Young woman shields the sun from her face as she stands atop Mt Roy, above a cloud inversion against a backdrop of mountains and blue sky.

Roy’s Peak Vs Isthmus Peak (an alternative hike)

Staying in Wānaka and after a bit of a mountain fix, without heading up onto Treble Cone Ski Resort? A day hike for a mountain-top view is a great idea, and the Wānaka and Queenstown areas are full of great ones. The one everyone is flocking to, though, for that instagram-famous shot? Mt Roy (or Roy’s Peak), which rewards you after a steep climb with absolutely jaw-dropping lake and alpine views.

In recent years, however, Roy’s Peak has grown in popularity so much that frequently people are now experiencing some crowding on the track, and oftentimes a bit of a queue to take their photo at that popular lookout. Enter the Isthmus Peak hike: an alternative day hike, which is both similar, and different – for all the best reasons.

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? Photo shows Lake Hawea and the surrounding mountains from part way up Isthmus Peak.
We didn’t have the best weather for Isthmus Peak, so I’d love to do it again.

If you have the time and energy to do both, I say go for it! However, if your itinerary or time constraints are forcing you to choose, you have a tough decision on your hands. Both hikes are amazing, and offer something the other doesn’t have.

Let me break it all down for you in this easy to follow guide, comparing the two from every angle. I’ve walked them both, and I can share my experiences of each. I’ll also let you know which is my favourite, and it might surprise you!

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? Four hikers climb through the tussock on Roy's Peak with spetacular mountain and lake views behind them.
Roy’s Peak | Source: Tourism NZ Visual Library

FAQs About The Location

For all your questions about how to get there..

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? Snowy mountains bordering the blue lake showcase the beauty of Roy's Peak.
Roy’s Peak | Source: Tourism NZ Visual Library

What is the closest town?

For Roy’s Peak, the closest town is Wānaka.

For Isthmus Peak, it’s technically Hawea. Although Hawea is tiny, there are public toilets in Hawea. If we’re talking towns of any significant size, though, it’s Wānaka as well.

How far is it from Wānaka?

Roy’s Peak is just 5.8 kilometres (3.6 miles) out of Wānaka, a 7 minute drive.

From Hawea, Isthmus Peak is 15 kilometres (9.5 miles) to the trailhead, a 13 minute drive, but from Wānaka, it is 28 kilometres (17.5 miles), a 23 minute drive.

How do you get there from Wānaka?

Roy’s Peak is a short drive out of Wānaka on Wānaka-Mount Aspiring Road.

Isthmus Peak is on the isthmus that separates Lake Hawea and Lake Wānaka (known as The Neck), so you take State Highway 6 out in the West Coast direction to get to the trailhead.

What is the drive time from Wānaka?

Roy’s Peak is 7 minutes out of Wānaka.

Isthmus Peak is 23 minutes out of Wānaka.

Is there public transport there?

Roy’s Peak can be accessed by shuttle if you don’t have a car. Wānaka Bike Tours and Ritchie’s offer these.

Isthmus Peak can also be accessed by shuttle through Wānaka Bike Tours.

Young woman stands with her hands on her beanie at the viewpoint of Roy's Peak with mountains in the background.
Despite the cloud inversion obstructing our lake views, the day up Roy’s Peak was a beautiful one.

FAQs About The Route

Read on for the difficulty, the distance, the altitude, the walk time, the technicality and the elevation.

How difficult is it?

The Department of Conservation rates Roy’s Peak as an easy walking track. If you’ve done some overnight hikes before, this will be no problem for you. If you haven’t, it might be a little challenging, but completely doable.

The Department of Conservation rates Isthmus Peak as an advanced walking track, but others would say moderate difficulty. I was surprised to read this, I would consider both walks to be of moderate difficulty, and found them about the same as each other.

How far is the walk?

Roy’s Peak is a 16 kilometre (9.9 mile) return walk. Some people only go to the famous viewpoint and back down, which is a 14 kilometre (8.6 mile) return walk. It’s therefore a shorter option to doing Isthmus Peak (or Roy’s Peak) in its entirety.

Isthmus Peak is a 16 kilometre (9.9 mile) return walk, so they’re really very similar.

What is the altitude?

The summit of Roy’s Peak is 1578 metres above sea level. It’s higher than Isthmus Peak, fractionally. The famous viewpoint, where some stop, is 1400 metres above sea level.

