Ascend Into The Sky and Back Down to The Ground. Climb Along Ice and Explore A Cave. Hike on Foot and Enjoy The Charm of The Fox Glacier

The Fox Glacier is named after the former New Zealand President, Sir William Fox. Like her sister tourist spot, Franz Joseph, the glacier stretches from the south of the Southern Alps to a temperate rain forest which is just 300m above sea level. Compared to the Franz Josef Glacier, the Fox Glacier is small and quiet. However, you can still go on helicopter rides, glacier walks, and do other such activities there. Lake Matheson, Gillespies Beach and ancient walks along the beach are the glacier's major highlights.

Lake Matheson is New Zealand's famous "Mirror Lake", and is just 6km from the Fox Glacier. On a clear and cloudless day, the reflection of New Zealand's highest peaks, Mount Cook and Mount Tasman, can be seen reflected on the lake. You must never miss the sunrise at Lake Matheson. The morning fog and the rising sun turn the Cook Mountain red. If you want to take pictures of the sunrise and the morning fog, be sure to walk through the virgin forest at 5:00 in the morning. When the sun rises, you will be thankful for this beautiful gift of nature! The hiking trail around the lake goes through a tall and virgin forest. It remains in its original state. Except for some tips and well-prepared pavilions, bridges, and wooden pathways. There is not a single forest ranger here.

Gillespies Beach is 21km from Fox Town. It is an unmanned black-sand beach and a place where old mines are gathered. There are a variety of interesting hiking trails here. There is a 5-minute excursion to the old miners’ tomb as well as a 3.5-hour walk to Galway Beach. In addition, you can see many seals there.

Fly to the glacier by helicopter, put on special crampons for walking on the ice, and follow the professional guide up to the glacier, Then, cross the majestic blue ice hole. Fox Glacier Guiding takes half a day, or you can go on a 1-2 day helicopter glacier activity. You can choose a suitable route according to your preferences, time restraints, and physical fitness. If you like outdoor activities and have some confidence in your arm strength, you can go on a full-day helicopter ice climbing trip, or even walk along the glacier to the 2004m summit. Either way, you're bound to have a unique experience.

At Fox Glacier, there are many short-distance trails for all ages. One of the most popular is the "One Fox Glacier Valley Walk. During this trail, you can walk to the foot of the glacier and observe it from up close. You can also take part in the "Terminal Face Walk", which is a guided walk lead by Fox Glacier Guiding, whereby you can walk to the end of the glacier. During this trip you will get closer to the glacier than regular tourists, and will be given guided explanations along the way. In addition, there is the Minnehaha Walk (2.6km, 1 hour) where you can see glowworms at night, and the Moraine Walk (1.4km, 40 minutes), which was once covered by Fox Glacier. They are both very popular.

If you feel like climbing the glacier is too difficult, or if you don't have enough time, you can take a helicopter to overlook the Franz Josef Glacier from the air instead. You can even land on the glacier and touch its snow which hasn't frozen in thousands of years. Glacier Helicopters is a west coast Helicopter Company with bases in Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. The Helicopter Line is the largest helicopter company on New Zealand's South Island. The route and price of the two companies are exactly the same, except that the former helicopter has a red fuselage, while the latter has a blue-red body. In addition, there is a smaller, locally operated helicopter company called Scenic Flights, which is cheaper than the two big companies and has sightseeing routes around Franz Josef and Fox Glacier.