The Tongariro Northern Circuit Vs Alpine Crossing

Interested in trekking Tongariro, one of New Zealand’s premier hikes? This renowned trek traverses through the North Island’s Tongariro Volcano complex which offers and incredible array of diverse landscapes, including old lava flows, turquoise-hued lakes in a lunar-like terrain, dramatic vistas from its peaks, alpine meadows, meandering streams, lush forest, and waterfalls. And although it’s considered challenging, it’s not technical and can be done if you are in good physical shape. The combination of challenging, varied terrain, stunning vistas, and geological marvels, make this hike an unforgettable experience. One I’ve been lucky enough to do twice now. There are two two main treks here, the Tongariro Northern Circuit, which is one of New Zealand’s 10 Great Walks, vs the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which is considered one of the best day hikes in New Zealand. Both are spectacular!

The Circuit is a multi-day, hut-to-hut hike, usually taking 3 to 4 days, while the Crossing is completed in one day. Both share the section of track that heads up Tongariro from the Mangetepopo Valley to the Red Crater and past the Emerald Lakes, but each also has unique terrain.

This guide outlines the similarities and differences of the two treks: the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It will help you decide which is trek is best for you or your group. It also covers important details on how to get here, where to stay, how to check the weather, key track sections, and more.

Tongariro National Park

Tongariro National Park is a dual World Heritage area, recognized for its important Māori cultural and spiritual associations and its outstanding volcanic features. It sits on the southern part of a 1,553 mile (2,500 km) range of volcanos created by shifts between the Australian and Pacific Plates. There are three volcanos here; Mount Tongariro, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Ruapehu.

This area became a National Park in 1894, managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC), and a World Heritage site in 1993. Mount Tongariro and its surroundings were also used for scenes in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy where it’s known as Mount Doom. Making it even more spectacular, the volcano complex here is live!

The last eruption was in 2012, from a new vent within the Te Maari Craters, after being dormant since 1899. The ash cloud was 3.8 miles high (6.1 km) and travelled quickly over 160 miles (250 km).

There were no advanced warnings and, thankfully, there were no known human injuries. Unfortunately, one of the huts, the Ketetahi Hut, was badly damaged. Red Crater, one of the most spectacular sights of the trek, last erupted in 1926, and still contains active fumaroles.

This volcano complex is monitored to mitigate risk, but is still unpredictable and an eruption could occur at any time. To hike these trails, you need to be able to accept the possible risks associated with that.

You can either hike the Tongariro Circuit, which is a several day, hut to hut hike, vs the Alpine Crossing, which is a one day hike. They both offer spectacular volcanic alpine terrain including; old lava flows, fumaroles, or steam vents, and brilliantly lakes created by explosions, as well as stunning views and a challenging hike. One that provides an amazing sense of accomplishment, and is unforgettable.

Tongariro Northern Circuit Vs Alpine Crossing

Summary of distance and elevation for the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs Alpine Crossing:

• The Circuit: 27.9 mile (44.9 km) multi-day, loop trek with 5,164’ (1,574.3 m) of elevation gain.
• The Crossing: 12.3 mile (19.8 km) one way, one day trek with 2,765’ (842.7 m) of elevation gain. 

The first 6 miles (10 km) or so of both the Circuit and the Crossing (from Mangatepopo Valley) shares the most fascinating volcanic terrain. This means that both provides what I think is the best part of the trek. The similarities and differences are covered below in more detail.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing

As noted above, the Tongariro Crossing is a 12.3 mile (19.8 km) hike with 2,765’ (1,574.3 m) of elevation gain. It ascends up from the Mangatepopo Valley between Mount Tongariro and Mount Nguanuhoe, and descends on the northeast side of Tongariro. See the map below.

They state that the Crossing takes 6 to 8 hours, but if you are in great shape, you can do it in less.

This is a one way hike with no parking for Crossing hikers. Drop off and pick up at the trail start/finish is required, but this can be easily arranged with multiple transport service companies. More on that below.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing sections:

• Mangatepopo Car Park To Soda Springs – Easy: 1 – 1.5 hours
• Soda Springs To South Crater – Moderate to Difficult: 40 minutes to an hour
• South Crater To Red Crater – Moderate to Difficult: 1 hour
• Red Crater To Emerald Lakes – Moderate: 30 minutes
• Blue Lake To Old Ketetahi Hut Area – Moderate: 1 hour
• Old Ketetahi Hut To Ketetahi Car Park – Moderate: 2 hours

Note that although this hike can be done in either direction, the track is steeper from the Ketetahi car park direction. Because of this, most people start at the Mangatepopo car park and finish at Ketetahi.

