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The North Island's character is volcanic. The central plateau, dominated by three active peaks, Tongariro (1,978 m / 6,490 ft), Ngauruhoe (2,291 m / 7,516 ft), and Ruapehu (2,797 m / 9,177 ft), produces a landscape unlike anything else in Australasia. Lava fields, scoria plains, and acid crater lakes sit above treeline. Around them, tussock grasslands and regenerating scrub cover the lower slopes. Further north, native podocarp and tawa forest covers the ranges of Te Urewera, one of the most intact areas of North Island bush remaining. The Lake Waikaremoana Track passes directly through this territory, four to five days in forest that holds almost all of the North Island's native bird species.
The South Island is alpine. The Southern Alps, known in Maori as Ka Tiritiri o te Moana, the Shining Peaks of the Sea, run 500 km (310 mi) along the island's spine. Aoraki/Mount Cook rises to 3,724 m (12,218 ft). West of the Main Divide, rainfall is immense and the forests are extraordinary. Fiordland National Park, at 12,500 sq km (4,826 sq mi), is the largest national park in New Zealand and among the most remote. Glaciers carved its granite valleys over hundreds of thousands of years; the resulting fiords, Milford Sound/Piopiotahi and Doubtful Sound, plunge directly into the sea from walls that exceed 1,200 m (3,937 ft) in height. Silver beech and mountain beech dominate the forest. Moss covers ground, trunks, and boulders so completely that in heavy rain the entire landscape appears to drip.
East of the Main Divide, the rain-shadow produces the Canterbury Plains: broad, dry tussock grassland cut by braided rivers. North of Fiordland, the Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman coast offer a third character entirely. Low coastal hills covered in regenerating native bush drop to beaches of golden sand, with water that turns pale green in the shallows. The climate here is the mildest in the South Island and the most reliable year-round hiking corridor in the country.
Wildlife on the trail is a consistent feature of hiking in New Zealand. The kea, an endemic alpine parrot with a striking orange underwing, occupies the high country above 1,000 m (3,281 ft) and is capable of methodically disassembling unguarded packs if given the chance. The fantail, or piwakawaka, follows hikers through forest sections, catching insects disturbed by footfall. At night, in areas where pest control programmes are active, the kiwi moves through the undergrowth. Most native New Zealand species evolved over 80 million years without ground-level predators, which makes them fearless and makes their ongoing vulnerability to introduced rats, stoats, and possums a genuine conservation crisis. Active trapping runs along the Milford, Routeburn, and Kepler corridors, and the birds are noticeably more present in these sections than in unmanaged areas.
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Polynesian navigators reached Aotearoa, the Long White Cloud, around the 13th century CE, making New Zealand the last large landmass settled by humans. They arrived in ocean-going waka hourua, double-hulled voyaging canoes, from Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland of Maori oral tradition generally placed in eastern Polynesia. Those who came are the tangata whenua, the people of the land, whose descendants are today's Maori people.
Maori understanding of landscape refuses separation between the human and the geographical. Mountains are tupuna, ancestors with genealogical standing. To Ngati Tuwharetoa, the peaks of the Tongariro massif are the ancestral mountains of the iwi, carrying whakapapa that reaches back to the founding of the people. In 1887, Paramount Chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV gifted the summits of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, and Ruapehu to the Crown. His reasoning was precise: the peaks were too sacred for private ownership and should be held in trust for all peoples. The gesture established New Zealand's first national park and the world's fourth, and it remains one of the few national parks founded on an act of indigenous cultural preservation rather than colonial boundary-drawing. Tongariro National Park now holds dual UNESCO World Heritage status, recognised for both its volcanic landscape and its Maori cultural significance.
In the South Island, pounamu, the green nephrite jade found in west coast riverbeds, shaped the routes that today's hikers use. For centuries, Ngai Tahu traders carried pounamu across the Southern Alps and along the coastline, from the jade-bearing rivers of Westland to trading partners on the east coast. The Heaphy Track corridor, the Routeburn, and the Greenstone Track all follow sections of these ancient routes. Pounamu was worked into hei tiki pendants, tools, and weapons; trade rights were held by the iwi with guardianship over specific rivers. Walking these valleys today is walking through a trade network centuries older than the European maps that first named them.
