Terms and Conditions

Name: Franz Josef Glacier Guides
Address: NZ

Your safety is the number one focus of our team, every single day.

Ka Rōimata o Hine Hukatere/Franz Josef Glacier is one of the most spectacular and dynamic natural environments in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we are privileged to share it with you. These terms are here to help you understand the nature of the experience you're booking, the steps we take to keep you safe, and the responsibilities we share. We want you to feel confident and well-informed before you arrive.

Our team operates year-round and works hard to get every guest onto the glacier. The West Coast's famously changeable weather means that on rare occasions an experience may need to be rescheduled or cancelled, and we will always do our best to find a solution that works for you. We recommend having comprehensive travel insurance in place, ideally purchased when you book your wider trip, so that if the unexpected does occur, you're fully covered.

If you have any questions at all, our team is always happy to help before you book, when you arrive, or any time in between.

Call us: 0800 484 337 Visit us: Glacier Base, 63 Cron Street, Franz Josef

Participation Health and Safety Information

Your safety is our highest priority. Please read the following information carefully before booking. If you have any questions, our reservations team is happy to help you choose the right experience.

Age Requirement
You must be 18 years or older to make a booking on this website. Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a paying parent or guardian for the full duration of their experience, from check-in to return.

Minimum age / weight / height requirements
Restrictions apply by trip: children joining a Heli Hike must be at least 10 years old, weigh at least 35kg, and be at least 137cm tall. Glacier Adventure guests must be at least 14 years old, and Ice Climb guests must be at least 16 years old. Our Glacier Encounter welcomes children from 4 years old. Due to the dynamic nature of glacier conditions, these guidelines may be adjusted on the day at the discretion of the lead guide.

Weight Restrictions
Weight restrictions apply across most of our experiences. These limits are determined by the safety equipment and systems our guides use on the ice and are in place to ensure we can look after every guest to the highest standard. For the Heli Hike, Ice Climb, Glacier Adventure, and Glacier Overnight, we are unable to accept guests over 115kg (253.5lb). Our Glacier Encounter is more flexible, with weight considerations based on the total load of the helicopter on the day. If you have any questions about weight requirements, please contact our team before booking.

Fitness & Medical
Our experiences vary in physical demand, and it is important that you select the right trip for your fitness level. The Glacier Encounter is suitable for most fitness levels. The Heli Hike requires moderate fitness, enough to walk across uneven ice terrain for up to 2.5 hours. The Glacier Adventure and Ice Climb require good fitness, suitable for walking four to six hours on challenging terrain. If you are unsure which experience suits you, please contact our reservations team before booking.

Pre-existing medical conditions can affect your ability to safely participate in a glacier experience and may increase the risk of injury. Conditions including, but not limited to, ankle, knee or ACL injuries, joint replacements, dislocations, neck or back injuries, heart conditions, high or low blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma are all relevant factors. If you have any medical conditions or have had surgery in the last 10 years, we strongly recommend consulting your doctor before booking and disclosing any relevant conditions to our

team. All medical conditions must be declared on your risk disclosure form, which is completed prior to your experience.

Franz Josef Glacier Guides reserves the right to cancel or curtail any experience where a guest's fitness or ability is deemed unsuitable. If you are unable to complete your experience due to inadequate fitness, no refund will be provided.

Pregnancy
Due to the physical nature of our glacier experiences, we are unable to accept guests who are more than 12 weeks pregnant. Guests who are less than 12 weeks pregnant may be able to participate in our experiences, at the discretion of our guides and subject to conditions on the day. All pregnant guests should discuss the associated risks with a medical professional prior to booking and are encouraged to contact our team for further information.

Intoxication
For the safety of all guests and guides, we do not permit guests who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs to participate in any experience. Guests who appear intoxicated at check-in will not be permitted to join their experience and no refund will be provided.

Trip Suitability
Franz Josef Glacier Guides reserves the right to cancel or curtail trips where a guest's fitness or ability is deemed unsuitable for the experience booked. If you are unable to participate in or complete your experience due to inadequate fitness, no refund will be provided. If you have any questions about which experience is right for you, our reservations team is always happy to help.

Restricted Items
To protect the safety of all guests and comply with national park and aviation regulations, certain items are not permitted on the glacier.

Personal drones and selfie sticks are strictly prohibited. Franz Josef Glacier is located within Westland Tai Poutini National Park, where flying a drone without a permit is illegal and may result in confiscation and fines. Selfie sticks and extended camera poles present a safety hazard around helicopters and are not permitted during any guided experience.

Power banks and spare camera batteries are not permitted on the glacier, as required by Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations governing helicopter operations. Please leave these items at home or store them securely at Glacier Base before your experience begins.

Booking Terms and Conditions

Bookings & Payment
Full payment is required at the time of booking. By providing your credit card details you are authorising Franz Josef Glacier Guides to charge any fees set out in these terms and conditions to your card. All prices are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) and include GST where applicable. The name appearing on your bank or credit card statement will be Franz Josef Glacier Guides.