If you choose to use the All Trails map for a guide, you may see side trails for the summits of Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro. Climbing these peaks is considered disrespectful and unacceptable to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the iwi who made the gift of these sacred peaks to New Zealand. It’s best to always stick to the main trail.

Mangatepopo Car Park To Soda Springs

The first section of the track, which starts at the Mangatepopo car park, is relatively easy, with light elevation gain and good quality trails. Boarded walkways and steps are in some areas to both protect the landscape and provide stability.

About 15 minutes in from the car park you’ll see the track from Whakapapa Village off to the right. This is the first section of trail for the Circuit that goes to Mangatepopo Hut. A few minutes from this you’ll see the track to the left for Mangatepopo Hut.

For the Crossing, continue straight towards Soda Springs, which continues up the valley, following Mangatepopo Stream and around the edge of an old lava flow.

As you get close to Soda Springs, you will see the optional trail on your left to get to the waterfall, about a 15-minute walk with return.

The water at Soda Springs contains some dissolved gases, which gives the water an effervescent quality, and is how it gets its name.

Note that if there has been a lot of rain, the track to Soda Springs may be flooded and muddy. Tread carefully to avoid wet shoes.

Soda Springs To South Crater

The section of the track after Soda Springs becomes more challenging. This steep climb has many sets of wooden steps known as the Devil’s Staircase.

As you climb, make sure to stop and look back to the valley behind you. Especially on a clear day. You may be able to see Mangatepopo Hut and the volcanic cone of Mount Taranaki in the distance.

South Crater, which is not a real crater, is a basin that may have been carved by glaciers. It has since been filled with sediment from the surrounding ridges.

Tip: The track here is rocky in some places, so step carefully. If there are strong wind gusts, or other adverse weather, this area can become challenging.

South Crater To Red Crater

After South Crater there is a short climb on an exposed ridge. Follow the trail up to the peak of Red Crater, which is at 6,187’ (1,886 m). This is the summit of both the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and the Northern Circuit.

Red Crater, which gets its red color from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock, is one of the youngest vents of the Tongariro Complex. There is still thermal steaming around the crater, through its fumaroles, which will have a sulfurous smell. A reminder that this is still active volcano landscape. You can also still see some of the rocks blasted out of the crater from past eruptions. It’s really quite amazing to be standing here. Even if the weather is less than ideal.

If it’s a nice day, you will be rewarded with spectacular views into the crater and over Kaimanawa Forest Park. Inside the crater, look for the unique formation known as a ‘dike’.

This was created when molten magma moved to the surface through a vertical channel in the crater wall. The dike was left partially hollow when the magma drained away and erosion of softer materials around it left it exposed.

On my first hike here it was pouring rain at the summit of Red Crater. So hard I could not see even a few feet in front of me. At the time there were poles and chains in place to help with the hike. I was very thankful for them as I could not have made it across without them, using them to propel me forward in the rain. I was surprised to learn on my second hike that these chains are no longer part of the trail.

On my second hike the air was thick with clouds, so, unfortunately, I have no photos from either trip to show this spectacular area.

After stopping to absorb the majesty of this area, continue following the main track around Red Crater. As always, be careful with your footing as there are rocks from previous blasts littering the area. This exposed ridge can also be very difficult if there are strong wind gusts or other adverse weather conditions. And there is also always the risk of volcanic activity.

Red Crater To Emerald Lakes

After completing the summit of Red Crater, trek down towards the Emerald Lakes. You may be relieved to no longer be climbing, but this section is still challenging as the volcanic “scoria” at your feet is several inches of old volcanic debris. Use very careful foot placement here to avoid sliding down the hill or rolling an ankle.

As you descend the crater, you will see the brightly-colored Emerald Lakes, which are remnants of ancient volcanic blasts. Their greenish hue is from the sulphur that enters the lakes from below.