European contact brought sealers and whalers from the 1790s, followed by the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, signed between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori rangatira. The treaty guaranteed Maori possession of lands, forests, and fisheries while establishing British sovereignty. The subsequent century saw widespread confiscation of Maori land and systematic erosion of those guarantees. The 20th century brought significant treaty settlement legislation, and Ngai Tahu reached a major settlement with the Crown in 1998, recovering control of specific lands, mountains, and rivers. The dual official name Aoraki/Mount Cook carries the settlement's principle: both names are correct and both are permanent.
The backcountry hut network grew from this complicated history. Gold miners built rough shelters in the Otago hills from the 1860s. Deer cullers and land surveyors followed with more permanent structures. Tramping clubs formalised the culture through the early 20th century. When the Department of Conservation inherited the system in 1987, it took on nearly 950 huts whose origins stretched back through gold rushes, government surveys, and a century of people choosing to move through the land on foot.
New Zealand's eleven Great Walks are the premier tier of the national trail network, managed by DOC across both islands. They range from fiord country in the south to the volcanic plateau of the central North Island. The tracks are curated rather than comprehensive: each one captures the best of its landscape rather than the full complexity of its region. What sets them apart from the broader backcountry network is not just the infrastructure. It is the booking logic, and understanding it shapes everything else.
Every night on a Great Walk hut or campsite during the Great Walk season (October to April) requires a pre-booked confirmation through the DOC online booking platform. There is no walk-up access to Great Walk huts during the main season. Capacity is fixed and tightly managed, and demand for the Milford Track, Routeburn, and Kepler exceeds supply by months for the peak January and February dates. Bookings for the upcoming season typically open in mid-June of the preceding year. If you know you want to hike in January, open the DOC website in June. If you miss the opening window, check the cancellation list regularly; spaces do release, but cannot be relied upon as a planning strategy.
Pricing for Great Walk huts in 2025/26 is tiered by track and residency status. International visitors pay a premium over New Zealand residents. As a benchmark, Routeburn Track huts cost NZD 132 per person per night for international visitors in 2025/26; the Milford is in a similar range. Campsite fees are roughly a third of the hut fee. Outside the Great Walk season, huts revert to non-serviced operation, costs drop substantially, and the alpine tracks become considerably more technically demanding.
Beyond the Great Walks, DOC operates a tiered backcountry hut system. Serviced huts cost around NZD 25 per adult per night; standard huts cost NZD 15; basic huts and bivouacs are free. The annual Backcountry Hut Pass at NZD 160 (2026 rate) covers unlimited nights in serviced and standard huts for twelve months, excluding Great Walk huts during the main season. No advance booking is required; these huts operate on first-come, first-served. For visitors planning ten or more backcountry nights across a trip, the pass pays for itself before the second week.
The practical consequence: hiking in New Zealand rewards planners and punishes last-minute decisions on the popular tracks. The infrastructure is excellent. The access is managed. Book flights after huts.
Peak season on all Great Walks and the most reliable window for high-altitude routes. Average temperatures in the Southern Alps reach 15-20C (59-68F) at lower elevations; on exposed ridgelines, expect 7-12C (45-54F) with significant wind. Daylight runs to 9:30 pm in December. DOC rangers staff all Great Walk huts and run nightly talks on local ecology and track conditions. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is clearest in January and February. Sandflies in Fiordland reach peak intensity during these months; DEET-based repellent at 20 percent concentration or higher is non-negotiable.
Widely considered the best overall window for hiking in New Zealand. Crowds thin after Easter, temperatures sit comfortably at 10-17C (50-63F), and the beech forest in Fiordland turns gold and copper through April. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is reliable through April. Great Walk season closes in late April; May pushes into the shoulder period, with alpine routes becoming less predictable and Great Walk huts losing ranger cover.
Not recommended for alpine routes. Snow and avalanche risk effectively close the Milford, Routeburn, and Kepler alpine sections to all but experienced winter mountaineers with appropriate gear. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing requires crampons, ice axe experience, and genuine alpine competence in winter. The Abel Tasman Coast Track is a genuine exception: mild and accessible year-round, with facilities open and water taxis operating. The Heaphy Track opens to mountain bikes from May to November, which changes the trail dynamic considerably for walkers sharing the route.
