5 Hiking Tours in Te Anau, Weighed Against Each Other

1.Kepler Track Water Taxi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 43 reviews · from $18Our pick

Board Fiordland Outdoors’ small water taxi on Te Anau’s lakefront for the 15-minute crossing to Brod Bay. The captain shares local information while you enjoy views across the lake. From Brod Bay, walk back to Te Anau in about 2.5 to 3 hours or continue toward Mount Luxmore. Boats carry up to 15 people.

“The wind was intense so the water was very choppy and this water taxi ride was more thrilling than expected. Captain was excellent! Recommend making reservations ahead as taxi was full at our crossing and several people had to wait an hour for next ride to Kepler Trail. Great way to start a magnificent 10k hike.”

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2.Guided Kepler Track Heli Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $474

Travel from Te Anau to Luxmore Hut by helicopter, then walk through alpine tussock, native beech forest, and limestone country before taking a water taxi across Lake Te Anau. A local guide leads this 7-hour outing for up to 12 people. Lunch is extra, and the 8 km descent requires good fitness.

“Fantastic guided hike on part of the Kepler track (about nine miles or 14 km total) with great views”

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3.Full-Day Routeburn Track Key Summit Guided Walk from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $192

Set out from Te Anau with a guide such as John, Jane, or Andreas for a full-day Routeburn Track walk to Key Summit. Expect about 4 to 6 hours on foot, a 400-meter climb, alpine herb fields, snowy peaks, and forest. Groups are limited to 12, with hotel pickup and walking poles or rain gear available on request.

“The guides were great and the hike is beautiful. This is a fabulous hike if you can't do the whole Routeburn tramp.”

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4.Fiordland Heli-hike from Te Anau

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $286

Fly from Te Anau over Lake Te Anau, the Hidden Lakes, and the Kepler Mountains, then land near Luxmore Hut for a hike along the Kepler Great Walk Track. You will reach Luxmore Summit before walking down to the lake and returning by a 10-minute water taxi. The small group has a maximum of nine people.

“Great communication, great pilot, great views and a lot of fun. Highly recommended. I can't say enough great things about how well the company is run and how much we enjoyed the day.”

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5.Full Day Kepler Track Guided Heli-Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 8 hours · from $457

Fly from Te Anau to Luxmore Hut, walk 8 kilometers down the Kepler Track with a local English-speaking guide, and finish by water taxi at Brod Bay. You’ll see alpine herb fields, limestone bluffs, beech forest, and Lake Te Anau. Michelle has led a particularly memorable trip, though weather can change the route.

“The entire day was awesome, starting with being picked up out the front of our hotel and the helicopter ride over the bay and up too Luxmore hut. Our 2 guides were very friendly and made the day even more enjoyable, some of the group couldn’t make it all the way up the mountain to Mount Luxmore so the group split and one guide took 4 of us all the way up the mountain and the other turned around and waited back at Luxmore hut. The walk to the top is well worth the effort for those who have reasonable fitness, the views are just stunning. The walk down back…”

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