The Tongariro Alpine Crossing

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is widely rated one of the finest day hikes in the world, a spectacular 19-kilometre trek across an active volcanic landscape in a UNESCO national park on the North Island. The trail climbs through steaming craters, past vivid green and blue Emerald Lakes and lava fields beneath the sacred, perfectly conical peaks, including Mount Ngauruhoe, which starred as Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings.

The landscape

• The Emerald Lakes - the vivid green-and-blue crater lakes.
• The Red Crater - the dramatic red volcanic crater at the high point.
• Mount Ngauruhoe - the perfect cone that played Mount Doom.
• The volcanic landscape - the steaming craters and lava fields.

When to go

November to April, the summer season, when the trail is snow-free and safest for the average walker; in winter it becomes a serious alpine mountaineering route needing gear and experience. Book a shuttle, as the trailheads differ, and check the weather, which can turn fast.

Before you go

It is a long, strenuous full-day hike of some seven to eight hours with steep sections, not a casual stroll, so proper fitness, footwear and layers are essential, and the exposed alpine weather can turn dangerous fast. It is very popular, so busy in peak summer. The peaks are sacred to Maori, so the actual summits are not climbed out of respect.

Nearby

The ski fields of Mount Ruapehu and Lake Taupo are nearby.

Key facts