Great Walks 2027/28 Bookings: When They Open and How to Prepare

What we know about the 2027/28 dates

The 2027/28 season covers stays from 1 July 2027 to 30 June 2028, and DOC publishes the booking dates on its Great Walks page and in a media release ahead of opening. The dates for 2026/27 were announced in March 2026, so expect the same timing: a notice in March or April 2027 and bookings opening in May 2027. Until DOC confirms the dates, treat any date you see elsewhere as a guess.

The Hump Ridge Track is the exception, as it is booked through its own trust rather than DOC's system, and its bookings open on a different schedule. For fees and the walks side by side, the Great Walks 2026/27 guide shows the current picture, and the fees may change for 2027/28.

How the 2026/27 opening worked

In 2026 DOC opened the walks one at a time over about ten days. The Paparoa Track opened on 12 May, the Milford Track on 13 May, the Abel Tasman Coast Track on 14 May and the Routeburn Track on 15 May, with the last walks opening on 21 May, and each walk opened at either 9:30 am or 12 pm New Zealand time.

The most popular walks fill quickly. DOC said last year that Milford Track and Abel Tasman Coast Track huts reached about 95 per cent occupancy and the Kepler Track 91 per cent, while the Heaphy, Lake Waikaremoana and Whanganui Journey often have space. Do not assume a walk will be quiet because it is lesser known, and check DOC's own numbers when they are published.

How to prepare for the opening day

Make a DOC account now so that booking takes seconds on the day, and check that your payment card works. DOC takes payment in full when you book and the booking only counts once the payment is confirmed, so keep a strong connection and do not lose signal part-way through. A phone or visitor centre booking costs more than booking online.

Decide your dates and a backup before the day. Choose a first-choice start date and two alternatives, and if you are a group, choose which walk matters most. Keep refreshing at the opening time and expect duplicate bookings to drop in the first minutes. The booked-out guide explains how cancellations release beds later.

Which walks to book first, and which can wait

Book the Milford Track, the Routeburn Track, the Kepler Track and the Abel Tasman Coast Track on opening day if you want a summer date, because they sell out fastest. The Tongariro Northern Circuit is also popular and its huts and campsites follow the same pattern. If you do not get a hut, a campsite is sometimes available on the walks that allow camping.

The Heaphy Track, Lake Waikaremoana and the Whanganui Journey are more likely to have space later, and autumn and spring dates are much quieter than January. If a Great Walk is booked out, the booking guide and the easy huts guide list other options, and the sell-out campsites guide covers the roadside sites.

Planning your Great Walk trip in KiwiCamping

KiwiCamping marks the DOC campsites, huts and holiday parks at each Great Walk trailhead, which helps with the nights before and after the track. Saved in order as a trip, they show the drive between trailheads and a forecast for each. The hut and campsite bookings on the walks themselves are made only with DOC.

Use the app to plan the nights before and after the walk, such as a holiday park at Te Anau or Marahau.

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