NEW ZEALAND GREAT WALKS GUIDE
Which New Zealand Great Walk Is Right for You?
Not sure which Great Walk to choose? With 11 incredible tracks across New Zealand, deciding where to start can be tough. This guide compares each Great Walk by difficulty, length, location, and experience level—so you can pick the track that best suits your fitness, time, and adventure style.
​
The Great Walks of New Zealand have been designated as some of the greatest multi-day hiking trails in New Zealand. These tracks showcase some of the country’s most spectacular terrain and are recognized for their exceptional natural beauty, outstanding landscapes, and cultural significance. Most of the Great Walks are managed by the Department of Conservation and the tracks are maintained to a high standard making them accessible for the public.
There are 11 Great Walks of New Zealand and 8 of them are located in the South Island, 3 in the North Island, and the final Great Walk is located on Stewart Island. Each walk is very different and can take you through mountain ranges, past waterfalls and pristine lakes. Others will take you across remote sandy beaches, volcanic landscapes, and into lush rainforests. With so many to choose from, how do you pick? Consider the location, length, availability, and difficulty of the track when selecting a Great Walk.
​
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​​
​
​​​​​
North Island
Upper South Island
Lower South Island
Stewart Island
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Milford, Routeburn, and Abel Tasman Tracks are the most popular Great Walks due to their stunning scenery and natural beauty. But all of the Great Walks are incredible in their own way, offering different experiences and landscapes. To stay on the track, generally you will need to book a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut or campsite. Although not all Great Walks allow camping due to their remote locations. Securing bookings for the huts/campsites can be difficult due to their popularity, particularly around holiday periods and often have to be booked months in advance. There are no shops or restaurants so unless you are booked on a Guided Walk you will need to carry everything on your back in and out of the track. So which walk is right for you?
​
The Department of Conservation (DOC) rates all Great Walks as an intermediate hiking track which means hikers should have moderate fitness and basic backcountry (remote area) skills and experience. Tracks are generally well maintained and formed but some sections could be rugged, muddy, or steep. The tracks are marked with orange triangles or poles to show the way. Major water crossings are bridged but it is possible smaller crossings are not. DOC recommends hikers wear light tramping/hiking shoes or boots.
​
Although all tracks are rated as intermediate some Great Walks are a little easier (or harder) than others. This is how we rank the Great Walks by difficulty from our own personal experiences.
Our Great Walks Difficulty Rankings
​EASY GREAT WALKS
​
The Abel Tasman Coast Track is the perfect introduction to multi-day hiking and a fantastic choice for families with little hikers. With plenty of huts and campsites along the way, it's easy to customise your itinerary by shortening or extending each day to suit your fitness and experience.
​
The track is wide, well-formed, making it one of the most accessible Great Walks in New Zealand. While there are plenty of climbs in and out of the coastal bays, the gradients are generally gentle, so don't let the distance put you off. We completed the track over 3 nights and 4 days, with one day stretching to 22km, but it was one of the easiest long hiking days we've experienced.​
​
​Its flexible itinerary and convenient water taxi network make the Abel Tasman one of the easiest Great Walks in New Zealand. The ability to access different sections of the track by boat gives you plenty of options to shorten your days, stay in nearby accommodation, or tailor the hike to suit your fitness and experience
​
The Rakiura Track is widely regarded as one of the best introductions to multi-day hiking and New Zealand's Great Walks. At just 36km, it's one of the shortest Great Walks and follows relatively gentle terrain, making it a popular choice for first-time multi-day hikers. The track can be completed in either 2 or 3 days, although muddy sections after prolonged rain can slow progress and make parts of the walk more challenging than the distance suggests. Based on the track’s distance, elevation profile, and the experiences of other hikers, we’d expect the Rakiura Track to be one of the easier Great Walks, although conditions underfoot can have a big impact on how it actually feels in practice.
