Guide · Getting there

Queenstown to Fox Glacier, and the other ways in

One highway serves the glacier country, from the south over Haast Pass and from the north along the coast. Here are the official drive times for each leg, the nearest airport and the tours that do the driving for you.

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Quick answer

01Only road: State Highway 6, via Haast in the south or Hokitika in the north.¹
02From Queenstown: 1h 10m to Wanaka, then 3h 30m on to Fox Glacier.² ³
03From Hokitika: 171 km south on SH6.⁴
04Nearest airport: Hokitika, with daily flights from Christchurch.⁵
05Without a car: Regular buses run along the coast.⁵

One road in, from the north or the south

Fox Glacier sits on State Highway 6, the road that runs the length of the West Coast. DOC states that the only road access to Westland Tai Poutini National Park is SH6, via Hokitika in the north, about one and a half hours' drive, or via Haast in the south, about two hours' drive.¹ Fox Glacier township itself lies 171 km south of Hokitika.⁴

That single road shapes every plan. There is no shortcut across the Alps to the glaciers, so coming from Queenstown or Wanaka you cross Haast Pass and drive up the coast, and coming from Christchurch you cross to the West Coast first and then drive south. Both approaches are scenic drives, and both deserve more time than the map suggests.

The highway is also the only way out when something goes wrong. Heavy rain, slips and floods can close sections, and the park lies in the path of westerlies that can bring heavy rain at any time of year.⁶ Check the road status on the morning you drive, carry water and snacks, and fill the tank before long empty stretches.

From Queenstown

The road north, leg by leg

Morning

Queenstown to Wanaka

1h 10m by car.²
Late morning

Over Haast Pass

Tiora-patea, 'the way is clear'.⁷
Midday

Haast

2h 45m from Queenstown, a good place to stop.⁸
Afternoon

Up the coast

About two hours from Haast to the park.¹
Evening

Fox Glacier

3h 30m from Wanaka in all; Lake Matheson for sunset.³

From Queenstown and Wanaka over Haast Pass

Tourism New Zealand gives the drive from Queenstown to Wanaka as 1 hour 10 minutes.² From Wanaka to Fox Glacier it gives 3 hours 30 minutes.³ Add stops for photos, coffee and short walks, and the trip from Queenstown to Fox Glacier fills most of a day; it is better to enjoy it than to race it.

The road climbs from the lakes over Haast Pass. Its Maori name is Tiora-patea, 'the way is clear', and the prospector Charles Cameron is believed to have been the first European to cross it, in January 1863.⁷ Short walks to waterfalls and blue pools start right at the roadside, and the descent into the rainforest of the West Coast is a dramatic change of world.

Haast, on the coast, is the first village after the pass, and Tourism New Zealand puts it 2 hours 45 minutes by car from Queenstown.⁸ From there DOC gives about two hours north to the park.¹ If you drive Wanaka to Fox Glacier in one go, leave early and plan a proper break at Haast.

Drive times

Each leg of the road, by official times

Leg	Time by car	Source
Queenstown → Wanaka	1h 10m	Tourism New Zealand
Queenstown → Haast	2h 45m	Tourism New Zealand
Wanaka → Fox Glacier	3h 30m	Tourism New Zealand
Christchurch → Greymouth	3h 25m	Tourism New Zealand
Hokitika → Franz Josef	1h 45m	Tourism New Zealand
Franz Josef → Fox Glacier	30m	Tourism New Zealand

Times as Tourism New Zealand's pages state them; allow extra time for stops, roadworks and weather.² ⁸ ³ ⁹ ¹⁰

Three ways in

Drive, take a tour or fly

Most freedom

Drive yourself

Over Haast Pass or via Hokitika

Road: State Highway 6
From Wanaka: 3h 30m
Best for: Road trips

Plan the trip

No driving

Small-group tour

Queenstown to Franz Josef

Length: 12 hours
Pickup: Included
Then: 30 min to Fox

Plan the trip

From Queenstown: Franz Josef Glacier Hike & Scenic Flight

Fastest

Fly in for the day

From Queenstown

In all: 6.5 hours
Hiking: 2 hours
Weight limit: 115 kg

Plan the trip

Decision helper

Which way in suits you

Start from where you are

Drive via Wanaka

1h 10m to Wanaka, then 3h 30m to Fox Glacier.² ³

Cross to the West Coast

3h 25m to Greymouth, then south.⁹

Fly to Hokitika

Daily flights from Christchurch.⁵

Bus or a small-group tour

Regular buses run along the coast.⁵

The Queenstown fly-in

6.5 hours, including 2 hours of hiking.

The only road access is on SH6, via Hokitika in the north (approximately one and a half hours drive) or from the south via Haast (approximately two hours drive).

Department of ConservationSource 1

From Christchurch and the north

From the east coast you first cross the Southern Alps to the West Coast. Tourism New Zealand gives Christchurch to Greymouth as 3 hours 25 minutes by car, and Greymouth to Hokitika as 30 minutes.⁹ From Hokitika, Franz Josef is 1 hour 45 minutes, and Fox Glacier is another 30 minutes beyond it.¹⁰ ³

Christchurch to Fox Glacier is therefore a long day or, much better, a relaxed two-day trip with a night on the coast. Greymouth and Hokitika both make good stops, and the coast road south of Hokitika runs past lakes and rainforest that are worth slowing down for.

If you prefer to fly part of the way, the nearest commercial airport is Hokitika. DOC notes daily flights there from Christchurch.⁵ Tourism New Zealand gives the flight as 40 minutes.¹¹ From Hokitika you still need a car or a bus for the 171 km south to Fox Glacier.⁴

Map

Fox Glacier, its walks and the road in

The township and the short walks around it, the two glaciers side by side, and State Highway 6 from Queenstown, Wanaka and Christchurch.

