Best time to hike the Rakiura Track
Best: December–March. Also good: April–May and September–November.
The Rakiura Track is 34 km long, in 3 stages. Below is the average weather for every month at about 46 m, the middle height of the trail (0–193 m), from 10 years of daily data (2015–2024).
Weather month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain mm | Rain days | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16° | 12° | 89 | 17 | 15.5 |
| February | 16° | 12° | 92 | 15 | 14.1 |
| March | 15° | 12° | 88 | 16 | 12.6 |
| April | 14° | 10° | 104 | 19 | 10.8 |
| May | 12° | 10° | 101 | 20 | 9.3 |
| June | 10° | 8° | 85 | 17 | 8.5 |
| July | 10° | 8° | 99 | 20 | 8.9 |
| August | 10° | 7° | 88 | 19 | 10.1 |
| September | 11° | 8° | 91 | 18 | 11.8 |
| October | 12° | 8° | 98 | 18 | 13.6 |
| November | 13° | 9° | 84 | 16 | 15.1 |
| December | 14° | 11° | 90 | 17 | 15.9 |
Season notes from our guide
The Rakiura Track is a year-round Great Walk, and huts and campsites must be booked in every season. December to March brings the longest days, the warmest weather (around 15°C on average) and the most hikers. Winter (June to August) is cold, short and wet, around 9°C, but hut fees are lower and the track is quiet. About 1,600 mm of rain falls a year, and wind, hail and heavy rain can arrive at short notice in any month.
Stages, map, elevation profile, places to stay and emergency help, free.
Read the full Rakiura Track guideHike it with Outest
Offline maps, stages and places to stay on your phone.
Best time for other trails
- Tour du Mont Blanc
- Alta Via 1
- GR 20
- John Muir Trail
- Laugavegur
- Cotswold Way
- Kerry Way
- Camino Finisterre
- West Highland Way
- Walker's Haute Route
- Kungsleden
- Tour of Monte Rosa
- Coast to Coast Walk
- Pembrokeshire Coast Path
- Hadrian's Wall Path
- South Downs Way
- Dingle Way
- Wicklow Way
- Fishermen's Trail
- Camino Portugués
- Alta Via 2
- Malerweg
- Peaks of the Balkans
- Overland Track
- Lycian Way
- St Paul Trail
- Camino Francés
- Inca Trail
- W Trek
- Everest Base Camp Trek
- Annapurna Circuit
- Kumano Kodo Nakahechi
- Camino del Norte
- Via Francigena
- GR10
- Pennine Way
- Carian Trail
- Evliya Çelebi Way
- Kaçkar Mountains Traverse
- Phrygian Way
- Sultans Trail
- Mount Ararat Climb
- Hittite Trail
- Troy Culture Route
- Independence Way
- Mysia Ways
- Rheinsteig
- Westweg
- Goldsteig
- GR54 Tour des Écrins
- Via Alpina
- Path of the Gods
- Cinque Terre Trail
- Alta Via 4
- GR221 Dry Stone Route
- Stubai High Trail
- Milford Track
- Routeburn Track
- Kepler Track
- Tongariro Northern Circuit
- Larapinta Trail
- Great Ocean Walk
- West Coast Trail
- Wonderland Trail
- Teton Crest Trail
- Annapurna Base Camp Trek
- Markha Valley Trek
- Salkantay Trek
- Huayhuash Circuit
- Kilimanjaro Machame Route
- Toubkal Circuit
- Jordan Trail: Dana to Petra
- Torres del Paine O Circuit
- Abel Tasman Coast Track
- Three Capes Track
- Mestia to Ushguli Trek
- Nakasendo Way
- Berg Lake Trail
- Skyline Trail (Jasper)
- Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre Loop
- Santa Cruz Trek
- Otter Trail
- Fish River Canyon Hiking Trail
- Camino Primitivo
- Camino Inglés
- Eagle Walk (Adlerweg)
- Berliner Höhenweg
- Cape Wrath Trail
- Great Glen Way
- Offa's Dyke Path
- Cleveland Way
- Rota Vicentina Historical Way
- Via Podiensis (GR 65)
- Heaphy Track
- Queen Charlotte Track
- Cape to Cape Track
- Rockwall Trail
- Juan de Fuca Marine Trail
- Quilotoa Loop
- Nahuel Huapi Traverse
- Ala Kul Trek
- Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail
- Mount Kenya Sirimon–Chogoria Traverse
- Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek
- Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route
- Lebanon Mountain Trail
- Aladağlar Traverse
- Kokoda Track
- Chilkoot Trail
- Lost City Trek
- Choquequirao Trek
- GR R2 Réunion
- M'Goun Traverse
- Royal National Park Coast Track
- Grand Cliff Top Walk
- Snowies Alpine Walk
- Rwenzori Central Circuit
- Whale Trail
- Ausangate Circuit
- Thorsborne Trail
- Paparoa Track
- Mount Assiniboine Traverse
- Sunshine Coast Trail
- Sinai Trail
- Grand Canyon Rim to Rim
Weather: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), daily values 2015–2024 near -46.88, 168.06, adjusted to 46 m. Rain days: days with at least 1 mm. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.