Enjoy a private guided walk with one of our senior guides around some of the highlights of Tongariro National Park

Duration

4 hours

About

When you are met by your guide, you can choose where you go; the many options to choose from to best suit your ability, pace and interests; and to fit in with the weather. Depending on your preferences it can be anything from a long-ish walk around 2-3 hours and a short drive around other highlights; a number of short walks; or a drive around scenic and historical highlights on the western side of Tongariro National Park. This half day experience is perfect for those on a shorter time schedule or those who prefer a more relaxed style of hiking in the park.

The tour starts in the morning and takes 7-8 hours depending on your requirements. This is a great option is you're a little pushed for time and want to take in as much of the Tongariro as possible. Taking in views from the Tongariro National Park, our guides know all the hidden secrets and all stories to allow for a truly memorable day in the dual World Heritage Tongariro National Park.

The tour includes:

• Pickup from your accommodation
• Transport to selected attractions
• Guided escort long walks and trails
• Snacks and hot drinks
• Full interpretive stories
• Drives through volcanic terrain, protected national park and typical New Zealand forestry and pastoral farmland

Possible walks include:

• Soda Springs, the relatively flat first leg of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, up the Mangatepopo Valley, viewing the smooth round glacial formations on one side contrasting with the harsh sharp volcanic rock of the other side. Approx 3 hours return.
• Taranaki Falls, Silica Rapids, or the Whakapapanui Walk (each approx 2 1/2 hours return) that showcase Tongariro National Park's sub-alpine tussock plains and beech forest around Whakapapa Village.
• Te Porere Redoubt (approx 1 hour return), the site of a small but critical battle in the 19th century conflict between local Maori tribes and the British Empire,
• Tawhai Falls (approx 30 minutes return), a beautiful waterfall set in a shaded forest grove, and also one of a number of Lord of the Rings filming location in and around the Park.
• The Mounds Walk (approx 20 minutes), a walk amongst ancient glacial debris that provides a fine vantage point overlooking the western Tongariro plains.
• Meads Wall (approx 20 minutes return), a natural rock formation that drops away to the Whakapapanui Stream. A popular climbing location and the site of two Lord of the Rings filming locations. This walk may not be accessible in winter.
• Tupapakurua Falls (approx 3 hours return) a lesser known walk that winds through light forest to one of the higher waterfalls in this area.
• Ohinetonga Forest Walk (approx 1 hour loop), a community-developed trail through traditional New Zealand rain forest, home to a growing population of rare blue ducks (whio).
• Lake Rotopounamu (approx 30 minutes return to the Lake, approx 2 hours around the lake, a beautiful gem, tucked away in thick native forest.

Other locations of interest include:

• Iwikau Village, home of Whakapapa Skifield,the Sky Waka gondola and the largest artificial snow maker in the Southern hemisphere.
• Tongariro Visitor Centre, run jointly between the Department of Conservation and Ngati Hikairo; with great displays of natural and local history.
• Active fumaroles & steam vents on the northern side of Mt Tongariro, from the Ketetahi hot pools and Te Maari craters.
• Okupata Pa, the protected site of an historic Maori village on the shores of Lake Rotoaira, and also the location where the All Black haka was created.
• The historic Chateau Tongariro hotel, built in 1929, as skiing become a more popular sport in New Zealand.
• Great views of the four volcanoes that dominate Tongariro National Park.
• Tokaanu Thermal Walk and the southern shores of Lake Taupo.
• Tongariro hydro-electric power scheme link local lakes and waterways into a chain of power stations that provide much of New Zealand's electricity needs.

Please note: some locations may not be accessible in winter or bad weather.