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  • New Zealand
  • Hiking
  • New Zealand

    Looking for the best hiking in New Zealand? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around New Zealand. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

    Top Hiking Spots in and near New Zealand

    • Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

      Hike the Abel Tasman Coast Track

      4.5
      While the full track can take multiple days to complete, this adventure describes a section that can be completed in a long day hike.Leaving from Marahau, take a water taxi north to Bark Bay. Here, you'll begin hiking south back to Marahau, a trip of around 25km. The trail winds down the coast, ...
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    • Piha, New Zealand

      Hike the Mercer Bay Loop

      4.5
      0.9 mi
      Starting at the end of Log Race Road, just outside Piha, this well groomed loop track takes you along the cliff line above the Tasman Sea and back to the carpark. The Mercer Bay Loop guarantees access to some stunning scenery, and has plenty of accessible spots to stop and take pictures, have lun...
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    • Auckland, New Zealand

      Hike the Summit Track on Rangitoto Island

      4.3
      2.4 mi / 850 ft gain
      Starting from the Auckland Ferry Terminal (-36.842505, 174.767258), jump on the Fullers Ferry to Rangitoto Island (-36.786279, 174.858345). A short, beautiful 30-minute ride through the city's harbor will end at the island's wharf.  Rangitoto is a volcano, the youngest and largest in the Auckland...
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    • Te Anau, New Zealand

      Kepler Track

      4.3
      111.41 mi / 6240 ft gain
      Important: In the Great Walks season (October till late April) bookings are required for campsites and huts - huts have gas cooking stoves and resident wardens. Check with local DOC before you go. Outside the Great Walks season facilities are greatly reduced and there are additional safety hazard...
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    • Wanaka, New Zealand

      Hike Lake Wanaka and Photograph the Famous Tree

      5.0
      13.7 mi / 0 ft gain
      To begin this hike park in the lakeside lot on the west edge of town and begin walking counter-clockwise around Lake Wanaka. The first destination you will reach is the famed Wanaka Tree, which is easily recognized by the crowds of people around it taking photos. A few tips for maximizing your op...
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    • Queenstown Lakes District, New Zealand

      Ben Lomond Track via Old Skyline Road

      5.0
      25.99 mi / 3107 ft gain
      Adventuring up to Ben Lomond's summit is an out-and-back day hike with views that are arguably more rewarding than some of those you get on New Zealand's Great Walks. You can take the Skyline gondola part way up if you want to shorten the climb, but I usually start at the small signposted carpark...
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    • Mount Aspiring National Park, New Zealand

      Backpack the Brewster Hut Track

      5.0
      11.2 mi / 5656 ft gain
      Twenty kilometers north of Haast Pass (568m/1864ft) there is a carpark for Fantail Falls, a beautiful waterfall with numerous rock cairns displayed at its base. From here, take a 3-4 hour hike along Brewster Hut Track (more like climb) through beech forest and then alpine tussock to reach Brewste...
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    • Westland National Park, New Zealand

      Hike to Franz Josef Glacier

      4.0
      From the carpark take a quick walk through a green, forested area before making your way into the valley. Here you will get your first view of the glacier. At this point the trail gets a bit rocky but is still very doable. The trail continues mostly flat for the next 35 minutes. You will pass ...
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    • Egmont National Park, New Zealand

      Summit Mt. Taranaki

      5.0
      10.6 mi / 4921.3 ft gain
      Begin your hike at Egmont Visitor Centre at 960m above sea level and only 35 minutes from the coastal town of New Plymouth. As this hike will take approximately 8 hours, it is advised to make an early start.The first section of the climb is a 4WD track from which you can see the perfect symmetry ...
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    • Wanaka, New Zealand

      Hike along Wanaka's Waterfall Creek Track

      4.0
      3.1 mi
      The Waterfall Creek Track is a well-formed track without any major undulations that can be enjoyed by foot or bike. It's family- and dog-friendly, and is perhaps the most heavily walked stretch of Wanaka's shoreline.Within the first few hundred meters along the Waterfall Creek track you'll come u...
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    • Arthur's Pass, New Zealand

      Overnight at the Barker Hut

      5.0
      29.8 mi / 3018.4 ft gain
      Begin at Klondyke Corner if the Waimakariri is low or at the O'Malley's Track if the river is too high to ford safely. After walking through the Waimakariri River to the Carrington Hut and on up the White River Valley you’ll reach this tiny red hut that stands out in its precarious position as a ...
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    • Milford Sound, New Zealand

      Explore Milford Sound

      4.7
      1.2 mi / 1 ft gain
      Milford Sound can be explored by land or sea. Short hiking trails departing from the main parking lot are numerous and well signed, walk along the Foreshore Trail or up into the hills for expansive views.Going on a cruise is an exciting way to get up close and personal with Milford's scenery and ...
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    • Dunedin, New Zealand

      Hike to Tunnel Beach

      5.0
      2 mi
      Dunedin is a small city on the Southeastern coast of the south island of New Zealand. The coastlines are stunning, and spending an afternoon exploring one of the beaches is never a bad idea. Tunnel Beach, just south of the city, is one of my favorites because of the natural tunnel that one of the...
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    • Castle Hill, New Zealand

      Hike and Climb at Castle Hill

      3.5
      2 mi
      Follow the footpath from the car park. You will quickly arrive at Castle Hill, famous for it's incredible array of giant limestone formations. There is no official path so you are free to wander the maze of rocks. Look for arches and even signs of ancient Maori inhabitants. Its fun to climb among...
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    • Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

      Hike to Lake Marian

      4.5
      3 mi / 1312.3 ft gain
      The track starts soon after the turnoff onto Hollyford Rd off the Milford Highway. The track begins with a bridge crossing over a river and then soon reached Marian Falls. From the falls the trail climbs steeply through forest until the lake. The lake is a beautiful place to spend several hour...
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    • Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

      Backpack the Tongariro Northern Circuit

      5.0
      26.7 mi
      Most people visiting Togariro National park do the 1 day Alpine Crossing. I opted to do the full circuit, a 27 mile hike that takes you all the way around the prominent summit of Mt. Ngaroe.I traveled the trail clockwise, leaving from Whakapapa Village and heading to Waihohonu Hut on the first da...
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