Ultimate Hikes
Ultimate Hikes
5
About
The only operators of multiday guided walks on the famous Milford & Routeburn Tracks: operating in New Zealand's stunning World Heritage Area, providing a range of all-inclusive guided walks from 1-8 days. Trek through rainforests, past mountain peaks and over remote alpine passes on a unique experience without sacrificing comfort or convenience. Accommodation on overnight walks is in luxury lodges, with meals, hot showers and snug beds. All walks include transport, food, equipment and expert guides. Single day excursions must be booked 24 hours in advance.
Queenstown, New Zealand

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2023

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(109 reviews)
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

5.0
1,040 reviews
Excellent
967
Very good
49
Average
12
Poor
6
Terrible
6

Craig E
Melbourne, Australia7 contributions
Feb 2020
We were booked to start the Milford Sound walk on Monday 3 Feb but due to an extraordinary weather event we did not get to experience the wonder of the track. Instead we were stuck in Te Anau for three nights before being returned to Queenstown. While we were disappointed, we can only highlight the fantastic service we experienced from our guides who did everything possible to keep us informed, comfortable, well fed and safe in a very challenging situation. And the office staff and senior management were very supportive and understanding of the seriousness of the situation. Will definitely try and rebook in the future.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie T
Newcastle, Australia1 contribution
Feb 2020
We just returned from the Grand Traverse Track. It was the best experience of our lives. This is the 2nd time we have walked with this very professional team and will return again. We experienced an extreme weather event on day 5 of the 6 day walk. 1 metre of rain in 60 hours. During this day we felt completely save with our superb guide Rachel who led us through raging waterfalls and a track that had turned into a river up to knee deep in places. We witnessed the Fiordland in its most beautiful and wild state. We were drenched but had the most wonderful and exciting day of our lives. PLEASE do not be turned off by the thought of walking in the rain all day. It is spectacular. At the end we had a lovely hot shower, warm bed and awesome food. We had a helicopter evacuation on day 6 that was the thrill of our lives. We were very well looked after by Rachel & Lochy. Well done guys. Ultimate Hikes should be so proud to have both of you working for them. Can't wait to come back. Julie & Andrew Town. Newcastle Australia.
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ruth D
14 contributions
Dec 2019
Wow, wow and wow. What an extraordinary adventure, with such an extraordinary outfit. Ultimate Hikes makes it look easy. They seamlessly guide trekkers of vastly different abilities through some of the most spectacular, varied landscape on the planet. While called one of the great walks, as they describe on their website in plenty of detail, this is actually a hike, and a challenging one at that. We loved how it was possible to power through if you wanted, or take your own sweet time. No one was held up or rushed by anyone else’s pace, as the excellent, knowledgeable, personable, fun guides spread themselves out through the group. The terrain varies from shaded glens to vast, open, majestic spaces, and your eyes are rewarded at every turn with an array of greens the likes of which you’ve never seen before. The food and accommodations are excellent and get cushier as the hike progresses. Your fellow travelers, from all over the world, are likeminded in their love of trekking and nature, and getting to know them was another fun part of the adventure. Thank you Ultimate Hikes - for doing what you do so very very well.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

tgdadof7
Panama City Beach, FL24 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Booked the Milford Track to start on February 16. Our briefing was to take place the night before. We went by the office earlier on the fifteenth just to make sure we knew where to go later. We were informed that all hikes had been cancelled due to the extraordinary weather situation. I was asked if I had seen the email informing me of this. When I looked I did find a couple of emails that appear to have been sent after we left for our trip. Once we were traveling I did not regularly check email. I realize that the circumstances were completely outside of Ultimate Hike’s control. My only source of frustration is that there doesn’t seem to have been any attempt to contact me beyond the couple of emails I did not see. I wish someone had called so that I could have made alternative arrangements accordingly. I’m sure this is a great company but I believe more effort must be made to contact clients when hikes have been cancelled and there has been no response by the client to Ultimate Hikes’ emails.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jvmnatlparklover
Waterford, WI46 contributions
Mar 2020 • Solo
The Milford Track trip with Ultimate Hikes was great. From the very start from making my reservation to our farewell at the Ultimate Hikes headquarters, I liked every part of this trip. Communication about the trip was great, down to giving recommendations for preparing for the hike, and what to bring on the trip. The pre-trip briefing was good. Our four guides, Amy, Sophie, Shaun, and Summer, were excellent. They took such good care of us, and added a bit of comedy, too. I enjoyed our evening briefings. They watched us on the trail, keeping us safe. The lodges were great, and the food, especially dinners, were spectacular. Our hiking group was wonderful, too. Our guides did a good job of helping us get to know each other. If you're thinking of going to New Zealand, you should hoke Milford Track; it's beautiful, and I definitely recommend doing it with Ultimate Hikes.
Written March 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DKHB
2 contributions
Feb 2021
The Milford Track - the best of everything!
Glorious sunshine and swimming, atmospheric mist, 24hrs of total deluge, thundering waterfalls emerging out of the clouds...
And we made it!

