Korokoro Falls, Lake Waikaremoana
New Zealand’s landscape is best explored on foot. The country’s vast outdoors offers hundreds of walking and hiking trails suited to a wide range of fitness levels and interests. Options include open-country tracks, urban heritage trails, native bush walks and challenging alpine routes. Beyond the scenery, New Zealand’s variety of environments — from coastline to glaciers, forests to volcanic plateaus — is unmatched.
If you prefer city-based walks, Auckland’s inner-city trails visit many of the city’s 49 volcanic cones, including a boat ride and walk to Rangitoto Island. The multi-day Hillary Trail is a short drive from central Auckland and showcases coastal and bush landscapes. In Wellington, the Botanic Garden and Otari-Wilson’s Bush offer peaceful garden and native-plant walks. Christchurch walkers can enjoy riverside paths along the Avon or panoramic routes on the Port Hills. Because New Zealand is compact, spectacular hikes are typically within 30 minutes of most major centres.
For those seeking adventure, Queenstown provides heli-hiking in remote alpine terrain, and Fiordland offers helicopter access to glaciers for guided walks across ice. On the west coast, the Franz Josef Glacier walk is a remarkable experience where hikers can view a dynamic glacial environment up close.
Crater Lakes, Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Hiking in New Zealand lets you move through beaches, native bush, glaciers and mountain ranges all within a single trip. Many film locations from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies are accessible to visitors, so you can follow in the footsteps of cinematic landscapes. Trails range from short 30-minute walks to multi-day treks; facilities along popular routes are generally well maintained and easy to reach.
Start planning your New Zealand hiking adventure now and discover the variety and accessibility of trails across the country.
Te Araroa: The Long Pathway
Te Araroa, meaning “the long pathway,” spans the length of New Zealand’s two main islands and represents the ultimate thru-hike in the country. The trail begins at Cape Reinga at the northern tip of the North Island and finishes at Stirling Point, Bluff, in the south. Officially completed in 2011, Te Araroa links many existing tracks and sections of trail, offering terrain that ranges from easy coastal and lowland walking to technical alpine sections, all set against outstanding natural scenery.
The Great Walks of New Zealand
New Zealand’s nine Great Walks showcase some of the country’s most iconic landscapes, each offering distinct environments and well-maintained paths. Highlights include:
Lake Waikaremoana: A track through Te Urewera National Park that passes rainforests, wetlands and lakeside viewpoints.
Tongariro Northern Circuit: A challenging alpine route around active volcanic terrain with dramatic lava flows and crater lakes.
Whanganui Journey: A combined canoe and walking experience that winds through native forest rich in birdlife and cultural history.
Abel Tasman Coast Track: A coastal trail renowned for golden beaches, rock formations and clear tidal inlets.
Heaphy Track: A varied route that moves between rainforest, subalpine tussock, mountains, lowland forest and beaches.
Kepler Track: A well-formed circuit in Fiordland offering mountain ridges, native forest, glacier-carved valleys and waterfalls.
Milford Track: One of the country’s most famous routes, traversing lakes, peaks and valleys and finishing near New Zealand’s tallest waterfall.
Rakiura Track: A peaceful loop on Stewart Island that explores largely unmodified habitats and abundant birdlife.
Routeburn Track: A scenic corridor linking Mount Aspiring National Park with Fiordland National Park, featuring alpine passes and river valleys.