SeasonMapFranz Josef weather by month
New Zealand
The best time to visit Franz Josef is January to March — 78/100 in February, 18°C and 13 rainy days. The best season is summer, December to February (75/100 on average).
The worst month is July at 59/100 — cold, soaked, clean air. See July →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit New Zealand →
Franz Josef, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Franz Josef is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 76 | B | 18°C | 17 d | 11 h | Peak | 3 |
| FebFebruary | 78 | B | 18°C | 13 d | 11 h | Busy | 3 |
| MarMarch | 76 | B | 17°C | 16 d | 9 h | Busy | 2 |
| AprApril | 71 | B | 15°C | 14 d | 8 h | Busy | 1 |
| MayMay | 62 | C | 12°C | 17 d | 6 h | Quiet | 2 |
| JunJune | 65 | C | 10°C | 13 d | 6 h | Shoulder | 2 |
| JulJuly | 59 | D | 10°C | 16 d | 6 h | Busy | 2 |
| AugAugust | 64 | C | 10°C | 17 d | 7 h | Shoulder | 2 |
| SepSeptember | 63 | C | 11°C | 17 d | 8 h | Busy | 2 |
| OctOctober | 67 | C | 13°C | 20 d | 9 h | Busy | 2 |
| NovNovember | 72 | B | 15°C | 18 d | 10 h | Shoulder | 2 |
| DecDecember | 72 | B | 17°C | 20 d | 11 h | Peak | 3 |
What's on in Franz Josef through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
Crowds in Franz Josef in February
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusySummer peak in the village(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Good to know before you go to Franz Josef
Real experiences from travellers' own write-ups, quoted with a link to the original.
Visas & entry
A complete guide to Franz Josef Glacier is direct about a change that surprises returning visitors: walking onto the glacier from the valley floor is no longer possible due to its retreat, so the only way onto the ice itself now is a helicopter heli-hike tour. Their advice given the area's notoriously wet weather, averaging 13-21 rainy days a month: plan two or more nights in the region rather than a single day, since that buffer genuinely improves your odds of the weather cooperating for a heli-hike or scenic flight at some point during the stay.