How to Go to Fox Glacier | Intrepid Travel EU

Fox Glacier is part of Glacier Country on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Due to its remote location, the easiest way to get there is either by driving or doing a tour. There are also a couple of public transport options to Fox Glacier, but it might not be suitable depending on where you’re coming from and travelling to afterwards.

The starting point for exploring the glacier and its surroundings is Fox Glacier Village. It’s located on State Highway 6. Josef Glacier Village is just 25 minutes by car from Fox Glacier.

By air

If you’re travelling from overseas, the closest airport to Fox Glacier is Hokitika (HKK) which is just a 1 hr 45 min drive away. The next closest airports are Queenstown (4.5 hrs) and Christchurch (5.5 hours).

By car

If you’re driving, you can get to Fox Glacier Village on State Highway 6. Below are the average drive times from major destinations on the South Island.

Christchurch - 5.5 hours
Queenstown - 4.5 hours
Wanaka - 3.5 hours
Greymouth - 2.5 hours
Hokitika - 2 hours
Haast - 1.5 hours
Franz Josef Glacier Village - 25 minutes

By train

There are no direct trains to Fox Glacier, but you can get close. If you’re coming from Christchurch, you can take a TranzAlpine train to Greymouth and transfer to Fox Glacier with InterCity’s West Coast bus service. Trains depart daily and the journey takes around 9.5 hours.

By bus

You can get to Fox Glacier via bus from Nelson and Queenstown with InterCity’s West Coast service. Just note you might not be able to rely solely on public transport if you want to get to walks, lookouts and nearby attractions.

Can you walk on Fox Glacier?

The glacier is located 6 km from the village. If you’re happy with seeing it from afar, you’ll be happy to know there are heaps of vantage points including Cook Flat Road. However, if you’re wanting to get up close and personal, you’ll need to arrange a helicopter and/or glacier hiking tour. This wasn’t always the case. You used to be able to access the glacier via the valley floor, but it’s no longer safe after a severe flood in 2019.

The good news is you can walk on the glacier, but only with an authorised guide. In fact, you can do way more than just walk on Fox Glacier. You can hike through ice tunnels, peel inside hidden caves and climb up giant ice sculptures if you like! And to do this you’ll need to go up to the glacier on a helicopter.

Click to return to Fox Glacier FAQs