Hut-to-Hut Hike · Fiordland, New Zealand

Milford Track — 4-Day Hiking Itinerary

"The finest walk in the world" (The Spectator, 1908) — boat in, boat out, Mackinnon Pass and Sutherland Falls in between. DOC fixes the itinerary: everyone walks the same 4 days, in the same direction.

~53.5 km
Distance
~2,000 m
Elevation Gain
4 Days
Fixed Itinerary
1,154 m
High Point (Mackinnon Pass)

Route Map

South → north, Glade Wharf to Sandfly Point (boat legs not drawn). Numbered markers = overnight stops · triangles = passes & landmarks.

Start (Te Anau)
Overnight hut
Finish (Milford Sound)
▲ Pass / landmark

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Click any day to expand · Pick a start date above

Day0
Arrival — Queenstown → Te Anau
Travel Day 🇳🇿 Fiordland
▾

✈️ Getting There

Fly into Queenstown (ZQN), then drive or bus ~2 hr to Te Anau, the gateway town on the shore of Lake Te Anau at the edge of Fiordland National Park.
💡 Notes: Collect your hut tickets and get the track briefing at the DOC Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre. Buy 4 days of food and sandfly repellent in town — there's no resupply on the track and the huts have no meals. Early night: the Te Anau Downs boat leaves mid-morning.
TypeArrival day
Transfer~2 hr
Overnight
Te Anau (210 m)
Booking.com →
Day1
Te Anau Downs → boat → Glade Wharf → Clinton Hut
Easy/Moderate Boat-in start ~5 km · 1–1.5 hr
▾

Highlights

Lake Te Anau crossing Clinton River Glowworms after dark
💡 Notes: The trip starts with a boat: ~1.5 hr across Lake Te Anau from Te Anau Downs to Glade Wharf, where the track begins. From there it's basically an afternoon stroll — an hour of flat beech-forest walking up the crystal-clear Clinton River to Clinton Hut. Yes, 5 km is the whole day — the fixed schedule is the price of admission. Enjoy the swimming hole by the hut, join the ranger's nature walk, and go out after dark for the glowworms near the hut.
Distance~5 km
Boat~1.5 hr (Lake Te Anau)
Moving Time1–1.5 hr
DifficultyEasy/Moderate
Overnight
Clinton Hut
DOC Bookings →
Day2
Clinton Hut → Clinton valley → Mintaro Hut
Moderate Valley day ~16.5 km · 6 hr
▾

Highlights

Clinton valley granite walls Hidden Lake Wekas at the hut
💡 Notes: A steady day up the Clinton valley, walled in by 1,000 m granite faces that stream with avalanche-fed waterfalls after rain. Pass Hidden Lake and the wetland boardwalks as the valley narrows, climbing gently all day to Mintaro Hut at the head of the valley. Mackinnon Pass towers overhead all afternoon — tomorrow's business, visible from the hut deck. Cheeky wekas patrol the hut; keep your boots and snacks inside.
Distance~16.5 km
Elev Gain↑ ~450 m
Moving Time~6 hr
DifficultyModerate
Overnight
Mintaro Hut
DOC Bookings →
Day3
Mintaro → Mackinnon Pass → Sutherland Falls → Dumpling Hut
Hard Sutherland Falls side trip ~14 km · 6–7 hr
▾

Highlights

Mackinnon Pass (1,154 m) Keas on the pass Sutherland Falls (580 m) Anderson Cascades
⚠ Notes: The queen stage. Zigzag up 11 switchbacks to Mackinnon Pass (1,154 m) — the memorial cairn to Quintin Mackinnon, thieving keas, and a 360° panorama over both valleys. Then a long, steep, knee-testing descent past the Anderson Cascades to Quintin Shelter: drop your pack there for the Sutherland Falls side trip — at 580 m, New Zealand's tallest waterfall, in three great leaps. Walk right to the base, get soaked, ~1.5 hr round trip. Then an easy final hour to Dumpling Hut.
Distance~14 km (w/ falls)
Elev Gain↑ ~550 m
Elev Loss↓ ~1,000 m
Moving Time6–7 hr
DifficultyHard
Overnight
Dumpling Hut
DOC Bookings →
Day4
Dumpling Hut → Giant Gate Falls → Sandfly Point → Milford Sound — Finish!
Moderate Boat-out finish ~18 km · 5.5–6 hr
▾

Highlights

Mackay Falls + Bell Rock Giant Gate Falls Milford Sound / Mitre Peak
🎉 Notes: The longest day, but gentle: down the Arthur valley past the old Boatshed, then Mackay Falls and the hollow Bell Rock you can stand inside. Lunch and a brave swim at Giant Gate Falls, then the final lakeside miles to Sandfly Point — aptly named, so keep the repellent handy while you wait for the boat across to Milford Sound village. Celebration: a Milford Sound cruise under Mitre Peak if time allows.