Isthmus Peak has an altitude of 1386 metres above sea level. That’s only 14 metres less than the Roy’s Peak viewpoint, so that’s another similarity.

How long does it take?

Roy’s Peak will take you five or six hours for the return walk, according to the Department of Conservation website, but some would say it’s more like six to eight hours. It’s certainly true that you might have to wait up to half an hour for your photo at the lookout on a busy day (as each person needs to walk a couple of hundred metres out along the ridge, have their photo taken, and then make their way back), and you’ll want to factor in some breaks, too. The climb to the viewpoint, one way, is three hours, and then the summit is a further half hour.

Isthmus Peak will take you five to seven hours for the return walk, according to the Department of Conservation website. The average experience is that of six to six and a half hours, but you might want to factor in some break times on top of that, too.

Is it technical?

Roy’s Peak is not a technical walk, it’s just the relentlessness of the climb that provides the challenge.

Isthmus Peak is not technical, either, just a long time to be climbing!

What type of route is it?

Roy’s Peak is an out and back trail, not a circuit. You’ll go down all the switchbacks you hike up.

Isthmus Peak is also an out and back trail. Walking poles are helpful for either walk if you have weak knees, as it’s a lot of descent after the summit.

What is the elevation gain?

The elevation gain for Roy’s Peak is 1200 metres.

The elevation gain for Isthmus Peak is 1300 metres. I told you they were similar!

The photo shows the gradient of Roy's Peak and the cloud that we walked through on our ascent.
Roy’s Peak is all uphill and a little relentless.

FAQs About The Trailhead

Here’s some information about toilets, fees and parking.

Is it easy to find?

The Roy’s Peak trailhead is easier to find than the Isthmus Peak one. Roy’s Peak is a more popular walk and the carpark is only a few kilometres out of town. It is off the main road.

The Isthmus Peak trailhead is easy to drive past, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled. After driving along the shoreline of Lake Hawea for 17 kilometres (10.5 miles), you will see two parking areas on the right hand side of the road – on the opposite side of the road to the lake.

Are there toilets at the bottom?

Roy’s Peak has a toilet at the trailhead – but take your own toilet paper.

Isthmus Peak has a portaloo at the trailhead during the summer months. Take your own toilet paper. If you’re hiking out of peak season, use the public toilets in Hawea before you go up.

Does it cost money?

Roy’s Peak costs $2NZD and there is an honesty box at the trailhead for you to put your coin into.

Isthmus Peak is a free walk.

Is there parking?

Roy’s Peak has more parking than Isthmus Peak – but frequently, not enough, due to the popularity of the hike. There is one main carpark and an overflow carpark.

A young woman in thermals and a puffer jacket smiles for the camera at the trailhead of Roy's Peak.
There is a two dollar fee and honesty box before you climb Roy’s Peak.

FAQs About The Land

Let me answer your questions about animals and the farmland where the walks are located..

Whose land is it?

Roy’s Peak hike is on private farmland, and this means walkers need to leave gates as they find them and stick to the trail.

Isthmus Peak hike is also on private farmland, so the same courtesies apply.

Does hunting occur on the land?

No hunting occurs on Mount Roy.

On Mount Isthmus – on the property neighbouring the private farmland where the hike is located – at Glen Dene Station, hunting occurs between March and May. This does not affect walkers, but you do need to stay on the trail, and even more so during these months.

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs are not allowed up Roy’s Peak, due to it being private land and a working farm.

Dogs are not allowed up Isthmus Peak either, for the same reasons.

Is it open year-round?

Not quite. Roy’s Peak is closed between October 1st and November 10th every year, for lambing season.

Isthmus Peak is closed between November 20th and December 20th every year, for fawning season.

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? Photo shows two curious sheep by the side of the Roy's Peak track.
The hikes takes you across working paddocks so you will definitely see some sheep on the way up.

What wildlife is there?

Roy’s Peak, being a working farm, is dotted with sheep. The track crosses through their paddocks, but keep your distance so that they do not feel threatened.

Isthmus Peak is also a working farm, so has sheep and cattle. The track also goes through their grazing area, so stick to the trail.

FAQs About The Ascent

For your questions about the track condition and what to expect on the way up:

What is the track surface like?

Roy’s Peak is a 4WD drive track, so nicely graded. Much of it is grass, but some of it is gravel or rock.