Please note that GST is only applicable where a tourism service is supplied. The amount charged for cancellations and no shows (i.e. no service delivery) is considered compensation for loss and is not subject to GST.

Third-Party & Agent Bookings
These terms apply to bookings made directly with Franz Josef Glacier Guides. Different terms may apply to bookings made through third-party agents - please check with your booking agent for details.

Changes & Cancellations
You may modify or cancel your booking free of charge by contacting us directly up to 24 hours before your scheduled check-in time. Rescheduling is subject to availability.

Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours of your check-in time will be charged the full amount of your booking. We recommend having travel insurance in place in case of cancellation due to illness or injury.

Failure to Check In
Because our glacier experiences operate on a fixed helicopter schedule, it is essential that all guests arrive and check in at the correct time. If you fail to check in at the designated time, your seat may be reallocated, and you may be unable to participate in your experience. In this event, a fee of up to 100% of the ticket price may be charged at our discretion.

Operator Cancellations
Franz Josef Glacier Guides reserves the right to cancel or modify any service due to weather conditions, insufficient reservations, or unforeseen circumstances. If we must cancel your experience, we will offer you either the next available time slot or a full refund.

If your experience is cut short after it has begun due to weather or operational reasons, a partial refund may be available. Where less than 1.5 hours has been spent on the glacier, a partial refund will be considered based on the proportion of the experience completed. No refund will be provided where 1.5 hours or more has been spent on the ice.

Refunds are processed to the original payment method. Due to exchange rate fluctuations, the refunded amount may vary slightly from the amount originally charged. Franz Josef Glacier Guides does not accept liability for any such variances, or for any bank or credit card fees incurred in connection with the refund transaction.

Franz Josef Glacier Guides accepts no responsibility for any loss or additional expenses arising from changes, delays, or cancellations of services for any reason, including but not limited to inclement weather, operational decisions, third-party providers, or circumstances beyond our control. We strongly recommend all guests hold comprehensive travel insurance prior to travel.

Weather & Operations
Franz Josef Glacier sits at the head of a deep glacial valley, and conditions up on the ice can differ significantly from what you might see on a general forecast or weather app. There are no weather stations in the upper valley, so we draw on a range of specialist data sources alongside our team's deep local knowledge to build an accurate picture of conditions.

In most cases we make the final call as close to departure as possible, because conditions can improve quickly, and we want to give every guest the best possible chance of getting onto the glacier. On rare occasions, where a significant weather system is forecast to affect the region, we may make an earlier decision so that guests can plan accordingly.

If you're checking the forecast ahead of your trip, please feel free to call us, we are happy to talk you through what we are seeing and what it means for your experience.

Helicopter Operations
Helicopter transport for our glacier experiences is provided by Inflite Franz and Fox Helicopters ("INFLITE"), a CAA-licensed aviation operator engaged by Franz Josef Glacier Guides. The cost of helicopter services forms part of the price of your ticket.

Both Franz Josef Glacier Guides and INFLITE hold independent health and safety obligations for their respective roles in your experience, FJGG for guiding and on-ice activity, and INFLITE for the aviation operation. By participating in any experience involving helicopter transport, you acknowledge that you are subject to INFLITE's CAA operating requirements and safety procedures, which will be explained at your pre-flight briefing.

We strongly recommend all guests hold personal travel and medical insurance that covers helicopter transport and adventure activities.

Photography, Video and Marketing

During your experience, our guides or staff may take photographs or video footage for quality assurance, safety, and promotional purposes. This content may be used on our website, social media channels, and in marketing materials.

If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, please notify your guide at the start of your experience. We will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your request. Where photos or videos featuring identifiable individuals are to be used in paid advertising or publications, we will seek your explicit consent.

Any photographs or video footage taken by guides and shared with you (e.g. via a group album or QR code) remain the intellectual property of Franz Josef Glacier Guides. You are welcome to use these for personal, non-commercial purposes.

Privacy and Marketing Communications

Franz Josef Glacier Guides collects personal information (including name, contact details, and health information relevant to your safety) to process your booking and deliver our services. This information is handled in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020.

We will not share your personal information with third parties except as necessary to operate your booked experience (e.g. our helicopter partner), or as required by law.

With your consent, we may contact you with news, special offers, and updates about our experiences. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us directly. Opting out will not affect your ability to make future bookings.

You have the right to access and correct personal information we hold about you. To exercise this right, please contact our team.

Risk Disclosure Agreement

Franz Josef Glacier experiences are operated by Franz Josef Glacier Guides Limited ("FJGG"). Helicopter transport to and from the glacier is provided by Inflite Franz and Fox Helicopters, a CAA-licensed aviation operator. Together, we are committed to providing you with a safe, friendly and memorable experience on one of New Zealand's most spectacular natural environments.

