Mud, rivers and rainforest
Guided off-road quad bike tour, Franz Josef
★ 4.9 · 369 user reviews
- Price fromfrom $104
- Length2 hrs
- Free cancellationIncluded
Get your spot
Choose your day. See the total.
Pick a day and the number of travelers: the total adjusts instantly, then the next page lists the live price and the available times.
- Free cancellation, up to 24 hrs prior
- Fills up 6 days in advance
Plan your day
Inside the price, your packing list, extras
Included4
- A helmet, gumboots and wet weather gear
- Free photos of your ride
- A guide who teaches you to ride first
- A single quad, a double quad or a three-seater buggy to pick from
Bring3
- Time to reach the base 15 minutes before the trip
- Your booking on your phone
- Warm clothes to wear under the waterproofs
Not part of it2
- A hotel pickup, since everyone meets at the base
- A spot for pregnant travelers or those with spinal injuries, which the listing advises against
369reviews
guest reviews of this quad bike tour
2hours
the listed length of the ride
14guests
the most in any one group
24hours
the no-fee cancellation period
Alternatives
Four ways to spend a day at Franz Josef
A short flight with a snow landing
Franz Josef Glacier: Helicopter Flight and Alpine Landing
★ 4.8 · 689 user reviews
- Price fromfrom $221
- Length25 min
- Free cancellationIncluded
A walk on the ice itself
Franz Josef: 2.5 Hour Glacier Hike with Helicopter Transfer
★ 4.8 · 391 user reviews
- Price fromfrom $528
- Length4 to 8 hrs
- Free cancellationIncluded
A calm lake cruise instead
Franz Josef Glacier: 2-Hour Scenic Lake Mapourika Cruise
★ 4.8 · 144 user reviews
- Price fromfrom $73
- Length2 hrs
- Free cancellationIncluded
Making sense of it
Our quad ride beside a flight, a glacier walk and a lake cruise, each rated and priced live.
Live starting prices per traveler on GetYourGuide and Viator.
In their words
Guest testimonials
4.9
★★★★★369 reviews, verified
Rain fell for the entire ride, and the waterproofs made that irrelevant. Splashing through rivers and flooded forest was huge fun, and the guide was brilliant.
DanJuly 2026
Our family had a great time. The staff were friendly and safe, the guides gave tips along the way, and the photos came free with the price.
PaulineJuly 2026
The guide was supportive and the practice runs gave me confidence before the trail. The views were lovely and the track was fun and a bit challenging.
LeeAnnApril 2026
My partner and I are older riders, and we had a blast. We felt safe all the way and still got an adventure.
KarenMarch 2026
The guide taught us how to drive and gave us a mini test drive first. Great fun with our kids, and the photos he took were spectacular.
AmandaJanuary 2026
It was raining, and I think that made it better, with higher streams, mist, and scenery from dense rainforest to a Mars-like riverbed.
PaulJanuary 2026
the ride
Two hours on a quad, from the base to the river bed
A quad ride in Franz Josef starts at the base on the Main Road, next to The Landing Restaurant, in the building that Glacier Helicopters and Air Safaris share. You arrive 15 minutes before the trip, and the guide kits you out with wet weather gear and gumboots, then teaches you how to ride. A helmet is included, and so are free photos.
The route follows ancient glacial pathways through dense rainforest, with rivers to splash through and an ancient glacier river bed to cross. On the open ground the views reach to the Southern Alps and Franz Josef Glacier. The guide also tells Maori legends and local history on the way.
Everything is on the listing, and the booking panel lower down shows open dates and the live price. The whole thing is a guided ride of 2 hours, so it fits between a flight and a hot tub without eating the day.
Book, with fee-free cancellationIn Franz Josef too
Discover more from Franz Josef
More well-reviewed ways to spend a day near Franz Josef, live on GetYourGuide, free to cancel.
Days around Franz Josef
Franz Josef Off-Road Adventure Quad Bike Tour (Single Quad)
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Franz Josef: 35min Helicopter Trip over Two Glaciers
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Take a lookGlacier and nature walks
Fox Glacier: Half Day Walking and Nature Tour with Local Guide
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Take a lookLakes and kayaks
Franz Josef: 3-Hour Kayak Tour on Lake Mapourika
★ 4.9 (137)3 hrsCancel at no cost
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Take a lookWildlife
Franz Josef: Kiwi VIP Backstage Pass Tour -Booking Essential
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Take a lookFrom the air
Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers Helicopter Flight and Snow Landing
★ 4.6 (400)35 minCancel at no cost
from$285
Take a lookFrom the air
Franz Josef: Glacier Helicopter Ride with Snow Landing
★ 4.9 (190)20 minCancel at no cost
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Take a lookPremium
Franz Josef: 4-Glacier Helicopter Ride with 2 Landings
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from$500
Take a lookKeep exploring Franz Josef
Current tours in Franz Josef at GetYourGuide
Check tours in Franz JosefPhoto tour
Mud, ice and a very wet forest
Photos from Franz Josef quad and glacier days
the valley
A river bed that is never quite the same twice
The ride crosses ground that the Department of Conservation calls dynamic and potentially hazardous: river levels and channels in the Waiho Valley can change rapidly during and after heavy rain, and the entire river bed can be covered with flood water. A guided group reads the bed on the day, and you follow the line you are shown.
