Routeburn Track hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Routeburn Track is one of New Zealand's Great Walks and one of the finest alpine walks in the country. It links Mount Aspiring and Fiordland national parks, both part of Te Wāhipounamu – South West New Zealand World Heritage Area. The official length is 33 km one way, from the Routeburn Shelter near Glenorchy to The Divide on the Milford Road, and most walkers take 3 days and 2 nights. You sleep in Department of Conservation (DOC) huts or campsites that must be booked in the Great Walks season, and you carry your own food, sleeping bag and gear.

The route

The track starts at the Routeburn Shelter, 25 km from Glenorchy, and follows the clear Route Burn through beech forest and over swing bridges to the open grassy Routeburn Flats. It then climbs steadily to Routeburn Falls Hut on the bushline. On the second day it climbs through tussock and wetlands, sidles along the bluffs above Lake Harris and reaches the highest point, Harris Saddle/Tarahaka Whakatipu (1,255 m). From there it traverses the exposed Hollyford Face, with wide views over the Darran Mountains, and drops to Lake Mackenzie Hut. The last day passes the Orchard and the 174 m Earland Falls, runs past Lake Howden and descends through forest to The Divide (532 m), the lowest crossing of the Southern Alps.

This guide follows the route mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 3 stages, about 10.5 km each: the standard DOC plan with nights at Routeburn Falls Hut and Lake Mackenzie Hut. The track can be walked either way; this guide goes from the Routeburn Shelter to The Divide, as in the DOC brochure. Lake Howden Hut was destroyed in a storm in February 2020 and is permanently closed, so there is no longer a hut on the last day.

Highlights

• Routeburn Falls: a series of cascades right beside the first night's hut, with views back down the valley
• Lake Harris and Harris Saddle: an alpine lake under the saddle, and the high point of the walk
• Conical Hill: a steep side trip from Harris Saddle (1.5 to 2 hours return) for a wider view over the Hollyford Valley and the Darran Mountains
• The Hollyford Face: hours of open walking high above the Hollyford Valley, facing the Darran Mountains, with alpine flowers in summer
• Lake Mackenzie and Earland Falls: a clear green lake for the second night, and a 174 m waterfall on the last day
• Key Summit: a side trip of 1 to 1.5 hours return from near the end, to an alpine wetland with views over Fiordland

When to walk the Routeburn Track

The Great Walks season runs from 1 November to 30 April. In that period the huts have gas cookers, heating, running water, flush toilets and a ranger, and all huts and campsites must be booked. December to March is the warmest and busiest time. Fiordland gets up to 9,000 mm of rain a year, and cold, snow, strong wind and heavy rain can happen in any month. Avalanche risk can last into December: in late October 2025 DOC kept the section from Routeburn Falls to Lake Mackenzie closed at the start of the season because of deep snow.

From May to October there are no rangers, no gas and no booking. There are more than 32 avalanche paths, some bridges are removed, and DOC does not manage the hazards. Walk then only with alpine skills, an ice axe, crampons, avalanche gear and a personal locator beacon.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers take 3 days: about 9.8 km to Routeburn Falls Hut (3 to 4 hours), 11.3 km over Harris Saddle to Lake Mackenzie Hut (4.5 to 6 hours) and 12 km to The Divide (4 to 5.5 hours). Fit walkers can do it in 2 days with a night at Routeburn Falls or Lake Mackenzie. Families sometimes take 4 short days, with nights at Routeburn Flats, Routeburn Falls and Lake Mackenzie. Plan your bus pick-up so you do not have to walk in the dark.

Getting there and logistics

The two ends are 325 km apart by road, so you need transport at both ends. Queenstown is the nearest airport. Track buses run from Queenstown and Glenorchy to the Routeburn Shelter (about 1.5 hours from Queenstown) and from The Divide to Te Anau (about 1.5 hours) and Queenstown (about 4 hours). In 2026–27 Info & Track charges $70 from Queenstown to the Routeburn Shelter and $109 from The Divide to Queenstown. Fiordland Outdoors also runs buses and can move your car from one end to the other. Book transport when you book the huts.

Bookings. For the 2026–27 season, bookings opened on 15 May 2026 on the DOC booking site, and popular dates sell out fast. Hut fees are $88 per night for New Zealand adults and $132 for international adults; campsites are $28 and $42 (all NZ dollars). Children pay half, and infants are free. Without a valid booking you may be charged a penalty or turned away. Campers cannot use the huts.

The Queenstown DOC visitor centre on Stanley Street closes on 27 October 2026. From November 2026 DOC runs a seasonal visitor centre in Glenorchy instead. In Te Anau, the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre on Lakefront Drive sells tickets and has track and weather information.

Money and phone signal

There is no mobile coverage on the track, and nothing to buy: carry all your food plus a spare day. Queenstown and Te Anau have supermarkets, ATMs and outdoor shops; Glenorchy has a few small shops and cafés. Huts have no power sockets, so bring a power bank.

What to pack

You need a sleeping bag, food, a cooking pot, plates and cutlery, a head torch, a first aid kit, a full waterproof jacket and overtrousers, warm layers, a hat and gloves, and sturdy boots. Campers also need a tent and stove. Bring sandfly repellent and, if you are allergic, wasp-sting medication. DOC strongly recommends a personal locator beacon (PLB); you can hire one in Queenstown or Te Anau.

Difficulty and safety

The track is well marked and graded intermediate in the Great Walks season, but some sections are steep, rough, muddy or slippery, and there are steep drop-offs on the alpine section. The real danger is the weather on the 11 km between Routeburn Falls and Lake Mackenzie, which is above the bushline and fully exposed. Check the NIWA forecast for Harris Saddle and ask the hut ranger before you cross. Streams rise fast after heavy rain: never cross a flooded stream, wait for it to drop. DOC does not recommend the track for children under 10. Do not take water from Potters, Deadman's and No Name creeks, where the freshwater pest didymo is present, and never feed the kea.

In an emergency call 111, but there is no signal on the track, so use your PLB or ask a hut ranger in season. The nearest hospitals with a 24-hour emergency department are in Queenstown, Invercargill and Dunedin.