Sanctuary Mountain at Night

From $352.00 per group of 1-4 people | Guests: 4

Join us in exploring the magical night-time world of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari with our experienced guides leading you in search of nocturnal forest wonders.

Marvel at the twinkling lights of glow-worms, see the brilliance of the undersides of silver fern fronds and gaze up at the stars on a crystal clear night, away from the bright lights of the city.

The 2 hour walk begins approximately 15 minutes before sunset. We can supply you with torches and it's a gentle, slow walk on easy graded tracks. Minimum age of 10 years recommended.

We will search by torchlight for spiders, millipedes, beetles and the many species of weta that venture out at night in search of food.

Discover the important role Maungatautari has as a stronghold for kiwi and listen for their calls and the calls of ruru. In spring and summer, you might be lucky enough to see tiny long-tailed bats along the treeline at dusk or to hear the nocturnal calls of kaka.

Please note this is a private guided walk, scheduled by request only with a minimum of 48 hours notice. A minimum charge of $352 (for up to 4 people) is required for this guided walk to operate.

For every booking thereafter the below prices apply with a maximum group size of ten people per guided walk.

Extra Adults $94.50
Extra Concessions (Valid for NZ; Supergold, Community Services, or Student ID cardholders) $94.50
Extra Children (5 - 16yrs) $47.50
Extra Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) $210.00

To book your guided walk and for enquiries, please contact the Sanctuary Mountain visitor centre on 07 870 5180 or reception@maungatrust.org.

Book

Your guided tour comes with a free Sanctuary Explorer Day Pass - perfect for exploring the forest during the day, before your Night Tour.

2-hour walk
Torches provided
Gentle, slow walk on easy graded track
Private guided walk
Minimum age of 10 years recommended.
Children up to 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Start and finish times of this guided walk are affected by seasonal variances.
Bookings need to be made at least 48 hours in advance and are subject to availability and weather conditions.
Standard booking terms and conditions apply.

Thank you! Every booking supports our vital conservation work, helping protect rare and endangered species on the maunga.

We were a group of 8, Sue was our guide. Would so recommend having Sue to guide. We would not have noticed or learnt anything by ourselves, noticed birds and plants with understanding the importance of sanctuary. Will be bringing the grandies next.

Helen Bingham

← 1 / 10 →

The team are still absolutely buzzing about their time at Maungatautari! We all learnt SO much — about Rongoa, about the forest and how different plants can heal our ailments — but also how the forest as a whole can heal our inner-selves too. Everybody took something of great value...

Huka Honey Hive, Taupo

← 2 / 10 →

I wanted to email you and tell you how literally amazing our day was and that we were absolutely blown away by the whole experience. You and your team are fantastic. All of the parents who attended raved about the whole day.

Ohaupo School

← 3 / 10 →

A truly spectacular day for me thank you, and trust me I've done some really cool things before but this was right up there. The passion, the pride, the service beyond self and the truly intergenerational and transformational work you and the team have done and are doing is inspirational...

Simon

← 4 / 10 →

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Because one THANK YOU is not enough! We felt very honoured and privileged to witness the health check and transfer process of two kiwi yesterday. To be so close to our iconic bird was very surreal for many of our team. Many photos were taken and I'm sure...

Nicola Greenwell

← 5 / 10 →

I'm honestly still smiling after my afternoon on the maunga yesterday, so I had to write and thank you SO MUCH. The team is doing extraordinary work with the whole sanctuary, and to see the kiwi team, volunteers, dogs, it was absolutely amazing. It was very moving to see the kiwi close up....

Katy Scoullar

← 6 / 10 →

I've hiked many, many forests around New Zealand, but this one hits differently. You just know you're in as native of an NZ forest as it can get, thanks to the predator-proof fence that takes a lot of work and money to maintain. The forest is alive with the beautiful songs of many...

Meggie Tran

← 7 / 10 →

A beautiful and peaceful place.

Tony Nicholls

← 8 / 10 →

My wife and I live in Miami and visited Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari during a trip to New Zealand a month ago. Our guide was Jenny. We were very impressed with her sincerity as well as your organization and the success of your work.

Anonymous, Miami, USA

← 9 / 10 →

If you want to see New Zealand's nocturnal animals, go here. Of course, there are day tours as well as night tours. I went on a night tour and it was great. I was happy to see glow worms, go up to the observatory, and see many stars in the night sky! This is not a zoo, but a conservation...