Guided hiking and adventure vacations in New Zealand
If New Zealand is on your list of places to see 
(and it should be), this is the way to see it! ACTIVE NZ gets 5 stars.- Marybeth Lynch, (USA) Dec 2008 Tui
PHOTO OF THE MONTH:
Winter Rimu May 2007
Snow-capped mountains set against crisp blue skies... just when you thought the landscape couldn't get any better, winter arrives.
GUIDE OF THE MONTH:
Mark Banham
"Mark really does know how to cook like a pro. I find Mark to be welcoming and friendly, always with cool/funny info tidbits during the rest of the trips to share with the rest of us or help us with anything we needed."
Casey Jung October 2008 Tui
News Clips and Reviews
Paper Trails, Denver Post
(where readers send photos of their local paper travelling the world), by Steve and Joan Ringel
Best deal: Tour with ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND. Well planned, no more than 15 in a group, excellent guides, efficiently showcases special places by hiking, biking and sea kayaking that on your own you couldn't organize. Reasonably priced. Spartan but scrupulously clean accommodations. Healthy, family-style meals. Beer and lattes under $3 everywhere.
Best time to go: November and early December - late spring, early summer 'down under' - just before Kiwis travel for the holidays and best weather.
Best travel tip: Take rain gear - it is supposed to rain quite a bit, although we had only one day of intermittent drizzle on our last day.
"ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND offers the best introduction to New Zealand's South Island available. This trip has it all -- hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and cycling through the most beautiful scenery on earth. Absolutely the best group adventure trip I have ever done."
Monica Beary (California, USA) January 2002 Rimu
Monica Beary (California, USA) January 2002 Rimu
Our New Zealand Hiking Tours
Guided Hiking Vacations in New Zealand| Thinking about a New Zealand hiking trip? Hiking is where it all began for ACTIVE NEW ZEALAND. We’ve been hiking New Zealand’s trails for years and know them like the backs of our hands. If you’re even remotely interested in the outdoors, an active hiking trip in New Zealand will be an adventure you’ll never forget.
Hiking plays a part in most of our trips and we’ve carefully selected the most amazing hiking trails out of the thousands of tracks that criss-cross the country to give you the best hiking trip imaginable. Walking in New Zealand is an incredible experience and whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a beginner, we’ll make sure you get the best out of your hiking vacation. ACTIVE hiking trips are not easy tourist walks, nor are they arduous treks into the mountains. Our hiking tours are designed to get you into the most beautiful and remote wilderness for the New Zealand hiking trip of a lifetime. You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to enjoy our trips, although if you are you won’t be bored. All you need is moderate fitness and a keen interest in the outdoors! Read our New Zealand hiking itineraries. |
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Want help planning your hiking trip? There are so many hiking trails in New Zealand and there's plenty more to hiking New Zealand than just the Milford Track. If you're not sure of your plans just yet, a good place to start is our brochure. With a full fold-out map of New Zealand, information on our hiking trips, as well as lots of cool photos, it's a great place to begin your research.Click here to Request your FREE travel brochure. Or, if you want to have a chat with a local about your plans, feel free to give Jodi or Matty a call on 1 800 661 9073 (USA/Canada), 0808 234 7780 (UK) or +64 3 450 0414 (worldwide). |
Our New Zealand Hiking Trips:
The Manuka is an active hiking trip at a relaxed pace. It’s designed for people who enjoy the off-the-beaten-track, Kiwi style of our trips, but who also like their creature comforts and want to take things a little easier than the folks on our more physically challenging trips.
- Milford Track Guided Walk or Hollyford Track Guided Walk
- Hike West Coast Beaches and Rainforests
- Explore the lakeside village of Queenstown
- Hike Mt Aspiring National Park and Castle Hill
- Hike Paparoa National Park, Fox Glacier and Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
Rated the 9th Greatest Adventure Trip in the World by National Geographic Adventure!The Rimu includes some of the best hikes in the South Island, including a 3-day backpacking trip in Nelson Lakes National Park, along with biking, kayaking and snorkelling.
- Hike Routeburn Track, Punakaiki, Franz Josef Glacier and
Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park - Wilderness Backpacking in Nelson Lakes National Park, Sea Kayaking or Biking Marlborough Sounds
- Cycle Hollyford Valley and Manapouri
- Sea Kayak Okarito Lagoon and Milford Sound
- Hike West Coast Beaches and Rainforests
- Explore the lakeside village of Queenstown
- Snorkel with Seals
Rated the best do-it-all New Zealand Travel Deal of the Year by Outside Magazine!
The Tui is our shortest South Island trip. It’s an action-packed, adventure-oriented itinerary that works well if you are looking for an incredible adventure vacation but don’t have a lot of time to see our country, or as part of a longer trip to New Zealand.
- Hike Routeburn Track, Franz Josef Glacier and
Mt Aspiring National Park - Cycle Hollyford Valley and Manapouri
- Sea kayak Milford Sound
- Scenic mountain flight to Siberia Hut
- Jet boat ride up the Wilken River
- Explore the lakeside village of Queenstown
Hint! Combine the 5-day Kauri with the 8-day Tui to make a two week North and South Island trip.
Our Kauri trip packs loads of adventure into just five days. It allows you to see the 'other side' of New Zealand and we’ve designed it with departure dates that line up with most of our South Island trips.
- Explore volcanoes and Maori culture
- Hike Tongariro Alpine Crossing
- Hike mountains, beach and headland
- Bike Whakarewarewa Forest
- Hiking alongside Rotorua's lakes
- Caving in Waitomo
This trip was designed by guide, Lynette Warmington and was named one of the Best 25 New Trips by National Geographic Adventure Magazine.
This trip has a big wildlife focus – dolphins, seals, penguins, kiwi, kea, whales, albatross, sea lions – these are just a few of the many amazing creatures you can see on this trip. It’s a great option for keen wildlife photographers, and those that enjoy seeing creatures in their natural environment.
- Three-day Hump Ridge Guided Walk
- Cruise Doubtful Sound
- Visit Dunedin - home to some of New Zealand’s rarest wildlife!
- Swim with Dolphins, Whale Watch, Visit Penguins
- Hike Peel Forest, Kaikoura Peninsula, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
- Visit Kiwi Sanctuary