Ultimate Hikes organisation and staff were fantastic!
We made a mistake with timing and missed the briefing but they phoned us to check and had everything ready for us when we arrived in the morning.
The accomodation and meals were superb, and the “lodgie” staff were unfailingly pleasant, efficient and knowledgeable.
Our driver Cal got us safely there and back, and the boat crew at both ends were great.
The “back office” staff did an amazing job when the relentless rain overnight threatened us with helicopter evacuation - after 3 hrs “on hold” we were all weighed and safety-briefed, and they made the call that the rain was easing and rivers dropping and we could walk. We were guided through the rivers, and by lunchtime the sun was poking through, the waterfalls were pounding and it was fabulous!

Most of all, our four guides Sophie, Bonnie, Susan, and Tilly were just outstanding young women. From Sophie’s wonderful Waitangi Day mihi and briefing in Te Reo, to Bonnie’s warm farewell speech, they were enthusiastic, cheerful, inclusive, helpful, kind, knowledgeable, and unflaggingly energetic.

Thank you all for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful corner of our country.
Written February 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CarolA3591
Brisbane, Australia4 contributions
Mar 2020
We walked the Milford Track just before the COVID-19 lockdown - we were part of the Ultimate Hikes Group number 130.
The Track and scenery? 'Magnificent' really doesn't cut it. Wonderfully unforgettable!
Ultimate Hikes? World class! Highly capable and engaging guides (take a bow Shaun, Amy, Sophie and Summer) delivered a safe and memorable experience albeit at times a challenge (take a bow Mackinnon Pass!). The staff and amenities at the lodges along the guided walk were brilliant. We were stunned at the quality (and quantity) of food provided to us all and consistently so over the 4 days.
Had a lot of fun interacting with fellow trekkers from around the world who were more than willing to share their journey.
Ian and Carol
Written April 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carey T
Bend, OR198 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
First let me say that I have hiked in Costa Rica, Tasmania, Queensland, and all over the Western US including Yosemite. Fiordland is like the Sierras on steroids. 😳

Ultimate Hikes are real pros at the Milford Track and had every detail covered for our group of 14 - even the medical hiccup we thru at them was handled effortlessly. The food, the lodges, the amazing views were all above what we imagined. And the staff - salutes to Jen, Onda, Kalvin, and especially Susan! You guys made this a tramp we will not ever forget!!

We are working on dates to come back for the Routeburn Track. 😉
Written March 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

swmbo18
Hakalau, HI19 contributions
Mar 2020
Ultimate Hikes is simply the best hiking company I’ve worked with. Wonderful, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable guides, excellent communication from the home staff (especially in light of the recent floods in New Zealand) and a warm sense of comraderie between the company and customers made this an amazing experience. I’ve walked both the Milford and Routeburn Tracks with them and cannot recommend them highly enough!
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JonGCbr
32 contributions
Mar 2023
I had a great time on the Milford Track with Ultimate Hikes. The scenery is truly magnificent. Ultimate is a well-oiled machine that takes 50 people per day down the Milford Track, with comfortable accommodation, great food and friendly, experienced guides. If you are reasonably fit, the walking is not too hard, but people lacking fitness or hiking experience may find this a real challenge. Having four guides allows the group to spread out so that everyone can walk at their own pace most of the time. Be aware that there are potential hazards, especially the weather - we had rain-flooded tracks and a hailstorm on Mackinnon Pass.

Some tips:

Ultimate can provide backpacks and raincoats at no charge. These are of good quality, so make use of these unless you have your own good quality gear.

If you use one of their backpacks, tie something (e.g. a ribbon) to it so you can identify yours easily.

If it's wet but not too cold, wear shorts. If it's dry, consider wearing long pants to protect against sandflies.

Ultimate provide a paper map so you can check your progress. If you want more detail, you could download Avenza Maps to your phone and use it with the NZ topo map 'Homer Saddle'.

There's no phone coverage, so put your phone in flight mode to conserve the battery.
Written March 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ultimate Hikes (Queenstown) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Excellent Reviews967
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