Franz Josef Nature Tour
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, New Zealand
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Enjoy the amazing natural scenery around the magnificent Franz Josef Glacier with this nature-focused tour. Starting out in the town of Franz Josef, drive to the glacier car park and then head off into the forest. Learn about the local environment, as your guide provides lots of information about glaciology, geology, geomorphology, flora & fauna and more.
- Small group excursion ensures personal touch is retained
- Suitable for all ages and abilities - pace is built around your needs
- Learn about local legends and history
- Umbrellas, walking poles, wet weather clothing and boots can be provided
What's Included
- Walking poles if required
- Umbrellas
- Wet weather clothing
- Boots if required - please enquire as stock is limited
- Lunch
- water
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 20 Main Road, Franz Josef / Waiau 7886, New Zealand
Glacier Valley Eco Tours, in The Helicopter Line building (next to Glacier Motors)
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.9:30 am
Itinerary
1
Franz Josef Glacier
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Philip_P
A wonderful three hours exploring the bush and all the amazing plants and trees there. Also the walks to the glacier lookouts were great, including the ‘Private’ side tracks we followed down to the water edge.
Sophia was an amazing guide and kept us entertained with her Kiwi humour.
We were glad that we did this trip.
In addition, Sophia took great care of my wife over the tricky parts of the trail, which I would hasten to add was fairly easy on the whole.
Reviews
4.9
based on 116 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Wil_R, May 2026
Cliff was a great guide, who's passion for the the environment and his outdoor "work place" was refreshing to here. Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thanks so much for your great review of our lead guide Cliff, I will pass this onto him :)
So glad you enjoyed your tour and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in our beautiful country just as much :)
Take care
Tash
Philip_R, Feb 2026
Sophia was a very knowledgeable guide who provided an interesting and entertaining walk through the rain forest. She took on board our preferences and provided refreshments.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for your kind review!
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed your walk through the rainforest with Sophia! She’s fantastic at tailoring the experience to the group and making it both informative and entertaining. It’s great that you appreciated the refreshments along the way too — a perfect way to take in the surroundings.
Thanks again for sharing your experience-
the GVET team!
sally_b, Feb 2026
Absolutely brilliant, our guide Sophie was so knowledgeable and made a great hot drink at the glacier 😀😀
We saw the glacier, walked through the rainforest and on the river bed
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Kia ora, thankyou so much for your review! What a great place to enjoy a hot beverage! We will pass on your good word to Sophia; our guides love to hear when they've done a good job!
Cheers,
The GVET team!
TerraLea_R, Feb 2026
This walk was a delight. Our guide was knowledgeable and made the experience fun and educational. She took us to see the glacier, carrying morning tea for the whole group.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Kia ora!
Thank you for such a lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the walk and had a fun, educational experience. Our guides love sharing their knowledge, and a tea break with that kind of view is really a special experience. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
Cheers,
The GVET team
Philip_P, Jan 2026
A wonderful three hours exploring the bush and all the amazing plants and trees there. Also the walks to the glacier lookouts were great, including the ‘Private’ side tracks we followed down to the water edge.
Sophia was an amazing guide and kept us entertained with her Kiwi humour.
We were glad that we did this trip.
In addition, Sophia took great care of my wife over the tricky parts of the trail, which I would hasten to add was fairly easy on the whole.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Kia ora Philip!
Sounds like you and your wife had a great trip and were well looked after, which we love to hear!
Thankyou so much for coming walking with us and we hope to see you again if you're ever in our neck of the woods!
Ngā mihi,
The GVET team!
Craig_D, Nov 2025
Really interesting nature walk with birds and plants as well as glacier information. Their special were great and enjoyed the glacier views.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thanks for your review! We hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in our beautiful Aotearoa NZ
Tash
Ross_H, Nov 2025
A really good trip with an excellent local guide. Cliff is your quintessential Kiwi with plenty of local knowledge and the requisite amount of quirky humour. Well recommended.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thanks for your review!! much appreciated, glad you enjoyed your trip with Cliff ;)
Cate_B, Jun 2025
We were looking for a relaxed and informative nature walk and Cliff provided all of that! He chose paths to suit our level of fitness and capability that provided some spectacular photo opportunities while sharing his vast knowledge and experience.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks so much for your excellent review!
