Walking Festivals in New Zealand

The Waiheke Walking Festival is an annual event. Run over two weekends and the week-days in between, the festival programme is full of guided walks on beautiful Waiheke Island. Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about this year's programme.

The Wairarapa Walking Festival is a celebration of walking to enjoy Wairarapa landscapes and heritage. Join us for 30 walks across the Wairarapa. There are a wide variety of walks, including Urban heritage, Māori Heritage, coastal and farm walks, tramping, walks with dogs, stream conservation and night sky viewing. All walks require registration, some have a charge but many are free.

The festival brings together locals and visitors from around New Zealand to experience the stunning and scenic walks in the region, while learning from local experts who run the guided walks. Hosting next year’s festival is a range of experts from experienced tramping guides, historians, conservationists, story-tellers and photographers. There are walks for all ages and fitness levels, with plenty of options to choose from including the iconic Te Apiti – Manawatu Gorge Track through native bush, a twilight beach walk that ends with a feast of fish n’ chips and an urban art and sculpture walk, if you’re after a dose of city culture.

This is one beast of a trail running and walking festival, featuring multiple events, held in the Tongariro National Park. Be part of something BIG when Victory Events bring together two outstanding, trusted events, the Ring of Fire and Tussock Traverse, and introduce a new and exciting event to the mix, the Sky Waka Vertical Challenge! The location is awe-inspiring, the atmosphere will be exhilarating and the Ruapehu region will be pumping!

The Festival has walks and activities programmed each day including the highly rated forest walks. The programme caters for a range of interests and abilities from beginners to experts. Note that the 21 and 42km walks on Saturday and the 20, 30 and 42km walks on Sunday are IML Association accredited walks. All walks are IVV accredited (except the short nocturnal walk, Family walk, S.P.C.A. walk and St Chads walk).

Follow winding tracks through spectacular scenery and amazing views. Explore our backyard and learn about our local history. Hike across hills, discover pools and waterfalls, get a bit of exercise and enjoy our local bush and beach.