Tongariro Alpine Crossing
New Zealand

A world-famous volcanic track. Highly popular; consider off-peak times to avoid the largest crowds.

Last updated: December 24, 2025
Distance 19.6km
Elevation +845m
Loss -1212m
Duration 7h
Climb Hard
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Tongariro Alpine Crossing

7h 19.6km

A world-famous volcanic track. Requires a shuttle bus service for point-to-point transport. A car key swap with friends is a common alternative to save on costs.

Gear Checklist
Estimated Cost
For Reference Only
Shuttle Bus (One Way)
$65 NZD
Shuttle Bus (Return)
$70 NZD
*NOBAGGAGE2ROME*
NOBAGGAGE2ROME

Transport & Parking

Mangatepopo Carpark (Start)Ketetahi Carpark (End)
Parking Tip

One way track. Most people park at the end (Ketetahi) and take a shuttle to start (Mangatepopo). 4h parking limit at endpoints during peak season (winter/off-peak permit may differ).

Shuttle Booking

Shuttle
SUCCESS

Pickup from Ketetahi (-39.0648, 175.6587) . Note: Requires an extra 1.7km walk from track end to reach this point.

Service

Reliable morning departures

Book Online

Environment

A world-famous volcanic track featuring dramatic craters and emerald lakes.

Highly popular and often extremely crowded during peak season.

Our Story

Many tourists recommend this trail, but we initially paid it no attention - we don’t like crowded places, plus the shuttle costs per person can be quite steep. We only decided to go because another friend wanted to, and we used a method to save on shuttle fees.

The trick is to park one car at the endpoint first. But note that during summer when it’s busy, there’s a 4-hour parking limit at the endpoint, so this won’t work in summer - only during winter like when we went. Also, before hiking this in winter, ask locals whether you need to rent crampons. They’re very experienced and can tell just by looking at the snow line - asking clearly saves wasting money.

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Base 759m
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