Routeburn Flats Hut is one of the three huts along the world-famous Routeburn Track.
It's on the Glenorchy side of the trail, near Routeburn Shelter, and staying the night here is a lovely way to experience a slice of the Routeburn Track without committing to the full multi-day hike.
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 Flats 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, so try to arrive as early as possible.
Hiking from Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Flats
The walk between the trailhead and Routeburn Flats Hut is very well maintained and almost completely flat. It's the easiest part of the Routeburn Track and takes around 1.5-2 hours, depending on your fitness level.
After 15 minutes, you'll reach the iconic "Routeburn Track" sign and cross a suspension bridge over the crystal clear Routeburn River. Then, you'll pass Bridal Veil Falls and follow the Routeburn Gorge until you cross one final swing bridge and arrive at Routeburn Flats.
This is a lovely place to stop for a picnic or stay overnight if you love backcountry huts or couldn't get a bed at Routeburn Falls.
Staying at Routeburn Flats 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 Flats, this hut has:
20 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 any accommodation in advance if you're travelling 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
If you'd prefer to camp, there are two campsites along the Routeburn Track: Routeburn Flats and Lake Mackenzie. These are:
$28 per night for New Zealand residents
$42 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 hour or so uphill to the Routeburn Falls Hut. It's one of the best DOC huts I've ever visited and offers incredible views over the Routeburn Valley and the Humboldt Mountains.
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"
