Franz Josef Heights – Glacier Helicopter & Ice Picnic

The West Coast of the South Island holds another wonder: Franz Josef Glacier. Here, ice flows from alpine heights down into temperate rainforest, a rare collision of worlds. A helicopter lifts you above valleys, landing directly on the glacier’s shimmering surface. Clad in crampons, you explore blue caves and crevasses, shafts of light turning walls into frozen cathedrals.At a private spot, a champagne picnic is laid—fruits, cheeses, and sparkling wine savored amid ice that has stood for centuries. The silence is immense, broken only by the crack of shifting ice.Descending, you return to lodges nestled among rainforest, hot pools awaiting to soothe muscles and spirit. Franz Josef is not simply an excursion—it is a rare privilege, to touch earth’s frozen heart where wilderness still rules.