Walking Legends
Walking Legends
5
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
Hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Lake Waikaremoana, Great Barrier Island & Coromandel Peninsula. Walking Legends provide all-inclusive guided walk packages on the North Island's Great Walks. Small groups led by an experienced, friendly guide. Includes boutique accommodation, transport from Rotorua, hiking equipment, and great NZ-style meals and wine. Our guided hiking tours make it easy and rewarding to experience some of New Zealand's best walks, and to explore the remote and dramatic wilderness areas of the North Island.
Similar Experiences
Travellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
217 reviews
Excellent
196
Very good
15
Average
4
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Kris
1 contribution
Nov 2020
I did the Lake Waikaremoana hut-to-hut tour and loved it. Guides were great - friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Food was delicious and plentiful! Overall the service thoroughly exceeded my expectations and I highly recommend choosing walking legends if you like a little luxury or need assistance/gear for your hikes.
Written 20 November 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.
Thank you Kris! We delighted you enjoyed yourself, it was a pleasure to have you. Hopefully we'll see you back again sometime for another great adventure.
Written 22 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AAG
6 contributions
Jan 2020
I began the walk in a state of anxiety about my fitness. But I needn't have worried. David and Dylan were excellent guides and paced the hike so that no one felt tired or pressured.
The first day was fine and still. On the second longest walking day, the weather started to close in and it rained for our climb up Panekire Bluff on day 3. But it didn't matter! It was exhilarating to see the strangely shaped trees dripping with ferns, moss and lichens. I went slowly on the descent on day 4, wanting to prolong the wonderful trip and the feeling of being at one with an awesome environment.
I can't speak highly enough of the fantastic food. I'm vegan and was especially catered for, as were the two vegetarians on our trip. The vegan brownies were delicious.
I loved it all and will definitely go on another hut-to-hut walk with Walking Legends.
The first day was fine and still. On the second longest walking day, the weather started to close in and it rained for our climb up Panekire Bluff on day 3. But it didn't matter! It was exhilarating to see the strangely shaped trees dripping with ferns, moss and lichens. I went slowly on the descent on day 4, wanting to prolong the wonderful trip and the feeling of being at one with an awesome environment.
I can't speak highly enough of the fantastic food. I'm vegan and was especially catered for, as were the two vegetarians on our trip. The vegan brownies were delicious.
I loved it all and will definitely go on another hut-to-hut walk with Walking Legends.
Written 24 January 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.
Thank you for your lovely feedback, I'm really pleased you had a good time. I love your approach to walking in the wet weather, sometimes I really enjoy it myself! See you again soon.
Written 26 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
James D
2 contributions
Feb 2023
Brady, Cathy, Jeremy, and Hamish were amazing! I highly recommend working with Walking Legends. We spent two days with them in Tongariro National Park as a group of 25 university students and faculty. Brad was a very knowledgeable naturalist and happily shared his understanding of Tongariro's flora, fauna, and geological history. There were also some great tales about shooting locations for the Lord of the Rings. Importantly, Walking Legends was extremely flexible and safety oriented. When winds from Cyclone Gabrielle made an alpine hike unsafe, we pivoted to another great walkabout in the nearby forest. There was always one of three guides at the back of our group to ensure that everyone could walk at their own pace and stay accounted for. Furthermore, the food they prepared for us was darn delicious and quite abundant. They accommodated dietary restrictions (food allergies, vegetarians, and vegans) without blinking an eye. Finally, the lodging they hired was absolutely ideal for our group. I enthusiatically recommend this thoughtful, hard-working crew!
Written 14 February 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.
Thanks Jay! It was an absolute pleasure to host your group. The students were so well-mannered and respectful, they're a real credit to your educational institution. We hope you continued on to enjoy the rest of your time in New Zealand! Say 'hi' to the crew from all of us.
Written 19 February 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lynette S
Auckland, New Zealand16 contributions
Feb 2021 • Friends
Lake Waikaremoana February 6 2021. Magical, Sureal, Unforgettable. Breathtaking views.
Brad and Cathy and their team at Walking Legends are so enthusiastic, encouraging and so passionate about what they do. Not only great guides but great chefs as well serving up delicious meals. Not an easy feat when you are in such remote locations. An unforgettable experience and I totally recommend Walking Legends. No hassles right from the pre trip bookings to pickup at the hotel. Thank you again ☺️
Brad and Cathy and their team at Walking Legends are so enthusiastic, encouraging and so passionate about what they do. Not only great guides but great chefs as well serving up delicious meals. Not an easy feat when you are in such remote locations. An unforgettable experience and I totally recommend Walking Legends. No hassles right from the pre trip bookings to pickup at the hotel. Thank you again ☺️
Written 10 February 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.