​
Our crew is planning to hike the Rakiura Track in 2027, and we’ll update this section with our own experience and difficulty rating once we’ve completed it.​
​
​ Moderate Great Walks
​
The Kepler Track begins with an easy stroll along the shores of Lake Te Anau before climbing steadily through native forest and past impressive limestone bluffs to Luxmore Hut. Perched at 1,085m, the hut offers incredible views and is the perfect reward after the day's moderate climb.
​
Day 2 is the reason the Kepler is one of my favourite Great Walks. The track climbs even higher to 1,472m before following an unforgettable alpine ridgeline that truly makes you feel like you're walking on top of the world. It's also the most exposed section of the track, and conditions can become dangerous enough for the track to close in severe weather.
​
We experienced winds of around 70km/h across the ridgeline, making parts of the day incredibly challenging as we leaned into the gusts to avoid being blown off the track. A few hikers decided to turn back just before the wind eased, which was unfortunate, but knowing your limits in the mountains is always the right decision.
​
​Once you leave the ridgeline behind, the track descends to Iris Burn Hut, where a refreshing swim beneath the small waterfall is the perfect way to cool off after a big day. The final stages of the walk are much gentler, taking you past the shores of Lake Manapouri, through wetlands, and alongside the beautiful Waiau River before returning to the start of the track.
​​
The climb up to Panekire Hut is a real leg burner, gaining around 1,180m in elevation. In our opinion, it's the second toughest climb of all the Great Walks, only behind the Hump Ridge Track. The effort is more than rewarded though, with breathtaking views from Panekire Bluff overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Lake Waikaremoana.
After the climb, the rest of the track is much gentler, winding through beautiful native rainforest and following the picturesque shoreline of the lake. One of the great things about this walk is that it can be completed in either direction. That means you can save the climb to Panekire Hut until the final day when your pack is lighter—although we'd still choose to tackle it on fresh legs at the start of the hike.
If you'd rather not carry a heavy pack up the climb, you can also arrange for your gear to be transported to your next hut by water taxi, making the walk significantly more manageable particularly for famillies.
​​
The Milford Track is New Zealand's most famous Great Walk, beginning with a boat ride before following the stunning Clinton Valley deep into Fiordland. Along the way you'll climb to Mackinnon Pass, visit New Zealand's tallest waterfall at Sutherland Falls, and walk through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. At times, it genuinely feels like you've stepped into a fairytale.
​
Despite its reputation, much of the track is relatively flat or gently undulating. The biggest challenge comes on Day 2 with the climb from Mintaro Hut to Mackinnon Pass. The track winds its way up 17 switchbacks, climbing to 1,156m before (hopefully) rewarding you with incredible alpine views.
​
Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us. As we reached the pass, snow clouds rolled in, hiding the views we'd worked so hard for and leaving us thoroughly chilled. Even so, hiking past towering waterfalls, mirror-like lakes, and icy blue rivers was an unforgettable experience. The Milford Track was the walk that sparked our decade-long mission to complete every one of New Zealand's Great Walks.
​​
The Routeburn Track is one of the shortest Great Walks, taking just 3 days to complete, and it's easy to see why it's also one of the most popular. With towering mountains, crystal-clear alpine lakes, ancient beech forests, and countless waterfalls, the scenery is nothing short of spectacular.
​
The landscape changes constantly as you climb from lush forest into the alpine environment, with incredible views opening up around every corner. One of the highlights is Routeburn Falls Hut, perched high on the mountainside overlooking the impressive Routeburn Falls. It’s an unforgettable spot to spend the night, and the nearby waterfalls are the perfect place to soothe tired legs after a big day on the track. The Routeburn is one of our crew's favourite Great Walks, and if you hike it, you'll understand why.
​​
The Tongariro Northern Circuit takes you across a dramatic volcanic landscape of desert-like plateaus, emerald lakes, and the active peaks of Mt Tongariro and Mt Ngauruhoe. It’s one of the most unique Great Walks in New Zealand, but it’s also one of the most exposed. With very little shelter from the elements, conditions can change quickly, so good weather and the right gear are essential.
