New Zealand is one of the great hiking destinations on earth. In a country the size of the United Kingdom but with a population of just 5 million, vast stretches of mountain, forest, coastline and glacier remain almost entirely untouched. The Department of Conservation (DOC) manages over 14,000 kilometres of walking tracks — from half-hour strolls to multi-week expeditions.
Whether you have an afternoon or a fortnight, here are the best hikes, walks and mountain views in New Zealand.
The Great Walks — New Zealand’s finest multi-day trails
New Zealand has 11 officially designated Great Walks — the country’s premier multi-day hiking experiences, carefully maintained by DOC and bookable through the DOC website. Huts and campsites along Great Walks must be booked in advance; the most popular tracks (Milford, Tongariro, Routeburn) sell out months ahead for the October–April season.
Milford Track — the most famous walk in New Zealand
Location: Fiordland National Park, South Island Distance: 53.5 km one way Duration: 4 days / 3 nights Difficulty: Moderate Best for: First-time Great Walk, iconic New Zealand scenery
The Milford Track is New Zealand’s most celebrated walk — and arguably the most famous hiking trail in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been drawing visitors since the 1880s and has something of a mythical quality. The track runs through the heart of Fiordland National Park, crossing high mountain passes, descending through ancient rainforest and ending at Milford Sound — one of the most dramatic fiord landscapes on earth.
Mackinnon Pass (1,154m) is the high point of the track, reached on Day 3 — a demanding climb rewarded by sweeping views of cliffs and glacially carved valleys in every direction. The track ends at Milford Sound, where most walkers add a scenic boat cruise on the fiord.
Getting bookings for the Milford Track huts is notoriously competitive — comparable to concert tickets. Book as early as possible, ideally as soon as the season opens (usually late June).
What to know: The track is walked in one direction only (south to north) and requires a water taxi to the start at Glade Wharf from Te Anau.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing — the best single day walk in New Zealand
Location: Tongariro National Park, Central North Island Distance: 19.4 km one way Duration: 6–8 hours (day walk) Difficulty: Demanding Best for: Non-hikers who want a world-class experience in a single day
Note: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is one of New Zealand’s 11 official Great Walks — uniquely, it is a day walk rather than a multi-day trail.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is consistently ranked among the top single-day walks in the world. It crosses the volcanic landscape of Tongariro National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage site — passing the emerald lakes, Red Crater, and the flanks of Mount Ngauruhoe (known to Lord of the Rings fans as Mount Doom). The views of the surrounding volcanic plateau, the Central Plateau, and on clear days, both coasts of New Zealand, are extraordinary.
This is a point-to-point track and requires a shuttle from nearby towns (Taupo, National Park). It is not suitable in bad weather — the terrain becomes genuinely dangerous in snow, ice or strong wind. Always check the DOC weather forecast before setting off.
What to know: The track is seasonal and closed for parts of winter due to safety conditions. Hundreds of hikers attempt it daily in peak season — start early (6am or earlier) for the best experience and to avoid crowds.
Routeburn Track — the most scenic multi-day alpine walk
Location: Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks, South Island Distance: 32 km one way Duration: 2–4 days Difficulty: Moderate Best for: Alpine scenery without the crowds of the Milford Track
The Routeburn Track passes through two national parks — Fiordland and Mount Aspiring — and is widely considered one of the most scenically varied walks in New Zealand. The track crosses alpine meadows, follows the Routeburn River through native beech forest, reaches Harris Saddle (1,255m) with panoramic views across the mountains, and descends to the Divide on the Milford Sound road.
Unlike the Milford Track, the Routeburn can be walked in either direction, and it is considerably easier to get bookings. The Routeburn Falls Hut and Lake Mackenzie Hut are highlights — both are in extraordinary settings.
Day walk option: Hiking from the Glenorchy end to Routeburn Falls and back is an excellent full-day option (approximately 8 hours return) that captures the best of the southern section without requiring a full booking.
Kepler Track — the “adventure above the clouds”
Location: Fiordland National Park, South Island Distance: 60 km loop Duration: 3–4 days Difficulty: Moderate to demanding Best for: Ridge walking, views over fiords, kea encounters
The Kepler Track is a 60km loop starting and finishing at Te Anau, making logistics significantly easier than most other Great Walks. It climbs steeply from Lake Te Anau to the Luxmore Hut at 1,085m — one of the most dramatically situated huts in New Zealand, with sweeping views over the Fiordland mountains — and then follows an extended alpine ridgeline before descending through beech forest back to the lake.
The ridgeline section of the Kepler between Luxmore Hut and Iris Burn Hut is considered one of the finest ridge walks in New Zealand, with views into glacially carved fiords on both sides. Keep an eye out for kea — the world’s only alpine parrot, playful and inquisitive, and a near-guarantee on the Kepler.
