Top Things to do in Tongariro National Park
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What to do and see in Tongariro National Park, North Island: The Best Things to do Good for Kids
Discover the best top things to do in Tongariro National Park, New Zealand including Mountain Air Scenic Flights Day Tour, Horsemtrails, Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre (Whakapapa Visitor Centre), Ohakune Old Coach Road, Tawhai Falls, Rotopounamu Track, Taranaki Falls, Silica Rapids Track, Whakapapa - Mt Ruapehu.
Restaurants in Tongariro National Park
1. Mountain Air Scenic Flights Day Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 269 reviews
Come and fly around the stunning volcanic peaks, Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu! View the colourful Blue, Emerald and Tama Lakes and all of the spectacular craters on show! Learn about the cultural heritage, history, fascinating geology and biology of this region! Make your stay here even more memorable and come and take a flight with us! Let our team look after you and show you the world through our eyes! It’s a fantastic way to view the breathtaking volcanic scenery of Tongariro National Park, Dual World Heritage Area!
2. Horsemtrails
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 49 reviews
Memorable horse trekkings at the foot of the great mountains Tongariro - Ruapehu - Ngauruhoe.
Reviewed By VikkiA102
Cannot sing praises high enough!! I had the most magical day out on a horse trek with Hone, it really is a must do! The trek took us through beeeeaaaaautiful native forest with the added bonus of an exciting river crossing and a picnic in a remote hut. Having never done an off-trail horse trek like this before, I felt it was the perfect balance between being challenging and exhilarating while also feeling perfectly safe under Hones watch and guidance. Hone is an awesome guide and his passion for the horses and knowledge of the area really shines through. His horses are all gorgeous and having the chance to travel through such a pristine forest with them was a dream come true! Thanks a million Hone and Wai - wonderful people and an amazing experience!
3. Mt Ruapehu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 465 reviews
Mt Ruapehu Whakapapa & Turoa has a world of unforgettable experiences to offer to alpine-lovers all year round. Home to two of New Zealand’s largest ski areas, New Zealand’s highest cafe & restaurant and amazing volcanic walks when the snow recedes; Whakapapa and Turoa offers an unparalleled experience of the dual world heritage status Tongariro National Park. Whakapapa has something for every skier and rider, with a premier beginners area, more than 30 groomed trails to fall in love with, plus a huge variety of off-piste terrain from wide-open runs to bowls, bumps, chutes and drops. Turoa offers a massive 722m of vertical descent from the top of Australasia’s highest chairlift – the Highnoon Express. Wide-open trails, pristine groomed runs, natural bowls and chutes will keep even the most experienced snow sports enthusiasts grinning from ear to ear. Alpine Meadow is an ideal beginner’s area with its 120m long carpet lift to move you smoothly around.
Reviewed By hikingprincess2018 - County Dublin, Ireland
Just finished the video of our Mt Ruapehu Crater Climb. It was a spectacular day out. The other-worldly treasures are hidden away until you get to the rim and then it's all on. Luckily there were no rumbles or lahars (this volcano has erupted 60 times since 1945!). Pele must have been watching over us. The views on a clear day, from atop an active volcano, at 2,672m / 8,766 ft. are superb. It reminded me of how eloquently The Smithsonianmag.com described entering Haleakalā ‘crater’ like an exercise in sensory deprivation. This holds equally here as you gaze into the summit plateau replete with mini glaciers and again when you reach the hidden crater lake with its eerie lifeless hue. It's similtaneously fascinating and foreboding - evidence of the beauty, power and violence of nature surrounds you and is mesmeric. This is not a place to linger too long as you might do near a scenic lake. The frisson at Mt Ruapehu's crater is palpable:) Mt Ruapehu Crater Climb is not a formatted Great Walk like The Tongariro Crossing or The Northern Circuit. DOC class this as an Alpine climb. This should not be attempted if you are not experienced and fit. Established navigational skills are essential here. The volcanic terrain is amorphous. There are few distinguishing landmarks, save for the chairlifts and t-bars, but they disappear rather quickly. There are numerous ridges to lead you astray and you could find yourself heading in the wrong direction at the end of the day. A guided tour is an excellent way to do this hike if you are unsure. This is a magnificent day out. Please let me know If you have done this hike and were as much in awe as we were. We had not looked at any images so it made the reveal greater. I had expected the usual crater arrangement lol! Happy and safe hiking, always:)
4. Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre (Whakapapa Visitor Centre)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 474 reviews
Located in the heart of the Tongariro National Park, Whakapapa i-SITE (Tongariro Visitor Centre) provide expert local knowledge and free, objective advice on travel throughout the Ruapehu Region and New Zealand. We provide booking services for accommodation, activities, transport and more.
