Discover the Northern Island of New Zealand on a 5-day small group hiking adventure. From the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, explore the lakeside town of Taupo and hike the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Start your adventure in the majestic Waitomo glow worm caves, which will lead you to the geothermal marvels of Rotorua. Visit the lakeside town of Taupo to see the Waikato River and Huka Falls. Travel to Tongariro, New Zealand's first national park. Take a leisurely walk through the stunning forest around Mt. Pihanga and to the mystical Lake Rotopounamu. See the dramatic volcanic landscapes of Tongariro National Park, which offers challenging trails with rewarding dramatic views. Experience walking on the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing and admire the views of the Red Crater and Emerald Lakes.
Highlights
Visit the magical subterranean world of Waitomo
Experience the Māori cultural performance and hangi dinner
See the spectacular volcanic terrain of Tongariro National Park
Discover New Zealand's history in the national museum in Wellington
Activities that provide a reasonable level of physical challenge and elevate the heart rate. Focused on more active pursuits including multisport tours. Travelers may be active 5-7 hours total each day. Recommended for travelers with active lifestyles.
Meet your North Island guide and the rest of the group in the Heritage Hotel foyer at 6:30 am before driving south through classic patchwork green farming country alongside the Waikato River. Arriving at the Waitomo Caves area, descend into the vaulted galleries of the Ruakuri Cave with its limestone formations and crystals. Thousands of tiny glowworms that cling to the cave ceiling to simulate a starry night sky will enchant you.
Later, emerge into the sunshine and wander on a loop trail through an outstanding limestone canyon. You will arrive in the volcanically active area of Rotorua late in the afternoon. Enjoy a dinner and a cultural show this evening in Rotorua, which is also the hub of Maori cultural tourism in New Zealand.
Up to 7 km (4 miles), 1 hour hiking, elevation +/-60 m (200 ft)
Hike alongside the beautifully clear Lake Tarawera, enjoying the shade that towering tree ferns and ignimbrite cliffs offer. Plunge into the lake to cool off at one of the tiny pumice beaches as you wait for the others to catch up. As you hike along this trail, you will be amazed at how vast the volcano wilderness, lake, and forest are.
Discover some of the incredible thermal regions situated slightly south of Rotorua during the afternoon. Wander along boardwalks that connect pools of bubbling mud, mineralized hot pools, and plumes of rising steam, and wonder at the uniqueness of this area. Grab a cuppa before driving toward the lakeside town of Taupo.
Feel the force of the Waikato River as it squeezes through a slender rock passageway at Huka Falls. Your accommodation is in Taupo. Relax with a drink and enjoy the views.
10 km (6 miles), 4.5 hours hiking, elevation +300m (1,000 ft) –350 m ( 1,140 ft)
Drive around Lake Taupo’s shores to New Zealand’s first national park, Tongariro. Take a leisurely morning walk through the stunning forest around the slopes of Mt. Pihanga and to the mystical Lake Rotopounamu (Lake of Greenstone).
You will be spending the next two nights in a hotel near the park, giving you plenty of time to explore the area at your leisure. Hike to Taranaki Falls in the afternoon, cascading 20 meters over a 15,000-year-old lava flow. Enjoy dinner with the group in the comfort of your hotel.
11 km (6.8 miles), 2-4 hours hiking, elevation +/-280 m (900 ft)
Join your guide today for a full day of walking on the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing, regarded as one of the best day walks in the world. The well-built track climbs, steeply at times, to the craters of Mt. Tongariro. Stop and admire the views of the Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, and steaming vents that make this hike outstanding. After a sometimes long and physically challenging day, celebrate your achievement at dinner with a bottle of fine New Zealand wine.
Those who prefer a more restful day can find plenty to do at the village: Soda Springs walk, Taranaki Falls walk, or simply drink coffee and view the great exhibits at the Park Visitor Centre. Enjoy your second night in this village.
Up to 21 km (12 miles), 7-8 hours hiking, elevation +900 m (3,000 ft) -1,250 m (4,100 ft)
Day 5: Tongariro | Wellington | Return Home
1 Breakfast
Rest your legs this morning as you drive south through rolling green hill country to the capital city of Wellington. Stroll along the fabulous waterfront and absorb some of New Zealand’s history in the national museum, Te Papa, or get lost admiring the heritage houses along one of the many improbably steep streets. Nowhere is very far in Wellington. Enjoy the vibrant café and restaurant scene here before catching your flight back home.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is 25% ($500 minimum), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 100 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check, or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and a maximum of $20,000 charge
Beyond expectations! Then again we weren't sure what to expect. Lovely stay at the lodge, met other like-minded travelers (many had their trips planned by Adventure Life) and the owner was a gracious hostess. It felt like you were one happy family, visiting with a favorite aunt.
Nancy Sin
TrustScore 4.8 | 254 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 254 reviews on
3 days ago
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
3 days ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
3 days ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
1 week ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.