Tongariro Northern Circuit

Across the volcanic plateau by Red Crater and the Emerald Lakes, with the Department of Conservation's Mangatepopo, Oturere and Waihohonu huts: in 2026/27 from the Mangatepopo car park to Whakapapa Village, while the section from Whakapapa is closed after the fire.

Compare with others
37kmMapped distance
1,322mMapped ascent
4Walking stages

Best season: 23 October to 30 April (the Great Walks season). The Department of Conservation's 2026/27 Great Walks season runs from 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027, with wardens and gas in the huts. Oturere Hut is closed while it is rebuilt until 18 December 2026: before then the walk from Mangatepopo to Waihohonu is 20 km in a day over hard ground. From May to late October (DOC's winter season) the circuit is alpine terrain under snow and ice, with avalanche risk on Red Crater greatest from July to October: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience. Before you go

Loading your plan…

Plan your days

Your dates

Checking the seasons, closures and current conditions for today…

Three huts, each with a campsite, on the 2026/27 route from the Mangatepopo car park. Oturere Hut is due to reopen on 18 December 2026; until then the plan for it skips Oturere. Or pick your own nights below.

Hut seasons as published. 2026/27: the season at all 3 huts runs 23 October to 30 April; outside it they stay open with less.

4-day plan

Loading topographic map…
1,100m1,200m1,300m1,400m1,500m1,600m1,700m1,800m1,900m010 km20 km30 km36.9 km1,858m1,095m
Flat (<5%) Gentle (5–10%) Moderate (10–15%) Steep (15–25%)
Each day in its own colour, numbered where it starts; the rest of the Tongariro Northern Circuit in grey. Select a day for its elevation and 3D flyover.

Make your own plan

Changing the pace or where you stay suggests a new number of days: the fewest that keep each day under 8 h of walking and in daylight, where a place to stay allows.

Choose your nights (3 nights)

Days end where the route has a stay, a camp or a village.

Day by day

  1. Day 1

    Mangatepopo car park to Mangatepopo Hut

    Stage 1

    Distance
    1.8 km
    Climb
    +79 / −0 m
    Walking
    29 minDepartment of Conservation times, plus our estimate off the route

    Includes 0.2 km off the route by the hut track to Mangatepopo Hut.

    Stage 1: From the car park to Mangatepopo Hut, 25 minutes. This is also the start of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing: parking here is limited to 4 hours in the season.

    Overnight

    Mangatepopo Hut

    Staffed mountain hut · 1,190 m · Department of Conservation

    Pick a date to check the season.

    Season
    2026/27 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027 The 2026/27 Great Walks season, with a warden and gas cooking: book online or at the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, same-day online until 8 p.m. Outside the season: From 1 May to 22 October there is no warden or gas, the hut still needs a booking, at $25 adult (DOC's track and hut pages), and the track is an alpine route: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience. doc.govt.nz, read 27 September 2026
    Places
    20 places in total · Self-catering 20 bunks. In the Great Walks season a warden, gas cookers, heating and solar lighting; non-flush toilets; boil the tap water.
    Booking
    Book online Book all year (DOC's track and hut pages). Great Walks season: adult NZ$66 (international), NZ$44 (NZ resident), child $33 / $22; 1 May to 22 October $25 adult. A campsite beside the hut, booked too.
    Contact
    Official site

    OpenStreetMap

    A short walk from the car park, below the Tongariro Alpine Crossing's climb to South Crater. Camp only at the hut campsites: not within 500 m of the track.

    Day 1 GPX Open in Planner

  2. Day 2

    Mangatepopo Hut to Oturere Hut

    Stage 2

    Distance
    12.0 km
    Climb
    +684 / −533 m
    Walking
    5 h 03Department of Conservation times, plus our estimate off the route

    Includes 0.2 km from Mangatepopo Hut back to the route by the hut track.

    Not confirmed open on set days: km 0–11.8 of stage 2. From May to late October (DOC's winter season) the climb over Red Crater is alpine terrain under snow and ice, with avalanche risk greatest from July to October but possible before and after: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience.

    Not confirmed open: km 0–11.8 of stage 2. Any rise in the volcanic alert level at Tongariro or Ngāuruhoe closes tracks near the craters: check GeoNet's alert level and DOC's alerts before you set off.

    Stage 2: The Crossing's climb to South Crater and Red Crater, then the Emerald Lakes (geothermal vents: stay on the track) and a steep 400 m descent on loose rock to Oturere Hut. A circuit booking stands in for the Crossing's own booking. Climbing Ngāuruhoe or Tongariro's summits is disrespectful to Ngāti Tūwharetoa.