Much appreciated to our little family company. We hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in our beautiful part of the world West Coast NZ
richard_l, Apr 2025
Tyler was a wonderful guide. We did the tour on a rainy day and he really did a great job with the weather element as we walked in the rainforest. He is also very knowledgeable about the birds, vegetation, and the history of the area. It was a fun adventure.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thanks for your review, it was our busiest summer ever so just catching up on review replies now sorry!
Glad you enjoyed it and tell your friends!
Budi_H, Apr 2025
Alternate experience, instead of see glacier only, when visiting franz josef glacier.
Can see hidden part of those place
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thanks!
Gillian_J, Apr 2025
Fun and informative.
Loved all the information and seeing the glacier. The drink from the waterfall was so fresh. Went on tracks we couldn't even see.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Thanks for taking the time to send in a review of our little family company, much appreciated :)
We are so glad you loved our tour and hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in Aotearoa NZ just as much :)
Tash
Maria_N, Mar 2025
A lovely walk through the rainforest to view the glacier, including a stop at the reflection pond, which was very special, and also down by the glacial river at the end of our walk. The 2+ hour walk was not overly hard, although there was a fairly steep section up to the viewpoint. Boots were provided free is required, as was wet weather gear (not needed on the day). I would have preferred more walking 'off the beaten track' but understand that was not possible because of recent heavy rain.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review!
Glad you enjoyed the tour.
Thanks,
Glacier Valley Eco Tours
Andrea_S, Mar 2025
A last minute decision to do this tour but we'll worth it in my opinion! We had an enthusiastic guide who took us through the Bush explaining plants, rocks, the glacier and much more!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review!!
We hope you had great adventures on the rest of your travels in our beautiful NZ
Tash
Rosalyn_M, Mar 2025
Our guide, Tyler, was really great. Very knowledgeable indeed. He was very cognizant of the abilities of the group and always made a point of helping the couple of people that needed help on the more difficult sections of the tour. The tour itself was great - a variety of rainforest and out in the open glacier field. The company offers rain gear and footwear for those that want to borrow. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review! Much appreciated and helpful for future guests :) We hope you had a great time on the rest of your travels in our beautiful part of the motu/country.
Tash
Michael_G, Mar 2025
Jake was a very good adventurous and knowable guide. He took of the beaten track and explained the gains and flora
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for taking the time to post a review of our little company, much appreciated. Safe travels
steve_p, Feb 2025
Franz Josef guided walk was very enjoyable. Our guide Tyler was knowledgeable and took great care to make sure everyone in our group was comfortable with the terrain. There were a few places that people with mobility issues would struggle, but most of the route was easy. Stopped for a hot drink on the river bed with a cookie. Had good views of the glacier but it was quite a long way off. Went on paths only a guide is allowed to go.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your great review :)
Deborah_O, Feb 2025
Amazing 😀 Jake was a brilliant guide and getting away from the crowds was perfect. Highly recommended
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thankyou for your review!
Jim_C, Feb 2025
Superb views and scenery, but be prepared to expect weather conditions may affect your experience. Mountain top landings are often cancelled
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks for your review, we hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in Glacier Country Aotearoa NZ :)
Frances_S, Feb 2025
This trip took us off the beaten path to locations only accessible with a certified guide. This gave us some terrific views and up close contact with a waterfall and the river from the melting glacier. Unfortunately, some of the participants did not have as appropriate footwear for this off trail experience and got wet or muddy. Our guide was friendly but not as sympathetic with the plight of some of the guests when they got muddy. But all in all, we are glad we signed up for this trip.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks so much for your great review much appreciated.
We have boots for clients use if they wish to avoid getting their own shoes wet and muddy :)
Thanks again and hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in our beautiful part of of Aotearoa NZ
Tash
Elvira_V, Feb 2025
We had a warm sunny day for our walk. Walking to see the river and mirror lake was the best part. Very little snow was visible in the mountains and we didn’t learn much about nature from our walk.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks so much for your review of our tours, much appreciated.
Aarti_D, Jan 2025
Took pre booked guided hike to Franz Joseph glacier in the morning. Worthwhile as some of it was off the main trail. Our guide talked about the tectonic plates and the risks to earthquakes.
