It’s no secret that Aotearoa is known for its natural beauty and, here at Urban List, we feel so grateful to live in such an incredible country. Enter: New Zealand’s Great Walks, a collection of ten spectacular tramps decked out with campsites and huts, flushing toilets and elevated guided options where you need only carry a daypack. The Great Walks season runs from late October through to the end of April and bookings sell out quickly so best start flexing your fingers now. While you can technically still do the walks in the off-season, there are more hazards, and it isn’t recommended.
We’re sure you’ll agree, as fellow nature lovers, that preserving this natural beauty for years to come is paramount so, while you’re out there living the dream, carry your sense of kaitiakitanga or guardianship with pride, making use of kauri dieback cleaning stations, packing out your rubbish and being as prepared as possible both in terms of gear and physical fitness. Pro tip: there’s a time and a place for jandals but a Great Walk isn’t one of them. Read on for the lowdown on New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Tongariro National Park, Tongariro, North Island
Image credit: Tongariro Alpine Crossing | Paul Abbitt
Set in Tongariro National Park, a spot acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its nature and culture, the Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of the most popular of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Winding its way through active volcanoes, Mount Tongariro and Mount Ngaruahoe, it showcases incredible landscapes, glacial valleys, alpine meadows, active volcanic craters and emerald-coloured lakes.
And if you love bird-watching, this is a great choice—the track’s home to an abundance of native birds, including the bellbird/korimako, tui, robin/toutouwai, tomtit/miromiro and fantail/piwakawaka.
The Details
Distance: 44.9 km loop
Time: 3-4 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Lake Waikaremoana
Te Urewera, East Coast, North Island
Image credit: Lake Waikaremoana | Nico Compuesto
Discover Waikaremoana, the ‘sea of rippling waters’ in one of the few NZ Great Walks in Aotearoa’s North Island. You’ll experience incredible views of Panekiri Bluff (provided the weather plays ball) and the breathtaking Korkoro Falls in the middle of the rainforest, happening upon secluded beaches and huge native trees along the way. Without a doubt, this is one of the best ways to experience the rich spiritual history of Te Urewera.
The Details
Distance: 46 km one way
Time: 3-4 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Whanganui Journey
Whanganui National Park, Manawatu, North Island
Image credit: Bridge to Nowhere | Visit Ruapehu
This New Zealand Great Walk is extra special because you’ll be swapping your tramping boots for a paddle. Yesiree, the Whanganui Journey sees you paddling down the Wanganui River in a canoe or kayak with your stuff strapped into a large barrel.
It’s recommended that people tackling the journey in a pair, at least, are confident swimmers and have experience in a canoe because you’ll be paddling for six to seven hours per day. Do take the short walk side trip to the Bridge to Nowhere. People who’ve done the journey often liken it to a spiritual experience not least because one of the DOC huts, Tieke Kainga, is also used as a marae.
The Details
Distance: 87 or 145 km one way
Time: 3-5 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Abel Tasman Coast Track
Nelson, Tasman, South Island
Image credit: Awaroa Bay | NelsonTasman.nz
Keen to tick off New Zealand’s Great Walks but don’t know where to start? The Abel Tasman Coastal Track is considered one of the cruisiest walks of the bunch, taking you along coastlines of sparkly blue water, golden beaches and beautiful sculptured cliffs.
This multi-day hike will see you walking through lush native bush, camping under the stars (be sure to book campsites well in advance) and inhaling the deliciously fresh air.
Give your weary feet a break by kayaking part of the track and be sure to check out Cleopatra’s Pool, a rock pool with a natural, moss-lined waterslide. Pro tip: keep an eye out for fur seals—these playful little guys often make an appearance.
The Details
Distance: 60 km one way
Time: 3-5 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Heaphy Track
Kahurangi National Park, Nelson, Tasman, South Island
Image credit: Heaphy Track | www.nelsontasman.nz
Whether you tackle the Heaphy Track on foot or by mountain bike, you’re sure to have one heck of a good time. This multi-day hike will tour you around Aotearoa’s West Coast, among red and silver beech, past glistening pink granite bedrock studded with crystals of mica and quartz, and through a forest of podocarp trees, a type of native conifer.
