Which is harder, GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit or GW - 05 Heaphy Track?

GW - 05 Heaphy Track is the tougher of the two on distance and elevation (49 mi (78 km), 3,802 ft (1,159 m) of climbing). See the full side-by-side breakdown.

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GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit vs GW - 05 Heaphy Track

A side-by-side look at distance, elevation, difficulty and the best time to hike each — so you can pick the right route.

Units

	GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit	GW - 05 Heaphy Track
Distance	28 mi44 km	49 mi78 km
Elevation gain	4,091 ft1,247 m	3,802 ft1,159 m
Typical duration	2 days	4 days
Difficulty	—	—
Route type	Point-to-point	Point-to-point
Network	National	National
Country	New Zealand	New Zealand
Best time to hike	Best from January to March	Best from January to March
	map Route & GPX	map Route & GPX

GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit vs GW - 05 Heaphy Track: which should you hike?

At 49 mi78 km, GW - 05 Heaphy Track is the longer route — roughly 21 mi34 km more than GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit (28 mi44 km). If you want the bigger challenge or a longer trip, that's the one; for a shorter or first multi-day hike, GW - 02 Tongariro Northern Circuit is the gentler pick. Check the elevation and best-season rows above, then open each route for the full guide and a free GPX download.

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