Three Great Walks In Three Days from Te Anau

From NZD 2413 per person

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Getaway Summary

• Location: Te Anau, Fiordland
• 4 nights / 5 days
• Accommodation at Distinction Luxmore in a Standard Room
• Daily breakfast and picnic lunch
• Pre-trip briefing, plus wet weather gear and hiking poles on loan if needed
• Kepler Track guided heli hike, incl helicopter flight and water taxi (full day)
• Milford Track guided walk and Milford Sound Cruise, incl water taxi (full day)
• Routeburn Track guided walk to Key Summit (full day)

Three of New Zealand’s Great Walks in three days, and no backcountry hut required. Heli-hike from Te Anau, cruise Milford Sound after the walk to Giant Gate Falls, then climb to Key Summit for sweeping alpine views. Every night, a proper bed and a hot shower wait back in Te Anau.

Day 1: Kepler Track Guided Heli Hike

Day one starts with a pre-trip briefing from your guides, then a helicopter flight out of Te Anau. Skim over Lake Te Anau and native beech forest, spotting hidden tarns from the air, before landing near Luxmore Hut, well above the bushline.

From here it’s all downhill, in the best way. Cross open alpine tussock, a botanist’s paradise of unique mountain plants, before dropping into alpine herb fields and then silver beech forest. The track runs under dramatic limestone bluffs, and your guide points out the stoat traps working quietly to protect Fiordland’s native birds. It’s a solid day, 8 to 16km with 800 to 1,200m of descent, but the changing scenery makes the distance disappear.

The walk ends at Brod Bay’s sandy beach, where a water taxi carries you back across the lake to Te Anau. Your guides are from family-operated Trips & Tramps. Several of the guides are former Department of Conservation rangers who know this track better than most.

Day 2: Milford Track Guided Walk and Milford Sound Cruise

Today, you’re headed to Milford Sound. After the drive down Milford Road, a short water taxi crosses the Deep Water Basin to Sandfly Point, officially the finish line of the Milford Track. You’re walking it from the other direction, in a day.

The track follows the Arthur River and Lake Ada through ancient temperate rainforest, well-formed underfoot with a few uneven, rocky sections. It’s 11km return, with a wilderness tea break at Giant Gate Falls, a proper cascade framed by native bush, and a swing bridge nearby for photos. Allow around 3.5 hours of walking.

Back at Sandfly Point, the water taxi returns you to Milford Sound for a 2-hour cruise. Sheer cliffs reach for the skies, and waterfalls tumble straight into the water. The skipper knows exactly where to find seals, seabirds and the odd pod of dolphins, all from a small boat that never feels crowded.

Day 3: Routeburn Track Guided Walk to Key Summit

The final hiking day starts with a scenic 1.5-hour drive from Te Anau to the Divide Shelter, the lowest east-west pass in the Southern Alps and the start of the Routeburn Track.

The climb gains around 400m through beech forest and alpine herb fields, past Earland Falls and Lake Howden Hut. Spaniard grass flowers dot the higher ground as the bush thins into tussock and open sky.

Key Summit is the reward: alpine tarns, and views that stretch across valleys, peaks and the Hollyford and Greenstone catchments. Weather allowing, lunch happens right up there, a fitting way to finish three days of guided walking in Fiordland.

Important to know:

• Hikes range from Moderate to Challenging (“only” moderate available)
• Walking dinstances range between 6 and 16km per day
• 3+ hours of walking each day

Your accommodation in Te Anau: Distinction Luxmore Hotel

Base yourself at Distinction Luxmore Hotel for all 4 nights, right in the middle of Te Anau’s main street. It’s an easy walk to restaurants, the lakefront and the water taxi departure point, handy when you’re coming back tired from a big day out.

Your Standard Room is compact and comfortable, with a double bed (or a double and a single), tea and coffee facilities, a flat-screen TV and a modern ensuite. Daily delicious breakfast is included at Bailiez Cafe & Bar, getting you ready for a day of walking.

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