Things To Do: Day Hikes From Te Anau
- Alice Neilson - Fiordland Enthusiast & Writer
- Feb 27
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Te Anau is perfectly placed for exploring some of Fiordland’s best day hikes. Within a short drive, you can reach everything from gentle forest walks to more challenging alpine tracks, with scenery ranging from mossy beech forest to panoramic mountain views.
In this guide, we’ve put together four day hikes you can do from Te Anau, along with practical information to help you plan.
Key Takeaways
Before you leave for your hike, let someone know you're going and when you expect to be back
All day hikes from Te Anau are free to walk, though some require paid water taxi access
The Kepler Track offers two options: an uphill climb to Luxmore Hut (6 hours) or an easier lakeside walk to Moturau Hut (3-4 hours)
Lake Marian provides stunning alpine lake scenery and requires good fitness
Key Summit delivers panoramic mountain views with changing vegetation zones from forest to alpine tarns
You will see various native birds on day hikes, such as kea, robins, tomtits, and bellbirds
A Note on Safety
All the day hikes around Te Anau are safe as long as you stay on the marked tracks. The trails are well-maintained and clearly signposted, but wandering off the designated paths can lead to getting lost in dense forest or challenging terrain.
Before heading out on any day hike, let someone know your plans. If you're travelling from overseas, send a message to someone back home saying where you're hiking and when you expect to return.
While serious incidents are rare, this precaution ensures someone knows to raise the alarm if you don't check in as expected.
Kepler Track: Brod Bay to Luxmore Hut
The Kepler Track is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks, and is a 60-kilometre loop that typically takes three to four days to complete. However, a climb from Brody Bay to Luxmore Hut makes a great day hike for those with good fitness levels and a full day available, taking around 6-8 hours return to complete.
The track itself is smooth and well-maintained throughout, but you'll climb steadily uphill for around three hours from Brod Bay to Luxmore Hut. If you can handle several hours of continuous uphill walking, the smooth trail surface makes the journey comfortable.
Getting There
Fiordland Outdoors operates water taxis from Te Anau Lakefront to Brod Bay, with the 50-minute crossing providing scenic views across Lake Te Anau.
Departures run at 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, and 2:30pm, with return trips available later in the afternoon. The 4:30pm return works well for the full-day hike to Luxmore Hut.
The water taxi costs $60 in total ($30 each way). Book on the morning of your hike rather than in advance. The operator always has spots available, and they don't offer refunds for pre-booked cancellations.
This flexibility means you won't lose money if the weather turns poor overnight.
What You'll Experience
The track climbs steeply from Brod Bay through mountain beech and silver beech forest, where you'll hear the melodic calls of native birds like bellbirds, tūī, and South Island robins.
After approximately two hours of climbing, you'll pass beneath limestone bluffs that tower overhead. Beyond the bluffs, the track continues upward toward the bush line, where native forest gives way to alpine vegetation.
Once you break through the treeline, panoramic views open up on all sides. From here, it's another 45 minutes to reach Luxmore Hut at 1,085 metres elevation. Kea, New Zealand's cheeky alpine parrots, often hang out near the hut and enjoy investigating hikers and their gear.
Enjoy watching them, but never feed them, as human food damages their health and encourages problematic behaviour.
Practical Tips
Don't attempt Luxmore Hut on cloudy or foggy days, as you'll climb for hours only to reach the top and see nothing but white mist. Wait for a clear day when you can fully appreciate the views.
You should also carry enough water for the entire day. While water is available at Luxmore Hut, it requires boiling before drinking. Gas cookers are available at the hut if you want to heat food or make hot drinks.
Kepler Track: Rainbow Reach to Moturau Hut
For a more leisurely Kepler Track day hike, this section offers beautiful scenery without an uphill climb. The gentle undulating terrain makes it accessible to a wider range of fitness levels, including families with children.
Getting There
Rainbow Reach is located about 12 kilometres south of Te Anau. Follow the Manapouri-Te Anau Highway for approximately 10.6 kilometres, then turn right at the signposted road to the Rainbow Reach car park. The drive takes about ten minutes from town.
What You’ll Experience
From the car park, cross the swing bridge over the Waiau River and follow the track for 200 metres to the Control Gates. Turn left here toward a short, steep section, which is the only real climb on this walk.
After the brief ascent, the track wanders through mountain beech forest. Further along, you'll cross the Amoeboid Mire, a kettle bog formed as the Manapouri glacier melted thousands of years ago.
A 200-metre boardwalk with information panels crosses the mire, which is dominated by sphagnum moss and features a large tarn.
Beyond the mire, continue to the shores of Lake Manapouri to Moturau Hut. The total return journey takes 3-4 hours, making it a comfortable half-day activity.
Practical Tips
Bring plenty of drinking water with you. The hut has running water, but it must be boiled before drinking. There are gas cookers available at the hut to heat food and drinks.
