What Ultimate Hikes does

Ultimate Hikes (legally Tourism Milford Limited) is a privately held, family-owned New Zealand guided-walking company founded in 1989 by Sir John Davies. It is the exclusive operator, under concessions from the Department of Conservation (DOC), of multi-day guided walks on two of New Zealand's nine Great Walks — the Milford Track (5 days/4 nights, 54 km, from NZD $2,925) and the Routeburn Track (3 days/2 nights, 32 km, from NZD $1,979) — as well as a combined 8-day/7-night itinerary branded "The Classic" (86 km, from NZD $4,970). The business operates eight generator-powered private lodges along the tracks, a company-operated H125 Airbus Squirrel helicopter for emergency evacuations, and a radio communication network connecting guides, lodges and the Queenstown base.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through direct-to-consumer bookings via the ultimatehikes.co.nz website, phone/email reservations, and an in-person booking centre at the Ultimate Hikes Centre in Queenstown, with a secondary desk in Te Anau. Pricing is all-inclusive per person (guide services, lodge accommodation, meals, transport) with multishare and private-room tiers, plus ancillary add-on streams: trekking-pole rental ($25/set), luggage storage ($10/bag/day), optional Milford Sound-to-Queenstown helicopter transfers, and lodge-bar alcohol sales. Full payment is collected at booking, with repeat-walker and early-season discounts available.

The company employs roughly 11–50 staff year-round and scales to 120+ during the November–April walking season, recruiting and training over 70 guides annually. Target customers are international adventure tourists (US, Australian, and broader inbound) plus domestic New Zealand travellers, families, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking professionally guided, lodge-based Great Walk experiences with embedded safety and conservation positioning. Long-tenured personnel (Robert Romauch, 40+ years on Milford; Noel Saxon as General Manager), DOC/Kea Conservation Trust/Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust partnerships, Qualmark and Outdoors Mark certifications, and registered Adventure Activity status underpin a high-trust operating model.

Name

Ultimate Hikes

Legal name

Tourism Milford Limited

Website

https://ultimatehikes.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ultimate Hikes is a privately held, family-owned New Zealand guided-walking company that holds exclusive DOC concessions to operate multi-day lodge-based walks on the Milford and Routeburn Tracks, serving international and domestic adventure tourists seeking all-inclusive Great Walk experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Adventure Hiking Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (48799)

akta.pro primary industry

Hiking, Trekking & Backpacking Tour Operators (THAAADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hiking, Trekking & Mountain Guiding (THAJABAA), Eco-Adventure Multi-Day Expeditions (Trekking, Hut-to-Hut, Pack Trips) (THAAAEAJ), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)

Keywords

• Guided hiking tours
• Multi-day walks
• Great walks hiking
• Wilderness lodge accommodation
• Guided hiking experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Queenstown

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Guided Multi-Day Hiking Tours: All-inclusive guided walking experiences on the Milford Track, Routeburn Track, and The Classic (combined Milford + Routeburn). Revenue is generated through per-person booking fees that include accommodation in private lodges, meals, trained guides, and transport from Queenstown or Te Anau. Pricing varies by track duration and accommodation type (multishare vs private room).
2. Equipment Rental: Trekking poles available to hire for $25 per set. 40L backpacks and rain jackets provided free of charge.
3. Optional Helicopter Transfers: Optional helicopter flight from Milford Sound back to Queenstown, offered as a premium add-on experience for walkers finishing the Milford Track.
4. Luggage Storage: Excess luggage storage at Ultimate Hikes Centre in Queenstown for $10 per day per bag.
5. Alcohol Sales: New Zealand wine, beer, and soft drinks available for purchase at lodge bars, paid for at the end of the walk.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ultimate Hikes operates all-inclusive guided multi-day walking experiences on New Zealand's iconic Milford Track (5 days/4 nights) and Routeburn Track (3 days/2 nights), including a combined 8-day "Classic" itinerary. Each package bundles trained mountain guides, private lodge accommodation, all meals, snacks, and transport from Queenstown or Te Anau, with supporting add-ons such as gear rental, luggage storage, optional helicopter transfers, and lodge bar sales.