    Overnight

    Oturere Hut

    Staffed mountain hut · 1,360 m · Department of Conservation

    Pick a date to check the season.

    Season
    2026/27 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027 The 2026/27 Great Walks season, with a warden and gas cooking: book online or at the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, same-day online until 8 p.m. Outside the season: From 1 May to 22 October there is no warden or gas, and the track is an alpine route: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience. DOC's pages differ on booking then: the track page says huts are booked all year, the Oturere Hut page says first come, first served. Check with DOC when you plan. doc.govt.nz, read 27 September 2026
    Closed
    Until 17 December 2026. Oturere Hut and its campsite are closed while a new hut is built, due to reopen on 18 December 2026 (DOC alert, reviewed 4 September 2026): until then there is no hut or campsite between Mangatepopo and Waihohonu, a 20 km day over hard ground. Bookings before then are being refunded or moved. doc.govt.nz, read 27 September 2026
    Places
    26 places in total · Self-catering The old hut had 26 bunks. In the Great Walks season a warden, gas cookers, heating and solar lighting; non-flush toilets; boil the tap water. The new hut's bunks are not published yet.
    Booking
    Book online Book in the Great Walks season. Great Walks season: adult NZ$66 (international), NZ$44 (NZ resident), child $33 / $22; 1 May to 22 October $25 adult. A campsite beside the hut; both are closed until 18 December 2026.
    Contact
    Official site

    OpenStreetMap

    In the lava fields east of Red Crater, after a steep 400 m descent on loose rock from the Emerald Lakes.

    Day 2 GPX Open in Planner

  3. Day 3

    Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut

    Stage 3

    Distance
    8.3 km
    Climb
    +207 / −473 m
    Walking
    3 hDepartment of Conservation time; our estimate 2 h 20

    Not confirmed open on set days: km 0–8.3 of stage 3. From May to late October (DOC's winter season) the circuit can be cold and icy, with snow and short days: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience.

    Stage 3: Across the lava fields and valleys to Waihohonu Hut below Ruapehu. The historic Old Waihohonu Hut is close by.

    Overnight

    Waihohonu Hut

    Staffed mountain hut · 1,150 m · Department of Conservation

    Pick a date to check the season.

    Season
    2026/27 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027 The 2026/27 Great Walks season, with a warden and gas cooking: book online or at the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre, same-day online until 8 p.m. Outside the season: From 1 May to 22 October there is no warden or gas, the hut still needs a booking, at $25 adult (DOC's track and hut pages), and the track is an alpine route: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience. doc.govt.nz, read 27 September 2026
    Places
    28 places in total · Self-catering 28 bunks. In the Great Walks season a warden, gas cookers, heating and solar lighting; non-flush toilets; boil the tap water. A wood burner, with firewood flown in.
    Booking
    Book online Book all year (DOC's track and hut pages). Great Walks season: adult NZ$66 (international), NZ$44 (NZ resident), child $33 / $22; 1 May to 22 October $25 adult. A campsite beside the hut, booked too.
    Contact
    Official site

    OpenStreetMap

    Below Ruapehu, near the historic Old Waihohonu Hut. Little or no phone signal here.

    Day 3 GPX Open in Planner

  4. Day 4

    Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa Village

    Stage 4

    Distance
    15.2 km
    Climb
    +352 / −314 m
    Walking
    5 hDepartment of Conservation time; our estimate 3 h 49

    Not confirmed open on set days: km 0–15.2 of stage 4. From May to late October (DOC's winter season) the circuit can be cold and icy, with snow and short days: DOC says to walk it then only with alpine skills, equipment and experience.

    Stage 4: Past the Tama Lakes junction (Lower Tama 20 minutes, Upper Tama 1.5 hours return) to Whakapapa Village. Two tracks lead back to the village, both about an hour, DOC says; the line here takes the lower one, by Taranaki Falls.

    Day 4 GPX Open in Planner

Longest day: day 2, 5 h 03.

How these plans are made

Days end at a stage end with a refuge or a village, or in a village the route passes through. Walking times are the Department of Conservation's published times where it gives one, with our estimate beside it; a day that walks part of a stage gets a share of the stage's time by distance and climb. Running times use 7.5 km/h plus one hour per 700 m of climb: a steady reference, not a prediction. Daylight is sunrise to sunset where the day starts; the time left is for breaks, meals and delays.Refuge dates come from the operator's own pages; when they are not published, we say so. For villages we count the places to stay OpenStreetMap lists; we have not checked which are open. A plan is not a booking: reserve every night before you commit to these day lengths.

Huts and stays, stage by stage

Where each stage ends, the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons the operator publishes, and how to book. Read from the operators' pages on 27 September 2026; each stage page shows the sources and the grade profile.