The Maori name for the lakes is Ngarotopounamu, which means greenstone-hued lakes. These lakes (including Blue Lake farther down) are considered Tapu (or sacred) by the Maori. It is disrespectful to eat or drink near their shores and there is no swimming allowed. Plus, as there are live steam vents here, you need to stay on the track for safety reasons.

I would love to hike this section on a sunny day as (in photos), the turquoise lakes look surreal in the lunar-like terrain here.

On my first hike here, I couldn’t even see the lakes it was raining so hard. On my second hike, they were a soft haze of pale blue grey, simmering just below the clouds.

The third lake is Blue Lake, or Te Wai-whakaata-o-te-Rangihiroa. It’s a little further down. On a clear day you may be able to see it from the trail of the Crossing, but it’s technically along the path of the Circuit, which turns to the right off the Crossing not far from the lake. Te Rangihiroa was the son of local chief Pakaurangi, and Te Maari (after whom the crater here is named) was his sister.

If you want, take a slight detour on the Circuit to see Blue Lake, following the signs for the Oturere Hut, then doubling back to complete the Crossing.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing continues over Central Crater, which is also not a true crater, but a drainage basin.

Blue Lake To Old Ketetahi Hut Area

After the lakes, the trail for the Crossing remains strewn with rock and you will climb a little to the edge of North Crater. 

If it’s clear, as it was here after I left the clouds blanketing Red Crater, you’ll start to see spectacular views out over Mount Pihanga and Lake Rotoaira, and possibly even Lake Taupo behind that.

After waking in thick clouds and strong wind gusts for hours, this was a dry welcome sight!

From here, the trail zigzags downhill to the location of the old Ketetahi Hut. This hut was once part of the Circuit, but was damaged in the 2012 eruption. It remained standing as a shelter for a while, but now has been removed. There are just toilets here now, but it’s a great place to pause for the views.

Old Ketetahi Hut To Ketetahi Car Park

After the old Ketetahi Hut area, you continue with spectacular views of Lake Rotoaira as you descend Tongariro.

I took this 360 degree video to show the beauty of the lakes before me and the huge cloud still blanketing the crater that I just descended from behind me.

It was not as windy here as it was climbing up Tongariro, but you can see how windy it is here in the video.

Continuing on, the track crosses the Ketetahi Stream that flows down from the Ketetahi Springs (the springs are on private land and are not accessible on the hike).

Stop to notice the mineral stains on the rocks as you cross the Ketetahi Stream. Continue following the track down, enjoying the easier trail and lovely views.

As you start get closer to ground level, you will enter a lush forest with many ferns and lichen, or moss, on the trees. Very diverse from the volcanic landscapes you just left.

After a while, you’ll see the stream very close to the trail. This is the Lahar Hazard Zone. A lahar is a flood of water, volcano mud, ash, and rocks. These occur during heavy rains if ground above shifts and releases material from past eruptions. 

There is a sign here that explains more about them and tells you to move quickly through this area. The stream, however, is beautiful and refreshing after the long hike, so you can’t help but linger a little and enjoy the sounds of the running water.

The trail ends not too long after this at the Ketetahi car park. At the car park, there is a small deck with a partial roof to rest at (and celebrate!) after completing your hike, while waiting for your transport pickup.

Tongariro Northern Circuit 

The Northern Circuit is a 27.9 mile (44.9 km) loop, with 5,164’ (1,574 m) of elevation gain. It starts and ends in Whakapapa Village and can also be hiked in either direction. 

This trek takes 3-4 days, with options to stay at 3 different huts: Mangatepopo, Oturere, and Waihohonu Hut. There are also campsites available in these locations.

Can the Tongariro Circuit be done in 2 days? Yes, but the days will be long, as long as 8 hours of trekking each day.

The distances between segments are:

• Whakapapa Village to Mangatepopo Hut – Easy: 3-5 hours, 9.4 km
• Mangatepopo Hut to Emerald Lakes – Moderate to Difficult: 3-4 hours, 8 km
• Emerald Lakes to Oturere Hut – 1.5-2 hours, 4 km
• Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut – 3 hours, 8.1 km
• Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa Village – 5 hours, 15.4 km

To see the distances and elevation between huts, see the image below. This will help you decide which huts to book for your ability.

