Routeburn Falls Hut is one of the three huts along the world-famous Routeburn Track. This trail runs between Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Parks and is so good, it should be on everyone's bucket list.
Routeburn Falls Hut is located on the Glenorchy side of the trail, near Routeburn Shelter. It's one of the best DOC huts I've ever visited and offers incredible views over the Routeburn Valley and the Humboldt Mountains.
Hikers usually spend their first night at Routeburn Falls if they walk in from Glenorchy. Or, on the second night, if they started in Fiordland.
Important: You must book a bed if you're hiking during the Great Walk season, which runs between October and April. I’ve shared how to do that under my Travel Tips.
Parking & transport
The trail to Routeburn Falls starts at Routeburn Shelter, which is:
About 25km / 30 minutes from Glenorchy
About 68km / 1 hour from Queenstown
There's a big free carpark at the trailhead, but it fills up super fast in peak Great Walk season. We hiked in January, and the carpark was full by 8:30 am. Try to start early! You'll get a space, beat the crowds and avoid the relentless midday sun.
If you’re hiking the full 33 km Routeburn Track (end-to-end), you must book transport between both trailheads. I’ve got more info about that under my full Routeburn Travel Tips.
Hiking from Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls
The walk between the trailhead and Routeburn Falls Hut is roughly 7.5km and takes 2.5-3.5 hours. It’s very well maintained and almost completely flat until Routeburn Flats (1.5-2 hours).
It gets steeper as you climb to Routeburn Falls. The section takes about an hour and isn’t too challenging, but you can definitely feel your lungs burning.
But before you know it, you'll pop out at the hut and see the jaw-dropping views I was talking about :)
Staying at Routeburn Falls Hut
Each of the huts along the Routeburn Track has slightly different facilities, max. capacities etc. But they’re all managed by DOC and all have bunks, communal kitchens, and toilets.
If you want more info on Routeburn Falls, this hut has:
48 bunk beds with mattresses
Water, flushing toilets & sinks with cold running water
Log fire and solar lighting in the kitchen
Cooking facilities with gas hobs - you have to bring your own utensils
Lots of seating & a big communal dining area
All serviced by a ranger! We met two on our trip, and they were so lovely
Outside Great Walk Season
No gas - you’ll need to bring your own cooking equipment/Jetboil
Flushing toilets are replaced with long drops
No running water
No rangers are based at the huts
Beds are first come, first served
How much does it cost?
This catches a lot of people out. You don't need a permit to hike the Routeburn Track like you do for some of the most popular walks in other countries, like Canada. But you do need to book the huts.
You must book in advance between October and April. Have a look at my Travel Tips for how to do this :)
All three huts are the same price:
$80 per night for New Zealand residents
$120 for international visitors
The fee you pay goes back to supporting the Department of Conservation (DOC). It helps cover everything from wildlife conservation and track maintenance to flying the toilet waste out from the huts by helicopter!
Do you want a bigger adventure?
If you’re feeling good and want to keep exploring, you can walk another 1.5 hours to Harris Saddle. This is a challenging 26km day, but hands down my favourite hike in New Zealand.
What to pack
If you're doing this as a day hike, I've got my personal packing list under Travel Tips! If you're doing the whole Routeburn Track, DOC have a really good multi-day version on their website.
Safety tips
The weather in NZ is super unpredictable, even in the summer. It can get freezing, and hypothermia is a huge risk all year round. Make sure you check the forecast once, twice and three times before you go out. I like to use MetService, NIWA and DOC.
Pack lots of warm layers (Merino is the world's greatest investment), wear a good warm jacket, and ALWAYS take a rain jacket!!! May-October is outside of Great Walk season, and you'll only be able to attempt certain walks (incl. the Routeburn Track) if you have mountaineering experience. Check the DOC's website for specifics.
To read other safety tips, see my Travel Tip: "Read This Before You Start"
