Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre
Image: DOC
Located in Tongariro National Park in the Central North Island region
The village is the main entrance into the Tongariro National Park and many walking tracks. Whakapapa Ski Area is located 6 km up the Bruce Road from Whakapapa Village.
Services include:
From State Highway 47 going north or south, take the clearly signposted turn-off onto State Highway 48. It is about a 4 hr 30 min drive from either Auckland or Wellington.
Parking in Whakapapa Village is restricted to between 15 mins and 3 hrs during the winter season. There are signs showing which restrictions apply to each area. These restrictions are to allow day visitors access to services and amenities in the Village.
To park longer than 3 hrs you need a parking permit from the Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre. Parking permits can also allow you to park for many days and overnight.
Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre.
Accommodation providers in Whakapapa Village have allocated parking and can arrange for shuttle services to pick up their customers directly from the accommodation.
Weather and road conditions can lead to closure of the Bruce Rd, or restrictions on vehicles which can use it. These include:
During winter when carparks at Whakapapa Ski Area (Iwikau Village) are full, the Bruce Road is closed to private vehicles.
A car parking booking system has been introduced for peak weekends at Whakapapa and Tūroa Ski Areas. You need to book a car park online for weekends from 25 July to 27 September 2020.
Book a carpark and find out Bruce Road status.
Shuttles services to Whakapapa Ski Area are available from National Park Village and other local towns. There are no shuttles available from Whakapapa Village to Whakapapa Ski Area.
Booking your shuttle in advance is recommended.
Book a shuttle to Whakapapa Ski Area.
Temperatures at the village can be as cold as -10°C or as warm as 25°C. Frosts can occur at any time of the year. Often the overnight temperatures are below freezing in the winter months.
At Whakapapa the annual rainfall is about 2200 mm, while on the Desert Road side it is only 1250 mm.
Often during winter snow falls at the village, and sometimes to lower levels. However for the most part, the winter snowline is above the village.
| Tongariro National Park Visitor Centre | |
| Phone: | +64 7 892 3729 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | tongarirovc@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
Whakapapa Village State Highway 48 Mount Ruapehu |
| Postal Address: |
PO Box 71029 Whakapapa Village Mount Ruapehu 3951 |
| Full office details | |