Lake Marian
This track demands effort, but rewards hikers with views of a stunning turquoise alpine lake cradled between the mountains. This track takes 3-4 hours return.
Getting There
The track begins from the Hollyford Road, which branches off the Milford Road at Marian Corner. This turnoff is located about 87 kilometres from Te Anau, just a few minutes toward Milford Sound from The Divide. Turn onto the Hollyford Road and drive one kilometre to reach the Lake Marian car park.
What You’ll Experience
From the car park, cross the swing bridge and continue for about ten minutes to reach a series of small waterfalls. This lower section is accessible to most visitors and makes a popular short walk.
Beyond the waterfalls, the track becomes a hiking trail. The path becomes steep and sometimes muddy as it climbs toward the lake, gaining substantial elevation over the next 90 minutes.
You'll need good fitness to handle the uphill hike.The lake sits above the bush line in a dramatic mountain cirque and is considered to be one of Fiordland's most beautiful settings. On calm days, the lake surface creates a perfect mirror image of the surrounding peaks.
Practical Tips
Carry plenty of water and high-energy snacks. The rocks along Marian Creek are extremely slippery, and the water’s current is strong, so ensure you stay on the marked track to avoid injury.
Routeburn Track: The Divide to Key Summit
A hike to Key Summit provides panoramic mountain and alpine lake views through a half-day walk that's suitable for families with children. As part of the multi-day Routeburn Track, one of Fiordland’s Great Walks, this day walk samples one of New Zealand's premier hiking experiences.
Getting There
The walk begins at The Divide, located about 85 kilometres along the Milford Road from Te Anau. Park at The Divide car park where the track begins.
What You'll Experience
From the car park, follow the Routeburn Track for approximately one hour until you reach a sign marking the turnoff to the Key Summit Track. From there, it's a 20-minute climb to reach Key Summit itself with views over the Humboldt and Darran Mountains.
One of the track’s highlights is walking through distinct vegetation zones as you climb. The trail begins in beech forest with moss-covered tree trunks. As you gain elevation, the forest transitions to subalpine shrublands, and the summit area features small alpine ponds surrounded by vibrant sphagnum moss.
Native birds like tomtits, robins, kererū/New Zealand pigeons, and bellbirds are commonly seen along the track.
The 3.4-kilometre track takes about three hours return, making it a great half-day activity.
Day Hike Packing List
Regardless of which track you choose, bringing a backpack with appropriate gear ensures a safe and comfortable experience. Fiordland weather can change rapidly, so preparation matters even on short walks.
Clothing
Waterproof jacket
Warm fleece or insulating layer
Sunhat
Warm hat
Sunglasses
Sturdy hiking boots or shoes
Food and Water
Plenty of water for the day
High-energy snacks
Lunch for full-day hikes
Safety
Small first aid kit
Sunscreen
Insect repellent
Personal medications
Optional but Useful
Walking poles
Camera or phone for scenery and wildlife photos
Bathing suit and lightweight towel (if you plan to take a dip in the lakes)
Fiordland’s Multi-Day Hikes
If you have several days to spend in the Fiordland area and want to extend your hiking experience beyond day walks, you might want to tackle one of the region's Great Walks.
New Zealand's Great Walks are premier multi-day tracks passing through diverse scenery, and they're considered among the country's greatest visitor experiences. Of the ten Great Walks in New Zealand, three are located in Fiordland: the Kepler Track, the Routeburn Track, and the Milford Track.
For comprehensive guides to planning and completing these multi-day Great Walks, see the following articles:
Te Anau is an ideal base for exploring Fiordland on foot, with a range of day hikes suitable for different fitness levels and timeframes.
Each track offers a different way to experience the forests, rivers, and mountains that make this region so special. Whether you have a full day or just a few hours, there’s a track nearby to suit your pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there toilets on the day hiking tracks in Fiordland?
Yes. Most popular tracks have long drop toilet facilities at key points.
On the Kepler Track day walks, there are long-drop toilets at the huts. At Lake Marian, there is a long-drop toilet at the car park and another near the lake, located just off the track. For the Key Summit walk, toilets are available at The Divide car park.
Do I need to book anything for day hikes?
Most day hikes around Te Anau are free and do not require bookings.
The main exception is the Kepler Track day walk to Luxmore Hut if you want to take a water taxi to Brod Bay, and these can be booked on the day.
What is the best time of year for day hiking in Fiordland?
Day hikes are possible year-round, but conditions vary.
The summer and autumn months of December to April offer longer daylight hours and milder temperatures.
Winter hikes can be beautiful but colder, and alpine sections such as Luxmore Hut or Key Summit may have snow or low cloud, so checking forecasts is especially important. You should never attempt a hike in colder months if conditions are icy, snowy, or if there is poor visibility.
