Tongariro Northern Circuit: Great Walk Guide for 2026/27

Overview

The Tongariro Northern Circuit loops through the volcanic heart of Tongariro National Park, a dual World Heritage area in the central North Island. You walk past Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro, across craters and old lava flows, past the vivid Emerald Lakes, and through glacial valleys, beech forest and alpine meadows.

The circuit shares its most famous section, Red Crater to the Emerald Lakes, with the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. You get the same scenery, with nights in huts along the way.

Climbing the summits of Ngauruhoe and Tongariro is disrespectful and unacceptable to Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the iwi who gifted these sacred peaks to Aotearoa New Zealand. Please stay on the track.

2026/27: a shorter route

• The Whakapapa Village → Mangatepopo Hut section is closed after the 2025 Tongariro fire, and won't be open for the 2026/27 season.
• The Great Walk now runs 35.5 km (down from 44.9 km), starting at Mangatepopo car park and ending in Whakapapa Village.
• The track wasn't operating as a Great Walk while Oturere Hut was replaced. It's back for the 2026/27 Great Walks season (23 October 2026 – 30 April 2027).

Track sections

Most walkers take 3–4 days. Very fit people can do it in 2 days, but each day is 8+ hours.

Highlights

• Soda Springs, a 5-minute detour at the head of the Mangatepopo Valley
• Red Crater, with an exposed volcanic dike, and views over Blue Lake and North Crater
• Emerald Lakes, old explosion pits coloured by minerals from Red Crater
• The Oturere Valley's jagged lava forms, with the Kaimanawa Range and Rangipo Desert beyond
• Historic Waihohonu Hut (1903/04), the oldest example of an early two-room mountain hut in New Zealand
• Ohinepango Springs, 1 hr return from Waihohonu Hut
• Tama Lakes, two explosion craters named after the chief Tamatea
• Taranaki Falls, near the end of the circuit

Huts and campsites

There are three huts with campsites nearby: Mangatepopo (20 bunks), Oturere and Waihohonu (28 bunks). They must be booked year-round, and camping isn't allowed within 500 m of the track. Mangatepopo Hut, just 25 minutes from the car park, makes a good family-friendly overnight trip.

Getting there and parking

• Parking at Mangatepopo car park is limited to 4 hours in the Great Walks season. Park in Whakapapa Village, where you need a free overnight permit from the visitor centre, and take a shuttle to the start.
• Buses and trains stop at National Park Village, 15 km from Whakapapa.
• Walkers with a Northern Circuit hut or campsite booking don't need a separate Tongariro Alpine Crossing booking.

Hazards

• Active volcanic area. Eruptions are unlikely but possible at any time. If you're not comfortable with that risk, choose another track.
• The 400 m descent from the Emerald Lakes into the Oturere Valley is steep, with loose sharp rocks. It's often most slippery in dry conditions.
• Weather changes fast and wind chill can be severe. In winter (May–October) there's snow, ice and avalanche terrain at Red Crater.
• Mobile coverage is patchy and absent at Waihohonu. Not recommended for children under 10.

Good to know

No dogs and no drones.