A transitional window with genuine opportunities. Great Walk huts on the Abel Tasman open first; the Kepler and Routeburn come online in late October. Alpine routes carry residual snow into November most years. November in particular offers a useful compromise: shoulder-season hut availability, improving conditions, and long days without the January crowds. Bookings for this period are made through the same June window as the rest of the season.
The two islands experience meaningfully different climates. The central North Island, around Tongariro, is windier year-round and susceptible to sudden snowfall at altitude from May to October. Fiordland receives heavier rainfall than almost anywhere else in the country; some valleys exceed 8,000 mm (315 in) annually. The Marlborough Sounds and Abel Tasman coastal zone are considerably drier. For hiking in New Zealand during the shoulder season, the coastal or lower-elevation tracks on either island are more reliable than the exposed alpine south.
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The Milford Track is the most celebrated Great Walk, a 53.5 km (33.2 mi) one-way route from the head of Lake Te Anau to Sandfly Point at Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. Everyone walks north to south, in capped groups of up to 40 independent hikers per day. The route follows the glacially-carved Clinton Valley for the first two days before ascending to Mackinnon Pass at 1,154 m (3,786 ft) on day three. The descent from the pass passes close to Sutherland Falls at 580 m (1,903 ft), one of New Zealand's tallest waterfalls, before a long drop through beech forest to Dumpling Hut. Day four is flat and ends at a boat dock above the tide.
Three huts serve the route: Clinton, Mintaro, and Dumpling. All are large, well-lit, and staffed by DOC rangers who run nightly ecology talks. Access requires a boat from Te Anau Downs to the Glade Wharf trailhead and a separate ferry from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound at the finish. These logistics are fixed. The Milford is the least flexible Great Walk in terms of itinerary, and that structure is also what keeps daily numbers low and the valley feeling proportionate to its reputation.
Quick Facts: Milford Track Total Distance: 53.5 km (33.2 mi), one-way Duration: 4 days / 3 nights Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging High Point: Mackinnon Pass, 1,154 m (3,786 ft) Best Season: Late October to late April Gateway Town: Te Anau, 2.5 hours from Queenstown Highlights: Clinton Valley, Mackinnon Pass, Sutherland Falls, Milford Sound
At 32 km (19.9 mi), the Routeburn is the shortest Great Walk in Fiordland and one of the most scenically concentrated. It traverses both Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks, crossing Harris Saddle at 1,255 m (4,117 ft) with views across both parks that rank among the finest in the South Island. Unlike the Milford, the Routeburn can be walked in either direction and combined with the Greenstone or Caples Track to form a loop that eliminates the need for a shuttle.
Two main huts serve the track: Routeburn Falls Hut, perched above the treeline with long views down the valley, and Lake Mackenzie Hut above a clear glacial tarn. The alpine sections between them are exposed; weather on the Routeburn changes faster than on almost any other Great Walk. Earland Falls at 174 m (571 ft) drops off the Humboldt Mountains on the Lake Mackenzie approach and is visible from the trail.
Quick Facts: Routeburn Track Total Distance: 32 km (19.9 mi) Duration: 2 to 4 days Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging High Point: Harris Saddle, 1,255 m (4,117 ft) Best Season: Late October to late April Gateway Towns: Glenorchy (south), The Divide on Milford Road (north) Highlights: Harris Saddle panorama, Lake Mackenzie, Earland Falls Combined Well With: Greenstone or Caples Track to form a complete loop
Not a Great Walk, but the most popular day hike in New Zealand: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing covers 20.2 km (12.5 mi) of active volcanic terrain across the central North Island. Starting at Mangatepopo at 1,120 m (3,675 ft), the route climbs through lava fields and the South Crater before ascending to Red Crater at 1,868 m (6,129 ft). The descent passes the Emerald Lakes, three vivid hydrothermal pools coloured by mineral deposition, and Te Wai Whakaata-o-te-Rangihiroa, the Blue Lake, a site of deep spiritual significance to Ngati Tuwharetoa. Touching the water of the Blue Lake is prohibited out of respect for its sacred status.
A shuttle is mandatory from late October through May. Private vehicles are not permitted at the Mangatepopo carpark during this period. Operators from Whakapapa Village and National Park Village run scheduled shuttle services. The crossing typically takes six to eight hours; late departures leave insufficient time to complete it safely before dark.
