The Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced that bookings for the 2025/26 season for New Zealand’s Great Walks and other huts and campsites will open in May.
Opening dates are being staggered between 13 to 28 May to give people making multiple bookings a better chance of securing their preferred slot.
The Department has also upgraded the booking system to make it easier for people to use, including implementing a queue system on opening days to better manage very high demand at peak times.
“New Zealand’s Great Walks are hugely popular both here and internationally – it’s our biggest draw card for international tourists. Great Walks offer diverse multi-day experiences across spectacular landscapes, on well-formed and maintained tracks,” says Director of Heritage and Visitors, Cat Wilson.
“Our newest Great Walk – Hump Ridge Track was recently named on a list of ‘Top 25 trails to explore around the globe in 2025’, the only walk to feature from Oceania.”
“Around 50% of international visitors come here to experience our national landscapes and environment, and around 50% of international tourists visit New Zealand’s national parks.”
The Heaphy, Kepler and Rakiura tracks are the first Great Walks to open on 15 May, Hump Ridge Track will open at the same time. The ever-popular Milford Track will open last on 28 May. DOC recommends people wanting to book a Great Walk have a profile set up before opening day.
The Great Walks mythbuster post explains why some Great Walks book out faster than others.
Bookings for other DOC accommodation will also open in this period, from 13 to 21 May. Bookings go live at 9:30am on the opening day.
“It’s been a busy summer to date and it’s great seeing more people are enjoying Great Walks, with bookings up five per cent on the previous year,” says Ms Wilson.
“So far, 67% of all Great Walk bednights* booked were by New Zealanders, up from 60% pre-pandemic and 65% last summer. In all, New Zealanders booked over 45,000 bednights on the Great Walks between 15 December 2024 and 26 January 2025.
“We’re lucky to have mountains, forests, beaches, parks, lakes and rivers on our doorstep. With demand for spots on some of our Great Walks still very high, people should consider some of the less well-known walks which are just as spectacular.
“We are focused on ensuring these iconic national places continue to thrive so we can continue offering outstanding experiences.”
*Bednights = one person taking one berth/space for one night. Bednights are a standard reporting metric used by the global tourism industry.
