What are the 8 Best National Parks in New Zealand?

1. Fiordland National Park 2. Abel Tasman National Park 3. Mount Aspiring National Park 4. Whanganui National Park 5. Tongariro National Park 6. Rakiura National Park 7. Mount Cook National Park 8. Paparoa National Park

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8 Best National Parks in New Zealand

From spectacular waterfalls to the most impressive ‘Great Walks,’ here are the eight best national parks in the country

More than one-tenth of New Zealand is protected as a national park, with 13 of them spread across the country, each distinct from the next. Looking for an alpine adventure destination where mountaineering legends originate? Head to Mt. Aspiring National Park or Mt. Cook National Park in the Southern Alps. Want to spot New Zealand’s most famous endemic bird in the wild? Rakiura National Park almost guarantees it. Have time to see both sides of the South Island? Go from the golden beaches of Abel Tasman National Park to the whimsical rock formations of Paparoa National Park. No matter what you choose, you’ll always have excellent hiking trails. Eight of New Zealand’s Great Walks are found in our list of best national parks, below.

1. Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park is one of New Zealand’s most iconic destinations—and for good reason. Often compared to Yosemite National Park for its sheer granite cliffs and ice-carved valleys, the three-million-acre wilderness on South Island’s southeastern corner is one of the most dynamic landscapes in the world. Its scenery is so otherworldly that it’s been featured in films like The Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park.

Fiordland is the gateway to spectacular Milford Sound, where towering waterfalls trace down sheer granite walls into the ocean, and Mitre Peak, the world’s highest mountain rising directly from the sea, looms large. It’s also home to three of the country’s Great Walks: The Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and Kepler Track. Called the “world’s finest walk,” the Milford Track packs all the park’s superlatives into 33 miles, traversing active glaciers, snow-capped peaks, and ancient rainforests that are home to endemic birds like the kea, an alpine parrot.

VISIT FIORDLAND

2. Abel Tasman National Park

Famed for its rich native forest, spectacular sculptured cliffs, and more than 30 golden beaches and bays, Abel Tasman National Park is an adventure paradise at the northern tip of the South Island. Known as New Zealand’s “Sunshine Capital,” it’s home to the best weather in the country, boasting around 2,600 hours of sunshine per year, compared to the national average of 1,900. It’s also one of the country’s more accessible wildernesses, with an iconic, 37-mile coastal trail that is one of the country’s most glorious Great Walks.

All these spectacular highlights are the reason we make the park the grand finale of our South Island itinerary. We enter the park via a scenic boat ride, hike through mystical fern forests and stay at a fantastic lodge set in a private reserve inside the park. On kayaking adventures we can explore countless coves and four pristine islands

visit Abel Tasman

3. Mount Aspiring National Park

For the ultimate alpine adventure, head to Mt. Aspiring National Park in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Most visitors opt for a quick hike to the crystalline Blue Pools and miss out on the incredible range the park has on offer, from icy-blue glacial fields to high mountain passes.

But on our South Island itinerary, we set out on the park’s impressive Great Walk, the Routeburn Track. Once a Maori trade route for collecting sacred jade used in tools and talismans, the track crosses swing bridges above stunning natural pools, carves through spectacular beech forest and river valleys, and meets the dramatic Routeburn Falls.

In the park’s majestic Matukituki Valley, we hike the Rocky Mountain Track to Diamond Lake for panoramas across New Zealand’s rugged Southern Alps, then across the Rob Roy Glacier Track into a dramatic setting of snowfields, hanging glaciers, cliffs, and waterfalls.

VISIT Mount Aspiring

4. Whanganui National Park

Of the three national parks on New Zealand’s North Island, Whanganui National Park stands out for its entirely unique ecosystem of river valleys shrouded in lush lowland forest. Starting at Mount Tongariro, the Whanganui River—New Zealand’s longest navigable waterway—winds through the park before meeting the Tasman Sea. Since 2017, the river has been granted the same rights and privileges as a person in New Zealand law, reflecting its importance as a transportation network and source of life for the Maori.

