Guided day walks (conforming tracks)
There are a number of tracks across New Zealand that are available for commercial guided day walking if certain conditions are followed. These are called ‘conforming’ tracks.

Holiday shutdown period

Applications for permits and concessions will not be processed during our statutory shutdown period from Monday 22 December 2025 to Friday 9 January 2026. Processing will resume on Monday 12 January 2026.

DOC offices will close at 5 pm on 24 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.

You must have a permit from DOC to undertake commercial activities on public conservation land. This includes commercial guided walking or guided tours.

You can apply for a conforming tracks permit if you want to undertake guided day walking on specific DOC tracks listed on the conforming track schedules.

Guided day walking is defined as:

  • A commercial operation in which the operator receives financial gain or reward for offering their services.
  • Walking only (that is, the concession does not include other guided activities that also require a permit, for example hunting, fishing, rock climbing or mountain biking).
  • The entirety of the walk is on an established track or tracks, which are built, owned and maintained by DOC.
  • The duration of the walk is under 8 hours, and
  • No sleeping arrangements are required (that is, no overnight or multi-day walks).

For more information on how DOC identified public conservation land track(s) suitable for guided day walking:

See guided day walks position statement (PDF, 73K)

If you do want to undertake commercial guiding on public conservation land that does not meet the conforming tracks definition:

You can apply through the land-based guided activities process 

Apply for a conforming tracks concession

Pre-application enquiries

You can contact us to help you understand:

  • if your activity meets the definition of guiding day walking
  • if the tracks you want to guide on are conforming tracks
  • the concession application process, including application forms, processing fees, and processing timeframes.

Contact the National Transaction Centre at transactioncentre@doc.govt.nz

Application requirements

To apply for a conforming tracks permit, you must confirm that:

  • You will only undertake guided day walking.
  • You will only guide on the conforming tracks you have applied for.
  • You will comply with the maximum number of clients allowed for each track.
  • You will comply with the maximum number of visits allowed for each track (such as the total number of trips allowed for the day, week, month or year).
  • You have read and understood the potential adverse effects of your activity, and the conditions you must comply with when operating on these tracks.

To undertake guided walking on public conservation land you require an independently audited safety plan. As part of the application process, we encourage you to provide a copy of your audited safety plan certificate. We do not require a copy of your safety plan.

Providing a copy of the audited safety plan certificate can speed up the application process. If you do not provide the certificate during your application, and a concession is granted, you will not be authorised to operate your concession until you have provided the certificate to DOC.

For more information see safety plans

Apply for your concession

Fees

There is a fee for processing your application.

The cost of your application will depend on the number of tracks you apply for. The standard fee is $400 plus GST ($460 including GST) for up to 10 tracks.

Another $115 plus GST ($132.25 including GST) is charged for every additional 10 tracks:

  • 1 – 20 tracks costs $515 plus GST
  • 21 – 30 tracks costs $630 plus GST.

You will also be required to pay ongoing concession fees

Timeframe

Conforming tracks applications are generally processed in 20 working days of being received. However, conforming tracks applications can take longer to process if you are applying for tracks across multiple regions.

How long it takes to process an application

What happens next

We will send you a letter advising the outcome of your application. You will also be invoiced the application processing fee, regardless of the decision made on your application.

If your application is approved

You will also be sent a conforming tracks permit. You must sign your permit and returned a signed copy to us.

Your permit will set out the specific conforming tracks you can guide on. If you want to change the conforming tracks you guide on, you will need to make a new conforming tracks application.

Additional fees

If you are granted a permit you will also be required to pay ongoing concession fees.

Conforming track schedules

Find out tracks that are available for guided walking in each region.

North Island

South Island

Contact us

For more information or assistance with your conforming concessions contact the National Transaction Centre at transactioncentre@doc.govt.nz