Whakapapa Vilage to Mangatepopo Hut

The start of the trail is easy, crossing over the landscape of ancient lava flows and streams at the foot of impressive Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro. The last bit of track before the first hut heads up and around an old steam vent, Pukekaikiore.

Mangetepopo Hut to Emerald Lakes

The section between Mangatepopo Hut and Emerald Lakes is virtually identical to the following sections on the Crossing above: Mangatepopo Car Park To Soda Springs, Soda Springs To South Crater, South Crater To Red Crater, and Red Crater To Emerald Lakes.

The only difference is the relatively short distance between the Mangatepopo car park and the place where the trail merges for the Mangatepopo Hut and the turn off to Oturere Hut near the Blue Lake.

Emerald Lakes to Oturere Hut

After the Emerald Lakes, and before Blue Lake, the trail separates from the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and loops to the right, down around Mount Ngäuruhoe and through the Oturere Valley to Oturere Hut, rather than continuing down the northern slope of Tongariro to Ketetahi car park.

Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut

The trail after Oturere Hut continues to descend. This time through a beech-forested valley and past Waihohonu Stream.

As you get closer to Waihohonu Hut, there will be a steep incline, and then another descent before reaching the hut. If you go past this hut, following the trail for Whakapapa a little, you’ll see the historic Waihohonu Hut, the oldest mountain hut in New Zealand and the first hut built in Tongariro.

Since Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut is the shortest section of the Crossing, consider spending some extra time here trekking to the old hut before doubling back to the new hut for the night.

Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa Village

From Waihohonu Hut, you now make your way back to the your starting point in Whakapapa Village. Head west to the Tama Saddle where there are side treks to the Tama Lakes and Taranaki Falls.

The Tama Lakes are ancient explosion craters between Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe that filled with water. The Lower Tama is about a 10-minute walk with return while the Upper Tama is about an hour and a half with return from the trail.

The trails lead to viewpoints of the lakes. There is no trail down to them. Although they are freshwater lakes, there is no swimming here.

The side trip to Taranaki Falls is next, taking about 5-minutes with return. The water falls over an old lava flow from Mount Ruapehu.

After the falls, continue following the trail to Whakapapa Village.

Note: the hike from Whakapapa to Taranaki Falls and the Tama Lakes is a good alternative hike if the weather is too bad for the Crossing or the Circuit, or do this on a separate day if treking the Crossing.

Tongariro Northern Circuit vs Alpine Crossing Pros

Honestly, whether you chose to hike the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Alpine Crossing, you’ve made the right choice. Both are amazing! But here are a few pros for each.

Pros of The Circuit

• The longer, multi day hike allows you more leisure time to explore the sites, rather than rushing to finish.
• If you’re not in peak physical shape, cutting the hike into several days gives your body time to rest.
• You get to see Taranaki Falls and the Tama Lakes, which are not part of the Crossing.
• And finally, you get to sleep in a hut on a volcano and meet some cool people from around the world!

Pros of The Crossing

• The Crossing covers the same most stunning volcanic sections of the trek as the Circuit in one day.
• The longer, challenging hike of the Crossing provides an amazing sense of accomplishment.
• As you do not need to pre-book huts for the Crossing, you can stay in the area a few days and select the best weather day to hike.
• You get to see the views and terrain from the as you descend the north side of Tongariro, which are not in the Circuit.
• You still get to meet cool people from around the world as you trek!

Other Details

See the following details for checking the weather, what to wear, and what to bring for the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Alpine Crossing.

Weather & Conditions

Check Weather Conditions & Track Status

Always check the latest weather conditions for the trek on the NIWA website. It’s best to check often as the weather can change dramatically and quickly. This includes the night prior and morning of your hike, as well as each day of the Circuit.

Check Track Conditions

Check the latest track status on the doc.govt.nz website to see if there are any issues.

What To Wear/Bring

Make sure to wear good quality hiking shoes, wear several layers of sweat wicking clothes, and bring a good, waterproof rain jacket. Hats, sunscreen and gloves and also recommended. Gators to protect your feet from getting wet and a waterproof cover for your backpack are also a good idea.

Note that if your transport service driver does not think you are properly dressed/prepared, they may not take you to the trail.