You are so very welcome Lynette! It was wonderful to have you both along. We had a great time too! Looking forward to doing it all again soon.
Written 23 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KHandKF
Auckland31 contributions
Dec 2020
Walking Legend's 4 day Lake Waikaremoana Discovery Tour enabled us to walk tracks and see stunning scenery that we would never have known about otherwise. Our Guides Brad and Andrew had excellent knowledge and an obvious passion for the area and the job they were doing. The whole organisation of the trip was first class.
Written 28 December 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.
Thank you both for this great feedback! It was a pleasure to have you on the trip, and we're really pleased you got so much out of the experience. Can't wait to have you back again soon!
Written 29 January 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sherylb531
Tutukaka, New Zealand100 contributions
Feb 2021 • Friends
What a great 4 days We were picked up in Rotorua by Brad and Callum ( who incidentally we had done the Great Barrier walk with them both in 2018) We did a shortish walk in the Whirinaki Forest on the way out before reaching our accommodation at Lake Waikaremoana. Excellent accommodation and food was provided on all days . The hardest walk was on the second day up to the Panekire Bluff which takes about 3 hours, BUT oh what views,well worth the climb and photo opportunities. . The next day was really lovely and offered a lovely swim in the lake for those of us who wanted too.. the final day was very easy anda trip back to Rotorua and a most welcome hot spring swim on the way . Overall a fantastic time and most of our group were over 70 😊😊😊
Written 23 February 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.
Thank you, Sheryl! Congratulations on making it up Panekire Bluff, it's no small achievement that's for sure. A beautiful trip, spent with good people doing fun things in the outdoors - can't get any better than that!
Written 4 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Margo S
8 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
I took two hiking tours with Walking Legends (Coromandel area and Waikaremoana area). Both tours featured incredible old growth forests (1000-year-old trees and ferns that were over 100 years old) and regenerating forests (50-75 years old). We met only a few hikers on the trails at the same time (all hikes required driving a few hours out of the city, including winding gravel roads that I wouldn’t have wanted to drive myself; Waikaremoana was particularly remote and particularly awe inspiring). Each tour had one day with a more challenging hike (600meter elevation gain), sandwiched between days with multiple shorter, small elevation gain hikes). The guide encouraged folks to move at their own pace so that no one felt held back or pressured to go faster. It was a huge bonus that the guide provided interesting natural and human history context for what we were experiencing and generously shared his knowledge of the local trees and birds. The dinners were tasty (like you’d get at a nice restaurant in an urban setting). Enough snacks to keep us going throughout the day. The timing for the tours is designed to allow one to sign up for multiple tours (with a night in between to do your laundry). I highly recommend this tour company to those who want to experience the remote forests of the North Island on foot.
Written 13 March 2024
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.
Super thanks Margo! Our absolute pleasure to have you, we'll see you again some day!
Written 16 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anne Sisam
2 contributions
Feb 2021
We are so privileged in New Zealand to be able to view such incredible and unspoiled landscape. Our guides Libby, Julian and Wade from "Walking Legends" went out of their way to provide us with an outstanding experience. The food, their knowledge, support and encouragement was fantastic and all contributed to a unique opportunity to hike around Lake Waikaremoana.
Written 24 February 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.
Thank you Anne, for your very kind words. Did you mean to give us a low-rating or is that just a typo?! :)
Julian, Libby & Wade are all very highly valued members of our team, we are lucky to have them. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with them, they'll be really pleased to know you did. I hope this is the start of a long association you have with Waikaremoana, it's a pretty magic place.
Written 4 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Pamela A
Helena, United States5 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
My husband and I did the Coromandel Tour with guides Brad and Gloria just prior to “high season” and had a most amazing time. Both were friendly, thoughtful and accommodating. We had a fun time and challenged ourselves the first day at Wairere Falls (old Māori pack trail), the North Island’s highest waterfall, climbing up to the source stream above, which was amazing! Both guides gave us free rein in our hiking pace but checked in with us often. Our lunches were delicious and healthy, with essential chocolate thrown in, a much appreciated surprise. At the end of the hike, we headed to Hush, a lovely cluster of luxury cabins adjacent to a creek. We met the owner and were lucky to get a view of a large native eel in the creek below. We enjoyed tasty cheese, crackers, etc. before dinner, which was prepared on site in the al fresco kitchen by amazing Charmaine, who would make our delicious meals (including pack lunch) every day and also supplied excellent choice in music!
The cabins were delightful - lots of privacy, a lovely wet room shower and bidet, a plus. Brad wisely juggled our itinerary to accommodate potential rainy weather and we spent our second day hiking the challenging Pinnacles/Kauaeranga Kauri trail. All during our hikes with Brad & Gloria, they identified trees, flowers, birds and other wildlife and were patient with our repeat questions 😊. The ladders to the top of the pinnacles was a highlight for me. At the same time, Brad respected that the ladder part is not for everyone.