Product overview

Ultimate Hikes is a locally owned and operated guided hiking company offering multi-day walking experiences on New Zealand's Great Walks. The product portfolio centers on three core guided walk products: the Milford Track (5 days/4 nights, 54km, from $2,925 NZD), the Routeburn Track (3 days/2 nights, 32km, from $1,979 NZD), and The Classic combining both tracks (8 days/7 nights, 86km, from $4,940 NZD). All walks are all-inclusive experiences featuring trained mountain guides, private lodge accommodation, all meals, snacks, and transport from Queenstown or Te Anau. Supporting add-on services include gear rental (backpacks, rain jackets, trekking poles), excess luggage storage, and optional helicopter transfers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milford Track Guided Walk
• Routeburn Track Guided Walk
• The Classic (Milford + Routeburn Tracks)

Quantifiable outcome

• 141 guests required non-emergency helicopter evacuation from tracks during 2024/25 summer season, demonstrating safety infrastructure scale
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Conservation (DOC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltimate Hikes works closely with DOC to care for and maintain the tracks and environment. Partnership includes track maintenance, pest control, concession management, and collaboration on biosecurity measures. The company supports the Tiaki Promise in partnership with DOC to protect New Zealand's unique environment.
• Kea Conservation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltimate Hikes and their walkers have raised over $30,000 for the Kea Conservation Trust to help monitor and protect the endangered kea on the Milford Track. The company helps fund research, monitoring, and public awareness campaigns aimed at protecting kea from predators and human conflict.
• Routeburn Dart Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltimate Hikes supports the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust which runs extensive predator control and biodiversity projects across the Routeburn and Dart Valleys. Their work has seen bird populations recover and rare species like kākāriki (parakeets) return to areas where they had disappeared.
• NZOIA (New Zealand Outdoor Instructor Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUltimate Hikes guides are encouraged to work towards qualifications from NZOIA. Guide managers are trained in assessment for the association's courses, supporting professional development of outdoor instructors.
• Hermitage HotelminorOthersAffiliated company providing accommodation options for guests in Mt Cook/Aoraki region, promoted through Ultimate Hikes website footer as related company visitors may also like to visit.
• NZ Ski (Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt)minorOthersAffiliated ski areas and tourism operators promoted through Ultimate Hikes website footer as related companies visitors may also like to visit when in Queenstown and Mt Hutt regions.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• G Adventures: G Adventures is a global small-group adventure travel company operating in 100+ countries with multi-day trekking and walking tours. Overlaps with Ultimate Hikes in experiential-adventure travel category, target customer (international independent travelers), and B-Corp-aligned responsible-tourism positioning.
• Intrepid Travel: Intrepid is a publicly listed global small-group adventure tour operator. Although far larger and broader in scope, it offers comparable multi-day guided walking and trekking experiences worldwide, including New Zealand itineraries, and competes for the same high-LTV experiential international traveler.
• Tourism Holdings Limited (THL): THL is the largest tourism operator in New Zealand (NZX-listed), with interests in motorhome rentals, tourism parks, and guided experiences. A broader incumbent across multiple NZ tourism segments, it represents a credible acquirer or strategic counterparty and competes for the same inbound tourism dollars, though not directly in guided multi-day hiking.

Direct peers

• Alpine Guides (Aoraki/Mt Cook): Alpine Guides is a New Zealand mountaineering and alpine hiking guide operator based in Mt Cook/Aoraki, providing guided climbs, treks, and instructional courses. Comparable guided-alpine-experience business model in New Zealand's South Island national parks, with similar mountain-guide expertise, safety-first positioning, and premium pricing.
• Hiking New Zealand: Hiking New Zealand is a small specialist guided hiking operator offering multi-day Great Walks and backcountry itineraries across NZ's South Island. Direct overlap with Ultimate Hikes in guided multi-day walking product, NZ Great Walks focus, and adventure-tourist customer base.
• RealNZ (Real Journeys): RealNZ operates cruises, coaches and tourism experiences in the same Fiordland/Milford Sound tourism corridor as Ultimate Hikes, including the Milford Sound visitor terminal. Both serve the same inbound international traveler to New Zealand's South Island, and RealNZ is the dominant downstream tourism operator visitors encounter before/after a Milford Track hike.
• World Expeditions: World Expeditions is an Australia/NZ-headquartered adventure tour operator with guided multi-day hiking products on New Zealand's Great Walks and global trekking itineraries. Comparable business model (all-inclusive guided trekking), comparable premium-pricing positioning, and similar customer segment of international experiential travelers.
• Southern Discoveries: Southern Discoveries operates Milford Sound cruises and the Milford Discovery Centre and Underwater Observatory, anchoring the Milford Sound tourism package that complements (and competes with) Ultimate Hikes' helicopter-transfer add-on from Milford Sound back to Queenstown. Same customer base, same destination corridor.
• Active Adventures New Zealand: Active Adventures is a New Zealand-based guided multi-day hiking and adventure tour operator offering itineraries across NZ's South Island national parks. Direct overlap in guided-hiking product, NZ geography, premium-pricing direct-to-consumer model, and international adventure tourist customer segment.

Regional players

• NZSki: NZSki operates Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt ski areas and is a sister/affiliated company within the Davies family tourism portfolio. Same Queenstown South Island tourism geography and an affiliated complementary adventure offering to Ultimate Hikes' summer product, extending the family tourism platform across seasons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ultimatehikesnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/ultimatehikes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ultimate Hikes