Tongariro Alpine Crossing Tour

This beautiful hike starts in the Mangatepopo car park (1,125 m above sea level), where a six-kilometer road branching off from the main road number 47 leads through the desolate landscape. The hike is long and if you want to catch side walks, start the march at dawn.

From the parking lot, a long and slightly monotonous climb through the desolate landscape along a nice sidewalk awaits you. After less than an hour, you will be approaching the saddle under the volcano. The car park will be lost deep below you.

In an hour's walk you are already in the saddle (1,650 m above sea level), or at the beginning of the volcanic plain under this beautiful volcano. Only a minority of tourists climb this mountain as an interesting side trip, which is a shame, because from the top there is a beautiful view of two other interesting lakes Tama and the highest volcano far and wide Ruapehu (2,797 m above sea level). The ascent path is pretty clear from here. From this point begins the most beautiful part of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing march.

From the indistinct wide saddle below the Ngaurohue volcano, a more than a kilometer-long journey across the desolate plain, still at an altitude of about 1,650 meters above sea level, awaits you. Finally, the plains await you ascent (more than 200 meters high) along the ridge to the top of the Red Crater. The views back to the volcano are beautiful.

Right next to the interesting Red Crater is a crossroads of hiking trails (approx. 1,850 m above sea level. From here you can alternatively set off to the top of the indistinct Tongariro volcano.

If you do not take either of the two side ascents to the volcanoes, then the view directly to the Red Crater is the highest point (1,880 m above sea level) of this entire hike.

From the Red Crater you will descend to another volcanic plain. Along the way, however, there is perhaps the most beautiful view ever – the Emerald lakes.

The lakes are really beautiful. If you want the weather, do not rush in this passage and go around all the lakes.

The view from the lakes to the path you came from, winding over the steep slopes of the crater, is also interesting.

From the lakes you will descend a little more to another vast volcanic plain. The further you go on the plain, the more panoramic the view of the volcanoes. It is beautiful to see from here that the Red Crater is just a small remnant of a once huge volcano.

At the end of the volcanic plain, aka the central crater, the last short ascent to the next edge of the crater at Blue Lake awaits you. The path along it leads relatively along the contour line. Even the view from here is quite interesting, especially the relatively „fresh“ black lava flow.

Finally you arrive at the pass from where you can see really far to the huge Lake Taupo and a little smaller but closer Rotoaira

The journey down seems endless after a day's hike and not so interesting anymore. You also have to descend a kilometer high. Along the way, you will meet fumaroles and finally walk through the misty forest to the parking lot. It is still about nine kilometers from the pass.