Hiking Without Hassle: Why Guided Walks in Tongariro Are Better

Guided Walks in Tongariro: a Truly Unique Hiking Experience in New Zealand

Guided walks in Tongariro are the way to go if you want a hassle-free hiking experience in New Zealand. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is not only the best day-walk in New Zealand it’s one of the best day-walks in the world. That’s why we’ve made it a part of our 4-day Tongariro Hiking Tour – it’s a must-do hiking trail in the Tongariro National Park.  The Tongariro National Park is a Dual-World Heritage Site, one of only a few places worldwide that is recognised for its significant environmental characteristics and its precious cultural heritage and sacred sites. Tongariro isn’t just a mountain to hike; it’s a sacred site, with deep spiritual significance to the local iwi (Māori tribes).

Our 4-day Tongariro Hiking Tour begins in Rotorua. We’ll pick you up from your central accommodation between 8.30am and 9.00am. We then head south down State Highway 1, to the beautiful Lake Taupō in the beating heart of the North Island. We’ll collect more walkers from their Taupō accommodation before continuing south along the scenic shores of Lake Taupō and up onto the majestic Central Plateau. While we travel south, we’ll chat and get to know each other. Our hiking guides will point out the mountain peaks in the distance, and which ones we’ll be getting a close-up view of from the Tongariro hiking trails in the coming days.

We’ll do a variety of short-walks on Day 1 to get ourselves warmed up and into action. It’s a great opportunity to set first eyes on the landscape and topography of the Tongariro National Park and test out any new gear. Over dinner on our first night we’ll have a thorough discussion on what’s to be expected on Day 2, when we tackle the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Multi-day Guided Walks in Tongariro: Stay Longer for a Smoother Holiday Experience

Many visitors to the Tongariro National Park only plan one day on which to do the walk and often miss the opportunity due to inclement weather. Over the 4-day guided Tongariro Hiking Tour, we have the advantage of being in the National Park area for longer than your average day-visitor. That means we can look ahead at what the weather is doing and adapt accordingly. We pick the best day weatherwise to do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing so your New Zealand hiking tour experience is as good as it can be.

We start to get the best weather modelling around 3 days before we arrive and our operations team have already been assessing the forecast and discussing our best options before we even pick you up on Day 1.

Going Guided: Save Yourself the Hassle of Organising Your Guided Hiking Tour in Tongariro

In a place like Tongariro National Park, there are a lot of moving parts to navigate when you’re building your own trip. Not to mention an overwhelming amount of information online that sometimes leaves you feeling confused. If you really want to do it right and leave no room for error, then guided walks in Tongariro are the way to go. We’ve already done the planning and the testing, so we know what works and what doesn’t. You won’t spend precious holiday time checking maps, drive times, online forum pages, notice boards or websites. When you come with Walking Legends on one of our guided walks in Tongariro National Park, you’ve made the smart choice.

Throughout your four days with us you’ll notice one thing really quickly – we’ve got it all organised. You don’t need to spend hours on Booking.com trying to figure out which listings are real – we’ve got comfortable, ensuite accommodation carefully selected and booked in advance. There’s no need to give any mental thought as to what’s for dinner – all our meals are prearranged and designed to keep you well fed and fueled up. You won’t need to consult Google maps or think about drive times and what times to set off – our guides have all of those details dialed in. Just sit back and let them show you a good time!

Am I Fit Enough for Hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing?

At 20.2km long, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a long-distance day walk. Our walkers are generally in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and usually take anywhere between 6 – 8 hours to walk the track. We encourage our walkers to hike at their own pace. We let the fast walkers go on ahead with designated meeting points and times while the more leisurely folks just work away at the back. We always have a guide at the back of the group for safety, and we keep a good mental grip on where everyone is up ahead.

The walk starts relatively gently for around an hour from Mangatepōpō Carpark to Soda Springs. From Soda Springs at 1,350 metres above sea level, the track gets steep, climbing up the Tama Saddle via a network of low-profile timber box stairs – around 370 steps at last count. Colloquially, this is known as The Devil’s Staircase. There are breaks between sets of stairs and small areas to each side where you can stop, take a breather, and allow people to pass you. At the top of Tama Saddle the track levels off nicely and we get a smooth, even pathway across South Crater or more accurately, South Cirque, an amphitheatre-like valley formed by erosion. By now the hardest part is behind you.

After crossing South Cirque, we make a second, shorter ascent up to Red Crater – without the stairs this time. Red Crater is the highest point of the walk at 1,886 metres above sea level, but not the true summit of Mt. Tongariro. You’ll see the summit proper of Mt. Tongariro to your left (west). We don’t recommend you hike the summit of Mt. Tongariro as mountain peaks are sacred to the local Māori, Ngati Hikairo ki Tuwharetoa. The number one rule of trail etiquette in New Zealand is to stay on the marked track.

From Red Crater we make a slow, careful descent down the 200-metre-long Scree Slope. The trail is loose underfoot here, think lots of sand, gravel and scoria. The path is wide here, so you can pick your own route downwards, but stay aware of who’s coming up behind you and do your best not to dislodge large rocks that could injure walkers below you. At the bottom of the Scree Slope we reach the Emerald Lakes, a series of 3 incredible crystalline blue-green pools. This is a great place to stop for a bite to eat, but remember, don’t touch the water, or go into it, and take all your rubbish and food scraps with you when you leave.

Once we’ve passed Emerald Lakes we make a third ascent up to Blue Lake, then start the long descent via a network of switchbacks, down to Ketetahi and the end of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track.

If you’re a reasonably active person, who does some regular walking or hiking at home and you can cope with climbing stairs you’ll manage this walk. However, the fitter you are, the more you’ll enjoy it. It’s always a good idea to do some training beforehand, try to work in some stair training and perhaps carry a small backpack with a little bit of weight in it – just to mimic what you’re likely to be carrying on the day.

