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Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk
A one-way walk of about 46 km along the shore of Lake Waikaremoana in Te Urewera, usually done over three nights and four days; DOC's comparison gives 46 km, though its stage distances add up to nearer 44. The hardest climb comes first: day one goes up Panekire Bluff to a ridge-top hut with wide views over the lake, and the rest is gentler forest and lakeside walking.
Te Uru Taumatua, Ngāi Tūhoe's operational entity, cares for the track and huts, and Tūhoe's water taxi links both ends and individual huts, usually from October to April. It often still has space when the Fiordland walks are full. Before driving, check access: Whanganui Hut is closed and the Hopuruahine road is not currently suitable for 2WD vehicles.
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Tongariro Northern Circuit
The volcanic one: three to four days through an active volcanic area of lava flows and gravel fields, past the Emerald Lakes, which fill old explosion pits. For 2026/27 it runs 35.5 km from Mangatepopo Carpark to Whakapapa Village, as the section between them is closed after the 2025 Tongariro fire, so arrange a shuttle. DOC says both that it is not currently operating as a Great Walk while Oturere Hut is replaced and that the Great Walk will run in 2026/27, so confirm before booking.
It shares its best-known stretch with the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and a circuit hut or campsite booking covers that section. Outside the Great Walk season, from 1 May to 22 October, it is a winter alpine trip needing special skills and avalanche gear.
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Whanganui Journey
The Great Walk you paddle rather than walk: a canoe or kayak trip down the Whanganui River, either the full 145 km from Taumarunui to Pipiriki in about five days, or about 88 km from Whakahoro in about three. Local suppliers hire out the boat, paddles, life jacket, dry bags and waterproof barrels as a package, so you need not own any gear, though you spend most of each day on the water.
The classic side trip is a 3 km return walk to the Bridge to Nowhere, a remnant of the abandoned Mangapurua Valley farm settlement. Its Great Walk season runs outside the May to September winter. A good choice for groups who would rather sit than climb, and it often has space.
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Abel Tasman Coast Track
The gentlest introduction to multi-day walking here: 60 km of coast in the north-west of the South Island, typically walked in three to five days between bays and estuaries. Water taxis run year-round between Marahau or Kaiteriteri and Totaranui, so you can walk a single section or mix in kayaking along the southern coast, where it is safer than the exposed shore north of Onetahuti Bay.
Tides set the timetable. Awaroa Inlet can only be crossed from 1 hour 30 minutes before to 2 hours after low tide, in daylight, with no alternative route. Huts and campsites must be booked year-round, which also makes it a realistic winter trip.
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Heaphy Track
The longest of the walking tracks at 78.4 km, crossing Kahurangi National Park from expansive tussock downs and forest to nīkau palms and the West Coast's roaring seas. Walkers take two to six days; mountain bikes are allowed from 1 May to 30 November, so expect to share the track then.
The trailheads are far apart: Brown Hut is 156 km from Nelson and Kohaihai 110 km from Westport, though air services let you walk one way and fly back near your start. It has reopened as a through route with a new bridge across the Heaphy River. Huts and campsites must be booked all year, and it often has space when the better-known walks do not.
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Paparoa Track
A 55 km shared-use track over the Paparoa Range on the West Coast, walked in three days or ridden in two by mountain bikers, with no e-bikes allowed. It starts at the Smoke-ho car park, 8 km north of Blackball, and finishes near Punakaiki, at the Pororari River car park for walkers and Waikori Road for riders, so plan a vehicle shuttle.
Its memorial role, tied to the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster, gives it a weight the other walks lack, and the Pike29 Memorial Track adds day and overnight options. Expect to meet bikes and pack for winter snow and ice. Heavy rain brings landslides and flooding, and DOC advises against travelling between Pororari Hut and Punakaiki when that happens.
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Routeburn Track
The short alpine crossing: 32 km between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, with most people taking three days and two nights and staying at Routeburn Falls and Lake Mackenzie huts. The exposed middle section is the reward in clear weather and the risk in bad, since avalanche hazard can close parts of the track even in the Great Walk season.
It can be walked from either end, but the road between Routeburn Shelter, near Glenorchy, and The Divide, near Te Anau, is 325 km, so book transport at both. Its three huts and two campsites need booking from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027; from May to October it calls for alpine skills, equipment and experience.
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Milford Track
The most famous Great Walk and the most tightly controlled: 53.5 km in one direction only, over three nights and four days, with booked huts each night and no camping allowed. Both ends are reached by boat, from Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf and from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound, so the trip is a set of bookings before it is a walk.
Day three is the big one, climbing over 500 m to Omanui/McKinnon Pass and dropping 1000 m to Dumpling Hut. The season runs from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, avalanche risk can last into December, and it is not recommended for children under 10. Choose it for Fiordland's valleys, not because it is the default.
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Kepler Track
A 60 km circuit that starts and ends at a car park about 5 km from Te Anau, so there is no transport to arrange. Most walkers take four days and three nights. The draw is the climb above the bushline to Luxmore Hut and a long day along tussock-covered ridgelines, with a 30-minute side trip to the Luxmore summit at 1472 m, the highest point on the track.
That exposure is also its weak spot: DOC may close the alpine section between Luxmore and Iris Burn huts for avalanche hazard, and kea will go through unattended gear. Bookings are needed from 27 October 2026 to 30 April 2027. The first Saturday in December brings the Kepler Challenge, when the track is busy with runners.
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Hump Ridge Track
The Great Walk booked outside DOC's system: a three-day loop of about 61 km in southern Fiordland (DOC lists it as 60), booked through the Hump Ridge Trust up to two years ahead and based at two backcountry lodges that are a step up from a typical DOC hut. Options run from freedom walks to guided walks and helicopter help on the first day, which suits anyone wanting a Great Walk with more comfort.
The loop follows the south coast, climbs onto the Hump Ridge and passes historic viaducts on the way to Port Craig. The Percy Burn and Edwin Burn viaducts are closed for safety, with a marked detour. The season runs from 23 October 2026 to 17 April 2027, and the track is strictly closed in winter.
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Rakiura Track
The southernmost Great Walk, on Stewart Island: 32 km of track over about three days, or nearer 39 km as a full circuit from Oban including the road sections. It can be walked in either direction, starting from Lee Bay or the Fern Gully car park, both a short distance from Oban. After dark, listen for Rakiura tokoeka, the island's kiwi, and use a red light rather than a torch beam if you go looking.
It is a year-round Great Walk, with every hut and campsite booked in advance, but the island's weather is very changeable. In long wet spells the mud between Port William and North Arm huts can rise above boot height for stretches of up to 500 m, so gaiters and poles earn their place. Reaching the island adds a crossing before you start.
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