New Zealand is known for its stunning nature. From snowcapped mountains to beautiful beaches, from the biggest glaciers to the bluest lakes, New Zealand has them all. A road trip is a great way to explore New Zealand, but to get to the real good parts you’ll have to hike.
Now you know you’ll be hiking in New Zealand, you’re probably asking yourself where you should do so. Well, New Zealand is covered with awesome hikes, ranging from 5 minute walks to multi-day tramps. The Department of Conservation or DOC maintains most of them, and the their website is filled with information on all those hikes. Another great source of inspiration for us was the NZ Frenzy guidebook, with lively and funny explanations on tons of hikes and sights in New Zealand.
Did you know?
Tramping is another word for hiking in New Zealand.
Now, without further ado: 10 of the best and most beautiful hikes in New Zealand!
The Lake Matheson Walk
Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy, pretty flat
Decor: Stunning mountain reflections in lake
Lake Matheson is known for its perfect reflections of New Zealand’s highest mountains: Mount Cook and Mount Tasman. To marvel at this jaw-dropping sight, you’ll have to walk the Lake Matheson Walk, either partly or entirely. Be prepared for tons of tourists though, it’s not surprisingly one of the most popular hikes on the South Island of New Zealand.
The Mount Iron Track
Duration: 1 – 1.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, steady climb to the top
Decor: Beautiful 360° views over Wanaka and the surrounding countryside
Whereas locals seem to use the Mount Iron Track for jogging, I got sweaty from just walking up to the summit. The views are absolutely worth the effort though. Who doesn’t like to be rewarded with 360° panoramic views over a cute little city and a blue lake against a stunning backdrop of mountain ranges?
The Key Summit Track
Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, gradual ascent to the top with steeper parts
Decor: Impressive 360° views over mountains and valleys
Fiordland National Park is New Zealand’s largest national park and one of the most visited. That’s mainly because of Milford Sound though, not because of the Key Summit Track. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful hike (and a great workout for your butt). The 360° panoramic views at the summit won’t disappoint, I promise!
The Fox Glacier Valley Walk
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate, pretty steep slope, cross some sidestreams
Decor: Glacier in a rocky valley
The scenery at the Fox Glacier Valley Walk is fascinating, but also confronting and a little sad at the same time. You’ll be walking in an open riverbed, covered in moraine left behind by the retreating Fox Glacier. The atmosphere is a little weird, almost ominous. Might have to do with all the signs warning about quickly changing weather and track conditions. That’s part of the beauty of hiking in New Zealand though, crossing all kinds of landscapes.
The Lake Tekapo Peninsula Walkway
Duration: 1.5 – 2 hours
Difficulty: Pretty easy, no clear path
Decor: Open fields on the shores of Lake Tekapo
The Lake Tekapo Peninsula was our first hike in New Zealand, and we were immediately blown away by its beauty. Lake Tekapo was the bluest lake we’d ever seen, and the surrounding scenery is jaw-dropping. We loved that there was no clear path to stick to, just orange markers to follow. At a certain point we wandered off the track (on purpose) to find the white bluffs that were described in the NZ Frenzy guidebook. Gorgeous. Thanks NZ Frenzy for leading us here!
The Sandymount Loop Track
Duration: 40 minutes – 1 hour
Difficulty: Pretty easy if you go counterclockwise
Decor: Awesome views along the coastline of the Otago Peninsula
We accidentally walked the Sandymount Loop Track in clockwise direction, opposite of what’s recommended. This meant that we had to climb the steep sand path you otherwise descend. Apart from this little hiccup, we loved this hike! The views along the coastline are breathtaking, and there’s hardly anyone else on the track. Just some sheep.
The Rob Roy Glacier Track
Duration: 3-4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate, with pretty steep parts
Decor: Impressive view of the Rob Roy Glacier
We’d seen some adventure and some great views even before we made it to the car park of the Rob Roy Glacier Track. The hike itself is awesome too though, taking you over the roaring West Marukituki River, through a beech forest, to admire the Rob Roy Glacier. Our legs were jelly, but it was definitely worth it!
The Mahinepua Peninsula Track
Duration: 1.5 – 2 hours
Difficulty: Pretty easy, with some hills to conquer
Decor: Outstanding coastal views
The Mahinepua Peninsula Track is a pretty off the beaten track hike. Chances are you won’t have to share these outstanding coastal views with any other hikers. As if the views weren’t enough, there are a couple of sheltered bays as well, where you can have a swim. This spot is definitely top-notch when it comes to hiking in New Zealand!
The Hooker Valley Track
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy, pretty flat
Decor: Breathtaking mountain views
The Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is definitely one of our favourite hikes in New Zealand. You’ll be walking through the Hooker Valley towards a backdrop of stunning snowcapped mountains, ending at the Hooker Glacier Lake. The terrain is pretty easy, there’s just one short steep slope. It’s a pretty popular hike, but we know about a “secret” path leading to a more private spot at the Hooker Glacier Lake.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing
Duration: 6-8 hours
Difficulty: Difficult, steep slopes, hard terrain, tricky weather
Decor: Volcanic terrain, craters, emerald lakes, unique landscape
And last but not least, our longest hike in New Zealand: the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It took us 6 hours to complete this one way hike over volcanic land. It’s a popular, but demanding, hike with steep slopes, strong winds and a rough terrain. Read up on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing beforehand and go prepared!