While our hiking guides are there to support, encourage and care for you they can’t do any of the walking for you so that part is up to you. We encourage everyone to have a go and if we get underway on trail and it becomes clear that you aren’t enjoying it or confident in your abilities, we can turn you around and get you back to the lodge. For a more in depth assessment on your hiking fitness for a guided walk in New Zealand, check out our related blog ‘Guided Walks in NZ: How Fit Do I Need To Be?’

How early should I start the Tongariro Alpine Crossing?

Many walkers get up at sunrise, take a quick breakfast and aim to be getting on their shuttle transport at 6.00am – 6.30am which would have them at the trailhead by 6.30am – 7.00am. Local shuttle companies operate shuttles between 5.45am and 9.30am.

These days, with the bulk of day-walkers trying to start earlier and earlier to ‘beat the crowds’ the busy time to start the walk is now around 7.00am. We’ve always got our finger on the pulse and we find that starting a little later is better and means the core peloton of walkers stays ahead of us, giving us a quieter day out. We still have ample time to complete the walk, even with all our planned breaks for meals, drinks, bathroom stops and photo opportunities.

We start the day at 8.00am – 8.30am from our tour accommodation and wind our way through the beautiful central plateau to the Mangatepōpō Carpark. The Mangatepōpō Carpark is where the Tongariro Alpine Crossing begins. We’ll walk the track together, as a group, enjoying the sights and scenery together. Generally, we’re finishing the walk between 2.00pm and 4.00pm, every group is different.

How To Read the Weather in the Tongariro National Park

The weather in Tongariro can flip on you in minutes. The name ‘Tongariro’ means ‘carried away by the south wind.’ On any given day we could experience all four seasons of weather. It’s a highly unpredictable environment. Joining a guided walk means you’ve got someone experienced keeping an eye on conditions, with the right gear and backup plans. You won’t be caught in a white-out in sneakers and a windbreaker.

Our guides are local experts; they’ve hiked this walk many times and they know how local conditions behave. We receive regular weather modelling updates from NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) which details a series of parameters like rain, wind speed, temperature, snowfall and visibility.

When the weather forecast predicts extreme, or unsafe conditions the Department of Conservation will close the track to all walkers until the weather improves. Local shuttle operators also cease transporting walkers to and from the track until they get the green light from authorities.

There are a few weather forecasts we like to check, the first is Metservice – this is helpful only for hiking in the low altitude areas around the wider Ruapehu District. A better source of weather modelling comes from Windy.com – even though this is based in the Czech Republic, the outdoor community in New Zealand uses it frequently and finds it better than our local modelling. If in doubt, it would be a great idea to pop your head into the Tongariro Visitors Centre in Whakapapa Village for a daily mountain forecast.

Hike Light, Snack Well

On our guided walks in Tongariro you’ll carry just a daypack. Usually this is a raincoat, water, lunch, a spare shirt and a warm hat, and any personal medications. Depending on the bulkiness of your raincoat you could get by with just a daypack, the size of a school bag, anywhere from 20 – 30 litres in size. If you’re a thirsty hiker and your raincoat is larger, you’d be better served by something like a 40-litre daypack. All walkers on our guided walks in Tongariro are welcome to borrow hiking gear from us at no extra cost. We have 40 litre daypacks and good quality raincoats for you to borrow, just let us know in advance and we’ll have it ready.

We even sort your lunch – not the soggy sandwich kind. Think tasty, fresh trail food that keeps you going without weighing you down. You just walk, talk and take it all in.

Safety First: How Going Guided Gives You Peace of Mind on your New Zealand hiking holiday

Anything can go wrong when you’re hiking in an environment like the Tongariro National Park. Joining a guided walking group means that you’ve always got someone keeping a mental eye on the wellbeing of the group and a responsible person making decisions with everyone’s best interests in mind.

You don’t need to weigh yourself down with a ton of safety gear either. Our guides are trained in First Aid, they carry First Aid kits and satellite locator beacons for emergencies. Before we set off on the Tongariro walking trails our hiking guides give thorough safety briefings alerting you to any areas of danger, or places to be wary of. We know where you can access safe drinking water, the location of toilets, and what to do in the event of any emergencies.

In medical emergencies, our hiking guides are trained to be calm, proactive leaders who take control of the situation and call in medical assistance if necessary. It’s their job to provide on-the-ground medical care and oversight until emergency services arrive.

Kiwi Hiking Guides with Great Stories

We call ourselves Walking Legends not because we think we’re awesome at walking, it’s because we make a special effort to learn and share the local stories, myths and legends in each area we visit. Walking Legends hiking guides share stories and insights as they walk, and they know all the cool spots for photos. The views are amazing but when you’ve got a guide who knows the landscape, the history, and the legends behind it all that’s when the trail really comes alive. Our style of delivery aims to ignite a spark of curiosity in you without making you feel like you must learn stuff for a school test.

For an in depth look at what our NZ hiking guides actually do, take a look at our complimentary blog ‘What Does a NZ Hiking Guide Actually Do?‘

Hike like a Pro: Choose guided walks in Tongariro National Park

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or just here for the views, our Walking Legends guided walks in Tongariro are built to suit a range of fitness levels. Go at your own pace, meet some like-minded adventurers, and enjoy a day out in nature – minus the stress.

To join us on one of our New Zealand guided walks, check out our range of guided hiking tour itineraries in New Zealand on our website.

For more information or to speak to one of our friendly crew, please call

NZ Freephone  0800 925 569 (WALK NZ)

AUS Freephone  1800 646 584

International   0064 7 533 3157

Or send an email to [email protected]