🚌 Getting home: Book the 3 PM boat + bus combo — bus from Milford Sound back to Te Anau (~2 hr) or Queenstown (~4.5 hr).
Distance~18 km
BoatSandfly Pt → Milford
Moving Time5.5–6 hr
DifficultyModerate
Overnight
Milford Sound or Te Anau (celebration!)
Booking.com →

Route Highlights

Four fixed days through the deepest of Fiordland.

Day 1
Lake Te Anau boat-in start
The track begins with a 1.5 hr boat ride to a wharf reachable no other way — the door closes behind you.
Day 2
Clinton valley granite walls
A corridor of 1,000 m granite streaming with avalanche-fed waterfalls after every rain.
Day 3
Mackinnon Pass
1,154 m — memorial cairn, thieving keas, and a 360° panorama over both valleys.
Day 3
Sutherland Falls (580 m)
New Zealand's tallest waterfall in three giant leaps — walk to the base and get soaked.
Day 4
Giant Gate Falls swim
The classic last-day plunge pool — cold enough to reset your legs for the final miles.
Day 1
Glowworms at Clinton Hut
Step into the forest after dark for constellations of blue-green lights.
Day 4
Sandfly Point
Aptly named. Repellent in the hip pocket while you wait for the boat — it's part of the experience.
Day 4
Milford Sound / Mitre Peak finish
The boat delivers you under one of the most photographed peaks on Earth — cruise it if you have time.

Trip Planning

Everything needed to make it happen.

Total Distance

~53.5 km
~33 mi · Glade Wharf → Sandfly Point

Itinerary

Fixed 4 days
3 huts, no compressing — DOC enforces the schedule

Direction

One way only
Everyone walks south → north, same days

High Point

1,154 m
Mackinnon Pass

Best Season

Late Oct–Apr
Great Walks season · off-season = unbridged rivers, avalanche risk, experts only

Lodging

DOC huts
Clinton / Mintaro / Dumpling — bunks, gas, no meals; carry 4 days food. Guided-walk lodges are the luxury alternative

Booking

Hardest in NZ
Entire season sells out within minutes of DOC opening (~May/June)

Character

Classic
Waterfalls, granite, rainforest — and a schedule set in 1888

Why a hike and not a run? DOC enforces the fixed 4-day, one-direction hut sequence — no compressing stages, no skipping huts. Set an alarm for the DOC booking opening (~May/June), have your dates and backup dates ready, and treat the boats and bus as part of the same booking. Track details at doc.govt.nz.

✈️ Access

In: Queenstown (ZQN) → Te Anau (~2 hr) → bus to Te Anau Downs → boat across Lake Te Anau to Glade Wharf. The boat is part of the deal — the trailhead is unreachable by road.

Out: Boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound village, then bus back to Te Anau (~2 hr) or Queenstown (~4.5 hr). Book the whole transport package (Te Anau Downs boat + Milford boat + bus) at the same time you book the huts.

⚠️ Route notes

🌧 Rain: Fiordland gets ~7 m of rain a year — rain is the feature, not the bug. The waterfalls are why you're here; the track is built for it. Full waterproofs and pack liner, always.

🦟 Sandflies: Legendary, especially at Sandfly Point and the hut clearings. Repellent + long sleeves for every stop.

🍽 Food: Huts have bunks and gas cookers but no meals — carry all 4 days of food from Te Anau.

⛺ Camping: Not allowed anywhere on the track — huts only.

📋 Fixed schedule: One direction, one hut per night, no doubling up. Miss your boat and you miss your trip — build in a buffer day in Te Anau if flying in tight.

💵 Money

Prices in NZD. Great Walk hut fees are per-person per-night via DOC bookings; the boats + bus transport package is booked separately at the same time. Te Anau lodging NZD 120–300/night; Milford Sound lodging is limited and pricier. Budget NZD 150–250/day plus transport and the optional cruise.
📅 Booking Timeline
THE hardest reservation in New Zealand — the entire Great Walks season sells out within minutes of DOC opening bookings (~May/June). Set an alarm, log in early, and have your dates and backup dates ready. Book huts + transport package together, then the town nights.
Days1–3
Clinton + Mintaro + Dumpling Huts
One DOC booking · Fiordland NP 🇳🇿
DOC Bookings →
Sells out in minutes — book the second the season opensNo meals · carry 4 days food
Also⛴
Transport package (boats + bus)
Te Anau Downs boat · Milford boat · return bus 🇳🇿
Maps →
Book with the huts — boats are part of the track
Day0
Te Anau
Fiordland gateway 🇳🇿
Booking.com →
Easy — plenty of options
Day4
Milford Sound or Te Anau
Finish night 🇳🇿
Booking.com →
Milford lodging is limited — book early or bus back
Opt🚢
Milford Sound cruise (optional)
Under Mitre Peak 🇳🇿
Maps →
The victory lap — if the 3 PM boat timing works