Glaciers

The New Zealand glaciers Fox and Franz Josef are globally unique for two reasons: they run down to an altitude of about 300 m and they move ten times faster than the other world's glaciers. As a result of their continuous movement, their shape on the surface changes quickly and consequently every visit to a glacier (which can be ideally combined with a flight and/or a hike) is unrepeatable. The companies selected by us offer services, whose quality has been proven over many years; they offer an ascent to the glacier by foot, helihiking (a combination of a flight by a helicopter and a hike on a glacier) or sightseeing flights by a helicopter with a landing on the glacier.

Helihiking or, in other words, going to a glacier by a helicopter and hiking on a glacier

A flight by a helicopter to a glacier and back, combined with a hike, is an ideal combination of an exciting flight along rock walls and the exploration of difficult-to-access and beautiful parts of the glacier. At points where two ice-falls meet, fascinating ice caves and labyrinths are formed.

A half-day (full day) circular tour on glacier and what it can look like

You get on a bus that will take you up along a valley, surrounded by a rainforest, to the foot of the glacier. You will then walk with your guide along a secret undulating path; for forty five minutes, you will be walking along this path, surrounded by ferns and the regenerating primeval forest. From the heights, you will get wonderful views of the surroundings and ice-falls. From the highest point, the path leads down to the edge of the glacier. There, you will put spikes on your boots and you will follow the guide along a path cut in the ice. This path will lead you between glacier cracks and the formed ice ranges. You will see beautiful views of the scenery in the bottom part of the glacier. You will spend at least one hour on the glacier; you will return to the bus along the path leading along the edge of the glacier. (We can also offer one-day or several-day tours). The price of the activity includes the lending of the necessary gear (spikes, boots, an anorak) because it is obligatory to use it and the companies are thus trying to avoid inconsistency or shortcomings in the equipment of their clients.

Sightseeing helicopter flights

Sightseeing flights over the glaciers and peaks of Alps, dominated by Mt. Cook as the highest peak, rank among unforgettable experiences. The flight includes a landing on a glacier. Flights with duration of half an hour will offer views of the glaciers; the longer 40-minute flights will give you an opportunity to see the Tasman Glacier in addition; you will fly around Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman. We offer proven helicopter operators on both sides of the Alps so that you have the possibility to take advantage of a second chance for the flight, if the first flight does not take place due to bad weather.

Heliskiing, climbing, etc.

During winter, particularly passionate skiers can use heliskiing services or it is possible to set off on a trip with a guide to one of the mountain cottages that serve as bases for climbing to the highest alpine peaks.
The access to the glacier continually changes depending on its movement. Weather is often unpredictable and especially the flights by helicopter can be cancelled or postponed. Due to the limited capacity of the helicopters and the high demand, it is necessary to book these activities in time.
We very well know the specifics of these localities, especially the whims of weather. During the preparation of your itinerary, we will consult everything so that, if you are interested, you can use one of the above-mentioned activities (or even some other activities) to have as nice experiences as possible.

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