Map of Fox Glacier township with Lake Matheson, Lake Gault, Peak Viewpoint, the South Side viewpoint and Gillespies Beach on the coast — Township and walks

Map of Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier with their townships and Lake Matheson — Two glaciers

Map of the South Island from Queenstown and Wanaka over Haast Pass to Fox Glacier, Franz Josef, Hokitika and Christchurch — The road in

1
Fox Glacier township
On State Highway 6, 171 km south of Hokitika.⁴
In Google Maps ↗
2
Lake Matheson
A 4.4 km loop of 1 hr 30 min, 5 min by car from the township.¹² ¹³
In Google Maps ↗
3
Lake Gault
8 km return from the Lake Matheson car park, about 3 hours.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
4
Peak Viewpoint
A 9 km drive towards the coast, with views of the neve.¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
5
Fox Glacier South Side viewpoint
At the end of a 6.4 km return walk of about 2 hours.¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
6
Gillespies Beach
A 21 km drive from the township, at the coast.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
7
Fox Glacier
13 km long, its face less than 300 m above sea level.¹⁸ ¹⁹
In Google Maps ↗
8
Franz Josef
The twin township, 30 min by car to the north.³
In Google Maps ↗
9
Franz Josef Glacier
Its face is also less than 300 m above sea level.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
10
Hokitika
The closest commercial airport, with daily flights from Christchurch.⁵
In Google Maps ↗
11
Christchurch
The city with daily flights to Hokitika.⁵
In Google Maps ↗
12
Haast
The southern way in on SH6, about two hours to the park.¹
In Google Maps ↗
13
Haast Pass
Tiora-patea, 'the way is clear', on the road from Wanaka.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
14
Wanaka
3h 30m by road to Fox Glacier.³
In Google Maps ↗
15
Queenstown
4h 30m by road to Franz Josef.¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before the drive

Plan

Check road status on the morning
Arrive before dark
Book buses or tours early in summer

Carry

Water and snacks
A full tank before empty stretches
Warm layers for pass stops

Cost for your group

Tours that do the driving

Pick a tour and the number of people

Queenstown to Franz Josef12 hours, one wayfrom $171 Christchurch to Franz JosefWith the TranzAlpinefrom $332 Christchurch to Queenstown2 days via Franz Joseffrom $341

People 2

Total from$341

pp from $171

Check availabilityfree cancellation

We take the lowest GetYourGuide fare for each trip, multiply it by the people in your party and show it in your currency at European Central Bank rates; your date sets the real total.

Video

A road trip over Haast Pass

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Without a car: buses and small-group tours

You do not need to drive yourself. DOC notes regular bus services along the coast.⁵ Small-group tours on GetYourGuide also cover the route: Queenstown to Franz Josef in a 12-hour one-way tour with pickup, and the same in reverse. Franz Josef is 30 minutes from Fox, so plan the short final leg.³

From Christchurch, a one-way tour to Franz Josef including the TranzAlpine train is listed at 12 hours. There is also a 2-day tour from Christchurch to Queenstown via Franz Josef, limited to 16 participants. These suit travelers who want the scenery without the long hours behind the wheel.

If time is very short, a fly-in day trip is possible. The Franz Josef glacier hike with scenic flight from Queenstown flies about 1 hour each way by plane, adds a 10-minute helicopter flight each way and 2 hours of hiking, 6.5 hours in all. It starts from $1,057, so it is the expensive way to see a glacier, but it saves two long days of driving.

Where to stay and when to arrive

Fox Glacier and Franz Josef both sit on the park boundary and have accommodation, service stations, grocery stores and souvenir shops.²¹ Arrive the evening before any heli-hike or flight, because the provider of the Fox heli-hike recommends booking your first available day in Fox Glacier to keep flexibility for the weather.

Try not to arrive after dark. The last stretches of road are winding, the scenery is the reason you came, and wildlife and weather both make night driving harder. A late start from Queenstown or Christchurch can easily put you on the coast road at dusk.

Book a bed early in the busy months. DOC's summer season at Lake Matheson runs from November to April, and that is when beds and activity slots go fastest.²² A second night gives you a spare day for the weather, which matters more on this coast than anywhere else on your route.

Driving tips for the West Coast highway

The highway through glacier country is sealed and well signposted, but it is not a motorway. Expect narrow single-lane bridges, tight bends through the forest and long stretches with few places to overtake. Give way where the signs say so, pull over to let faster traffic pass, and never stop on a bend for a photograph.

Rain changes the road quickly. Water can run across the surface after a heavy shower, and slips can close a section for hours. If a closure sign is up, wait or turn back rather than looking for a way round, because there is no other road. Local radio, the transport agency's road updates and your accommodation are the best sources of news on the day.

Plan fuel and food stops before you need them. Settlements are small and far apart between the pass and the glaciers, and a café that looks open on a map may close early outside the busy months. Keep a warm layer, water and something to eat in the car, and you will enjoy the drive rather than worry about it.

Using the drive as part of the trip

Working out how to get to Fox Glacier is also a chance to plan a great road trip, because the drive is an attraction in itself. Between Wanaka and Haast, short tracks lead to waterfalls and swimming holes within minutes of the car park. Just west of Fox, Lake Matheson sits a few minutes off the highway and is a perfect first or last stop.

Going north, plan a night in Fox and another in Franz Josef or Hokitika, and you can walk, fly and still see the coast at an easy pace. Going south, reverse the order and finish with the Haast Pass crossing, which is at its most striking when you see the lakes appear on the far side.

Whichever way you come, write down the official times and add a generous margin. Roadworks, slips, photo stops and a slow campervan ahead all add up on a road with few passing lanes, and a relaxed arrival is part of a good day on the glacier.

Pick your day