Quick Facts: Tongariro Alpine Crossing Total Distance: 20.2 km (12.5 mi), one-way day hike Duration: 6 to 8 hours Difficulty: Challenging High Point: Red Crater, 1,868 m (6,129 ft) Best Season: November to April Gateway Town: Whakapapa Village / National Park Village Highlights: South Crater, Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, Blue Lake, Mount Ngauruhoe views Safety Note: Weather changes extremely rapidly at altitude. Use the MetService Tongariro Alpine Crossing forecast, not the lowland report.
The Abel Tasman is the most accessible Great Walk and the one that operates comfortably outside the summer peak. Its 54.4 km (33.8 mi) coastal route through Abel Tasman National Park stays below 200 m (656 ft) for most of its length. The track alternates between golden-sand beaches and regenerating coastal bush, with tidal crossings at Awaroa and Onetahuti that must be timed within two hours either side of low tide. DOC huts carry printed tidal tables; check them the night before each day.
Water taxis serve multiple bays along the coast, offering a flexibility unique among the Great Walks. Hikers can start or finish mid-track, skip sections, or combine walking with kayaking at any point. Year-round operation and mild climate make the Abel Tasman a reliable option in any month, including the shoulder season when alpine tracks are closed.
Quick Facts: Abel Tasman Coast Track Total Distance: 54.4 km (33.8 mi) Duration: 3 to 5 days Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Best Season: Year-round; peak October to April Gateway: Marahau (south end); nearest hub: Nelson Highlights: Tidal crossings, golden-sand beaches, nikau palms, water taxi access Combined Well With: Sea kayaking in Abel Tasman National Park
The Kepler is the only one of the Fiordland Great Walks to form a complete loop: 60 km (37.3 mi) beginning and ending in Te Anau. Its alpine ridge section from Luxmore Hut to Iris Burn Hut, at up to 1,400 m (4,593 ft), offers panoramic views across Fiordland that rival anything the Routeburn or Milford provide. The descent through the Iris Burn Valley is one of the quieter passages on any Great Walk: deep podocarp and beech forest, the sound of the river below, and in season the occasional kea working the ridge above.
Three huts mark the route: Luxmore, Iris Burn, and Moturau. The loop format means no shuttle is required; you return to the same town you started in. Day one from Te Anau climbs steeply to Luxmore Hut; the ascent through mature beech is manageable at a steady pace. Most hikers find day two, the exposed ridge to Iris Burn, the most rewarding section.
Quick Facts: Kepler Track Total Distance: 60 km (37.3 mi) circular Duration: 3 to 4 days Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging High Point: Luxmore Saddle, 1,400 m (4,593 ft) Best Season: Late October to mid-April Gateway Town: Te Anau Highlights: Luxmore ridge panoramas, Iris Burn Valley, Lake Te Anau approach
Trail towns in New Zealand operate around a specific food culture that takes a moment to read from the outside. Espresso standards in small South Island towns are considerably higher than most visiting hikers expect. The flat white, a double espresso with microfoamed milk served in a ceramic cup, was either invented in New Zealand or Australia depending on which side of the Tasman you ask. In Te Anau, Queenstown, Nelson, and Wanaka, a good flat white is five minutes from any trailhead car park, and that cup becomes one of the better rituals of a New Zealand tramping trip.
The meat pie is New Zealand's most democratic trail food. The short-crust shell filled with mince and gravy is the baseline; upgraded versions run to steak and cheese, venison and red wine, lamb and mint, and butter chicken. Miles Better Pies in Te Anau has been serving hikers on departure days for years, and the pie counter at bakeries across both islands functions as an informal resupply station before multi-day trips. At NZD 6 to NZD 8, they are excellent value for calorie density.
Much of the venison on South Island restaurant menus comes from deer culled inside the national parks, a practice that began in the 1930s when introduced red deer began devastating native vegetation. Wild venison is now served across Te Anau and Queenstown: lean, dark, and nothing like farmed varieties. It is worth trying in any form available.
Central Otago produces New Zealand's finest Pinot Noir, from vineyards in the Gibbston Valley, 45 minutes from Queenstown. These are cool-climate wines with an earthiness that fits the landscape. A post-trail dinner with a glass of local Pinot after a week on the Routeburn or Kepler is one of the better rewards the South Island offers.