StageNight at2026/272027/28Booking
1. Mangatepopo car park to Mangatepopo HutMangatepopo Hut · 1190 m 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027not publishedBook online
2. Mangatepopo Hut to Oturere HutOturere Hut · 1360 m 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027not publishedBook online
3. Oturere Hut to Waihohonu HutWaihohonu Hut · 1150 m 23 October 2026 to 30 April 2027not publishedBook online
4. Waihohonu Hut to Whakapapa VillageWhakapapa Village · no hut at this point

Weather this week

Loading the forecast for low point (1,089 m) and high point (1,870 m)…

Weather by month

Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,089 m) and the highest point (1,870 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.

Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
WeatherGoodGoodGoodGoodMixedMixedMixedMixedMixedMixedMixedMixed
Stages rated good on typical weather4/44/44/43/40/40/40/40/40/40/40/41/4
High point, day / night18°/4°18°/4°15°/2°10°/0°6°/-2°3°/-3°2°/-4°3°/-4°6°/-3°10°/-2°13°/0°16°/3°
Low point, day / night21°/7°21°/7°19°/5°14°/3°10°/1°8°/-1°7°/-1°8°/-1°11°/0°14°/2°17°/3°19°/6°
Rain, mm170182174169199208212268338234251288
Snow at high point–––PossiblePossiblePossiblePossibleLikelyLikelyPossiblePossible–
Daylight14 h 3813 h 3512 h 2511 h 0610 h 029 h 269 h 3910 h 3311 h 4713 h 0314 h 1514 h 54

Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.

Before you go

Prepare for the Tongariro Northern Circuit

Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.

Book the huts and campsites

The huts are booked all year, online (same day until 8 p.m.) or at the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre; no space is held for walk-ins. DOC's track page says campsites are booked all year too, its campsite pages say first come, first served outside the season: book to be sure. Camp only at the hut campsites, never within 500 m of the track; the planner's nights are the huts.

Volcanic risk

Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu are active volcanoes. On 27 September 2026 GeoNet's alert levels were 0 for Tongariro and Ngāuruhoe and 1 for Ruapehu; if the level rises at Tongariro or Ngāuruhoe, DOC closes tracks near the craters. The hazard zone is 3 km around Te Maari, Red Crater and Ngāuruhoe.

DOC: volcanic risk

Prices

Each hut night in the Great Walks season costs an international adult NZ$66 and a New Zealand resident NZ$44 (children $33 / $22); a campsite night $28 / $19. From 1 May to 22 October the huts cost $25 an adult.

DOC: Great Walks pricing

Signal and help

Carry a distress beacon: the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre at Whakapapa hires them out (+64 7 892 3729, 8.30 to 4). For search and rescue call 111.

DOC: distress beacons

Getting there

Connect your journey

Choose a stage or journey above to narrow the travel searches.

Directions to this start Travel from this finish

Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.

Whakapapa and National Park Village

Buses and trains stop at National Park Village, 15 km from Whakapapa. Park at Whakapapa Village with a free overnight permit from the visitor centre and take a shuttle to the Mangatepopo car park: parking there is limited to 4 hours in the season.

DOC: Tongariro Northern Circuit

Take your trip with you

Offline maps

Prepare every day while you have a connection: phone reception is fairly good but has gaps, and there is little or none at Waihohonu Hut.

Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.

  1. Open this trail in the app. Install TrailSplits, then open this trail there. On iPhone, downloads in a browser may not be available in the installed app.
  2. Choose your route or stages. Choose Prepare offline above. Wait for the route and maps to finish downloading.
  3. Try it before leaving coverage. Switch offline, close and reopen the app, then use My Hikes to start navigation. Repeat for every part you will need.

Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.

Route & sources

About this map

For the 2026/27 season the Department of Conservation starts the circuit at the Mangatepopo car park and ends it at Whakapapa Village: the Whakapapa to Mangatepopo section is closed after the 2025 fire damaged its structures, so it is not a loop this season. DOC gives 35.5 km, plus 1.7 km from the car park to Mangatepopo Hut. The line here joins the Tongariro Alpine Crossing's and the circuit's relations on OpenStreetMap (planet of 21 September 2026), 36.9 km, with the closed section left out; the times are DOC's.

Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 27 September 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.

Department of Conservation: Tongariro Northern Circuit

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · Source relation

More long-distance trails

Milford TrackFour days over Omanui/McKinnon Pass to Milford Sound.Kepler TrackA 60 km loop from Te Anau over the Kepler Mountains.Routeburn TrackThe Routeburn's alpine crossing, 2 to 4 days hut to hut.