Day walk option: A helicopter drop to Luxmore Hut and a day walk back down to Te Anau is offered by several operators and is one of the best easy ways to access the Kepler’s alpine section.
Abel Tasman Coast Track — golden beaches and turquoise water
Location: Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson/Tasman, South Island Distance: 60 km one way Duration: 3–5 days Difficulty: Easy to moderate Best for: Coastal beauty, suitable for families, kayaking alongside hiking
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is the most accessible and family-friendly of the Great Walks. It follows the coast of Abel Tasman National Park through golden-sand beaches, turquoise bays and native forest — a landscape unlike anything else in New Zealand.
Unlike other Great Walks, the Abel Tasman is highly flexible. Water taxis run along the coast, allowing walkers to begin or end at any point, skip sections, or combine walking with kayaking. It’s possible to walk just one or two days of the track while staying in lodges or DOC huts.
The track is walkable year-round, unlike the alpine Great Walks which close in winter.
Lake Waikaremoana — the North Island’s wild Great Walk
Location: Te Urewera, Hawke’s Bay/Gisborne, North Island Distance: 46 km Duration: 3–4 days Difficulty: Moderate to demanding Best for: Solitude, birdlife, the most off-the-beaten-path Great Walk
Lake Waikaremoana is the least-visited of the Great Walks and arguably the most rewarding for those seeking genuine solitude. The track circles a stunning highland lake through the traditional homeland of the Māori iwi Ngāi Tūhoe, passing through dense native forest with extraordinary birdlife. The high point — Panekire Bluff — offers breathtaking views over the lake and surrounding ranges.
The track can be muddy and demanding in places and requires river crossings. Five huts are spaced along the route.
The best day walks and viewpoints
Hooker Valley Track — Aoraki/Mount Cook
Location: Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, South Island Distance: 10 km return Duration: 3 hours return Difficulty: Easy Best for: The most accessible world-class alpine view in New Zealand
The Hooker Valley Track is one of the most spectacular easy walks in the world. It follows the Hooker Valley through three swing bridges to the edge of Hooker Lake — where icebergs float in front of the rock and ice face of Aoraki/Mount Cook (3,724m), New Zealand’s highest peak.
Note: As of mid-2026, the track has been under construction from the first swing bridge. Check doc.govt.nz for the current track status before visiting. The Mueller Lake Lookout before the first bridge still offers spectacular views of Aoraki.
What to know: Aim for sunrise — the light on Aoraki is extraordinary in the early morning and the track is empty.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing (also listed above under day walks)
Ben Lomond — Queenstown’s summit walk
Location: Queenstown, South Island Distance: 11 km return Duration: 5–6 hours return Difficulty: Demanding Best for: 360-degree views over Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables
Ben Lomond rises directly above Queenstown to 1,748m. The track begins in town (via the Tiki Trail from Lomond Crescent), climbs through native bush, and ascends to the exposed ridge before the final push to the summit. The 360-degree views from the top — over Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables, Coronet Peak and the Queenstown Basin — are among the finest in New Zealand.
Shortcut option: Take the Skyline gondola to 450m elevation and begin the hike from the top gondola terminal, saving approximately 1.5 hours of ascent.
Pouakai Tarns — the iconic Mount Taranaki reflection
Location: Egmont National Park, Taranaki, North Island Distance: 14 km return Duration: 6 hours return Difficulty: Moderate Best for: New Zealand’s most photographed mountain reflection
Pouakai Tarns is the source of one of New Zealand’s most iconic photographs — the perfect symmetrical reflection of the volcanic cone of Mount Taranaki in a high alpine tarn. The walk climbs through native forest on the Mangorei Track, emerging into an alpine plateau with sweeping views of the coastline and the Tasman Sea. The reflection shot requires still air and cloud-free conditions — early morning in the shoulder seasons (March–May, September–October) gives the best chance.
Rob Roy Glacier — Mount Aspiring National Park
Location: Wanaka, South Island Distance: 10 km return Duration: 3–4 hours return Difficulty: Moderate Best for: Glaciers, waterfalls, mountain drama without the multi-day commitment
The Rob Roy Glacier track from Raspberry Creek carpark is one of the finest half-day walks in New Zealand. The trail climbs through beech forest and opens into a dramatic glacial valley — a cathedral of mountains, with the Rob Roy Glacier hanging above and waterfalls cascading across the valley walls. Even in summer, ice patches and snow linger, and the scale of the surrounding mountains is humbling.
