Franz Josef Glacier From Queenstown
How to Get to Franz Josef Glacier from Queenstown?
The best way to get to Franz Josef Glacier from Queenstown is to drive, assuming you have a rental car at your disposal and are comfortable navigating mountainous roads and passes.
The scenery along the main route, State Highway 6, is simply stunning, and a road trip, with the flexibility to stop where you want, is one of the best ways to soak in all the nature – mountains, waterfalls, lakes, wildlife and more!
Roughly the size of Illinois or Wisconsin, the South Island of New Zealand is relatively small and easily navigable by car.
| Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Driving Distance | 350 km (217 miles) |
| Driving Time | 4.5 – 5 hours (without stops) |
| Road Conditions | Paved roads, but winding and steep in parts (Crown Range, Haast Pass) |
| Fuel Stops / Dining | Queenstown, Wanaka, Haast (last major stop before Franz Josef Township) |
| Must-See Stops | Crown Range Lookout, Wanaka, Blue Pools, Haast Pass Waterfalls, Knights Point Lookout, Franz Josef Glacier Walk |
| Optional Stops | Arrowtown, Mount Iron Walk, Monro Beach, Ship Creek, Okarito Lagoon |
| Wildlife Spotting | Kea (alpine parrots) near Haast Pass, Fiordland crested penguins at Monro Beach, white herons at Okarito Lagoon |
| Best Hikes | Blue Pools (30 min), Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk (1.5 hr), Monro Beach (1 hr 15 min return) |
| Weather Tips | Be prepared for sudden rain & cooler temps, especially near the glacier |
Planning a trip to see the glacier? Visit our Franz Josef Glacier home page for the complete rundown on every single detail!
Best Things to Do in South Island, New Zealand
South Island, New Zealand Activities & Best Tours Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Heli-hike, Glacier + Snow Landing, Mount Cook + Glaciers, Tandem Skydive, Guided Valley Walk Milford Sound Boutique Cruise, Small Group Cruise, Full day Tour + Cruise, Luxury Cruise, Flyover Queenstown Shotover River Jet Boat, Skydive, Lord of the Rings Tour, Zipline, ATV, Wine, Farm Dinner, Gourmet Food Tour
Driving Route from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier
As the map below indicates, the fastest and most direct route from Queenstown to Franz Josef Glacier is via State Highway 6, a fully paved 217-mile highway that takes about 5 hours driving non-stop, mainly because of mountainous stretches along the way.
But with plenty of jaw-dropping scenery to admire, you’ll want to stop along the way and make it more of a full day road trip.
Below are the main highlights on this road trip, one of the most scenic drives on the South Island of New Zealand.
Queenstown to Wanaka (70 km, 1 hour)
The first stretch, the Crown Range Road, is the highest sealed road in New Zealand with an elevation of 3,678 feet at the summit!
Be prepared for hairpin bends and awe-inspiring views over the Wakatipu Basin.
The Crown Range Summit Lookout is a must-stop, with fabulous views of Queenstown sprawling under a ring of jagged peaks, making for fantastic landscape photos on a clear day.
Wanaka, on the shores of Lake Wanaka, is a laid-back town offering dining and fuel, Instagram photos at the famous Wanaka Tree, a hike up Mount Iron for panoramic views or a quick dip in the lake to chill!
Wanaka to Haast (140 km, 2 hours 15 minutes)
The next stretch of the road, from Wanaka to Haast, winds along the shores of Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka with the clear waters offering shimmering reflections of the snow-capped peaks.
As you approach the Mount Aspiring National Park, the scenery reflects rushing rivers, thundering waterfalls and dense beech tree forests.
Must-stops on this stretch include the Blue Pools Walk (30 minute out and back) to glacier-fed waters that are amazing vivid shades of turquoise, and the Fantail Falls and Thunder Creek Falls, two awe-inspiring waterfalls easily accessible from the highway.
Haast to Franz Josef Glacier (142 km, 2 hours 15 minutes)
Make sure you refuel at Haast, the last major stop before entering a remote wilderness of rainforest, rivers and crashing surf, hallmarks of the West Coast of the South Island!
The Haast River Bridge officially heralds the glacier country.
Must-stops include the Knight’s Point Lookout, a viewpoint providing incredible views of the wild waves from the Tasman Sea crashing into towering cliffs.
If you have some time, be sure to check out Munro Beach (1 hour return walk) to view rare Fiordland crested penguins or Ship Creek for coastal dunes and kahikatea swamp forest views.
Franz Josef Glacier Township
The Franz Josef Glacier Township is a little village that will be your base to exploring the glacier.
You can choose to hike the Franz Josef Glacier Walk to a viewpoint of the terminus, pick a heli-hike tour to walk with crampons on the glacier ice (a bucket list item for many New Zealand tourists) or view the stunning Southern Alps and the glacier from a scenic flight!
Planning a trip to see the glacier? Visit our Franz Josef Glacier home page for the complete rundown on every single detail!