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Your Guide To The Tongariro Crossing, New Zealand’s Best Day Hike

Travel

To kick off your day, head to Elemento and Volcano Coffee Roasters. After a long day of climbing the Tongariro Alpine Trail, enjoy evening burgers and craft beers at The Blind Finch. Tongariro National Park is located in the central North Island of the country and extends southwards from the southern end Lake Taupo. It is a convenient destination for approximately two-thirds the country’s inhabitants. From Auckland, the journey south is around four-and-a-half hours, while the park is around three hours from Hamilton.

Layer your clothes to trap warm and cold air. Start with a base layer of polypropylene/merino, add an insulation layer of fleece/wool and finish with a waterproof shell layer. Eg, when it’s 10degC (50degF) in Taupo, a calm day best time to cross at Red Crater will be about 2degC (35degF).

Without an experienced guide and advanced hiking skills, you cannot climb Mt Ngauruhoe during winter. In winter, the snow also presents an avalanche risk. For this reason, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing can attempted with a guide in winter months.

Can you do the Tongariro Crossing in June?

  • Because of the sheer number of people who cross the bridge, injuries and accidents are not common. Nevertheless, you can make it easier by first not leaving the established, marked track. You might be able help from other hikers and search and rescue may be able find you more quickly. Call us or dial the emergency number in New Zealand.

    Video Of The Northern Circuit

    Winter or summer, the tracks of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing are alive with keen hikers looking to tick the experience off their bucket list. If you’re considering doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, you’re likely to have some burning questions about the course. We’ve compiled 10 of the top Tongariro Alpine Crossing FAQs.