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Abel Tasman Coast Track Self-Guided Walk

5 days / 4 nights

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Golden beaches and coastal forest between Mārahau and Tōtaranui in three walking days, a water taxi to every start and two nights at the only lodge inside the park.

Starting Point

Mārahau

Finish Point

Mārahau

Fitness Level

2/5

Technical Level

2/5

Season

From October to April

Accommodation Level

Comfort

Tour Type

Center-Based

Daily Distance

6 – 14 mi

Daily Elevation

591 – 1640 ft

Highlights

  • Walk the best three sections of New Zealand's gentlest Great Walk
  • Wade the Awaroa Inlet at low tide, the one crossing with no way round
  • Sleep two nights at Awaroa Lodge, the only lodge inside the national park
  • Cross the Falls River on a 47-metre swing bridge above the gorge
  • Swim at Onetahuti, a long beach with a boardwalk through the wetland behind it
  • Ride a water taxi to every start and carry a day pack only
PricePrice on request
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What’s included in the price?

Accommodation levelComfort

Carefully selected B&Bs and lodges, all with private en-suite rooms and breakfast included. Expect comfortable, well-appointed rooms in scenic locations — the lodge inside the national park has its own restaurant.

These are examples of the type and standard you can expect. Actual properties may vary depending on availability.

What to bring to the tour

  • Hiking shoes/boots
  • 25 to 45-liter backpack
  • Base layer
  • Sports T-shirts
  • Hiking shorts
  • Hiking water-repellent pants
  • Waterproof jacket
  • Midlayer
  • Sports socks and underwear
  • Leisurewear for evenings
  • Down jacket
  • Gloves
  • Shade hat/cap
  • Warm headwear
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Headlamp
  • Hiking poles
  • ID card or passport
  • Snacks
  • Cash
  • Water bottles or hydration pack
  • Sleeping liner
  • Toiletries
  • Toilet paper
  • Small first aid kit

Abel Tasman is the smallest of New Zealand's national parks and the one people picture when they think of the country's coast: gold sand and green water, forest to the tide line. The Coast Track runs its whole length. This tour walks the three sections that make it famous and uses the water taxis for the rest, so every day starts where the best walking does.

You sleep in two places only. Two nights in Mārahau, the village at the park's gate, and two nights at Awaroa Lodge, which stands inside the park on its own inlet and can be reached only by boat or on foot. Dinner there is à la carte; the sea is at the door.

The walking is gentle. The track is wide, formed and signposted at every junction, the climbs are short and the beaches come one after another. Day 3 is the long one, about 22 km from Torrent Bay to the lodge, past the Falls River gorge, Bark Bay and the boardwalk behind Onetahuti.

Day 4 is the one everyone remembers. The Awaroa Inlet has no path around it: you wade across at low tide, knee-deep for twenty-five minutes, at the hour we give you from the tide table. If the tide falls in the afternoon, you take the boat to Tōtaranui first and walk back.

Distances and climbs here are approximate. They come from our own route lines and are rounded; the track's official sections are a little shorter because they start at the car park rather than the village.

We book the beds and every boat, send your bag ahead to the lodge, and put the tide times in your guidebook with the route. You carry a day pack, swim where you like, and the boat is always on time.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Three walking days on a wide, well-made coastal track with short climbs. Day 3 is the long one at about 22 km; the other two are 14 and 9. Fitness 2 of 5. The one thing to respect is the tide on day 4.

The Awaroa Inlet can be crossed from an hour and a half before low tide to two hours after. It is knee-deep sand and water, about 25 minutes. We give you the crossing time from the tide table. If low tide is in the afternoon, you take the boat to Tōtaranui first and walk back to the lodge.

Only a day pack. Your bag goes by water taxi from Mārahau to Awaroa Lodge on day 3 and comes back with you on the boat on day 5.

Breakfast every day. Dinner is à la carte at the lodge and in Mārahau's restaurants, paid on the spot, and both places make packed lunches. There are no shops on the track.

October to April. December to March is the best weather. January is the busiest month, and Awaroa Lodge sells it only in two-night stays, which is what this tour books.

Fly to Nelson. Mārahau is an hour away by shuttle bus or private transfer, which we can book as an extra. On day 5 the boat lands in Mārahau at noon, so a mid-afternoon flight out of Nelson works.

Yes, with one more day. From Tōtaranui the track continues 15.5 km round the northern tip past Whariwharangi to Wainui, with a night in Golden Bay and a road shuttle back. Ask us when you book.

Yes. The track is busy in summer and you are seldom out of sight of other walkers. Solo walkers pay a single supplement for the rooms.

HASSLE-FREE

We handle itineraries, accommodations, and anything else you prefer not to deal with, so you can enjoy a carefree hike.

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

We are a financially protected company, fully bonded and insured, keeping your money safe and allowing you to travel with confidence.

TRIED & TESTED ADVENTURES

We picked each walk only after checking it stage by stage, from the boat timetables to the lodge at each stop.

SUPPORT ON THE TRACK

Our support number is in the guidebook we give you, for a missed boat or a change of plan. In an emergency, dial 111, free from any phone.

Price on request