker Glacier.

It’s not as striking as Fox or Franz, but it’s pretty cool. The glacier regularly drops ice bergs into the lake.

5. The Rob Roy Glacier

Rob Roy Glacier Walk

The Rob Roy Glacier track is a great way to spend a day. You get to see some of Mount Aspiring National Park’s epic scenery, and see waterfalls and a glacier spilling over the edge of a rock amphitheatre in the mountains.

You’ll be looking up at the glacier as it sidles along the rock, so it might not look as big or as close as some of the other ones on this list, but it’s a stunning location.

It’s a nice half day hike, taking XX hours return.

6. The Dart Glacier

Cascade Saddle to the Dart Glacier

One of the best glaciers I’ve seen in New Zealand is the Dart Glacier. To get there, you can hike the Rees Dart track, which takes about five days, or do what I did and come in from the West Matukituki valley.

Leaving from Raspberry Flat - the same carpark as Rob Roy Glacier - I hiked in to Mount Aspiring Hut and stayed a night. Then I climbed up to Cascade Saddle in the morning.

You can see the Dart Glacier already from Cascade Saddle - I could even hear it cracking. You can get closer, though. From Cascade Saddle, you can carry on walking to the Dart Glacier viewpoint, where it feels like you’re really looking head on at the glacier.

This does add a bit of walking - my whole day from Mount Aspiring hut up to the glacier lookout and back took around nine hours of hiking.

I got lucky with exceptional weather, and this is now one of my favourite hikes in New Zealand.