The new season for booking the Department of Conservation’s 11 Great Walks starts on May 12.
Bookings for each walk open on a different date – these are listed below. All bookings will open at 9.30am or noon. The exception is the Hump Ridge Track, which can be booked via its own website.
DoC says this staggered approach will help those who plan to book multiple hikes and ease the pressure on its booking system on opening day.
And the advice is to book early. DoC says during the last peak season (the warmer months) most of the Great Walk huts were at or near full capacity. RNZ also reported last year that bookings for the Milford Track sold out in 40 minutes.
DoC suggests setting up an account on its booking system in advance and familiarising yourself with it by searching for availability or making a test booking (empty your cart at the end so you don’t pay).
On opening day, it advises going online at 9.15am or 11.45am and waiting in the virtual lobby until it opens.
Prices vary by hut and campsite, and the time of year you plan to go (summer, winter, or shoulder season). If you are not a New Zealand resident, you will pay a higher fee. Adult fees also cost more than child fees.
What you should know before you go
Research the track well on DoC’s website. Consider what hazards you might come across and how you would deal with them. For example, if you’re caught in torrential rain and flooding, will your gear support or hinder you? Do you know how to keep your socks dry? Will you be protected from hypothermia? Would you know what to do if there were an avalanche?
DoC updates its website with new risks and advice for hikers, so check it regularly and make sure you have suitable gear that will keep you warm and dry – weather can be unpredictable in certain regions.
You can find a gear list for each Great Walk on DoC’s website.
Pay attention to the map when choosing your walk. What kind of terrain will you come across? Have you experienced that elevation before? Are you fit enough? Can you carry enough food to last that distance?
Finally, always make sure you tell someone about your plans.
1. Paparoa Track
The Paparoa Track takes a spectacular route through part of the South Island. Photo / Stacey Hunt
Bookings open from: Tuesday, May 12
Duration: 2-3 days
Distance: 55km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Paparoa Range, South Island
What a hiker says:
The first morning is the toughest of the three days with a steady climb up to Ces Clark Hut for lunch and then on to Moonlight Tops Hut. It’s worth it for the stunning walk along the ridgeline on day two. Be prepared for West Coast weather – if you get the views, amazing, if you get the clouds, it’s still spectacular.
Coal-burning fires in the huts are essential for warmth, but soot can get into the water. Sharing the trail with cyclists means you have to be more alert than on some other Great Walks. The track finishes across the road from Punakiki Rocks Hotel & Garden Bar, the perfect spot for a shower, beer and a bed afterwards. – Stacey Hunt
2. Milford Track
The scenic Milford Track. Photo / Stacey Hunt
Bookings open from: Wednesday, May 13
Duration: 4 days
Distance: 53.5km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Fiordland National Park, South Island
What a hiker says:
My favourite Great Walk to date, the scenery along the Milford Track is hard to beat and Mintaro Hut is one of the greatest DoC huts you’ll ever stay in (it even has USB charging points). Day one is short and easy, so you can afford to carry decent food for dinner before switching to freeze-dried the next night.
Prepare yourself for day three, which is the most challenging, but don’t skip the side-trip to Sutherland Falls, it’s worth it no matter what your feet are telling you. Swim in the rivers by the huts but brace yourself for the cold. Take layers and a decent rain jacket. – Stacey Hunt
3. Abel Tasman Coast Track
The Abel Tasman Coast Track covers 60km. Photo / Tyson Beckett
Bookings open from: Thursday, May 14
Duration: 3-5 days
Distance: 60km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Abel Tasman National Park, South Island
What a hiker says:
I did the Abel Tasman as my Great Walks introduction, and it was lovely – essentially a series of beautiful bays connected by well-maintained trails diverting through patches of peaceful forest. With beachside huts and the option to kayak or water taxi some sections, I found the logistics mattered more than fitness.
Know that the tides control your schedule. Multiple parts of the coastal track cross seawater inlets that empty at low tide. Check the official tide times posted in the huts and work backwards to arrive at the estuaries two hours either side of low tide – think of these as appointments you can’t miss. – Tyson Beckett
4. Routeburn Track
Routeburn Track in early spring. Photo / Varsha Anjali
Bookings open from: Friday, May 15
Duration: 2-4 days
Distance: 32km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks, South Island
What a hiker says:
The Routeburn Track is not a long hike (compared with the other Great Walks) but it’s tightly squeezed with variety. Think waterfalls, mountains and ancient forests, which I imagine is the true home of fairies and Treebeard from The Lord of the Rings.