Good tour!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Thanks for taking the time to write us a great review, very much appreciated!
Tash
Michael_A, Dec 2024
We had a lovely time doing the Franz Josef Nature Tour with Tyler. He was a knowledgeable, friendly and responsible guide. We learnt a lot from him and had a bunch of varied experiences on the walk including drinking fresh spring water from a running waterfall. Rain on the day wasn’t an issue as the company was completely prepared with wet weather clothes so we could return as dry as we left. The tour ran on time and it was a very easy and pleasant walk throughout. Despite cloud cover meaning that we didn’t catch a glimpse of the glacier, we found it a great way to spend the morning and would definitely recommend it if in Franz Josef.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thanks so much for your great detailed review, it's very helpful for our little family company :)
Lynne_B, Dec 2024
As I am passionate about nature and wildlife, I knew when I visited Franz Josef I wanted to use a company with likeminded values and am pleased I found Glacier Valley Tours.
Booking was easy and upon arrival they checked I had the right gear for the terrain and lent me a robust pair of walking boots, as my walking shoes weren’t right. Then off we went with Tyler, our guide, who was so knowledgeable and friendly, it didn’t take long for us all to be chatting away, as if we had known each other for ages!
By checking in with us, he ensured that he not only shared his extensive knowledge of the region, ecology and geology, but also ensured he covered the topic we were both particularly interested in.
We explored areas of Franz Josef Glacier that you would not get to see if you were self directed, and with Tyler interpreting the environment for us and explaining the difference in ages and types of the vegetation, the time flew by and suddenly we were on our way back to the office.
One of the best tours I have ever done, I would highly recommend it. Thank you Tyler, a wonder memory of my visit to New Zealand.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thanks so much Lynne for your heartfelt review of our little family company :) we hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday in our beautiful Glacier Country and Aotearoa NZ
Safe travels
Tash
Ivy_K, Nov 2024
This was an excellent, intimate tour of some beautiful trails you can’t access as an individual. Our guide was really knowledgeable about the area and wildlife, and the tea and biscuits half way through was a nice surprise!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thanks so much for your great review of our little company much appreciated! Glad you enjoyed the tour and hope you enjoyed the rest of your travels in our beautiful Aotearoa NZ just as much :)
Linda_P, Oct 2024
Very interesting walk with a friendly and knowledgeable guide called Petra. Walking through the rain forest, over boulders & streams added a dramatic dimension to the walk to view the glacier.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thanks for your excellent review of our little family company, much appreciated :)
Tash
Liz_G, May 2024
Informative and fun walking tour around the glacier park. The guide was easygoing and knew a lot about the history of the glaciers and the area. We walked along the public track to the viewpoint as well as heading off on a couple of private tracks.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thanks for your review! much appreciated
arden_b, Mar 2024
Excellent tour! Kathy knows quite a bit about the plants, flowers, trees and birds as well as the history of the area. Great tour
Doris_P, Mar 2024
We wanted to know more about the diversity of the fauna and the guide was very good to answer all our questions. Bit of a rough trail, but we had a different view of the glacier and that compensate for the rough trail
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thanks for your review!
We don't take all clients on that trail so the guide must of thought you were up for an adventure and capable. :) We are constantly working on the trails and apologies if it was a bit tricky for you.
Thanks
Daniel_U, Mar 2024
Our guide was very knowledgeable about the glaciers, wildlife, and vegetation in the area. The walks/hikes to viewpoints of the glacier were easy. I typically like more difficult hikes, but it was cool to go on some offshoot trails that I wouldn’t have seen without being guided to them and learn along the way.
Response from Host, Jun 2024
Thanks for your review! Yes we need to make the trails accessible for everyone and that is really hard to do! Glad you enjoyed it still and thanks for the excellent review
Tash
Tirtha_S, Jan 2024
The knowledge imparted by the guide Ms Tiyana. History, flora, fauna, conservation explained very succinctly.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
thanks so much for your great review of our little family company, much appreciated!
We hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in our beautiful Glacier Country Aotearoa NZ
Nga mihi/kind regards
Tash
From $65.88
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Franz Josef Nature Tour
116
3 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$65.88
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, New Zealand
More attractions near Franz Josef & Fox Glacier, New Zealand