If you’re staying at a campsite, you need to bring your tent and sleeping bag and pillow in addition to your food and water. If you’re staying in a dorm, you need to bring your sleeping bag and pillow in addition to your food and water.

It’s also a good idea to bring earplugs as you may be in a large, open room with multiple people snoring.

For the Circuit, if booking all 3 huts, there will be evenings where you have lots of free time (short hike days), so bring something to read or a game to play.

Food & Water

Bring 1.5-2 liters of water for your hike. You can refill your water bottle or pack bladder at huts.

No food or beverages are available on the Tongariro Complex, so you need to bring your own (although tap water is available at the huts).

For the Crossing, pack a lunch and bring fruits, nuts, bars, whatever you prefer when hiking. You’ll be expending a lot of energy, so make sure to bring enough.

For the Circuit, in addition to your food and water for all the days of your hike, you also need to bring pots and cutlery for anything you plan to make in the shared kitchen of the hut. The pre-packaged freeze dried meals sold at outdoor stores are perfect as they are lightweight in your pack. You just need a pan for boiling water and adding in the package contents, as well as a spoon or fork. Of course bring coffee, tea, fruits, trail mix, bread, snacks, whatever else you want/need.

Bookings

Different bookings are required for the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Alpine Crossing.

The Circuit

For the Circuit, you need to book huts (or campsites) in advance on the doc.govt.nz website. Fees vary by type of facility, time of year, and if you are a local or international guest, but are very reasonable.

The Crossing

You also need to make a ‘booking’ to hike the Crossing on the doc.govt.nz website, although it is free.

Safety

Let someone know where you are hiking and when you have safely completed the hike. They can raise the alarm if you do not return. This hike is relatively safe if you are prepared, but things can happen. Especially if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

111 is the emergency number here if you run into difficulty and need a rescue.

Stay with your group if trekking in a group. If trekking solo, ‘stick’ with other hikers when you can. Especially in bad weather.

If you run into issues before summiting Red Crater, turn back to your starting point and call your transport service for an alternate pickup and if you run into difficulty after the summit of Red Crater, continue down to the Ketetahi car park.

Transport Services

Shuttle Services For Tongariro

There are several transport services for Tongariro. Check the websites below for more details and costs on each.

• National Park Shuttles
• Summit Shuttles
• Tongariro Crossing Shuttles

You can book with them directly, book with your accommodation, or book at the Whakapapa i-SITE. It’s best to book in advance to make sure you get your desired time slot. The shuttles will be canceled if the weather on the mountain is too bad.

I used Summit Shuttles (as they picked up at my accommodation in National Park). The Summer Shuttle runs from 5.45am through to 9.30am about every hour and 15 minutes daily (weather dependent). They drop off at Mangatepopo car park and offer return times from Ketetahi car park at 1:30, 3:00, 4:30, and 6:00 PM. They also pick you and drop off at other locations in National Park annd Whakapapa Village. The others are very similar.

We were asked to call from the old Ketetahi Hut area to book our return time as completion time from here is fairly predictable. If you feel confident of your completion time, they may also let you set this on the morning shuttle.

Other Shuttle Services

In addition to shuttles for Tongariro, National Park Shuttles also provides transportation between National Park Village and Whakapapa Village. This is ideal if you are staying in the area several days.

My Hikes

My First Hike

On my first hike, I planned to hike the Circuit. I wanted to experience the whole thing and was not confident in my ability to do the Crossing in one day, so I booked all 3 huts.

Unfortunately serious wind and rain settled in near the summit, making the hike very challenging. Especially near the steepest, most exposed parts at the peak. The weather was so bad I could barely see or walk.

In the bad weather, I took a wrong turn and ended up completing the Crossing rather than the Circuit. This means I ended up hiking the entire Crossing after staying in Mangetepopo Hut my first night. In bad weather.

By the time I realized what happened, I also realized that correcting it meant going back to the summit, which was pretty treacherous, so I decided to just go with it and finished the hike at Ketetahi.

That said, my experience was still amazing. The dramatic weather just made the unusual lava formations and rugged climbing at the top feel like a serious expedition! As noted above, here were poles and chains at the summit for my first hike, which I don’t think I could have completed without. I was hanging in for my life!

After this, I booked a room in Whakapapa and went back the next day to hike the lower areas that I missed, like Tama Lakes and Taranaki Falls. Therefore, in the end, I pretty much hiked both trials. Just not in the normal sequence!