Key Summit — a Great Walk taster without the full commitment
Location: The Divide, Fiordland National Park, South Island Distance: 7.5 km return Duration: 3 hours return Difficulty: Easy to moderate Best for: Alpine panoramas with minimal effort, families, day visitors to Milford Sound
Key Summit sits above the treeline at The Divide — the watershed between the Fiordland and Routeburn valleys — and offers a 360-degree alpine panorama over the Humboldt and Darran Mountains and a series of jewel-like mountain tarns. The walk is short, the terrain is well-formed, and the reward-to-effort ratio is arguably the best of any walk in Fiordland.
The Divide is on the road between Te Anau and Milford Sound, making it easy to combine with a Milford Sound cruise.
Hidden trails — off the beaten path
These trails don’t appear on most “best of New Zealand” lists, but locals know them well. Expect fewer crowds, more solitude, and scenery that matches anything on the Great Walks.
Bealey Spur — Arthur’s Pass, South Island
Distance: 14 km return Duration: 5–6 hours return Difficulty: Moderate
One of the most rewarding lesser-known walks on the South Island. Bealey Spur begins in the Arthur’s Pass village and climbs through beautiful beech forest before breaking out into open alpine terrain with sweeping views of the braided Waimakariri River, the surrounding snow-capped peaks, and a series of small alpine tarns. The track finishes at an old musterer’s hut in an extraordinary elevated position above the pass.
Virtually no tourists do this walk despite being incredibly accessible from Christchurch (1.5 hours). On a clear day, you’ll likely have it entirely to yourself.
Hollyford Track — Fiordland National Park, South Island
Distance: 56 km one way Duration: 4–5 days Difficulty: Moderate
The Hollyford Track runs through the Hollyford Valley in Fiordland — a glacially carved valley of towering peaks, ancient rainforest, and cascading waterfalls — ending at Martins Bay, a remote fiord accessible only on foot or by small plane. Unlike the Milford Track which runs alongside it, the Hollyford attracts a fraction of the visitors.
The track passes Lake Alabaster and Lake McKerrow, two of Fiordland’s most beautiful lakes, and offers the chance to see dolphins, fur seals and — if you’re very lucky — Fiordland crested penguins at Martins Bay.
What to know: Most walkers arrange a small aircraft pickup at Martins Bay to avoid retracing their steps. Guided options with jet boat and fixed-wing rides are available.
Gertrude Saddle — Fiordland National Park, South Island
Distance: 10 km return Duration: 3–4 hours return Difficulty: Demanding (with some scrambling)
Gertrude Saddle is a short but serious day walk in Fiordland that rewards with views that rival anything in New Zealand — a jaw-dropping panorama over Milford Sound, the Tasman Sea, and the Darran Mountains. The trail climbs steeply past waterfalls and through a narrow rocky valley, with a final scramble up scree slopes to the saddle.
This trail is practically unknown to international visitors and attracts far fewer hikers than the nearby Milford Track, despite the view from the saddle being among the finest in Fiordland. It requires a dry day and a reasonable level of fitness — the rocks become dangerously slippery when wet.
Angelus Circuit — Nelson Lakes National Park, South Island
Distance: 55 km circuit Duration: 3 days Difficulty: Demanding
Nelson Lakes National Park sits at the northern end of the Southern Alps and is one of the most underrated parks in New Zealand. The Angelus Circuit is its showpiece — a three-day loop that climbs 1,050m to the Angelus Hut at 1,650m above sea level, perched beside two glacial alpine lakes with 360-degree mountain views.
The park receives a fraction of the visitors of Abel Tasman or Fiordland, meaning the Angelus Circuit feels like genuine backcountry. Roberts Ridge — walked on day three — is one of the finest ridge walks in the South Island.
Mount Crichton Loop — Queenstown, South Island
Distance: 11 km loop Duration: 3–4 hours Difficulty: Easy to moderate
A local favourite in the Queenstown area that very few tourists find. The Mount Crichton Loop passes through beech forest and open grassy plains near the Greenstone River, following a historic gold mining route past a narrow tunnel (once a water race for gold mining) and an old prospector’s hut. The Queenstown Hills tower above, and the river below provides constant soundtrack.
For anyone spending time in Queenstown and tired of Roy’s Peak queues, Mount Crichton provides a completely different experience — history, forest, solitude — just 20 minutes from town.
Oparara Basin — Kahurangi National Park, West Coast, South Island
Distance: Various short loops (1–4 km each) Duration: 1–3 hours depending on which loops you do Difficulty: Easy
The Oparara Basin is one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary hidden landscapes — a remote limestone valley in Kahurangi National Park featuring massive natural rock arches, dark tannin-stained rivers, and glowworm caves. The Oparara Arch is the largest natural arch in New Zealand, and the surrounding forest feels genuinely prehistoric.
The basin is a 30km gravel road from Karamea on the West Coast — itself a 5-hour drive from Nelson — which means almost nobody makes it there. Those who do describe it as one of the most surprising places in New Zealand.
