If you’re looking for some great overnight hikes near Wanaka, you’re not short on options.
The five huts in this post are all out and back hikes that are suitable for most, including kids (though you’d want some experience hiking with kids before hiking the Breast Hill Track).
If you haven’t stayed in a hut before, you might be feeling a bit nervous. No internet? No comforts of home? It’s only one night, what’s the worst that can happen?
In all likelihood, all your fears will wash away as soon as you arrive at the hut.
There are more details on each of the hikes below, but here’s the answer to a few popular questions about overnight hikes in Wanaka.
Best for families?
Aspiring Hut. Reasonably easy to get to and it’s the biggest hut.
Best overnight hike for sunset?
Brewster! When I was there we had one of those sunsets that never seems to end. It was magical.
Or Pakituhi! Take a walk towards the ridgeline a short distance from the hut, and if the clouds are working in your favour, you’re in for a treat.
Best overnight hike for sunrise?
Aspiring. The sun doesn’t hit the valley early, but it’s awesome to see the shadows on the
Best overnight hike near Wanaka in winter?
Meg Hut. Even when there’s some snow about, you can walk to this hut easily enough as it follows a 4WD track.
Shortest walk to a hut?
Brewster Hut at about less than 6km return. In saying that it’s the hardest hike on this list and might be the longest to get to for some, and you’ve got to walk further to reach the glacier.
5 OF THE BEST OVERNIGHT HIKES NEAR WANAKA
1. Meg Hut
2. Fern Burn Hut
3. Pakituhi Hut
4. Aspiring Hut
5. Brewster Hut
1. MEG HUT (14KM RETURN)
The trailhead to the 8 bunk Meg Hut is next to Tuohys Gully Carpark which is tucked off the road taking you over the Crown Range, making it a great overnight hike near Queenstown as well.
The track takes you through a bit of farmland to start before you get onto the 4WD track, making navigation easy, which climbs steadily up the hill. As you get further into the hike, look back to where you came from for views over the valley and across to Cardrona Ski Field.
Once you approach the saddle, you’ll veer left and hike down to the hut which will soon come into view at the bottom of the valley. I’m always surprised at how warm Meg Hut is given its location which tends to fall into the shade relatively early.
If it’s cold, you can get the fireplace cranking (maybe bring some wood up from next to the car park just in case), and you’ll be toasty in no time.
There are a few short walks from the hut you can take, and it’s worth doing so to see the sunset or sunrise from above the valley. This is also a manageable walk for most when there’s been some recent snowfall with the 4WD track easy enough to follow.
Hut Fees:
Adult (18+): $10/night
Youth (11 – 17 years): $5/night
Child/infant (0 – 10 years): free
Backcountry Hut Passes can be used here
READ THE FULL POST: HIKING MEG HUT
2. FERN BURN HUT (14KM RETURN)
The 12 bunk Fern Burn Hut is the first hut people will stay at if they’re doing the Motatapu Track starting from Glendhu Bay.
The hike into the hut has a lot of variety for a 7km hike which makes it great for both a day walk from Wanaka or overnight.
You’ll start off following the river through some farmland, before venturing into the beech forest which is undulating before you take on the single track through to the hut. There are a couple of steep dropoffs along the way to be mindful of.
This walk gets lots of varied answers when you ask how hard it is, but at 7km each way, it’s not going to take all day to reach.
From the hut, you can continue walking along the Motatapu Track towards Highland Creek Hut, or follow the track up the hill behind the hut for some further explorations and stargazing.
The Motatapu Track does make up a section of the Te Araroa Trail so you might meet some inspirational people while you stay here.
Hut Fees:
Adult (18+): $10/night
Youth (11–17 years): $5/night
Child/Infant (0–10 years): free
Backcountry Hut Passes can be used here
RELATED POST: MOTATAPU TRACK
3. PAKITUHI HUT (8KM RETURN)
The 8 bunk bed Pakituhi Hut can be reached from a few different directions, but the shortest route is by taking the grunty Breast Hill Track. A 4km hike to a hut might seem easy-breezy, but when there are almost 1000 metres of vertical gain in that 4km, you know it’s no joke.
