.JPG){kind=link}
Tongariro Northern Circuit
A volcanic loop of three to four days around Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro in New Zealand's North Island.
At a glance
- Loop from and back to
- Whakapapa Village
- Length
- 43 km
- On foot
- 3–4 days
- Countries
- New Zealand
- Best months
- November–April
About the trail
The circuit crosses the Tongariro volcanic plateau, past Red Crater, Emerald Lakes and Blue Lake, and shares that central section with the busy Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Beyond it the loop is quiet, with lava flows, the stony Rangipo Desert and the cold Ōhinepango Springs. Tongariro was New Zealand's first national park, given by the Ngāti Tūwharetoa chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its volcanoes and its Māori cultural meaning.
A recent route change has cut the circuit to about 35.5 km. Outside the Great Walks season the track is under snow and needs alpine skills.