There’s no doubt about it: New Zealand is a hiker’s Mecca. The country has so much unspoilt nature, and they seem to be doing a great job keeping it that way. While hiking in New Zealand, enjoying the most stunning views (for free!), we should do our part too. It’s a small effort to take our garbage with us, heed all signs, and keep to the track at all times, but it goes a long way for nature. Keep it green!
Have you been hiking in New Zealand yet? What’s your favourite NZ hike? We would love to read about your experiences in the comments!
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Great selection of hikes there guys! I never got chance to do the Tongariro due to bad weather when I was up that way, but every time I see pics of it I just want to go back and try again! The Rob Roy Glacier one is awesome though. I lived in Wanaka for a couple of years and have done that track a bunch of times. It’s interesting to see how different it looks around there at different times of the year. I remember doing it once in the winter when there was snow down to the track level. Somehow made the glacier look even more dramatic!
Hi Matt! You lived in Wanaka? That’s awesome! Such a cute little town. 🙂 I bet it’s interesting to see every hike and spot in different seasons, but that’s not that simple when you don’t live there unfortunately. 😀 We actually live on the other side of the world than New Zealand, in Belgium. We won’t be returning immediately, but we surely will one day. We loved NZ!
Yup, we were very lucky to be up at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on a pretty beautiful day. We met a girl that was waiting for a couple of days for nice weather when we arrived. She wasn’t that lucky.
Thanks for commenting!
Travelling to NZ without doing as many hikes as possible would be a big mistake! Even after doing a few of these I am so sad we missed out on the others– they look equally as breathtaking!
Love seeing Tongariro in there (or anywhere), it brings back amazing memories and should definitely not be missed!
Just an excuse to go back one day, Missy! We haven’t seen or done everything either and are definitely heading back to New Zealand one day.
I am dying to go to New Zealand to explore all of the nature spots that are there, and I would love to do some of these hikes while there! They look so gorgeous!
All of New Zealand is gorgeous, Caroline! Hope you make it there soon. I can say we’re already talking about going back some day. 😉
Thanks so much for writing this post! I live in New Zealand and really need to get around to more hikes! Have saved for later ☺️
You live in New Zealand, Suzie? That’s awesome! I’m kind of jealous you get to call New Zealand your home. 🙂 We absolutely loved our time there and were truly impressed by its beautiful nature. Glad to read we’ve inspired you to go out hiking and exploring your home country. 😉 Enjoy!
Love this, I want to do them all! I did a few hikes in New Zealand and it is definitely a paradise for outdoor lovers! Can’t wait to go back one day and do more hiking.
We can’t wait to go back one day either! New Zealand is truly gorgeous and hiking is the perfect way to explore its beautiful nature. Glad to read we got you to want to do all these hikes. 😉
I just recently got into hiking and I’ve fallen in love! Definitely going to use this guide if I ever find myself in New Zealand (which will definitely happen! lol)
We only got into hiking while visiting New Zealand, Michelle. 😉 So, if you love hiking, you should definitely visit! You’ll always be rewarded with stunning views.
I’m not much of a hiker, but I absolutely loved “tramping” in NZ. This is a super helpful post for those who haven’t hit the country yet.
Yep, tramping is thé thing to do in New Zealand, Sarah! Have you done all these hikes too? Which one was your favourite? Glad to hear you find this post helpful. 🙂
Love this! I’m heading home at the end of the year and taking my husband and can’t wait to do some of these! I think I’ve only really done the Tongariro crossing. Can’t believe how popular it is now!! But definitely doing it again 🙂
I’m kind of jealous you get to call New Zealand your home, Sonja! What a beautiful country to live in. 😍 It’s actually weird how little travellers seem to have explored their own country. I know we’re guilty of that too. Sometimes I feel the travellers we meet know Belgium better than we do! Plenty of time to change that though. And what’s more fun than discovering how great your own country is?
So many of these hikes and trails look amazing. Have you done them all?! Super impressive. I can’t wait to travel to NZ one day. Its at the top of my boyfriend’s bucket list.
We can’t stress enough how awesome and gorgeous New Zealand is, Nikki! Yep, we did all these hikes and then some. 😉 Just 10 of them could make it to the top 10 though, but they were all worth the effort.
I just hear amazing stuff about NZ. These hikes and trails look absolutely awesome and I will have to make plans to experience this land. Can’t wait to travel to NZ one day.
Thanks for sharing.
Hope you like it as much as we did, Anthony!
A few I have done, but quite a few that are now on my list! New Zealand just has so many doesn’t it? Thanks for sharing your faves : )
NZ definitely has many wonderful hikes! It wasn’t easy to select our 10 favourites, but I’m happy to read we managed to get some of these on your list. 😉