The hike starts off with a series of switchbacks meaning you get some great views over Lake Hawea early on. The track does get a little rocky at times, but it’s well-marked so provided you’re hiking on a nice day, navigation is no issue.
Once you get to the top you’ll feel like you’re on the top of the world as you close in on the hut that gets a lot of sun throughout the day.
If you’ve got some energy left, you can walk over to Breast Hill for more amazing views over Lake Hawea and a spectacular ridgeline.
Hut Fees:
Adult (18+ years): $10/night
Youth (11–17 years): $5/night
Child/infant (0–10): free
Backcountry Hut Passes can be used here
READ THE FULL POST: THE BREAST HILL TRACK TO PAKITUHI HUT
4. ASPIRING HUT (18KM RETURN)
Aspiring Hut is the first of four huts in Mount Aspiring National Parks West Matukituki Valley. You start walking from the Raspberry Creek Carpark which may seem very busy but you’ll find many of them are going for day trips to the popular Rob Roy Glacier Track.
The 27 bunk Aspiring Hut is the only hut in this post you need to book in advance from November 1st to April 30th. Make sure you do that in advance as there’s no reception past the turnoff to Treble Cone.
The hike to Aspiring Hut follows the Matukituki River and is relatively smooth with only a couple of hundred metres of elevation gain throughout the 9km. The track, a mixture of single track and 4WD trails is easy to follow.
Approach any cows carefully. While they’re used to humans walking close by, it’s not fair to startle them…and they may startle you with their sneaky-quick movements. Maybe that’s just me.
Aspiring Hut is a 27 bunk stone hut owned by the New Zealand Alpine Club (not a DOC hut). The key features of the hut in winter are the log burner and large common space with amazing views deeper into the valley.
You can continue walking up the valley once you’ve arrived at the hut, or for the brave you can walk up the super steep Cascade Saddle. And you can always continue onto other huts which make for some of the best multiday hikes in the South Island.
Hut Fees (it’s cheaper for New Zealand Alpine Club members):
Adults (18+): $40
Youth (5 – 17 years): $15
Child (0 – 4 years): free
Camping Fees
Adults (18+): $5
Youth (5 – 17 years): $2.5
Child (0 – 4 years): free
Bookings are required between November 1st to April 30th. Outside of this, the hut is on a first come first serve basis.
If you’d like to camp at the hut, it’s $5 for adults, and $2.50 for children.
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5. BREWSTER HUT (5.6KM RETURN)
The Brewster Hut Track is one of the best overnight hikes anywhere. Located between Wanaka and the West Coast, you get varying terrain here. You start with a river crossing, if you despise wet shoes and socks, it’s worth crossing barefoot.
Then you’re into a big, consistently steep climb up through a forest. It’s a great challenge, and you know the hike is reasonably short so there is an end to the relentless ascent. Once you emerge from the forest, wow. The views are epic.
Following a ridge, the track isn’t so steep as you close in on the hut which you can’t see until you’re nearly on top of it. Settle in and enjoy the views and surroundings.
And you’ve got two awesome places you can go from the hut…Mount Armstrong, and the bottom of the Brewster Glacier which has a cool lake at the bottom. If you’re experienced, bring your crampons and take a walk on the glacier.
Hut Fees:
Adult (18+): $40/night
Youth (11 – 17 years): $20/night
Child/infant (0 – 10 years): free
Backcountry Hut Passes are valid from May 1st to September 30th.
There are a bunch more other overnight hikes bear Wanaka that you could do as well. But these four are great options for most people.
If you’ve got any questions about staying in these huts/the hikes, leave a comment below or email jub@churnewzealand.com. Happy to help 🙂
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.