Our top pickMost booked
25 min25-Minute Alpine Landing
★ 4.8 · 693 reviews
- Ice pinnacles and crevasses from above
- Alpine landing in the Southern Alps
- The cheapest flight that lands
- Free cancellation
$232$9.28 / min
Check availability→ Ten minutes on the ice
The Franz Josef snow landing: what it is and which flights include one
Most flights out of Franz Josef put the skids down on the snowfield above the glacier for about ten minutes. It is the part everyone describes afterwards, and it is the single thing to check before you book.
Quick answer
The short answer. The twenty-five, thirty and thirty-five minute flights all land, for about ten minutes. The eighteen-minute flight does not. The heli-hikes land twice — in and out — and leave you there for hours in between. The cheapest flight that lands is $232.
The landing, in numbers
- How long
- About 10 minutesoutside the aircraft
- Where
- The névéthe snowfield above the icefall
- Altitude
- Roughly 1,800–2,000 mwell above the village
- Temperature
- Often near freezingeven on a warm day below
- Cheapest flight that lands
- $232the 25-minute alpine landing
- Flights that do not land
- Onethe 18-minute twin glacier flight
What actually happens
From touchdown to lift-off
The pilot circles once, picks a spot the operator has used before, and settles the skids into packed snow. The engine stays running at idle. You are told which side to get out on and to stay downhill of the machine — on sloping ground the rotor disc comes lower than you expect, and this is the one rule that matters.
Then it is quiet. Not silent — the turbine is still turning behind you — but after twenty minutes of headset noise it reads as silence. Snow underfoot, the Southern Alps standing all the way round, the Tasman Sea a grey line to the west and, if the air is clear, Aoraki / Mount Cook off to the east.
Ten minutes goes fast. Take the photographs in the first three and spend the rest looking.
When it does not happen
The landing is not guaranteed
Every operator says this in the small print and it is worth reading. If the snow surface is unsafe, or the cloud sits on the landing site, the pilot flies the route and keeps the skids up. You are not refunded for that — you flew, you saw the glacier, you did not stand on it.
It is not common, but it is not rare either, and it is more likely late in the day and after fresh snow. Another argument for the first slot of the morning.
What to wear for it
It is winter up there whatever the season
The landing site is close to two thousand metres. It can be twenty degrees colder than the village you took off from twelve minutes earlier, and the snow is packed, wet and bright.
Closed shoes, a jacket you can take off in the cabin, and sunglasses. That is the whole list. People turn up in sandals more often than you would think and they spend the ten minutes standing on the skid rather than on the snow.
Every flight, current fare
Which flights land
The landing column is the one to read.
| Flight | Time in the air | Price | Lands on the ice | Cost per minute | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18-Minute Twin GlacierFranz Josef and Fox, no landing | 18 min | $232 | None | $12.89 | New |
| 25-Minute Alpine LandingIcefall, then a landing on the snow | 25 min | $232 | One | $9.28 | 4.8 · 693 |
| 30-Minute Franz Josef & TasmanFranz Josef and Tasman, with a landing | 30 min | $235 | One | $7.83 | 4.8 · 84 |
| 35-Minute Two GlaciersTwo glaciers plus Aoraki / Mount Cook | 35 min | $291 | One | $8.31 | 4.9 · 527 |
| Shackleton 50-Minute EnduranceFranz Josef, Tasman and Shackleton | 50 min | $468 | One | $9.36 | 5.0 · 2 |
| Heli-Hike, 2.5 Hours on IceGuided walk on the ice | 4–8 h | $529 | Two (in and out) | $3.53 | 4.8 · 398 |
| Extended Heli-Hike with LunchThe full day on the glacier | 8 h | $911 | Two (in and out) | $2.76 | 5.0 · 1 |
Book direct
The flights that land, and the one that does not
Franz Josef + Tasman
30 min30-Minute Franz Josef & Tasman
★ 4.8 · 84 reviews
- Franz Josef and Tasman in one flight
- Thirty minutes in the air
- Glacier landing included
- Free cancellation
$235$7.83 / min
Check availability→ 
Two glaciersSnow landing
35 min35-Minute Two Glaciers
★ 4.9 · 527 reviews
- Franz Josef plus Fox or Tasman
- Flies past Aoraki / Mount Cook
- Ten-minute snow landing
- Free cancellation
$291$8.31 / min
Check availability→ 
Cheapest seatNo landing
18 min18-Minute Twin Glacier
- Eighteen minutes over two glaciers
- Franz Josef and Fox in one flight
- The shortest flight on offer
- Free cancellation
$232$12.89 / min
Check availability→ Common questions
Snow landing questions
Do all Franz Josef helicopter flights land on the glacier?
No. The twenty-five, thirty and thirty-five minute flights include a landing of about ten minutes. The eighteen-minute flight stays in the air the whole time.
How long is the snow landing?
About ten minutes outside the aircraft on most flights. Heli-hikes land twice and leave you on the ice for two and a half hours or more in between.
Is the landing guaranteed?
No. If the snow surface or the cloud makes it unsafe the pilot flies the route without landing, and that is not refundable. It is more likely late in the day.
How cold is it on the landing site?
Often near freezing, and up to twenty degrees colder than the village. The site is close to two thousand metres.
What is the cheapest flight with a snow landing?
The twenty-five-minute alpine landing at $232 — the same price as the eighteen-minute flight that does not land.
Can you walk around on the landing site?
A few metres, on packed snow, staying downhill of the aircraft. It is not a hike — for that you need a heli-hike with crampons and a guide.
Go deeper
More on flying at Franz Josef
On the ice
The Franz Josef heli-hike
What it is, what it costs, and whether it is worth it
What it costsFranz Josef helicopter prices
All seven flights, and the column that decides value
CompareWhich flight is best
Which of the seven to actually book
The glaciersGlacier helicopter tours
Franz Josef, Fox and Tasman from the air
Two villagesFranz Josef or Fox Glacier
Which one to base yourself in
WeatherWeather and cancellations
How often flights go, and what happens to your money