Things to Do in Franz Josef Fox Glacier

One of New Zealand’s most photographed natural wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Franz Josef Glacier serves up a dazzling landscape of snow-smothered peaks, rocky gorges, and icy waterfalls, feeding into the Waiho River.

The glacier is easily accessible on a day tour from Franz Josef village and popular activities include a glacier valley walk, a kayaking excursion around Lake Mapourika, or an ATV ride along the West Coast, often combined with a visit to the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary or the Franz Josef Glacier Hot Pools. For the most incredible views, soar over the Southern Alps on a helicopter flight or touchdown to enjoy heli-hiking along the glacier. 

The Franz Josef Glacier is located in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park in the Southland Region of New Zealand’s South Island. The main access point is the Franz Josef Glacier Village, around two hours south of Greymouth, and 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the terminal face of the glacier. 

The glacier is accessible all year round, but the high season runs from November to March, when the milder temperatures are ideal for hiking and helicopter tours. Although much colder (average temperatures are 41–57°F/5–15°C), the weather in winter is less changeable, making for some even more impressive scenery, plus you’ll typically find far fewer crowds. 

The Franz Josef glacier is part of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Te Wahipounamu, which encompasses the neighboring Fox Glacier, and the national parks of Aoraki/Mt. Cook, Fiordland, Mount Aspiring, and Westland Tai Poutini. The West Coast glaciers are just a small part of the dramatic landscapes that await—adventurers can enjoy scenic flights over glacier country, take heli hikes in the mountains, explore underground ice caves, or hike the summit of Mt. Cook. 

The South Island of New Zealand is truly a land of enchanting fire and ice. Already known for the snowcapped Southern Alps and glaciers which lap their down the mountains, it’s also an island of geothermal undercurrents which bubble up in steaming hot springs.

In the township of Franz Josef—located five hours from Queenstown on the wet, wild West Coast—the hot springs are actually a little bit different than those which are found elsewhere on the island. Unlike spring water which is heated by the Earth and emerges from a natural vent, the hot pools in Franz Josef instead use water which is sourced from the nearby glacier. This pure, fresh, frigid water is then artificially heated to approximately 100° and routed into six different pools. Combined with its setting in the middle of the rainforest, this is a serene escape from the adrenaline-fueled tourism which is so prevalent in the west coast hamlet.

Sit back and relax in the steaming pools after a morning of trekking on the glacier, and feel the warmth return to limbs which have spent hours scrambling across ice. Share the pools with other travelers beneath a canopy of 100 ft. tall trees, or splurge and reserve your own private pool where you can commune with the sounds of the forest.

The Franz Josef hot pools are only open in the afternoon, although on a misty evening when the clouds roll in off the ocean this is the perfect place to escape the coastal chill.