Hiking the Routeburn Track in New Zealand

The Routeburn Track is praised as one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, multi-day hike in New Zealand. I cannot confirm whether it is actually the most beautiful, but like the Milford Track it is a varied and not too difficult trek in the deep south of the South Island. I have now walked the Routeburn Track three times during my various visits to New Zealand. Twice in (semi) good weather and once in the pouring rain. In this article I will tell you everything you want to know about one of my favorite Great Walks of New Zealand.

Note this post as first published in 2014 and updated in 2023 after hiking the Routeburn Track for the third time.

About the Routeburn Track

The Routeburn Track is a three-day hike from The Routeburn Shelter to The Divide and takes you from Mount Aspiring National Park to Fiordland National Park. It is one of the Great Walks of New Zealand – a group of nine walks maintained by the Department of Conservation. The trails are well maintained and the walks are never really difficult. You can only spend the night in huts or campsites along the way, which must be booked in advance.

The base for your Routeburn Track adventure is lively Queenstown, also known as the Adventure Capital of New Zealand. Here you can make the final preparations for your trek and of course visit the Department of Conservation office to collect your booking confirmation. This is necessary and they can also give you the latest information about trail conditions here. For example, the first time I heard that there was still snow on parts of the track (mid-December!) and the more recent time that extremely bad weather was coming (so: extra protection against the rain).

The drive from Queenstown to The Routeburn Shelter takes about an hour and a half and takes you along the shores of Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy and on to the Routeburn Shelter. Here you can do a final gear check, read more about the track on the information panels and start your adventure on the Routeburn Track in New Zealand.  

Once you have made reservations for your trek, it’s to immediately book your overnight accommodation before and after your hike on the Routeburn Track, since Queenstown is very popular and expensive. You can often leave your luggage at your accommodation (sometimes for a small fee). In terms of camping, I prefer to be on the Queenstown Top 10 (a bit of a drive from the center) and my favorite hostel in Queenstown is the Haka Lodge. You can find other Queenstown accommodation options here.

Day 1. Routeburn Shelter – Routeburn Falls Hut (4 hours)

The first part of the track is relatively easy, whether it is good or rainy weather. The first two hours take you along a well-formed and gently ascending path to the Routeburn Flats. The Routeburn River has a beautiful emerald color when it is dry weather and wild and milky during the rainy days. You will probably also encounter many day hikers on this part of the route, so it’s sometimes quite busy.

The Routeburn Flats is a wide valley with a hut at the end: the Routeburn Flats Hut. This is a great alternative when the Routeburn Falls Hut is fully booked. It’s a good place for a lunch break and to take off the backpack for a little while. I camped here in 2022 as there is no camping option at the next hut (Routeburn Falls).

From the Routeburn Flats Hut the trail rises steadily through a forest with occasional views of the Flats. After a good hour and a half of ascent you reach the Routeburn Falls Hut. When the weather is nice it’s a beautiful area, when it rains there is little to see.

Day 2. Routeburn Falls Hut – Lake Mackenzie Hut (6 hours)

Day two of the track is the most beautiful one. The first and last time I had sunny weather and I walked through the alpine meadows with a continuous smile on my face. The second time the path was swept away by the water and it was a lot less pleasant to walk here, because there is no shelter from the wind and rain. In bad weather, the alpine part of the route can even become downright dangerous.

From Routeburn Falls Hut the trail climbs steadily to the Harris Saddle. Just before the ridge you arrive at Lake Harris, the beautiful mountain lake that you can see in the cover photo of this article. After crossing the mountain pass, you leave Mount Aspiring National Park and enter Fiordland National Park: the wettest region in New Zealand. In good weather you have a view of the Darran Mountains on the other side of the valley. The shelter at the top is great for a lunch break or a snack.

The trail between the shelter and the descent to Lake Mackenzie is not too difficult, but it can be slippery in wet weather. The trail is usually wide, but sometimes requires some scrambling over rocks. The view of the Hollyford Valley below you is simply beautiful. On clear days you can see Mount Tūtoko in the distance, the highest mountain in Fiordland National Park.

Day 3: Lake Mackenzie – The Divide (5 hours)

This is the last day on the Routeburn Track. Some walkers continue from here along the Caples and Greenstone Tracks, but the regular trail goes down to The Divide where the shuttle bus will pick you up. From here you can return to Queenstown or opt for a day excursion to Milford Sound, this bus also stops at The Divide. In the latter case, you have to get up in the dark to get to The Divide on time, so you cover the first part of the journey in the twilight.

