Tongariro Northern Circuit

This is not the Tongariro Alpine Crossing

It's the single most common mix-up on this list. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is a one-day, one-way, roughly 19.8km walk between two different car parks, needs no hut booking at all, and is what most day-trippers from Taupo or Turangi actually do. The Tongariro Northern Circuit — the Great Walk this page is about — is a multi-day loop of about 49km that starts and finishes at the same point, Whakapapa Village, and shares only its first stretch (through the Mangatepopo Valley) with the Crossing. If you only have one day, you want the Crossing, not this page. If you want three huts, a full loop around Mount Ngauruhoe, and views across to Mount Ruapehu, this is the one to book.

The three huts

• Mangatepopo Hut — the first night, near the shared start with the Alpine Crossing.
• Oturere Hut — reached after crossing the volcanic saddle past Ngauruhoe (Mount Doom to Lord of the Rings fans), on the mountain's more remote eastern side.
• Waihohonu Hut — the largest and most modern of the three, with views toward Ruapehu, the North Island's highest peak.

Volcanic terrain, real hazards

This is genuinely active volcanic ground — Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu have both erupted within living memory, and the terrain (loose scoria, exposed ridgelines, sudden weather changes on an exposed plateau) is a different kind of hazard than the alpine passes on the South Island Great Walks. Check the current volcanic alert level and DOC's own track status before you go, not just the weather forecast.