On the North Island, the hangi is the most significant food tradition connected to the trail experience. A traditional Maori method of cooking meats, kumara (sweet potato), and vegetables in an earth oven over heated river stones, hangi are served at cultural gatherings in Rotorua, which sits in the wider Tongariro region. They are not trail food but a cultural occasion. If one is available during time before or after the Tongariro Crossing, it is worth taking.
In Great Walk huts, gas cooking is provided but food is not. All provisions must be carried from the gateway town, and resupply between sections is not possible on the Milford or Kepler. Te Anau supermarkets cover a full multi-day resupply; Nelson serves the Abel Tasman.
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At the top of the system sit the Great Walk huts: large, purpose-built, and staffed by DOC rangers from October to April. Facilities include gas cooking, bunkrooms with mattresses, flush toilets, and solar lighting. Nightly fees in 2025/26 varied by track; Routeburn Track huts cost NZD 132 per person per night for international visitors, with the Milford in a similar range. All require advance booking through the DOC platform. Bookings fill in hours to days of opening in June. Outside the Great Walk season, huts remain open in non-serviced mode at significantly lower rates.
The second tier covers the broader backcountry network. Serviced huts offer bunkrooms, gas or wood stoves, and either flush or composting toilets. No advance booking is required; they operate on first-come, first-served. Cost is around NZD 25 per adult per night, paid by individual hut ticket or the annual Backcountry Hut Pass at NZD 160 (2026 rate). Standard huts cost NZD 15. Basic huts and bivouacs are free. The annual pass covers unlimited nights in serviced and standard huts for twelve months, excluding Great Walk huts in the main season. For any visitor planning ten or more backcountry nights, the pass pays for itself.
Ultimate Hikes operates private lodges on the Milford and Routeburn tracks: four lodges on the Milford (Glade House, Pompolona, Quintin, and Mitre Peak Lodge), with full catering, private rooms, and a guided group programme. Guided trips remove all booking complexity at significant cost; the Milford guided option typically starts above NZD 2,500 per person. For those who want the track without the planning load, this is the reliable route.
Campsites are available on all Great Walks at roughly a third of the hut fee, with more booking availability than huts. Outside Great Walk corridors, freedom camping is permitted in many public areas but is strictly regulated near national park boundaries. Hikers camping outside designated sites in areas without facilities must carry self-contained waste management.
Auckland and Christchurch are New Zealand's principal international entry points. For South Island Great Walks, Queenstown Airport is the most practical gateway, with direct flights from Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland. Te Anau is a 2.5-hour drive south of Queenstown. For the Abel Tasman, fly into Nelson Airport, 45 minutes from the Marahau trailhead. For the Tongariro Crossing, fly into Auckland or Wellington, then connect by bus to National Park Village or Whakapapa.
Most Great Walk trailheads require shuttle connections. Tracknet operates scheduled bus services from Queenstown and Te Anau to the Routeburn and Kepler trailheads. The Milford Track requires a boat from Te Anau Downs to the Glade Wharf start and a separate ferry from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound at the finish. Abel Tasman water taxis run from Marahau and Kaiteriteri year-round. Private vehicle parking at the Tongariro Mangatepopo carpark is not permitted from late October through May; shuttles operate on fixed schedules from Whakapapa Village. Book all transport in advance during peak season.
Great Walk signage is thorough and route-finding is straightforward in good visibility. For backcountry travel beyond the Great Walks, download the NZ Topo Map app with offline maps and carry the corresponding Topo50 paper map from Land Information New Zealand. The MetService Mountain Forecast provides dedicated alpine zone reports; use the specific mountain zone for your trail, not the nearest town forecast. The two figures can differ by 15C and two days of precipitation. River crossing is the most significant objective hazard in New Zealand backcountry travel. Great Walk routes use bridged crossings throughout, but off-track routes often do not. If a crossing looks unsafe, wait. Rainfall can raise river levels from knee-deep to impassable in under two hours. GPS-enabled satellite communicators (Garmin inReach or Zoleo) are widely used by experienced trampers and recommended for any off-track travel.