The first part of today’s walk takes you through a dense forest. The highlight of the route is are the Earland Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in New Zealand. Shortly afterwards you arrive at Lake Howden. Until a few years ago there was a DOC hut here, but it was swept away by a landslide during bad weather. From here it is another hour and a half walk to The Divide. Optionally you can do the Key Summit track, a beautiful tour through alpine terrain with views of Lake Marian. Highly recommended if you have enough time! At The Divide there is a toilet, running water and you can sit under cover until the bus arrives.

The Routeburn Track is one of nine Great Walks managed by DOC and is the most popular multi-day hike in New Zealand after the Milford Track. Here are some practical tips to take into account in preparation for your trek.

• Reservations are mandatory, both for the huts and the campsites. During the high season (Dec-Feb) they are often fully booked months in advance. So book your overnight stay as early as possible via the Department of Conservation website. Campsites can often be booked last minute.
• The Routeburn Track is an alpine hike and should not be underestimated. I walked it the first time in good weather, which made the trip relatively easy. If it rains it will be a completely different story. Good footwear and rain gear are a must, Fiordland National Park is the wettest place in New Zealand and the chance of rain is greater than that of good weather.
• There are no food and/or drinks available in the huts, you must bring all this of with you. The hut only has gas stoves for cooking, but if the hut is full you may sometimes have to wait a very long time. Below you will find my detailed packing list.
• You can of course also hike the route the other way around, but I thought from east to west was the best choice, especially because of the magnificent views on day 2.
• You should also bring your own sleeping bag. The huts are not heated, so my winter sleeping bag was certainly a nice option. There are no showers, but there is running water that needs to be boiled or filtered.
• There is no mobile coverage on the Routeburn Track, but from this year a 4G mast has been installed at The Divide, at the end of the walking route. There is no coverage on the rest of Milford Road.
• If the Routeburn Track is fully booked you have a number of alternatives, including the Kepler Track (also a Great Walk) or the quieter Greenstone Caples Track. Both are also very worthwhile.

The Routeburn Track is one of the Great Walks of New Zealand where you can also pitch a tent instead of staying in the huts. This is a lot cheaper than spending the night in the huts and the camping spots can often be booked fairly shortly before departure. You will need to carry a tent, sleeping mat and your own cooking equipment with you as extra luggage. If you are camping (reservations are of course also required), the schedule will be as follows:

Day 1: Routeburn Shelter – Routeburn Flats Campsite
Day 2: Routeburn Flats Campsite – Lake Mackenzie Campsite
Day 3: Lake Mackenzie Campsite – The Divide

When you are camping, you are not allowed to use the hut’s facilities. All campsites have a dry toilet, running water (but filter!) and a shelter where you can cook indoors.

Below you will find my packing list for the Great Walks of New Zealand. I have done all of them over the past decade and below is my personal selection of items that you should carry:

• A 35-50 liter backpack, I have the Osprey Aura AG 50.
• A sleeping bag for the huts, I have this one.
• A liner if you wish, I carry a silk one that almost weighs nothing but adds warmth.
• An inflatable pillow.
• Cooking gear. I brought my own stove (to avoid waiting) but stoves and gas are at the huts.
• A lightweight mug, pocket knife, spork and pan.
• Dry bags for my clothes and valuables.
• Water filter. I have the Sawyer Squeeze.
• Food and at least two liters of water per day.
• A powerbank.
• My Kobo Clara for evening reading.
• Headlight.
• Quick dry towel.
• Clothes: hiking shoes (I hiked on the HOKA Challenger), hiking pants, a woolen shirt, long johns, socks, underwear, hat, mittens, a buff.
• Raingear: I have a Fjällräven rain jacket plus a rainpants.
• Hut shoes, I usually bring my Crocs.
• First aid kit
• Sunscreen, sunglasses.
• Emergency blanket.
• Ziplocks for waste.
• Toilet paper.
• Garmin inReach Mini 2 (there is no mobile coverage on most of the track)
• Insect repellent and a Bite Away.

There are several companies that manage the Routeburn Track transport. Due to the pandemic, there are major changes going on in New Zealand at the moment and the offer is constantly changing. I recently booked my transport via Info & Track.

I hope you found this article about the Routeburn Track useful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or add ons! If you wish to continue reading, make sure to check the following posts:

• Hiking the Kepler Track
• Hiking the Tongariro Northern Circuit
• Hiking the Abel Tasman Coast Track
• The best hikes in Fiordland National Park

Alternatively, check my New Zealand page which has more than 50 blogs about active travel in New Zealand.

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