New Zealand’s Southern Alps are a hiker’s paradise and some of the best hikes in this area are in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park! The Alps run the length of the South Island, from Nelson to Milford Sound. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is roughly in the middle and is home to the tallest mountain in the country, Aoraki Mount Cook.

I’ve visited this park three times over the years and still have not gotten through all the hikes on my bucketlist. I’m sharing the hikes I’ve done and loved, along with hikes that are on my list. Whether you’re a seasoned or beginner hiker, there is a trail for everyone.

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Tips For Visiting the Park

The park is isolated: It’s best practice to have all the food, water, and gas you need especially if you’ll be be in the park for a few days. There is a small gas station in the park but it is very expensive. I’d stop at either Twizel or Lake Tekapo for anything you may need.

Rent a car or a campervan: If you can drive yourself, enjoy the beautiful road into the park, stop at Peter’s Lookout, and take a cold dip in Lake Pukaki (be careful, it’s glacial water). The scenery along this road is some of the best in New Zealand.

No worries if you can’t self-drive; there are tours from Queenstown that will take you to the beautiful Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Accommodation: Stays are very limited in the park. There are a few hotels (take a look at them here) ranging in price, along with Whitehorse Hill Campground, which is first come, first serve (bring cash). I usually plan to backpack and sleep in the mountains or the many huts in the park so I don’t have to worry about accommodation.

Activities: You can hike, take a scenic flight, go on a helicopter tour with a landing on a glacier, or go glacier kayaking on Tasman Lake.

Weather: Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park can be incredibly windy, which can lead to sleepless nights in a tent and super dusty trails. I recommend checking the wind, asking a ranger in the visitor center, and learning how to set up a tent in windy conditions (which I learned the hard way…). It also could be a good idea to bring a bandana or face covering to avoid breathing in too much dust. The weather can change very fast, so be prepared!

Hiking: While the best hikes in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park are stunning, they are steep, and you have to work for the views, so hiking poles will be extremely helpful. You can find my entire day hiking packing list here and backcountry packing list here.

When enjoying the outdoors, it’s essential to follow the Leave No Trace principles to help protect our natural landscapes for future generations. By packing out everything you bring, staying on designated trails, and respecting wildlife, we can all contribute to keeping nature pristine and beautiful. Learn more about LNT here.

Best Hikes in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park

Hooker Valley Track

• Length: 10.9 km / 6.8 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 197m / 646 ft
• Difficulty: easy/moderate
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

This trail is one of the most iconic and accessible hikes in New Zealand. It is an absolute jaw-dropper that brings you across swing bridges, along glacial-fed rivers, and offers incredible views of Aoraki Mount Cook.

It is a relatively flat trail, but it is exposed to the sun, so be prepared if you hike it mid-day. It is stunning at sunrise and sunset, and it will be more comfortable to hike if you visit in the summer.

The trail ends at Hooker Lake, where Aoraki Mount Cook towers down on you. It’s common to have icebergs floating in the water, especially in the winter (but not so much in the summer).

It is undoubtedly one of the best hikes in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park so be sure to check the weather conditions to see the mountain in all her glory!

Remember to pack sunscreen, a sun shirt and sunglasses. The sun in New Zealand is really strong.

I sadly don’t have my photos from this track when I did this track a few years ago with me (I’m currently away from home) so you’ll just have to take my word for it!

Mueller Hut

• Length: 9.7 km / 6 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 1,056m / 3465 ft
• Difficulty: difficult
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

Once you reach Sealy Tarns, you’ll continue on the trail. The stairs stop, and you start to climb elevation along a rocky trail while following the orange poles.

This is a popular hike and backpacking trip because the views are absolutely breathtaking, there are a lot of spots to pitch a tent at the top, and you can stay the night in Mueller Hut. If you want to stay in the hut, don’t forget to book in advance on the DOC site.

If you have energy left, I recommend heading up to Mount Oliver; the summit is ‘just’ past the hut.

Wear supportive hiking boots and merino wool socks.

Tasman Glacier View Walk

• Length: 1.1 km / 0.7 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 76m / 250 ft
• Difficulty: easy
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

This well-maintained trail is an easy and short walk, which makes it another incredibly accessible trail in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Given the accessibility, it can be very busy, so going early or later in the day is the move.

