Ultimate Hut-Based North Island Hiking Tour

What you get on this adventure:

• • An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • Eight days of hiking and exploration
  • All accommodations for the duration of the tour
  • Minibus transportation for the duration of the tour
  • All activities outlined in the itineraries
  • All meals outlined in the itineraries
  • Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland

What’s not included:

• • Transportation to Auckland
  • Transportation from the endpoint of the tour
  • Accommodations before and after the tour
  • Meals not outlined in the itineraries
  • Travel insurance
  • Guide gratuities — optional

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• • Backpack with a minimum 60L capacity and small day pack
  • Day pack with a 25-40L capacity
  • Sleeping bag (minimum 3-season, preferably down, lightweight)
  • Hiking poles — optional
  • Gaiters — optional
  • Water bottle or CamelBak (2L capacity)
  • Hiking boots or good hiking shoes
  • Spare lightweight shoes or sandals
  • Spare clothes for layering
  • Thermal underwear (top and bottom)
  • Shorts or lightweight hiking trousers (preferably quick-dry)
  • Short-sleeved shirts (quick-dry, polypropylene, or wool)
  • Warm fleece or wool jersey
  • At least 3 pairs of socks
  • Raincoat (Goretex or similar)
  • Sunhat
  • Warm hat or balaclava
  • Gloves or mittens (wool or fleece)
  • Swimming costume
  • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
  • Headlamp or flashlight
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera — optional (but recommended)

Your guide will supply:

• • Pack-liner to keep things dry inside your backpack
  • Kit bag to hold your spare gear when you’re out hiking
  • Emergency first aid kit
  • Therm-a-rests
  • Plates, cutlery, mugs, pots, etc.
  • Tents

Your guide offers hiking gear rentals. If you need a hiking backpack, sleeping bag or liner, fleece, thermal clothes, raincoats, or a walking pole, contact us and we’ll help set you up.

While you don’t need any prior multi-day hiking experience for this tour, you still need to be fit, agile, and enthusiastic enough for 8 consecutive days of hiking 4-5 hours a day on average (8-9 hours on longer days). You can see the day-by-day breakdown in the itinerary. Keep in mind that you will be carrying packs weighing up to 10-12 kgs (22-26 lbs). You will also overcome altitude gains of up to 800 m (2,620 ft), covering some uneven terrain and river crossings. Finally, some tracks can be slippery or rough and there will be some off-track hiking and river crossings.

During this hiking tour, you will have “wild nights” and nights in civilisation. With wild nights, you are truly in the wilderness, staying in backcountry huts or camping in locations that may be several hours away from the nearest road or populated area. Other nights you will stay in cabins, lodges, or camp by the vehicle. Huts and campsite fees will be covered by your guide.

When you’re camping, you might camp under natural rock shelters, on remote beaches, or even sleep out under the stars! You will also occasionally camp near the vehicle in Department of Conservation or private campsites.

You will also stay in huts on several nights. New Zealand has an excellent network of backcountry huts, equipped with mattresses, running water, and an outside toilet. You also have the option of camping near the hut if that’s your preference.

For huts and camping you can either bring your own bag and liner or rent it from your guide, but you’re responsible for bringing your own private camping equipment.

Lodges will also serve as accommodation on some nights. They are often conveniently located near the start or end of a hike and have multi-share or sometimes twin/double rooms.

Regarding bathroom facilities once you’re in the wild, there will be long drop (pit) toilets. There will also be rivers or lakes nearby for a swim, sometimes even natural hot pools! The trip is set up so after a couple of nights of “roughing it out” in the wild, you will stay somewhere where you can enjoy a shower and even do your laundry.

For this tour, the groups consist of up to 11 people, with a usual 11:1 guest-to-guide ratio.

It takes a minimum of 4 participants for the tour to run.

If you happen to be a solo traveler, you’re more than welcome to join the group! Travelers will be added until the minimum group size to confirm the trip can be guaranteed.

Anyone over the age of 18 can join these multi-day hiking tours, while minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join on a case-by-case basis. They must, however, be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

To start this tour, most people fly into Auckland International Airport. From there, you can take a bus, shuttle or taxi to the Auckland city center.

You will meet your guide in the Sky Tower in downtown Auckland unless specified otherwise. The guide will then choose the appropriate terrain depending on weather conditions and the ability of the group.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.

Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans. 

We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. For more information on travel recommendations and restrictions in New Zealand, please refer to the official New Zealand travel website.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!