FJGG has been assessed to meet or exceed the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016, certified by AdventureMark™ (a WorkSafe NZ approved certification body), and holds Qualmark Gold accreditation, New Zealand tourism's official quality mark.

Franz Josef Glacier is a living; dynamic environment and conditions can change rapidly. Our team continuously monitors the glacier and makes safety decisions based on the most current information available, but guests should be aware that the terrain on the ice, including uneven surfaces, steep sections, and physically demanding ascents, can be challenging.

Franz Josef Glacier is an unstable geological feature that presents significant natural hazards including avalanche, rock fall, ice fall, flooding, cold exposure, heights, uneven terrain, and sun exposure. In rare circumstances, conditions may result in guests experiencing delays on the ice or, in exceptional situations, being required to stay on the glacier overnight. Our guides are trained to manage these situations, and your safety always remains the priority.

By participating in this activity, you ("the customer") agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. Assumption of Risk
Participation in adventure activities carries a degree of inherent risk. By participating in any experience provided by FJGG, you are expressly assuming those risks personally and are, to the maximum extent permitted by law, waiving and releasing FJGG and its officers, employees, and any subsidiary or related company from any liability, claims, losses, damages or expenses caused by any event including, but not limited to:

a) Personal injury or death.

b) Property loss or damage.

c) Acts which may be construed as negligent or accidental.

d) Any other loss, damage, suffering, emotional or nervous disorder.

2. Governing Law
The laws of New Zealand apply exclusively to these terms and conditions and the Courts of New Zealand have exclusive jurisdiction. You agree not to commence any litigation or proceedings in any other country in relation to the risks and perils set out in clause 1, and to indemnify FJGG against any such actions. In the event that any liability is attributed to FJGG, such liability is limited to the price paid for the activity.

3. Medical Fitness
By participating, you confirm that you are physically fit and have no medical conditions which may be aggravated by this activity. Please refer to the Health & Safety Information section of these terms for full details of medical and fitness requirements.

4. Medical Treatment
You consent to receive medical treatment in the case of injury, accident or illness during the activity, and agree to indemnify FJGG against any claims arising from such treatment.

5. Guide Instructions
You agree to always follow the instructions of your guide, including compliance with all Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) operating requirements, and to ensure any children in your care do the same. FJGG reserves the right to remove or refuse any guest who does not comply with instructions, or who is deemed to be acting recklessly, causing a nuisance, or otherwise unsuitable to participate.

6. Insurance
FJGG strongly recommends that all guests hold comprehensive personal travel and medical insurance, including cover for adventure activities, customer-initiated cancellations, personal injury, and loss of or damage to property.

7. Weather & Operational Cancellations
Our team operates year-round and makes every effort to get you onto the glacier safely. Ka Rōimata o Hine Hukatere/Franz Josef Glacier sits in one of the most dynamic weather environments in Aotearoa New Zealand, and on occasion it may be necessary to reschedule or cancel an experience due to weather, glacier conditions, or circumstances outside our control.

Where FJGG cancels or curtails an experience, we will offer either a reschedule (subject to availability) or a full or partial refund in accordance with our Operator Cancellations policy. FJGG does not accept responsibility for consequential costs arising from a cancellation, such as flights, accommodation, transport, or other pre-booked arrangements. This is why we strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that includes activity cancellation and trip disruption cover.

8. Exceptions
Any decision regarding an exception to these terms and conditions will be made entirely at the discretion of Franz Josef Glacier Guides Limited.

Share Your Pinnacle Moments – Competition Terms & Conditions

Prize
A refund of the individual pass retail rate paid by one passenger from the entrant’s Franz Josef Glacier Guides trip (maximum $795 for a Glacier Heli Hike pass).

1. By participating in the promotion, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

2. The Promoter is Franz Josef Glacier Guides, through its website franzjosefglacier.com.

3. The promotion is open for entry 1 December 2025 – 31 May 2026. Entrants must have been on a trip with Franz Josef Glacier Guides during that period.

4. To enter, entrants must either: (a) publish a Google review for Franz Josef Glacier Guides; or (b) mention/tag @FranzJosefGlacierGuides on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. On RED and WeChat, tag @新西伊旅诊Ngai Tahu.

5. The prize will be refunded to the credit card used at the time of purchase. Where cash or debit was used, the winner must provide a New Zealand bank account or credit card. No cash refunds.

6. Only direct bookings through Franz Josef Glacier Guides are eligible. Complimentary pass holders, third-party agent bookings, and employees of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Group and their immediate families are not eligible.

7. All entrants must be aged 18 or older. The prize is non-transferable. Entries are the property of the Promoter and may be used for promotional purposes.

8. The winner will be drawn on 6 June 2026 and notified via social media or Google. If acceptance is not confirmed within three days, the prize will be redrawn. The Promoter reserves the right to amend, suspend or terminate this promotion at any time.

These terms and conditions were last updated in April 2026. Franz Josef Glacier Guides reserves the right to update these terms at any time.