GREAT WALK · AOTEAROA
Milford Track
Four days, 53.5 km and one big day over Mackinnon Pass. Here is what it asks of your legs, what the rain does, and how to train for it.
Fiordland
Explore this trek
Plan the route
Milford Track at a glance
- Distance
- 53 km
- Time on trail
- 4 days
- Highest point
- 1,154 m
- Best season
- Nov – Apr
- Route type
- Alpine Track
- Where you stay
- Hut-based
Times, conditions and route variants can change. Check current local guidance before you set your itinerary.
OVERVIEW
GREAT WALK · AOTEAROA
Train with Peaksted
Arrive ready for Milford Track.
Check where you stand against what this trek demands, then choose the level of support that fits your timeline.
ROUTE PROFILE
DISTANCE
53 km
HIGHEST POINT
1,154 m
OBJECTIVE DEMAND PROFILE
What This Trek Demands
This is what the objective itself demands — not a reflection of your current fitness.
What to Expect
Terrain
Well-formed track through beech forest, river flats and open tops, with boardwalks and swing bridges. It is wet, rooty and slippery in places, and the way down off the pass is long and steep.
Accommodation
Three Great Walk huts: Clinton, Mintaro and Dumpling. Bunks and basic cooking facilities, but no utensils or showers. No camping, and everything is booked through DOC.
Typical Day
A short first day, then three long ones: about 6 hours up the valley, 6 to 7 hours over the pass and 5.5 to 6 on the last day.
The way down
Around 1,000 m of steep descent on day three, straight after more than 500 m of climbing.
Rain and rivers
Up to 9,000 mm a year. In heavy rain the Clinton and Arthur valleys can flood and DOC can close sections.
A long last day
18 km on day four, on tired legs, with a boat to catch at the end.
How to Prepare
Three things make the biggest difference on the Milford.
1
Train the way down
Day three drops around 1,000 m. Slow step-downs make it a lot kinder.
2
Build six-hour legs
Three of the four days are 5.5 to 7 hours. Easy, chatty walking is the base.
3
Practise day two
Link a long walk with a second one the next morning.
4
Plan for rain
Waterproofs, a dry bag and a spare dry layer for the hut. One wet session before you go.
READINESS
How does your current capacity compare?
This objective places specific demands across seven physical capacities. Check your readiness to see how you compare, and where to focus before you go.
CHECK YOUR READINESS
PREPARE FOR THE TREK
The Milford in numbers
Four days, one direction, one big day. Here is what you are signing up for.
- 53.5 kmone way, over four days
- 18 to 20 hof walking, all in
- 500 m upto Mackinnon Pass, day three
- 1,000 m downoff the pass, same afternoon
- 9,000 mmof rain a year at the wettest
- NZ$318+huts for three nights (NZ adult)
The hut fee is DOC’s in-season price for a New Zealand adult. International visitors pay NZ$152 a night.
Day by day
Glade Wharf to Clinton Hut
5 km · about 1 to 1.5 h
A boat across Lake Te Anau, then an hour through beech forest to the first hut. It is a stroll. Use it to find out whether your pack fits before it matters.
Clinton Hut to Mintaro Hut
17.5 km · about about 6 h
Up the Clinton valley between cliffs and waterfalls on a path that barely climbs. It feels easy and it is not: this is the second-longest day, and in heavy rain it is the valley that floods.
Mintaro Hut to Dumpling Hut
13 km · about 6 to 7 h
The one everyone talks about. More than 500 m of switchbacks up to Mackinnon Pass (1,154 m), then around 1,000 m of descent to Dumpling Hut. It is the shortest of the long days and the hardest by a distance.
Dumpling Hut to Sandfly Point
18 km · about 5.5 to 6 h
Flat, riverside and long. Your legs are on day four and there is a boat to catch, so a steady pace and eating as you go matter more than speed.
Some maps and older guides show 16.5 km and 14 km for days two and three. DOC’s current page lists 17.5 km and 13 km, and the total is 53.5 km either way.
