New Zealand walking tours

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travellers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travellers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

The most pleasant time for walking and hiking in New Zealand is during the summer (December to February) when the weather is mild and sunny; however, this is also the busiest period, especially during school holidays (late December to late January). Winter can get very cold throughout the North and South Islands with frequent snowfall, but this is the perfect time to travel if you want to see oh-so scenic views of snow-topped mountains or if you’re looking to tie a bit of skiing or snowboarding into your holiday, particularly on the South Island. Spring is a wonderful time of year when life starts waking up after the winter chill, and the trails are also much quieter than in summer. Autumn is another great time of year when the days are still warm and the autumnal colours turn the landscapes fabulous shades of orange and gold. 

Most of our New Zealand walking adventures include overnight stays at comfy lodges and hotels so you'll still have most of your creature comforts. What to pack depends on how difficult the walks you'll be doing are but generally you'll want to bring the following items:

• Small day bag 

• Comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots

• Hiking socks

• Sunhat 

• Sunscreen 

• Walking poles

• Reusable drink bottle 

• Camera

• Lightweight rain jacket 

The main international airports in New Zealand are Christchurch and Queenstown on the South Island, and Auckland on the North Island. There are daily flights between different North and South Island domestic airports, as well as a daily ferry service between Wellington on the North Island and Picton on the South Island which takes around three-and-a-half hours.  

Internet access is widely available in most parts of New Zealand, with internet cafes and Wi-Fi hot spots commonly found in urban areas. Access to Wi-Fi and mobile phone data may be limited or patchy when you're out on the hiking trails in more remote areas, but it should work whenever you reach a town or village. 

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

We are committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. We do our best to help you see the world, regardless of physical or mental limitations. 

We are always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them toward the most suitable itinerary for their needs and, where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.