Many people choose to walk just the 20.2km Tongariro Alpine Crossing as a day hike, but don’t let the distance fool you. A good level of fitness is needed, and every year hikers underestimate the track, heading out without the right equipment or preparation. As a result, it has one of the highest numbers of mountain rescues in New Zealand.
We completed the Alpine Crossing on a scorching summer’s day. The clear skies gave us incredible views, but the heat was relentless, with almost no shade for the entire walk. The scree sections were probably the trickiest part, with every step sending us sliding in a different direction. It was a long day, and by the time we reached the seemingly endless descent, our legs were well and truly feeling it. Despite the challenge, it’s one of the most incredible landscapes we’ve ever hiked through.
​​
The Whanganui River Journey isn’t actually a walk, but a canoe trip down the mighty Whanganui River. Each day you’ll be paddling for around 6–7 hours, and how hard it feels really comes down to the weather and river conditions. When the river is high and flowing fast, you’ll cover ground with less effort, but in lower water it can turn into a pretty strenuous paddle.
The full journey can be done in 5 days, although many people opt for a shorter 3-day trip, focusing on the most scenic sections of the river. We experienced a bit of everything on our trip. The first day was hot and beautifully sunny, but the river was slow and gentle, meaning plenty of paddling on our part. Day two brought heavy rain, which made for a very wet day, but also sped things up significantly as the water surged down through the cliffs around us.
The final day was the toughest, with brutal headwinds that had us grinding away for hours at a time, often feeling like we weren’t moving at all. It was a tiring finish, but in a strange way we were glad that weather didn’t show up earlier in the trip.
​
Moderate-HARD Great Walks
​
The Heaphy Track is generally considered moderate, mainly because of its length rather than technical difficulty. At 78.4km, it’s the longest of New Zealand’s Great Walks, taking 4–6 days to complete one way. Because you’re crossing from one coast to the other, you’ll also need to carry more food (and maybe a bit of wine 😎), so expect a heavier pack than some of the shorter walks.
If you do it in 4 days, it becomes a solid effort, with at least one big day of around 26km. That said, while the distances are long, the terrain itself is mostly straightforward. The section from James Mackay Hut to Perry Saddle Hut is a good example — long, but not overly difficult, although there is a sneaky 7km climb right at the end that definitely keeps you honest.
The good thing about the Heaphy is the number of huts and campsites along the way, which means you can easily break it into shorter, more manageable days. If you stretch it out over 6 days, it becomes much more relaxed, with daily distances closer to around 10km, making it feel more like an easy-moderate walk rather than a tough endurance challenge.
​​
The Hump Ridge Track days are long, with around 20km to cover each day, so a solid level of fitness is needed. The climb up to Okaka Hut is easily the toughest ascent we’ve tackled — the final 6km is a real gut-buster. To make things a bit more manageable, there’s the option to helicopter your pack up to Okaka Hut for $150, then just carry it from there for the remaining days.
You can also take a lot of weight out of your pack by paying extra for bedding, food, and drinks at the lodges — which we did and highly recommend. The track is also well known for its stairs, and they really do add up, especially on the long knee-jarring descent down to Port Craig Lodge
​​
​​The Paparoa Track also involves long days of around 20km each over the 3 days. Being on the West Coast, it’s no surprise that the weather can be pretty wild coming in off the Tasman Sea, and if you’re unlucky enough to hit it in bad conditions, the alpine section is very exposed. We definitely copped some strong winds up here, although we couldn’t really complain as they helped dry us out after a very wet morning.
Once you’re through Day 1 and the big climb, the rest of the track is mainly downhill, which makes the longer days a bit more manageable. The final day through the gorge is absolutely stunning, and you’ll also get your first proper chance for a swim on the hike — a very welcome reward by that stage.