Day 3, the Coromandel Coastal Walkway, an old bridle path adjacent to a working farm, was a nice break after the challenge of the first two days. My husband, who loves birding, was able to score some wonderful photos every day of totouiwai, fantail, dotterel, kereru, etc. we walked down to a lovely beach with crashing surf and enjoyed the serenity of just taking it in with all senses.
Later that night we all had dinner at a local restaurant that served excellent fare. The grain salad followed by berry crisp was amazing, as was my husband’s clam chowder and cheesecake dessert. Gloria’s gluten and dairy dietary restrictions were accommodated with her fish dinner and dessert and Brad confirmed that the fish and chips were great.
On our last day, which followed a rainy night that thankfully held off during our hike, we visited a grove enormous Kauri trees and tried to imagine what Aotearoa looked like prior to logging. These trees deserve the utmost respect, whose sacred journey to maturing can span thousands of years. It boggles the mind. We also visited the historic mining area to educate ourselves on the extraction industry’s impact on the area, which included old mining tunnels.
We are so thankful for our guides’ respect for all inhabitants of this island, including human, flora and fauna. We really lucked out with trip and we plan to come again on another adventure. We highly recommend them!
The cabins were delightful - lots of privacy, a lovely wet room shower and bidet, a plus. Brad wisely juggled our itinerary to accommodate potential rainy weather and we spent our second day hiking the challenging Pinnacles/Kauaeranga Kauri trail. All during our hikes with Brad & Gloria, they identified trees, flowers, birds and other wildlife and were patient with our repeat questions 😊. The ladders to the top of the pinnacles was a highlight for me. At the same time, Brad respected that the ladder part is not for everyone.
Day 3, the Coromandel Coastal Walkway, an old bridle path adjacent to a working farm, was a nice break after the challenge of the first two days. My husband, who loves birding, was able to score some wonderful photos every day of totouiwai, fantail, dotterel, kereru, etc. we walked down to a lovely beach with crashing surf and enjoyed the serenity of just taking it in with all senses.
Later that night we all had dinner at a local restaurant that served excellent fare. The grain salad followed by berry crisp was amazing, as was my husband’s clam chowder and cheesecake dessert. Gloria’s gluten and dairy dietary restrictions were accommodated with her fish dinner and dessert and Brad confirmed that the fish and chips were great.
On our last day, which followed a rainy night that thankfully held off during our hike, we visited a grove enormous Kauri trees and tried to imagine what Aotearoa looked like prior to logging. These trees deserve the utmost respect, whose sacred journey to maturing can span thousands of years. It boggles the mind. We also visited the historic mining area to educate ourselves on the extraction industry’s impact on the area, which included old mining tunnels.
We are so thankful for our guides’ respect for all inhabitants of this island, including human, flora and fauna. We really lucked out with trip and we plan to come again on another adventure. We highly recommend them!
Written 3 October 2024
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.
Thank you so much Bill & Pam! What an absolute pleasure to have showed you around the Coromandel. We both enjoyed getting to know you and the excellent trail company you provided made our 'job' feel more like an adventure with friends. Safe travels homeward and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Written 6 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Janneke
14 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
My husband and I really enjoyed the Waikaremoana discovery tour guided by Brad and Dylan (with friendly assistance of Annabel).
The trip was very well organized. We visited beautiful spots, were spoiled with delicious food and treats, and were accompanied by a group of lovely people from various countries and of different ages.
Since we are living in a flat country, we were not quite sure if we would be fit enough to climb the Panelire Bluffs. However, with a positive vibe, Brad and Dylan ensured that everybody could reach the top at their own pace.
We highly recommend to go on a tour with Walking Legends and definitely will book one of their other tours if we visit New-Zealand again.
The trip was very well organized. We visited beautiful spots, were spoiled with delicious food and treats, and were accompanied by a group of lovely people from various countries and of different ages.
Since we are living in a flat country, we were not quite sure if we would be fit enough to climb the Panelire Bluffs. However, with a positive vibe, Brad and Dylan ensured that everybody could reach the top at their own pace.
We highly recommend to go on a tour with Walking Legends and definitely will book one of their other tours if we visit New-Zealand again.
Written 5 December 2022
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.
Thank you Janneke! It was our pleasure to have you. We'd be delighted to host you again and I hope you'll be able to visit New Zealand in the future.
Written 8 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HI, what time of the year were you there? and what were temperatures like??
thanks
Written 21 September 2018
Hi there, the hikes are in different locations throughout the North Island. Which area in particular are you interested to know the temperatures for?
Written 22 September 2018
Showing results 1-1 of 1
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.