The best way to explore this park is along the Whanganui River—classed as one of New Zealand’s Great Walks—which we experience via jet-boat and canoe on our Hiker’s Journey itinerary. Starting at the tiny riverside settlement of Pipiriki, we jet-boat through deep river gorges lush with tree ferns and native vegetation to “The Bridge to Nowhere,” where a trail allows us to walk in the footsteps of the early pioneers. After returning to Pipiriki, we embark on a scenic five-mile paddle.

VISIT Whanganui

5. Tongariro National Park

Within the past few decades, Maori culture has gradually experienced more recognition and integration into society. The change started with the establishment of Tongariro National Park in 1993 and its designation as the world’s first dual-heritage World Heritage Site, honoring both the park’s natural beauty as well as its Maori spiritual significance. The spiritual importance is apparent at every turn, but most felt at its heart, where three spectacular volcanoes—Mount Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro—are centered.

The park is a year-round destination, home to the largest ski field in the winter, and excellent hiking in the summer and shoulder months, particularly along the famous Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Considered the greatest day hike in New Zealand, the crossing highlights North Island’s volcanic terrain, passing lunar landscapes, glacial valleys, crater lakes, steaming vents, and ancient lava flows. On our Hiker’s Journey itinerary, we’ll hike up the Mangatepopo Valley to the saddle between Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngaruhoe, continue through the South Crater, then up to the Red Crater, the highest point on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

VISIT TONGARIRO

6. Rakiura National Park

While there are plenty of opportunities to spot New Zealand’s most famous endemic bird in sanctuaries throughout the country, there’s no better place to search for kiwis in the wild than in Rakiura National Park on remote Stewart Island. On our South Island itinerary, in addition to hikes through the kiwis’ favorite habitats, we head out on an evening excursion to find these rare nocturnal birds.

The park, which covers about 85% of Stewart Island, the country’s southernmost isle, is an incredible mix of soaring mountains, ancient forests, wetlands, and coastal dunes. In Maori, Rakiura translates to “glowing skies,” for the sunsets for which the destination is famous. Just as famous are the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, which are often visible from the park during the winter months, from March to September.

Rakiura is home to yet another Great Walk, the 20-mile Rakiura Track. From Port William, an early Maori settlement site, we’ll hike part of the trail, passing through Maori Beach, where relics of early sawmills can still be seen, and ending at picturesque Lee Bay.

VISIT Rakiura

7. Mount Cook National Park

This national park in the center of the Southern Alps features 23 peaks that are more than 9,000 feet, including 12,218-foot Mount Cook, New Zealand’s highest mountain. It’s an alpine wonderland as dramatic as they come, with dizzying vistas, permanent ice fields, and the Tasman Glacier, the country’s longest. Ever since explorer Sir Edmund Hillary used Mount Cook to train for Everest, the park has been a top climbing destination, attracting peak-bagging hopefuls the world over.

While famed for its impressive trails, including the 2,200-step Stairway to Heaven hike that leads to epic views of Mount Cook, the park has plenty to offer casual visitors. It’s part of New Zealand’s only International Dark Sky Reserve, featuring some of the planet’s clearest views of stars, planets, and the Milky Way. In the summer, the Tasman Glacier forms a lake that can be explored by boat, and in the winter, skiers come to explore its fascinating ice formations.

8. Paparoa National Park

From the fantastical “pancake rocks” of Punakaiki to the craggy granite peaks of the Paparoa Range, the geological formations of Paparoa National Park distinguish it from the rest of South Island. Its unique features—and the diverse flora and fauna that thrive as a result—are the product of its unique limestone underlayer.

As the park stretches from coastline to the Paparoa Range, there is a shift in climate from subtropical to alpine, that sees a progression from surreal cave systems and blowholes lined with palm trees to rugged mountain ridges and beech forests.

The park is also home to New Zealand’s newest Great Walk, the 34-mile Paparoa Track. It’s the country’s only shared-use route, available to both hikers and mountain bikers, and offers access to the Paparoa Range, where you’ll find limestone karst formations, dense rainforest, and the spectacular Pororari River Gorge. While the entire trail requires three to five days to complete, there are plenty of shorter options, like the historic, 16-mile Inland Pack Track, which traces the route of the area’s gold miners.

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