Fox Glacier Adventure Escape

Included Experience – Christchurch City Accommodation to Train Station Private Transfer
Meet your private driver at your Christchurch City accommodation and travel comfortably to Christchurch Railway Station. Arrive with time to check in for your scenic rail journey and prepare for the day’s journey across the Southern Alps.

Included Experience – TranzAlpine Train from Christchurch to Greymouth (4 hrs)
Board the TranzAlpine train for one of New Zealand’s most memorable rail journeys. Travel across the Canterbury Plains, through the Waimakariri River valleys and Arthur’s Pass before descending through rainforest-covered mountains to Greymouth.

Included Experience – Five-Day Hybrid Intermediate AWD SUV Car Rental
Collect your hybrid intermediate AWD SUV in Greymouth and begin the drive south along the West Coast. The approximately three-hour journey to Fox Glacier passes Hokitika, Ross, native rainforest and peaceful coastal settlements.

Check into your Fox Glacier accommodation for four nights. The evening is free to have dinner in the village and prepare for the following day’s glacier adventure.

Included Experience – Flying Fox Heli Hike (4 Hours)
Fly by helicopter over rainforest and rugged alpine terrain before landing on Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier. Spend up to three hours exploring spectacular ice formations, crevasses, arches and constantly changing glacier terrain with an experienced guide; no previous glacier-hiking experience is required. The four-hour experience is weather dependent and requires a moderate level of fitness. Minimum age: 10 years. 

The remainder of the day is free to relax in Fox Glacier Village or enjoy a leisurely scenic drive through the surrounding countryside.

Alternative Experience – Fox It Up Heli Ice Climbing (8 Hours)
Replace the heli hike with a full-day ice-climbing adventure on Fox Glacier. Helicopter flights take you to the upper glacier, where a professional guide introduces ice-climbing techniques and selects climbs suited to the group’s abilities. Minimum age: 13 years.

Alternative Experience – Extreme Fox All Day Heli Hike (8 Hours)
Choose an extended full-day glacier expedition offering up to seven hours on the ice. This physically demanding adventure ventures deeper into the glacier environment and is best suited to travellers with a high level of fitness and a desire for a more challenging experience.

Included Experience – Fox Glacier Valley E-Bike & Hike (4 Hours)
Ride an e-bike from Fox Glacier Village along scenic cycle trails surrounded by rainforest and glacier-carved landscapes. Continue on foot past Mills Creek, Cone Rock and active geological features to reach one of the closest accessible viewpoints of the Fox Glacier terminal face. The guided four-hour tour requires participants to be comfortable riding an e-bike on roads and cycle trails. Minimum age: 13 years

Enjoy the remaining half of the day at leisure. Depending on the tour departure time, you could visit Lake Matheson, explore Fox Glacier Village or drive approximately 30 minutes north to Franz Josef.

Alternative Experience – Franz Josef Off-Road Quad Bike Adventure (2 Hours)
Ride through rainforest trails, glacier-fed riverbeds and rugged West Coast terrain on a guided quad-bike or buggy adventure. No previous off-road driving experience is required, with safety instructions and equipment provided before departure. Minimum age: 4 years for buggy passengers.

Alternative Experience – Ōkārito Lagoon Guided Kayak Experience (3 Hours)
Travel to Ōkārito for a guided paddle through New Zealand’s largest unmodified coastal wetland. Explore calm waterways and rainforest creeks while looking for native birds and enjoying Southern Alps views when conditions are clear.

Alternative Experience – Franz Josef Tandem Skydiving (3 Hours)
Travel to Franz Josef for a tandem skydive with views of the Southern Alps, glaciers, rainforest and the Tasman Sea. Securely attached to an experienced instructor, enjoy freefall at around 200 km/h before descending beneath a parachute. Choose from 10,000 ft, 13,000 ft, 16,500 ft or 18,000 ft jumps, subject to weather and availability. Weight: Minimum 35kg, Maximum 100kg

Included Experience – Fox Glaciers & Lake Matheson Nature Tour (8 Hours)
Spend a full day exploring the natural highlights surrounding Franz Josef and Fox Glacier with a knowledgeable local guide. The tour combines glacier viewpoints, temperate rainforest, scenic walking trails and Lake Matheson, where calm conditions can create reflections of Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman.

The guided experience covers approximately 10.8 kilometres and includes information about glaciation, geology, native plants and the region’s changing landscape. This is a valley and rainforest walking experience and does not involve walking on the glacier. Minimum age: 12 years.

Alternative Experience – Ōkārito Nature Tour (3 Hours)
Explore the rainforest, wetlands and historic coastal settlement of Ōkārito with a knowledgeable nature guide. Look for native birdlife, learn about local conservation and discover the area’s gold-mining history while following gentle walking tracks.

Alternative Experience – Lake Mapourika Kayak & Walk Tour (4 Hours)
Combine a guided paddle across Lake Mapourika with a nature walk through the rainforest of the Ōkārito Kiwi Sanctuary. This extended experience provides additional time to discover native plants, birdlife and the landscapes surrounding the lake. Minimum age: 4 years

Included Experience – Fox Glacier to Queenstown Self-Drive Journey (About 5 Hours Driving)
Depart Fox Glacier and follow State Highway 6 through the World Heritage landscapes of South Westland. Travel past Lake Moeraki and Haast before crossing Haast Pass, with opportunities for short scenic stops around waterfalls, mountain valleys and the shores of Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea.

Continue through Wānaka and the Crown Range or via Cromwell, depending on road conditions and your preferred route. Arrive in Queenstown and return your hybrid intermediate AWD SUV, bringing your five-day Fox Glacier Adventure Escape to an end.