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North Island — 8 days (Auckland, Waitomo, Rotorua, Wai-O-Tapu & Taupo)

4.0(19 reviews)8 daysStart and end in the trailhead
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Eight days, with the Alpine Crossing and a day to recover from it. Eight days with a guided Tongariro Crossing, the shuttle booking and a recovery day at Taupo built in.

Farthest Field Co.
Runs this trip
Trekking
Eight days, with the Alpine Crossing and a day to recover from it
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers

Top Highlights

  • Waitematā harbourEight days on the North Island — geothermal, volcanic and Māori, which the South Island trip is none of.
  • Waitomo glowworm cavesThe glowworms are the larvae of a fungus gnat and the light is a lure.
  • Wai-O-TapuLady Knox erupts at 10:15 because a park ranger drops surfactant into it, and they tell you so.
  • Lake TaupoTaupo fills the caldera of an eruption in 232 AD that was heard in China and Rome.
  • Red CraterNineteen kilometres, 765 m of climbing, and a one-way route — which is why the shuttle is not optional.
  • Emerald LakesIt is closed outright in bad weather.

Itinerary

What's included

Included in the price

Accommodation
  • 7 nights accommodation as listed: hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Transport
  • Airport pickup and drop, private vehicle
  • All internal transfers by private vehicle
  • The Tongariro Crossing booking and shuttles at both ends
Meals
  • Breakfast daily plus the meals listed on each day
Guide
  • Trip leader throughout, 1 guide per 10
  • A guide on the Crossing
Permits & fees
  • Waitomo and Wai-O-Tapu entries
  • All entry tickets and permits listed in the day-by-day
Additional services
  • A marae evening and hāngī with a local iwi

Not included

Insurance
  • Travel insurance
Optional
  • International or domestic flights to the start point
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • International flights to Auckland
Additional Services
  • 5% GST and any applicable TCS
  • Lunches and dinners not listed on a day
  • The Crossing if the Department of Conservation closes it
  • Skydiving over Taupo, which is charged separately
  • Most lunches

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Auckland Residency

Hotel

Days 1, 7

Rotorua Inn

Hotel

Days 2, 3

Taupo House

Hotel

Days 4–6

What you'll eat

7 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 8 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 8.

  • DinnerServed on days 1, 2, 3, 5
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–8

11 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

Operator

Farthest Field Co.
4.0 (19)

Based in Bengaluru

Profile
One other operator runs this trailThe same trail, at their own price, group size and refund window.Meridian Overland₹1,93,099See all 2Compare

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.0/5
Based on 19 reviews
Review summary
Food
3.8/5
Guide
3.8/5
Itinerary
4.1/5
Transport
3.8/5
Accommodation
3.9/5
Tour operator
3.9/5
Sort by:Recommended
4
R
Rahul Menon – Hyderabad2026-07-09 · Verified booking

North Island in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Good value for what's included.

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4
V
Vikram Bose – Indore2026-07-09 · Verified booking

North Island in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Worth every rupee.

Reply from Farthest Field Co.

Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.

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5
N
Nikhil Joshi – Chandigarh2026-07-09 · Verified booking

The route is beautiful and the pacing was sensible — nobody was rushed on the climb. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Worth every rupee.

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3
S
Sameer Khan – Chandigarh2026-07-09 · Verified booking

Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.

Reply from Farthest Field Co.

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Hyderabad2026-07-09 · Verified booking

Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Would book with them again.

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3
M
Meera Iyer – Delhi2025-11-17 · Verified booking

Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.

Reply from Farthest Field Co.

Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.

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4
D
Divya Reddy – Mumbai2025-11-17 · Verified booking

North Island in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Would book with them again.

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5
T
Tara D'Souza – Nagpur2025-11-17 · Verified booking

Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Would send friends their way.

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Questions people ask

One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →

₹2,83,999per personNext 6 NovEMI from ₹23,667/mo