This is a great trail if you’re short on time or want to squeeze in a few different views or hikes into a day trip.

The Department of Conservation recommends staying out of Tasman Lake (and Hooker Lake, too) as they are about 3 degrees which could cause hypothermia if your body is not already used to experiencing these temperatures. A side trip to the Blue Lakes offers good swimming in summer. 

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Sealy Tarns Track

• Length: 5.3 km / 3.3 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 546m / 1791 ft
• Difficulty: difficult
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

Get ready to work for this one. Commonly known as the ‘stairway to heaven,’ Sealy Tarns is a challenging trail that climbs 2,200 steps straight up the mountain. It’s a knee-crushing hike yet one of the best hikes in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

It is a steep and relentless hike that brings you to small alpine tarns with incredible views of Aoraki Mount Cook and the valley.

It is the mid-way point to Mueller Hut, which is what I’ll outline below.

Sefton Bivouac

• Length: 12.2km / 7.6 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 944m / 3097 ft
• Difficulty: difficult
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

If you want to try out a lesser-known trail, look no further than Sefton Biovuac. It is a small hut in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park and has helped a lot of climbers and mountaineers achieve great feats! You’ll start on the Hooker Valley trail and then turn off shortly after the toilets at Stocking Stream.

This trail is extremely difficult and should only be attempted by experienced hikers. It is incredibly exposed near the top, which could result in severe injury. You can fall if you don’t have the right experience or fitness level. Also, you need to be able to proficient in route finding as the trail is unmarked and hard to navigate. Do not attempt if you do not meet these requirements!

It is probably one of the steepest hikes I’ve ever done, so hiking poles would be helpful. Honestly, having hiking poles for most hikes in New Zealand is probably a good move. My Garmin watch clocked more mileage and elevation, so be warned that AllTrails isn’t exactly on point.

Read next: Backcountry Gear Guide

The bivouac, or small hut, is operated on a first-come, first-serve basis and can only sleep 3-4 people. If you are committed to sleeping in the hut, I’d start the trail in the morning to try to be the first ones up there.

You can also camp up top, which I did, and still experience the incredible views and look in the hut. When I slept here, there were intense winds, so I recommend choosing the tent spot with the most wind coverage. If you follow me on Instagram… you know how bad the wind was.

My 6-year-old MSR Hubba Hubba tent held up against insanely strong winds, which is very impressive if you ask me. I ended up cowboy camping to avoid wind damage to my tent, so it was necessary to have a warm sleeping bag and a good-quality sleeping pad.

Hooker Hut

• Length: 8 km / 5 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 120m / 394 ft
• Difficulty: easy
• Trail info: DOC

This is the oldest hut in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. It was moved to this new location and fully restored a few years ago. It has stunning views of Aoraki Mount Cook, Mount Sefton, and the glaciers towering around it.

I couldn’t stay at it during my last visit, but I did see it, and it looked incredible! The route starts on the Hooker Valley Track and then turns off shortly after the toilets at Stocking Stream. This is the same turn-off as Sefton Bivouac, but there’s a fork where you go left for the hut and right for Sefton Bivouac. Remember to follow the orange markers.

You could day-hike this and check it out or stay the night (if you’ve booked your spot).

Read next: 10 epic spots in NZ’s South Island

Plateau Hut

• Length: N/A
• Elevation Gain: N/A
• Difficulty: easy
• Trail info: DOC

If you’re looking for something with epic views and very low effort, look no further than Plateau Hut. You need to book a helicopter to access this incredible hut tucked away into epic glaciers.

It works on a first-come, first-served basis, and you need to pay for a booking at the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park Visitor Centre before heading out.

I believe there is a mountaineering route to access this if you have the experience and skills.

Kea Point Trail

• Length: 3 km / 1.86 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: 180m / 590 ft
• Difficulty: easy
• Trail info: AllTrails and DOC

I haven’t been able to do this hike yet, but it is on the list! It is a great short walk that will bring you to a viewing deck that gives stunning views of Mount Sefton, The Footstool, Hooker Valley, Mueller Glacier Lake, and Aoraki Mount Cook.