This is an alpine hike in a very wet region, so you may be walking for hours in torrential rain and floodwater, like I did on my last day. That was scary. But the views and energy from Lake Mackenzie Hut will linger in your brain and body for years to come. One more thing: be prepared to get depressed or inspired (whatever is your disposition) after crossing people running the whole track in a single day. – Varsha Anjali
5. Kepler Track
The Kepler Track is of intermediate difficulty for trampers. Photo / Jamie Gray
Bookings open from: Tuesday, May 19
Duration: 3-4 days
Distance: 60km loop
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Fiordland National Park, South Island
What a hiker says:
The main attraction of the Kepler Track is the commanding view it offers of the Murchison Mountains and Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. For many, the descent from the tops to Iris Burn Hut on day two is longer than the sign-posted 1.5 hours would suggest. Walking poles would be useful for this leg. Drop-off and pick-up bookings were through Fiordland Outdoors. – Jamie Gray
6. Heaphy Track
Charlotte, her husband, and her two children have walked all 11 of the Great Walks. Heaphy was the most “adventurous”. Photo / Charlotte Kootstra
Bookings open from: Wednesday, May 20
Duration: 2-6 days
Distance: 78.4km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Kahurangi National Park, South Island
What a hiker says:
We’ve completed all 11 Great Walks as a family, and the Heaphy was the most adventurous. Hiking in torrential rain turned tracks into streams, but that’s what made it unforgettable. Soggy but smiling, we were grateful for Westport’s hot shower and burger at the end. Expect high ridges, dense rainforest and sweeping beaches – a very special place in Aotearoa. – Charlotte Kootstra
7. Whanganui Journey
On the Whanganui River. Photo / Malia Hunt
Bookings open from: Wednesday, May 20
Duration: 3-5 days
Distance: 87 or 145km one way
Difficulty level: Not for beginners. Must have a good fitness level, confidence with a canoe and swimming.
Location: Whanganui National Park, North Island
What a hiker says:
Like taking a step back in time, the draw of this Great Walk is that it isn’t a walk, but don’t underestimate the fitness needed for paddling. While most people drop in at Whakahoro for the three-day trip, if you can add another night or two, then do, there’s a lot of fun to be had on the rapids higher up the river.
Also consider campsites over huts if you want fewer people. Read all the information, find the side trips and learn about the history of the area as you go. Keep an eye out for little waterfalls along the riverbanks to fill up drink bottles. Prepare to get wet – the 50/50 rapid gained its name for a reason. Most importantly, don’t forget to leave an offering for the taniwha. – Stacey Hunt
8. Lake Waikaremoana Track
Getting to Lake Waikaremoana can be an adventure in itself. Photo / Myles Anderson
Bookings open from: Wednesday, May 20
Duration: 3-4 days
Distance: 46km one way
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Te Urewera, North Island
What a hiker says:
We wanted to do this Great Walk more for its location than anything else, being in Te Urewera, which has some of the oldest growth forest in the North Island and the history with Tūhoe.
It’s not a difficult walk. To get there, you have to drive down an intermittently maintained gravel road for about two hours, and sort your transport across the lake. There’s intermittent cellphone service, if there’s service at all, so it can be quite an adventure just getting there. There is a stunning waterfall in the middle of the walk. Some of the beaches along the way are pretty good.
It was a Great Walk to do with friends, or one you could do with kids. But it’s not necessarily one to challenge yourself. This one is more about the place than the walk itself, I would say. – Myles Anderson
9. Tongariro Northern Circuit
Standing in awe of Mt Ngauruhoe. Photo / Varsha Anjali
Bookings open from: Thursday, May 21
Duration: 3–4 days
Distance: 43km loop
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Tongariro National Park, North Island
What a hiker says:
This is a true alien freak hike. I did this one several years ago, but the wild textures and formations on the barren landscape are seared into my brain. The area has sadly suffered extensive fire damage, but, according to Herald journalist Ben Francis, the unreal beauty remains.
The side-quest hike up Mt Ngauruhoe, also known as Mt Doom, is well worth it if you’ve managed your time well – bear in mind the top half of the active volcano is basically all scree, which can slow down your pace when walking up it, so factor that into your time because you definitely don’t want to be hiking back to your hut in the dark. – Varsha Anjali
10. Rakiura Track
You might come across this cheeky visitor on the Rakiura Track. Photo / Charlotte Kootstra
Bookings open from: Thursday, May 21
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 32km loop
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Stewart Island/Rakiura
What a hiker says:
Stewart Island is incredibly special, and exploring it on the Rakiura Track was perfect. Our family, plus two others, set off together. Day one delivered easy walking, white‑sand beaches and a hut alive with wildlife. Day two brought muddy forest, historic sawmilling relics, and the magic of seeing kiwi in the wild, before day three wound back through forest to Oban. – Charlotte Kootstra
11. Hump Ridge Track
Ancient forests on the Hump Ridge Track. Photo / Varsha Anjali
Bookings open from: Bookings are managed separately on this website.
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 60km loop
Difficulty level: Intermediate
Location: Fiordland, South Island
What a hiker says:
This hike was so special for a few reasons. Tuatapere, the nearest town, was New Zealand’s biggest sawmilling centre from the 1880s. When this industry went bust, so did the town’s economy. This historic track was built by the local community in a pioneering spirit to regenerate and sustain the small town.
And it’s beautiful. You cross over the majestic Wairaurahiri River, which drains Lake Hauroko – the deepest lake in the country. This river is one of the most remote and untouched rivers in the country. At night, at one of the huts, I could hear the sweet chirps of kiwi. At the highest elevation point on the mountain, you can see Stewart Island. Training beforehand is a good idea for the average hiker like me – you have to hike at least 20km per day and a lot of that is on an incline. – Varsha Anjali
Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. She is based in Auckland.