It’s time to book your Great Walks of New Zealand adventure
Bookings are now open for 2025/2026 bookings for five of New Zealand’s Great Walks with the next three – Lake Waikaremoana Track, Abel Tasman Coast Track, Paparoa TrackGreat Walk – open for booking on May 27, and the famous Milford Track opening on May 28. All bookings are through an upgraded system from the New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC).
New booking system easy to navigate
These iconic multi-day walks through some of New Zealand’s most pristine wilderness are incredibly popular, with the most well-known, such as the Routeburn, Milford, Kepler and Abel Tasman tracks, booking out quickly for the summer holiday season.
“The most-loved experiences during peak times such as the holidays tend to book up quickly, but there’s plenty to choose from across the network,” DOC Heritage and Visitor Director Catherine Wilson says.
Wilson also mentions the new upgraded booking system as being easier to navigate.
“We’ve introduced a new industry-leading lobby system, similar to those used by concert-booking companies, so customers have a smoother experience, and we can better manage the very high demand when bookings first open.”
High demand for a memorable experience
Opening dates for bookings have been staggered – with Great Walks bookings starting at May 15 and the final one (the Milford) opening May 28, huts campsites and lodges May 13 to June 4 – to give people making multiple bookings a better chance of securing their preferred slot.
“We’ve re-shuffled the booking schedule to balance demand across the weeks so the Kepler, Heaphy and Rakiura Great Walks open first on Thursday 15 May, and the exceptionally popular Milford Track will open last on Wednesday 28 May,” says Wilson.
She also encourages people who may initially miss out on their preferred dates for the most popular Great Walks to keep an eye on the booking site as there are often cancellations. She also encourages patience, as this booking period is incredibly busy for DOC.
“We continue to ask users to be patient when booking. New Zealand’s Great Walks face massive demand with close to 100,000 people booking a Great Walk annually, 35 per cent of whom are international visitors,” she says. “We’re lucky to have stunning mountains, forests, beaches, parks, lakes and rivers on our doorstep, and incredible tracks, huts and campsites for people to enjoy them.”
Fact file
There have been some price increases for the 2025/26 season of between five and 15 per cent for the Milford, Routeburn, Kepler, Abel Tasman Coast Track, and Paparoa Great Walks and several high-demand huts and cottages. Some of DOC’s standard and serviced campsites have increased by $3-$5 per person per night. All of these charges are reinvested in the DOC recreation network.
One thing to note is that bookings for the Tongariro Northern Circuit are on hold while DOC assesses plans for replacing Oturere Hut. To book the Hump Ridge Track visit Hump Ridge Trust. Bookings can be made anytime. The Hump Ridge Track’s walking season is 25 October 2024 to 21 April 2025.
For bookings, go to Great Walks.