Keep an eye out for Kea and Kaka and rarer wildlife like the Great Spotted Kiwi and nocturnal carnivorous snail (take that, Australia).
The Details
Distance: 78.4 km one way
Time: 4-6 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
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Paparoa Track And Pike29 Memorial Track
Paparoa National Park, West Coast, South Island
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Image credit: Paparoa Track | Stewart Nimmo
Combining an old gold rush track and several other historical routes, the Paparoa Track and Pike 29 Memorial Tracks are the most recent addition to New Zealand’s Great Walk lineup. The Paparoa Track was opened in 2020 and the Pike29 Memorial Track is due to be open in February 2024.
The latter is a memorial to a group of 29 men who were killed in an underground explosion at the Pike River Mine in November 2010. This combined hike is characterised by alpine vistas, limestone karst landscapes and rainforests, with gold-mining remains along the way. There are no camping sites on this tramp, only huts.
The Details
Distance: 55 km one way
Time: 3 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Routeburn Track
Mount Aspiring/Fiordland National Parks, Otago/Fiordland, South Island
Image credit: Routeburn Track | Stewart Nimmo
Ready to take a walk on the wild side? We thought so. The Routeburn Track showcases Aotearoa’s alpine beauty in the most spectacular way. Walk through not one but two of New Zealand’s national parks—Mount Aspiring and Fiordland—marvelling at gigantic valleys, waterfalls and snow-capped mountain peaks along the way.
There’s also plenty of wildlife to spot if birdwatching is your thing. The walk takes around three days, with each day offering a whole new world of breathtaking views and experiences.
Kepler Track
Fiordland National Park, Fiordland, South Island
Image credit: Kepler Track | Alice Rich
The Kepler Track is one of the best New Zealand Great Walks. Both beautiful and challenging, you’ll be treated to a different terrain each day. A native bush forest gives way to Kepler’s iconic ridgeline with jaw-dropping alpine views on day two which winds down into valley beech forest for the final push.
Be wary of cheeky Kaka birds that might just try to steal your snacks (or your stuff) and throw their heads back to cackle when you protest. Take your time exploring the depths of the Luxmore Caves before heading to the Iris Burn Falls. The best thing to chase the Kepler? Pizza delivered to your door.
The Details
Distance: 60 km loop
Time: 3-4 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
The Milford Track
Fiordland National Park, Fiordland, South Island
Image credit: Milford Sound | Will Patino
Touted as the ‘finest walk in the world’, the Milford Track is a journey through glacier-carved valleys and rainforests building up to spectacular panoramic views from Omanui/McKinnon Pass. The first day is the most relaxed, beginning with a boat ride across Te Anau Downs and then an easy forested walk to the first hut. Pack togs (read: swimsuit).
From day two onwards, the climb begins. Be sure to make a detour to Sutherland Falls, which drops an impressive 580 metres. We’re holding out for the day somebody eats dumplings at ‘Dumpling Hut’. Time your exit well and you might not have to find out why Sandfly Point, the final waypoint, is so named. This is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure you’ll never forget.
The Details
Distance: 53.5 km one way
Time: 4 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Rakiura Track
Rakiura National Park, Southland, Stewart Island
Image credit: Stewart Island | Matt Crawford
The most southern of our Great Walks is the Rakiura Track on Stewart Island, which can be reached via either a 20-minute flight from Invercargill or an hour ferry across Foveaux Strait from Bluff.
Surrounded by beaches and native bush, this tramp will immerse you in history and nature taking you through early Māori settlement sites and along the shores of Paterson Inlet. If you’re going to see kiwis anywhere (the birds, not the fruit), it’s here. Keep an ear out for their bird call or see if you can spot their footprints in the dirt.
The Details
Distance: 32 km loop
Time: 3 days
Difficulty: Intermediate
Want more outdoor adventure? Check out:
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Main image credit: Tongariro Alpine Crossing by Graeme Murray.
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