Franz Josef Glacier quad bikes ride beside the glacier's own valley, and the glacier itself is close. Its terminal face is less than 300 metres above sea level and is one of only three to be this close to the coastline, according to the Department of Conservation. The access road to the main car park is 4 km long and unsealed, which is the same valley that your ride looks across.
Do not expect to ride onto the ice. A reviewer notes that the tour does not go on the glacier, and the listing promises views of it. The Department of Conservation says helicopters are the only safe way to get people onto the glacier for guided walks.
Book, with fee-free cancellationSeasons
Temperatures at Hokitika, 99 km up the coast
Highs and lows are NOAA readings from its Hokitika Aerodrome station, 99 km from Franz Josef on the coast, averaged over 1991 to 2020; the station gives temperatures only, and we calculate day length ourselves.
Tap a month for the typical temperatures.
Daytime highs on averageNOAA 1991 to 2020 · Station Hokitika Aerodrome, temperatures only
single, double, buggy
Three ways to sit: your own quad, a shared one or a buggy
The listing offers a single quad, a double quad booked for 2, 4 or 6 people with one driver and one passenger per bike, or a three-seater buggy that takes two adults and one child. You pick the vehicle at booking, and up to 8 travelers can be on one booking.
The buggy exists for families, and the quad lines are about height. Passengers on a quad must be 145 cm tall, and passengers in the buggy 110 cm. Reviewers mention the buggy and the double quad as well as the single bikes, and one says the bikes were easy to handle.
A GetYourGuide page for a similar tour books single quads only and starts from $146, with 323 reviews at 4.8, so check which vehicle a listing sells before comparing prices.
Book, with fee-free cancellation
Your two hours in the mud
A guide, a quad and a river bed.
Pick a date and a vehicle. If plans change, cancellation stays free up to a day ahead.
the rain
Rain is the normal state here, and the ride knows it
Franz Josef is one of the wettest places a visitor can ride a quad. The Department of Conservation says the national park lies in the path of the prevailing westerly winds, which can bring heavy rain at any time of the year, with up to five metres falling annually. The Franz Josef Glacier Guides give 6 to 8 metres a year for the glacier region.
The operator's own listing on the Tourism New Zealand site calls the off-road adventure the ultimate rainy day activity at Franz Josef Glacier. That is why the gear matters: gumboots and wet weather gear are on the inclusions list, and the guide fits you out before the engines start.
What stops the ride is safety, not wetness. The listing lets the operator cancel for bad weather or too few travelers, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before for a full refund. The rainy day page on this site covers what else runs when the helicopters do not.
Book, with fee-free cancellationScore breakdown
Judged by 369 guests
4.9
Excellent★★★★★
- 5-star ratings95%
- 4-star ratings4%
- 3-star ratings1%
- 2-star ratings1%
- 1-star ratings1%
Nothing is left out: the bars include every one of the 369 ratings, which average 4.9.
Find a date that works
from $104 · free cancelling
Booked on Viator
what guests say
What the newest reviews keep returning to
The 50 newest English reviews on file give 46 five-star and 4 four-star ratings, from February 2025 to October 2026. Guests name their guides, which is rare enough to notice, and praise a short test drive or practice run before the trail. The listing as a whole is rated 4.9 from 369 reviews.
The details are specific. Reviewers mention river crossings, mud, flooded forest and gear that kept most of them dry, and 11 of the 50 mention rain, with several saying it made the ride better. Two reviewers say they are in their 60s or 70s and had a great time, and one family reviewer came with children.
The warnings are specific too. One four-star review calls the ride not for the faint hearted and says you can still get wet despite the wet weather gear, and one notes that the tour does not go on the glacier. Read both lines before you book, and the rest of the praise will make sense.
Book, with fee-free cancellation
FAQ
Your doubts,settled.
How long is the Franz Josef quad bike tour?
2 hours.
The listing gives the length as 2 hours, with a group of up to 14.
Do I need experience to go quad biking in Franz Josef?
No, a guide teaches you.
The guide teaches you to ride, and the listing states no driving licence requirement.
What age do you need to drive a quad?
16 for a single quad.
Drivers of single quads must be 16 or over, and drivers with a minor as passenger 18 or over.
Can children come on the quad bike tour?
Yes, in the buggy or on a double quad.
The buggy takes two adults and one child of 110 cm, and a quad passenger must be 145 cm.
What is included in the price?
Gear and photos.
A helmet, gumboots, wet weather gear and free photos are included.
Where does the tour meet?
On the Main Road in the village.
Guests meet 15 minutes before the trip next to The Landing Restaurant, in the building shared with Glacier Helicopters and Air Safaris.
Does the ride go onto the glacier?
No, it shows you the valley.
The listing promises views of Franz Josef Glacier, and a reviewer says the tour does not go on the glacier.
How much does it cost?
From $104 per person.
That is the listing's from price, rated 4.9 from 369 reviews.
