

Franz Josef Glacier descends from the top of the Southern Alps into rainforest close to sea level and provides a very rare opportunity to experience a dynamic glacier in a temperate environment. At the heart of Glacier Country on the west coast, Franz Josef is the most accessible river of ice in the world. Within a short distance of Franz Josef village are walks of varying length, a cycleway, kayaking and action adventures like rafting or skydiving.
As Mount Cook is so high, it often tends to ‘hide’ in the clouds, but you can visit year round. At any time of year you can see snow on the mountain, however the snow only tends to be lower down the mountain in early spring, late autumn and winter. Similarly, you can visit Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers year round, as unlike glacier regions of the northern hemisphere, temperatures are fairly mild – ranging from around 10-21ºC in summer and from 2-12ºC in winter.
Franz Josef Glacier is around 2 hours drive from Hokitika on the west coast or around 5 hours drive from Queenstown.
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