Travel + Leisure Hiking Guide

Travel + Leisure Hiking Guide

Travel + Leisure Hiking Guide



Five ideas on how to explore the country's diverse terrain with Active Adventures New Zealand. Based in Queenstown, Active have been running adventure tours in New Zealand since 1996, helping thousands of visitors experience a trip of a lifetime.

1. Volcanoes, emerald-hued mineral lakes, and tufted grasslands define the Tongariro Northern Circuit, where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed.

2. Thousands of rare glowworms cling to the walls of the Waitomo Caves, which you can explore by foot or by boat.

3. The 55,672-acre Abel Tasman National Park is located on the pristine South Island coast, where golden beaches, granite cliffs, and quiet estuaries are populated by tui and pukeko birds.

4. Two massive glaciers draw trekkers to the South Island's Westland National Park.

5. Carved by glaciers 20,000 years ago, the 3 million-acre Fiordland National Park is filled with snowy peaks and primeval rain forest.

What people say about our trips

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Mighty Five Adventure - September 2023

Hiking the Mighty 5 National Parks from St George to Moab, Utah

"My wife Robin and I just finished a 9 day adventure of the Mighty 5… read more

"My wife Robin and I just finished a 9 day adventure of the Mighty 5 National parks in Utah with Austin Adventures. We had a fantastic time.
Our Guides (Steve and Bryson) were the best!! They took us on wonderful hikes in all the parks averaging 6-8 miles/day. The hotels and food were great. The trip was exciting and something I will remember the rest of my life. "Kudos" Austin Adventures for a job well done. Thank you for the experience of a lifetime. We plan to book another trip in the future. read less

5 Stars (63 reviews)

John,

Mighty Five Adventure - September 2023

The Amazing Mighty Five Adventure!!

"WOW! Every aspect of this trip was amazing! It far exceeded my expectations. … read more

"WOW! Every aspect of this trip was amazing! It far exceeded my expectations. The National Parks were absolutely gorgeous; the guides were knowledgeable, friendly, helpful, and FUN! Their personalized touch for each and every one of the travelers was spot on! The hotels, restaurants and food were also perfect for each location. Every aspect of this tour was well planned and thought out. Each hike or activity (canyoning) was well done! Steve and Bryson are wonderful guides! I hope to book another trip soon. read less

5 Stars (63 reviews)

Nadine,

Dolomites Adventure - September 2023

Best guides ever

"A fantastic itinerary! read more

"A fantastic itinerary! read less

5 Stars (95 reviews)

Kitty,

San Juan Islands Adventure - September 2023

Beautiful destination, great guides, and new friends

"San Juan Islands offered amazing vistas, enjoyable itinerary, and the chance to meet new friends.… read more

"San Juan Islands offered amazing vistas, enjoyable itinerary, and the chance to meet new friends. Our friendly guides, Jayson and Steve, were very organized and did an excellent job planning our meals and activities. read less

4 Stars (92 reviews)

Stuart,

Classic Iceland Adventure - September 2023

Don from Canada

"A great trip. Very well organized , great sights, excellent guide.

Great job! read more

"A great trip. Very well organized , great sights, excellent guide.

Great job! read less

5 Stars (17 reviews)

Don,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2023

The Hut to Hut hike is amazing.

"The Hut to Hut hike is amazing. The scenery is some of the best… read more

"The Hut to Hut hike is amazing. The scenery is some of the best I've ever seen! I was impressed with the guides. Will, Sydney, and Keenan were very knowledgeable regarding the structure of the mountains, the rocks and rock formations, and the foliage in the area. The watched us carefully to make sure we stayed hydrated and ate appropriately. They were fun to be around, and made the hike even more enjoyable. read less

5 Stars (15 reviews)

Deborah,

Yellowstone Adventure - September 2023

Yellowstone awe

"Our Yellowstone Adventure exceeded our expectations and ranks at the top of travel experiences. Our… read more

"Our Yellowstone Adventure exceeded our expectations and ranks at the top of travel experiences. Our guides, Jamie and Zach, treated us like royalty and were very responsive to our needs. The meals they prepared and served were excellent. Having a room with a view of Old Faithful was so unexpected and very cool. The hikes were very manageable, even for seniors like us. Our guides provided lots of encouragement for activities that might have been out of our comfort zones. read less

5 Stars (136 reviews)

Kathleen,

Yellowstone Adventure - September 2023

Yellowstone Adventure

"This was a beyond amazing adventure. I was looking forward to hiking in Yellowstone,… read more

"This was a beyond amazing adventure. I was looking forward to hiking in Yellowstone, but had reservations about zip lining, whitewater rafting and horseback riding. I did them all despite them being outside my comfort zone!!
Staying at the historic Old Faithful Inn and having a room that looked out on Old Faithful was a fantastic beginning to the trip. The meals Zach and Jamie fixed while on the trip were delicious and their knowledge of the area added to the enjoyment. Our last night in Chico was sad because our adventure was over, but also a celebration of the time we’d had together and the memories we made read less