Can I book a double quad or the buggy?
Yes, on this listing.
The listing offers a double quad booked for 2, 4 or 6 people and a three-seater buggy.
What if it rains or the weather is poor?
Rain is expected, and cancellation is free.
The operator calls the tour the ultimate rainy day activity, may cancel for bad weather, and allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
learning to ride
No experience needed, and a lesson before the trail
The guide teaches you to ride before you set off, and the listing states no driving licence requirement. Reviewers who were new to quad bikes describe a sensible tutorial and a short test drive, and two reviewers call the guides safety conscious. One reviewer says no prior driving experience is needed.
The listing calls the tour suitable for all physical fitness levels. It also advises against it for travelers with spinal injuries and for pregnant travelers, which is worth reading with your own doctor in mind. The rules page on this site lists every age and height line in one place.
If a group wants to share the steering, the sensible plan is two single quads, because on a double quad the passenger is not allowed to drive and the two cannot swap places.
Book, with fee-free cancellation349five-star ratings
Ratings, counted
Of the 369 ratings on our listing, 349 are five stars.
The rest are 14 four-star ratings, 2 three-star, 2 two-star and 2 one-star, so the praise is not unanimous and the quad ride page on this site walks through the warnings.
ages and rules
Who can drive, and who can sit behind
Drivers of single quads must be at least 16, and drivers with a minor as passenger at least 18. The GetYourGuide page of the similar tour says drivers of double quads must be 18 or over, so the exact line depends on the page you book on.
WorkSafe New Zealand, the government regulator, says most quad bikes are not designed to carry a passenger, and that carrying a child as a passenger on a bike made for one rider is particularly dangerous. The double quads and the buggy on this listing are described as two-seater and three-seater machines, which is how the tour handles passengers.
WorkSafe also administers the Adventure Activities Regulations 2016 and keeps a public list of registered operators, a fair place to check any adventure provider.
Book, with fee-free cancellationQuad biking, Franz Josef
Rain on the leaves.Mud on the boots.A glacier behind you.
This is the quad bike tour in Franz Josef that we list: a guided ride of 2 hours inside Westland Tai Poutini National Park, for a group of up to 14, with rivers to splash through and views of the Southern Alps and the glacier. It starts from $104.
Free to cancel until a day before
mud and kit
What to wear, and what you get wet in anyway
The listing supplies a helmet, gumboots and wet weather gear, so you do not bring waterproofs. Several reviewers say the kit kept them dry and clean, and one says you can choose to stay dry or get wet. A four-star reviewer warns that you can still get wet, so a dry change for afterwards is sensible.
Wear warm layers underneath. The Department of Conservation says a cold down-draft off the glacier is normal in the valley and that rainstorms occasionally catch visitors by surprise. Closed shoes for the walk from the car park are enough, since the gumboots are supplied.
Phones are safest in a waterproof pouch or left at the base, because the photos are taken for you and are free.
Book, with fee-free cancellation
meeting
Where to meet, and how long to allow
Guests meet 15 minutes before the trip on the Main Road, next to The Landing Restaurant, in the same building as Glacier Helicopters and Air Safaris. The ride lasts 2 hours and you arrive 15 minutes earlier, so plan for a little more than 2 hours at the base, plus a change of clothes.
Confirmation is manual, so the voucher may not arrive the second you pay. The group is capped at 14, and free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before.
The listing is priced per person, from $104, and the final fare depends on the vehicle and the date. The getting-there page on this site covers the road to the village from Queenstown and Christchurch.
Book, with fee-free cancellationReserve now
Ready to pick a date?
Prices come straight from the live GetYourGuide and Viator feed, the same as its own site, never hand-entered.
Check open dates
- Free cancellation, up to 24 hrs prior
- starts at $104 per person
Time in Franz Josef now: --:--
the rest of the day
Around the ride: flights, ice and hot tubs
A quad ride fills two hours, and the glacier country around it fills the rest. A 25-minute flight with a 10-minute snow landing starts from $221, and a 35-minute flight over two glaciers from $276. The helicopter flights page on this site sets the options side by side.
For the ice itself, Franz Josef Glacier Guides allow up to 2.5 hours on the ice on their heli hike, within up to 4 hours from check-in. The Viator heli-hike listing starts from $530. The heli hike page on this site explains age, weight and weather.
Glacier Country lists Waiho Hot Tubs among its rainy-day options, with your own private wood fired hot tub, and the West Coast Wildlife Centre as one of the most popular indoor attractions on the West Coast.
Book, with fee-free cancellationis it for you
Who this ride suits, and who should look elsewhere
It suits people who want a messy, guided two hours and do not mind rain. The reviews are warm about the guides and the variety of ground, and the operator calls it the ultimate rainy day activity.
It does not suit anyone who wants a quiet viewpoint, anyone who needs to walk on the glacier, or anyone the listing advises against, such as pregnant travelers and those with spinal injuries. For the ice, look at a heli hike or a flight.
If the plan is a quad ride on a wet afternoon and a flight on the first clear morning, both bookings list free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which makes the shuffle cheap.
Book, with fee-free cancellation