The line is OpenStreetMap's mapping of the route (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), via Waymarked Trails, with heights from a 30 m terrain model. Check the current official route before a long trip: diversions and permitted paths change. See the source.
The trail
The Tongariro Northern Circuit is one of New Zealand's Great Walks, a loop round Mount Ngauruhoe and below Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, usually in three or four days, with the Department of Conservation's huts at Mangatepopo, Oturere and Waihohonu. For 2026/27 DOC describes the walk as starting at the Mangatepopo car park and ending at Whakapapa Village, 35.5 km; the line here, from OpenStreetMap, is the whole circuit from Whakapapa Village and measures 44 km. Huts and campsites must be booked all year.
Stages
A suggested split into 4 days of about 11.1 km (6.9 mi). Each day ends at the town or village on the way nearest to an equal share of the distance, or at a hotel or hostel where there is none. These are not the official stages: check where you can stay before you book.
- Day 1 Whakapapa Village to Mangatepopo Hut 8.9 km · 8.9 km from the start
- Day 2 Mangatepopo Hut to Oturere Hut 11.8 km · 21 km from the start
- Day 3 Oturere Hut to Waihohonu Hut 8.3 km · 29 km from the start
- Day 4 Waihohonu Hut to the finish 15.2 km · 44 km from the start
Summits on the way
- Red Crater 1,868 m · 15.6 km from the start
Tops within 300 m of the line. Summits from OpenStreetMap.
Start and finish
Start: near Whakapapa Village, Ruapehu District. -39.19984, 175.54178
Finish: where it starts. The trail is a circuit.
Directions to the start
Places to stay
Rooms in the towns and villages along the way:
- Whakapapa Village, Ruapehu District · The start Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
- Mangatepopo Hut · After day 1 Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
- Oturere Hut · After day 2 Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
- Waihohonu Hut · After day 3 Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line comes from the source named under the map and the heights from a terrain model, so treat the figures as a guide. Check for diversions before you go, take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
