Tongariro Crossing Questions
Answers to common questions about booking, prices and choosing between the guided, shuttle and park and ride products compared on this site.
Booking And Payment
How Do I Book A Tour?
Press Check availability on the tour page. That opens the booking page where the booking, payment and confirmation happen. This site holds no bookings itself.
Can This Site Change My Booking?
No. Changes, dates and cancellations are handled by the booking platform you paid through, or by the operator named on the booking page.
Does This Site Run The Tours?
No. Tongariro Alpine Crossing Tours is a comparison site. The 17 products compared here are operated by guiding and shuttle companies and sold on third-party booking pages.
Who Do I Contact On The Day?
The operator named on your booking page. That company runs the shuttle or guided walk and makes decisions about the departure.
Prices And Cancellation
Are Prices Per Person?
Fourteen of the 17 products show a from-price per person. Three products show no per-person price on their booking pages: Private Guided Crossing Walk at $774.01, Auckland Transfer, No Crossing Shuttle at $338 and 3-Day Private Tour, Self-Guided Crossing at $3,150.50. Those three are never compared on the per-person scale.
Can I Cancel For Free?
Free cancellation is stated on 15 of the 17 products. Two state non-refundable terms: Private Guided Crossing Walk and 3-Day Private Tour, Self-Guided Crossing. Check the booking page for cutoff times, which vary.
What Is The Cheapest Tour?
The lowest per-person from-price is $34 for One-Way Shuttle, Private Secure Carpark from Active Outdoor Adventures, a park and ride product. The highest per-person from-price is $253 for Adrift Premium Guided Trek.
Does The Price Include The DOC Track Booking?
The DOC track booking is free and is needed to use a shuttle or guided walk service. The guide or shuttle operator may make it. One product, Secure Parking, One-Way Shuttle, 8 Hours, does not make the free DOC track booking for you, so make it yourself on the DOC webpage.
Choosing A Tour
Guided, Shuttle Or Park And Ride?
Guided: three products, all from Adrift Tongariro, with a guide and winter gear supplied. Park and ride: you leave your car at the Ketetahi end, ride to Mangatepopo and walk the Crossing back to your own car, with no return ride.
Which Tour Is Most Reviewed?
Roundtrip Hike Shuttle, 8 Hours has 886 reviews rated 4.7, the most reviewed product compared here. The most reviewed guided product is Adrift Premium Guided Trek with 241 reviews rated 4.6.
Can Children Come?
Minimum ages are stated per product: 12 on Adrift Premium Guided Trek, Private Guided Crossing Walk and 3-Day Private Tour, Self-Guided Crossing, 8 on Ketetahi Only, Private Carpark Shuttle, and 6 on both Dempsey Buses products. DOC advises the track is not recommended for children under 10.
What About Winter?
DOC calls May to October the winter season, when the route is expert level and crampons, ice axe and helmet are essential. The three Adrift guided products supply crampons and ice axes for winter conditions. DOC notes shuttle buses generally do not operate in winter.
Are There Tours From Auckland?
Two products start in Auckland: a two-day private transfer where the Crossing shuttle is excluded, and a three-day private tour where the Crossing leg is self-guided. Neither is a guided Crossing tour.