Second Hike

Since I already knew I could handle the Crossing, I planned for it on my second hike. The day before my hike, shuttles were cancelled as the wind at the summit was too high (up to 100 kph). I was hopeful mine would not be cancelled the next day as wind and rain was predicted.

That morning, the weather still looked okay, but it was still predicting clouds, rain, and heavy winds. By the time our shuttle dropped us off, the driver said the winds were higher than predicted. He reminded us of the 111 number for emergency and provided the number if we needed to return to the start of the trail for pick up.

About 30 minutes from my start at the Mangatepopo car park, I saw the sign below posted on the trail. I, and many others decided to ignore it and continued on.

I was told the wind gusts the day I hiked were as high as 80 kph mid-summit, which is tough to hike in on exposed ridges. A few times I thought I might be blown off the trail. As I neared the summit, the clouds were thick, so visibility was limited, but, thankfully, the winds were not as bad.

Unfortunately, I could not see much of anything from South Crater to Red Crater, due to heavy clouds, but the trek was still spectacular! After descending down toward the old Ketetahi Hut area, I broke out of the clouds and the weather was amazing for the rest of my hike (although still very windy).

The trek is challenging, yet I would still love to do it again. Especially on a clear day.

If doing the Crossing, my recommendation is to plan to stay in town for several days. This way, you can pick the best day to hike. Since you need to pre-book the hut for the Circuit, you don’t get this flexibility with that trek.

Where To Stay

The two most popular places to stay in to hike either the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Alpine Crossing are Whakapapa Village and National Park. Of course if your doing the Circuit, you will have huts or campsites booked on the trail, but you generally stay the night prior, so you get get an early start, and you may want to stay a night after your hike.

If you’re doing the Circuit, it may be slightly easier to stay in Whakapapa Village, as that is where that trail starts and ends, while either is great for the Crossing. Transportation is available to help you with whatever choice you make. My shuttle stopped at both villages on the way to and from the trail.

Note that most of the accommodation in this area gets mediocre reviews. I’ve found that many of them are very, very basic. And surprisingly, neither area has many restaurants.

Most of the accommodation noted below offers shuttle pick up for the Crossing directly at their facility. Verify before you book though.

If you have huts booked for the Circuit, remember to ask at your accommodation if you can keep your non hiking gear there while you hike.

National Park

If you’re taking the Intercity Bus to this area, the bus stops in National Park, so makes a convenient place to stay.

• I stayed at National Park Alpine Lodge. It offers affordable rooms for solo backpackers with shared bathrooms up to rooms for families. There’s a shared kitchen and a small shop on the facility and a bar that’s open for dinner.
• Adventure Lodge and Motels also offers a range of room from economy rooms with a shared bath to family rooms. They also have a hot timber to soak in after your hike.
• The Park Hotel Ruapehu is where the best restaurant in town is (Sprial Restaurant), so would make a great place to stay. It’s a little pricier than the options above.

Whakapapa Village

• Skotel offers basic rooms with shared bathrooms for backpackers up to full suites with a kitchen, dinging room, bathroom, and views for families or groups. Prices range accordingly. It’s close to Tongariro National Park Visitor Center and close to the trail to Taranaki Falls and The Tama Lakes.

Want More of New Zealand?

For other great hikes in New Zealand, see my posts on Routeburn Track, Abel Tasman Coastal Track, Ben Lomond Track, Queenstown Hill Walkway, Key Summit Track, Cape Brett Walkway, and A Day Hike on Kepler Track. Routeburn, Abel Tasman, and Kepler Track are 3 other New Zealand “Great Walks”, but they’re all amazing.

If you’re on the South Island, you can’t miss stunning Queenstown, Milford Sound, Wānaka, or Franz Josef Glacier.

For wine lovers, stop in Marlborough to taste some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world. There are also other great wines and some great beers.

To help plan your trip, see my New Zealand Travel Guide. It covers the top destinations above, how to get around, when to visit, safety tips, and more.

If you’ve enjoyed my summary on the Tongariro Northern Circuit vs the Alpine Crossing, please leave a comment below.

Safe Travels!

Julie

If you’re interested in learning more about me and my photos pose on travel, see my about me page.