Reviewed By EmGeeNz - Kaiwaka, New Zealand
Great centre. Full of amazing informative displays etc. highly recommend if you wish to learn more about the area
5. Ohakune Old Coach Road
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 175 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip
Reviewed By kiwitreks - Masterton, New Zealand
My partner and I hired bikes and did the return journey which is about 30km. Definitely more difficult/uphill on the way there compared with the return back to ohakune. It was manageable for 2 people with 0 mountain biking experience on conventional bikes within 3 hours, but if I were to do the whole 30km again I’d opt for an e bike. Scenes are beautiful and the downhill is a great rush. I’d recommend starting early so that the track is alot quieter, after 10am it started to get busy with people dropped off at the other end.
6. Tawhai Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 126 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By travelwhere - Modesto, United States
This was a very rewarding short walk. There are some well made steps. There are 2 places to view the lovely waterfall. The guy at the information place said that a scene from Lord of the Rings was shot here. My research shows that it was called Gollum pools. I highly recommend doing this walk.
7. Rotopounamu Track
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By gregoryd762
We walked on New years Day, so quite a few families etc enjoying the walk, but never crowded. A lovely walk through glorious forest, with lots of information boards about the various native flora along the track. Huge tree ferns and trees like rimu etc.A few side tracks down to the lake for beautiful views. Quite a few native and endemic birds along the track and in the lake, and very loud, non- native, frogs calling from the reed beds. Quite an easy walk mainly, and a fantastic introduction to NZ bush
8. Taranaki Falls
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 195 reviews
Reviewed By jshigi - Bellevue, United States
2-3 hour hike - Toilet halfway through the hike by the top of the waterfall which was clutch. Beautiful waterfall! Really enjoyed walking through this forest too. Make sure to check the weather, this hike was longer than expected and it started raining towards the end of the hike. Some people got caught in the rain storm when they were just starting the hike.
9. Silica Rapids Track
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 66 reviews
Always check the website for changes that might affect your trip.
Reviewed By 793gillt - Orewa, New Zealand
Great walk for beginners! Apparently it's been renovated recently and indeed the track was really good. There were quite a few boardwalks and well-maintained steps, and some signs to tell you about the local flora and fauna. I don't like climbing over rocks, or steep up and down hills, so this was the perfect walk for me. I am a nervous walker but didn't slip once. It takes about 75 minutes each way starting just up the road from the visitor's centre. Lots of interesting things to see like the red water in the fast flowing streams, even the rocks are 'painted' red! Then the white of the silica rocks make an interesting contrast. There are many shades of red and green in the plants and trees.
10. Whakapapa - Mt Ruapehu
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 437 reviews
Whakapapa is NZ’s largest ski area with 550 hectares of lift-accessed & patrolled terrain. Terrain varies from mellow slopes for beginners to epic chutes, drops & bumps for the most experienced. Whakapapa's snow factory sees it through NZ's longest ski season all the all the way from the beginning of June through to the end of October. Home to Happy Valley, a fully self-contained learners’ area boasting its own café, rental complex and ski school meeting area, while also being free of advanced skiers and snowboarders. For non-skiers and the summer season, NZ's largest gondola the NEW Sky Waka, takes you to NZ's highest eateries at the Knoll Ridge Chalet at 2020m. This spectacular ride takes you over striking volcanic terrain with views across the Tongariro National Park.
Reviewed By 246faye22 - Orewa, New Zealand
were down for the shoolchildren rugby festival and the weather was amazing so decided to go to the mountain for the day got one of the last car parks up the mountain and the shuttle bus to the top the driver was great a real friendly maori man who went out of his way to make every one feel special proud to be a newzeander with people like him we got the waka lift to cafe at top so good and perfect weather we had a hot chocolate and took some photos and loved it a little bit of a discount for gold card holders as well loved our day faye and brian