Hokitika Gorge — West Coast, South Island
Distance: 3 km return Duration: 30–45 minutes return Difficulty: Easy Best for: The most striking river colour in New Zealand, accessible to anyone
Hokitika Gorge is one of New Zealand’s most visually arresting short walks — and one of the most underrated. The trail follows the Hokitika River through native West Coast rainforest to a series of viewpoints above a narrow limestone gorge, where the water runs an almost unreal shade of electric turquoise-blue. The colour comes from glacial rock flour suspended in the water — fine particles ground from rock by the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers upstream — and it’s more intense than almost anywhere else in New Zealand.
A swing bridge crosses the gorge at the main viewpoint, giving you a direct view straight down into the blue water from above. The white schist rock walls, the lush podocarp forest draped to the water’s edge, and that extraordinary colour create a scene that consistently stops people in their tracks.
Most visitors driving the West Coast stop at the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki or push straight on to the glaciers — Hokitika Gorge sits 33km east of Hokitika town and is missed by a large proportion of tourists despite being one of the most photogenic places in the South Island.
What to know: The gorge is accessible year-round. Go early in the morning for the best light and fewest people. The walk is suitable for all fitness levels. Located at the end of Whitcombe Valley Road — follow signs from Hokitika.
Porari River Track — Paparoa National Park, West Coast, South Island
Distance: 7 km return Duration: 2–3 hours return Difficulty: Easy
Near the famous Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki on the West Coast, the Porari River Track follows an emerald-green river through a limestone gorge with towering cliff faces draped in subtropical rainforest. The gorge has an otherworldly quality — humid, lush and intimate — and the pools along the river are stunning.
Most visitors to Punakaiki spend 20 minutes at the Pancake Rocks and leave. Those who take an extra two hours for the Porari River Track are consistently surprised by how beautiful it is.
DOC bookings: All Great Walk huts and campsites must be booked through the DOC website at doc.govt.nz. Great Walk season runs from late October to late April for most alpine tracks.
Weather: New Zealand mountain weather changes rapidly. Always check the DOC forecast for your specific track before setting off. Rain gear, layers and sun protection are essential regardless of the forecast.
Track closures: Check DOC’s website for current track closures before planning. The Hooker Valley Track has partial closures as of mid-2026 (expected to reopen autumn 2026). The Tongariro Alpine Crossing closes during severe winter weather.
Leave No Trace: New Zealand’s native ecosystems are fragile. Pack out all rubbish, stay on formed tracks, and follow DOC guidelines.
Sandflies: The bane of Fiordland hiking. Insect repellent is non-negotiable in the fiords, around lakes and in any damp, sheltered forest. They are most active at dawn and dusk.
FAQ’s (Frequently asked questions)
What are the Great Walks of New Zealand?
New Zealand has 11 Great Walks — multi-day trails designated by the Department of Conservation as the country’s finest hiking experiences. They are: Milford Track, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Routeburn Track, Kepler Track, Abel Tasman Coast Track, Heaphy Track, Paparoa Track, Lake Waikaremoana Track, Queen Charlotte Track, Rakiura Track (Stewart Island) and Whanganui Journey.
Which is the best Great Walk in New Zealand?
The Milford Track is the most famous, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the most spectacular single day, and the Routeburn Track offers the best combination of scenery and accessibility. For first-timers, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the most popular choice.
Do I need to book Great Walk huts in advance?
Yes. Great Walk hut and campsite bookings are made through the DOC website. The Milford Track, Routeburn and Tongariro huts book out months in advance for the October–April season. Book as early as possible — the DOC booking system opens in late May/June for the following season.
When is the best time to hike in New Zealand?
November to April is the main hiking season for alpine tracks. December and January are peak months for weather and crowds. March and April offer fewer people and excellent weather. Most alpine Great Walks close from May to October due to snow and ice.
Are New Zealand trails safe for solo hikers?
Generally yes, especially on well-formed Great Walk tracks. Always tell someone your plans, carry a PLB (personal locator beacon — available for hire from DOC visitor centres), check weather forecasts, and be conservative about turning back if conditions deteriorate.
How do I get to the start of the Milford Track?
The Milford Track starts at Glade Wharf at the head of Lake Te Anau, accessible only by water taxi from Te Anau. Most hikers base themselves in Te Anau (a 2.5-hour drive from Queenstown) the night before departure.
Sending money home from New Zealand
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Track distances and durations are approximate and sourced from the Department of Conservation. Always check current track conditions, closures and bookings at doc.govt.nz before your trip. Last updated July 2026.
Sources: Department of Conservation (doc.govt.nz) | AllTrails New Zealand | GearJunkie Great Walks guide (January 2026)
