Cost for walking the Milford track

I’ve been investigating the cost of walking the Milford Track: it costs $370 if you go and carry your own gear, I thought that was quite a bit. If you go with a guided group (Ultimate Hikes has the contract) the cheapest all inclusive price is $1870! Most expensive is $2700 (your own room/shower/meals provided). I worked out how much that garners: the track is open from October to the end of April (213 days), 40 guided walkers per day, every day (it is normally fully booked out). That’s 8520 people per year. Total revenue from this: $17 million dollars per year! And that’s only for the Milford. They also have concessions on a couple of other Great Walks as well. I'd like a bit of that coin.....

Most of my tramps cost me about $18.70 :-)

Same here.... I would not have spent $1800 on new gear and tramping trips in the past 2 years.......let alone a single track. I do believe that kiwis should be walking the Great Walks, even if you dislike crowds (i do) they are part of our tramping culture. We should use them.

The nice thing about the Milford is that, other then at night and on the boats to and from the track, it doesn't actually feel crowded. As everyone walks the same direction if you left early each day you basically have the track to yourself until you reach the next hut. Cant really get that experience on the Routeburn/Kepler etc. But yes, $1800 is a ridiculous price. But obviously people are prepared to pay it if they are sold out each day!

I'm knocking the Great Walks off slowly - agree with above, if you leave early and walk fast you can spend a lot of your time without another person in sight. I'm not a crowd person either. It's nice every now and then to stroll down a nicely maintained benched and boardwalked track, you can really soak in the scenery without spending all day watching where you're putting your feet.

go in the off season, over dorre pass.... when you get to dumping hut , do a return day walk do the valley to see the waterfalls. then turn around and go back.... or if you can get someone to bring a kayak over to sandfly point you can do the short kayak to milford sound road end...

Great tip. Thanks Waynowski. I'll try and bookmark that. If anyone else wants to find that on the map, it's Dore Pass & Dumpling Hut.

Im walking one a year, Ive got my name down to tramp the Kepler in late March 2015. Its already filling up and the bookings only opened last week. Ive already walked the Heaphy, Tongariro Northern Circuit and Waikaremoana tracks many years ago, I thought I might as well finish them all off. Looking at a double header in 2015/2016 season, Milford & Routeburn one after the other. Ho ho ho!