All payments for DOC bookings, hut fees, and transport are in New Zealand dollars (NZD). Credit cards are accepted in all gateway towns. Individual hut tickets and the annual Backcountry Hut Pass are available online through the DOC website and at DOC visitor centres and i-SITE offices throughout both islands.
No permits in the traditional sense, but all Great Walk huts and campsites during the main season (October to April) require advance paid bookings through the DOC website. These are confirmed reservations. Outside the main season, huts switch to non-serviced operation and no advance booking is needed. Standard backcountry huts outside the Great Walk network use hut tickets or the annual Backcountry Hut Pass and require no booking.
The Milford Track is classified as moderate. Most of the walking covers gently graded valley terrain. Day three, the climb to Mackinnon Pass followed by a descent of nearly 900 m (2,953 ft) to Dumpling Hut, is the demanding exception. Hikers should be comfortable carrying a loaded pack for six to eight hours over consecutive days. No technical skills are required, but previous multi-day walking experience helps considerably on the long descent.
Yes. Independent tramping is the standard mode on all New Zealand Great Walks. Guided options exist on the Milford and Routeburn through Ultimate Hikes. No trail in this guide requires a guide; routes are well-marked, Great Walk huts are ranger-staffed in season, and conditions advice is available at the huts each day. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is frequently done independently, though guided day trips operate from Whakapapa Village for those who prefer company.
In good weather, the crossing is manageable for fit hikers with no technical experience. The critical variable is the weather: conditions on the exposed volcanic terrain deteriorate rapidly and with little warning. DOC and local shuttle operators issue recommended cancellation advisories on high-risk days. Treat these advisories seriously. Several incidents each season involve hikers who continued in dangerous conditions. An alpine forecast from MetService the morning of departure is not optional.
Bookings for the upcoming season (October to April) typically open in mid-June each year. The Milford Track fills within hours. The Routeburn and Kepler fill within days for peak January and February dates. Set a calendar reminder for the DOC opening date, announced annually at doc.govt.nz. If you miss the opening window, check the DOC cancellation list regularly from September onward.
The sandfly, or namu, reaches peak density in Fiordland and on the West Coast, particularly around Milford Sound, the Routeburn valley, and the Kepler lakeshores. Bites do not transmit disease but are intensely itchy. DEET at 20 percent concentration or higher is effective. Sandflies are less active in wind, at altitude above 1,000 m (3,281 ft), and in dry conditions. They are part of the Fiordland experience; plan around them rather than expecting them not to appear.
For Great Walks, signage is thorough. For backcountry travel beyond the Great Walks, download the NZ Topo Map app with offline maps (free), carry the relevant Topo50 paper map, and bring a compass. A GPS-enabled satellite communicator (Garmin inReach or Zoleo) is recommended for any off-track travel where cell coverage is absent, which applies to the majority of New Zealand backcountry.
The Heaphy Track, at 78.4 km (48.7 mi) through Kahurangi National Park, takes four to six days and is graded moderate. Its length makes it unsuitable for first-time multi-day trampers, but those with at least one completed multi-day track will be well prepared. The Heaphy offers the greatest landscape variety of any Great Walk: limestone country, tussock downlands, nikau palm groves, and a wild West Coast beach on the final day. It is also the most remote of the five tracks covered in this guide.
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New Zealand is one of a small number of destinations where the hiking infrastructure, the cultural depth, and the sheer geological diversity of the landscape arrive together in the same place. The Great Walks system means you can cross a 1,400 m (4,593 ft) alpine ridge with a well-maintained hut waiting at the other end. The Maori relationship with the land means the mountains you walk through carry names and stories that predate European cartography by centuries. The two islands mean that no two trips here need look anything alike: a week in Fiordland followed by a day on Tongariro produces experiences so different it is hard to believe they share a country. That combination, logistical accessibility and genuine wildness, cultural weight and physical scale, is what makes hiking in New Zealand different from almost anywhere else.
At Art of Bicycle Trips, we plan and guide multi-day hiking journeys for travellers who want the full experience without the complexity of organising it themselves. Whether you are drawn to the Milford Track, the Routeburn, or a longer itinerary combining several Great Walks across both islands, we can build a trip around your pace, timeframe, and experience level. If you would like to explore what a guided or supported hiking journey in New Zealand could look like, get in touch with our team at Art of Bicycle Trips (www.artofbicycletrips.com) and we will take it from there.
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