The Best Hikes in New Zealand
Hiking (or "tramping") is a New Zealand national pastime, a way of getting close to nature and appreciating the beauty of an unspoiled pristine environment. You can choose from world famous day-hikes to multi-day "Great Walks" through New Zealand's national parks, scenic reserves, rivers, mountains and forests. No matter the hike you choose, the views will be breathaking and jaw dropping. Yes, both.
Milford Track, Fiordland National Park 9679, New Zealand
Steve from Trips and Tramps makes a great tour guide through the Milford Track. The guided half-day hike, an easy seven miles on a well-groomed trail, was just a tease—given the time, the full four-day, 33-mile track would be well worth it. We...
North Island, New Zealand
There's no other day hike in all of New Zealand that is as diverse as the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. The terrain is so unique, the location was used to portray "Mt Doom" in the Lord of the Rings films. The nearly 20 kilometer trail winds into high...
Cape Palliser 5772, New Zealand
Driving around the southern roads in the North Island often lulls you into believing that this pocket of New Zealand is mostly rural farmland with more sheep than you could ever imagine. Once leaving the comfort of the Wairarapa wine region, it...
Roys Peak, Otago 9381, New Zealand
The guidebooks say this is a difficult trek but well worth it. After a huffing and puffing trek to the top of Roy’s Peak, I would most certainly like to concur. 11k in approximately 4-5 hours, a decent level of fitness is most needed for this...
South Island 7183, New Zealand
New Zealand's smallest national park certainly packs a punch. Unlike so many of the great ragged mountains that dot the country, Abel Tasman curves along the north coast of the South Island, peppered with golden sand beaches and steep cliffs that...
Urupukapuka Island, Northland, New Zealand
There are 144 islands in the Bay of Islands on the North Island of New Zealand, and Urupukapuka (the largest of them all) aims to please. Check out the island's website to help plan your day, which will be a fabulous and full day that includes a...
Routeburn Track, New Zealand
Although the Routeburn Track is a three-day trek, one can walk part of it as a 7-kilometer day hike. The Divide trailhead at one end of the track begins with a steady climb through a beech forest and sub-alpine shrubs and continues with a steep...
Maungatautari 3494, New Zealand
30 miles south of Hamilton on the North Island sits the Maungatautari Ecological Reserve. A massive nature reserve that's been fenced in to get rid of introduced pests to help regrow New Zealand's endangered bird population, including kiwis, this...
Maungapohatu 3079, New Zealand
There's no doubt that outdoor enthusiasts visiting New Zealand will want to spend most of their time on the South Island. The mountains are bigger, the landscape is more dramatic, and there don't seem to be any people around to bother you. But...