5 Stars (136 reviews)

Louise,

San Juan Islands Adventure - September 2023

Suzanne M Kujat

"The trip was wonderful & the guides excellent & so much fun to be around.… read more

"The trip was wonderful & the guides excellent & so much fun to be around. They were organized (& had Plan B's when needed), helpful, friendly, fun, knowledgeable & very interested in each person on the tour. read less

4 Stars (92 reviews)

Suzanne,

San Juan Islands Adventure - September 2023

Island hopping

"I had a great time in a place I knew nothing about. Jayson and Steve… read more

"I had a great time in a place I knew nothing about. Jayson and Steve did a great job educating us on the history of the SJI and taking us out to do an abundance of activities and keeping us well fed. My husband and I came on this trip because it worked out with another activity scheduled nearby so we had no prior knowledge of the area. We came to find out our group was mostly repeat guests who had taken the Mighty 5 trip during a different week then us; but had the same former guides. We had some fast bonding and we had a great time with this group of people and I hope our guides also enjoyed their week. read less

5 Stars (92 reviews)

katelyn,

British Columbia Hut to Hut Adventure - September 2023

Hiking at it's best

"I have to say we were not prepared for the wonders of the Canadian Rockies.… read more

"I have to say we were not prepared for the wonders of the Canadian Rockies. Simply put, we were blown away by the landscape and our guides who were totally devoted to making our trip one we will always remember. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and open, making us feel like part of their family as they showed us their back yard. And what a back yard it is. Living in a city, the isolation in this vast wide open world of the Rockies was a welcome relief from the rush and crush of urban living. And the skies at night, unfettered by city lights, were out of this world. This trip ranks right up there with our trip to Everest Base Camp a few years ago. If you go, be prepared not only to be wowed, but also be fit. This is not a walk in the park. It will test you, but at the end of each day, you will feel like Hillary on top of the world. read less

5 Stars (15 reviews)

Ronald,

Camino de Santiago Adventure - September 2023

Jill

"I’ve experienced an Active Adventures trip before which was amazing but this was next level!… read more

"I’ve experienced an Active Adventures trip before which was amazing but this was next level! So well organised, amazing guide, fantastic accomodation and food everywhere, and a great group of like minded travellers that we shared it with. And Spain and the Camino - words just don’t describe how good it is . This really is a trip not to be missed! read less

5 Stars (14 reviews)

jill,

Banff & Jasper Adventure - September 2023

Banff/Jaspar Adult Hiking Trip

"To say I was emotionally overwhelmed is an understatement. I have been to a lot… read more

"To say I was emotionally overwhelmed is an understatement. I have been to a lot of beautiful places but this place brought tears. Even with three -maybe four - days of rain, this still was an amazing trip. The glory of the Rockies, the colors of the waters, the simple calmness of the place was a welcome respite from my concrete city life. read less

5 Stars (117 reviews)

Allison,

Machu Picchu & Amazon Adventure - September 2023

Amazing Macchu Picchu & Amazon Experience

"This trip was absolutely amazing. The Inca Trail was mind blowing. Zach was a wonderful… read more

"This trip was absolutely amazing. The Inca Trail was mind blowing. Zach was a wonderful guide on the Trail, full of warmth, knowledge and very funny.
Jessica was an excellent trip leader who made the trip so special for all of us. And the food especially on the trail was beyond extraordinary, as was the hard work of the local porters etc read less

5 Stars (109 reviews)

Friederike,

Banff & Jasper Adventure - September 2023

Banff and Jasper

"It was an excellent trip. Our two guides, Sydney and Santana were fantastic. We had… read more

"It was an excellent trip. Our two guides, Sydney and Santana were fantastic. We had some rain on two of the days and they were flexible in finding alternatives to our plans so that we could still hike but not be out in the elements too much. The accommodations were fine. The lunches that were prepared were great. The hikes were stunning. read less

5 Stars (117 reviews)

Zell,

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Experience adventure the way you want

You’ll be inspired and exhilarated, enjoying mind-blowing scenery on foot, in a sea kayak, or by bike - all at your own pace.

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With an average of 12 guests per departure and an industry-leading 6:1 guest-to-guide ratio, you'll get to know your fellow travelers and have the flexibility to go at your own pace.

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All our carefully selected guides are highly experienced and have deep personal connections to nature and culture. You’ll enjoy an authentic local experience.

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4.85 out of 5 from 6576 reviews. That’s pretty solid.

We could hang around all day telling you how wonderful our trips are... but the best people to hear it from are our guests themselves.