How to train for it
Get comfortable on your feet for six hours
Days two, three and four are each 5.5 to 7 hours. An easy, chatty pace is the base for all of them. Aerobic pacing
Practise the way down
Day three is where it bites. Slow step-downs and controlled lowering a few weeks out, not the week before. Strength training for hikers
Do it again tomorrow
Four days in a row is the real test. Pair a long walk with a second, easier one the next morning. Back-to-back hiking days
Not sure where you stand? The free readiness check takes about three minutes and shows which of seven areas to work on first. Then pick how much help you want:
- I will do it myselfTrek ReadyAn eight-week self-guided programme to follow, if you already walk regularly and want structure.
- I want it built around my datesPersonalised planMatched to your departure date, what you can do now and the terrain you have nearby.
- I want someone in my corner1:1 coachingIndividual guidance and adjustments, useful if you are nervous about day three or coming back from an injury.
Want the full picture first? Read how fit you need to be and the ten-week Great Walks training guide, or compare it with the other Great Walks. For the full breakdown, see How hard is the Milford Track? Food matters too: see what to eat before and after a hike and how much to eat and drink hour by hour.
Booking, costs and getting there
- Season
- Great Walks season runs 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027. Outside it the track is unmanaged and avalanche risk is much higher.
- Booking
- Huts and transport are booked through DOC. The season opened for bookings in May 2026 and popular dates sell out.
- Cost
- DOC lists NZ$106 per adult per night for New Zealanders and NZ$152 for international visitors in season. Three nights is NZ$318 and NZ$456, before transport.
- Getting there
- A bus to Te Anau Downs (about 30 min), then a boat to Glade Wharf (about 1 h 15). At the end, a boat from Sandfly Point to Milford Sound (about 20 min). No phone coverage.
- The huts
- Three huts: Clinton, Mintaro and Dumpling. Bunks, mattresses, heating and basic cooking facilities. No utensils, no showers, and camping is not allowed.
- Rain
- In heavy rain the Clinton and Arthur valleys can become impassable and DOC can close sections. Pack waterproofs, a dry bag and a spare dry layer for the hut.
DOC: Milford Track · MetService mountain forecast · Other Fiordland walks: Routeburn, Kepler · Compare all three
Questions
How hard is the Milford Track?
Moderate overall, with one hard day. Day three climbs more than 500 m to Mackinnon Pass (1,154 m) and then drops around 1,000 m in 6 to 7 hours. The other days have gentle gradients, but they are long and often wet.
How fit do you need to be?
Comfortable walking five to seven hours, climbing steadily, coming down with control and doing it again the next morning. It is durability more than athletic fitness, and it is very trainable.
How long does the Milford Track take?
Four days and three nights, walked one way from Glade Wharf to Sandfly Point. That is about 53.5 km in total, with a boat at each end.
Can you walk it independently?
Yes, in the Great Walks season, with a DOC hut booking and transport booked in advance. Guided walks also run. Camping is not allowed.
What if I cannot get a booking?
Routeburn and Kepler are the nearest Fiordland walks, with alpine scenery and a similar demand on your legs. Our Great Walks ranking compares them.
How long should I train?
Allow eight to twelve weeks if you walk occasionally, and more if you are starting from scratch. The fitness and training guides have a sample week.
Figures follow the Department of Conservation and are rounded. Fees, closures and conditions change, so check DOC before you go. This is general training guidance, not medical advice.
Guide series
Prepare for the New Zealand Great Walks, one question at a time
Three short guides that build on each other. Each answers one question and links to the others instead of repeating them. Read them in order, or jump to what you need.
1Part 1 · How hard · 8 minHow Hard Are the Great Walks?Which is easiest, which is hardest, and which should I pick?Read guide →
2Part 2 · How fit · 6 minHow Fit Do You Need to Be?What do I train, and where do I start?Read guide →
3Part 3 · How to train · 10 minHow to Train for the Great WalksWhat do I actually do each week?Read guide →- 4Part 4 · The Milford · 6 minHow Hard Is the Milford Track?What does day three really ask, and how do I train for it?Read guide →
- 5Part 5 · Fiordland compared · 5 minMilford vs Routeburn vs KeplerWhich Fiordland walk, and what if the Milford is full?Read guide →
OFFICIAL INFORMATION
WEATHER