Isthmus Peak is a 4WD track, too, and therefore also graded. It is much the same, with a mixture of grass and gravel. It’s smoother than Roy’s Peak.

What is the climb like?

Roy’s Peak zigzags all the way to the top. It’s back and forth, and back and forth, never too steep, but only a little elevation gained each switchback, so it can feel a bit relentless.

Isthmus Peak has a steep first half hour and crosses some paddocks before the track becomes the graded 4WD track. It zigzags all the way to the top, too, and those corners get tighter and tigher the higheler you go. After 20 switchbacks you head up the ridge instead, and after half an hour on the ridge you reach a junction point between the summit and Matatiaho Conservation Area. The summit is only a further 20 minutes but not that much higher. We stopped at the junction, because the weather was worsening.

Are there flat parts?

Roy’s Peak has very little in the way of flat parts.

Isthmus Peak does have some flat parts that break up the switchbacks, so it’s not as relentless.

How exposed is it?

Roy’s Peak is a very exposed track. It winds up the side of the mountain and is farmland, instead of being in native bush. There is little shade, so protecting yourself from the elements is important.

Isthmus Peak is nearly equally exposed, although it has a short stretch of forested area. Use sunscreen, hats, waterproof and windproof layers to keep yourself safe.

Two hikers recede up the trail toward the Isthmus Peak summit.
The track up Isthmus Peak is majority a farmland track that crosses paddocks.

FAQs About The Summit

Here’s some information about what’s at the top:

What’s at the summit?

Roy’s Peak has lake and mountain views of Lake Wānaka and the surrounding ranges. They’ll be dusted with snow if you go in winter or spring.

Isthmus Peak has two lake views, Lake Hawea and Lake Wānaka (which you only see from the summit, so it’s worth going all the way if the weather is fine).

Can you stop earlier?

You can turn around any time! An alternative stopping point on Roy’s Peak is at the viewpoint. You’ll save yourself the last 150m approx of elevation gain and shave off an hour (return). You’ll have the photos to prove you were up there, and you’ll no doubt be exhausted.

An alternative stopping point on Isthmus Peak is the junction, which is 20 minutes below the summit. At this point, you’re virtually at the top, with very little climbing left to do, so have probably got as good of a view of Lake Hawea as you’re going to get. You won’t, however, have had a glimpse of Lake Wānaka yet, and that’s worth proceeding on for. Admittedly, we stopped at the junction, but the fog was closing in and we couldn’t see a lot.

Is there a toilet at the top?

Roy’s Peak has a toilet half an hour before the summit, where the viewpoint is. Bring your own toilet paper, though.

Isthmus Peak has a toilet at the top when you have just a kilometre and a half to go. Again, bring your own toilet paper.

Eight hikers smile for the camera, all in waterproof and windproof gear, as they stand behind the sign at the junction below the Isthmus Peak summit.
We decided to turn around at the junction, twenty minutes below the Isthmus Peak summit, as we couldn’t see anything through the fog, anyway!

FAQs About The Views

Curious about which walk has the better views, of what, and how early on? Read on!

Can you see Lake Hawea?

Roy’s Peak is not as far out as Isthmus Peak, so you cannot see Lake Hawea.

Isthmus Peak has views of Lake Hawea, and from early on in the walk. You get to see better views sooner than on Roy’s Peak, so the climb can be more rewarding.

Can you see Lake Wānaka?

Roy’s Peak overlooks Lake Wānaka (and only Lake Wānaka) and the views of it are incredible.

Isthmus Peak gives you views of two lakes, Lake Hawea and Lake Wānaka (because of its location on the isthmus between the lakes), but you climb up the Lake Hawea side, so Lake Wānaka is only visible once you get up to the summit.

Are the views varied?

With Roy’s Peak, your view will be the same pretty much the whole way up.

With Isthmus Peak, the trail offers a little more variety, as you have a whole other lake to look down upon once you hit the top – motivation to reach the summit, I say.

Are there good lookouts for a photo?

Is there ever! The views from Roy’s Peak are show stopping, and sought after by many a walker. There are photo opportunities everywhere, but most will stop at the famous viewpoint for theirs. It’s half an hour below the summit, and some people will turn around at this point, but you’ll also get fantastic views if you carry on. The viewpoint is loved for the way the track out over the ridgeline ends on a rocky outcrop which is perfectly framed against the mountain and lake views, with the trail in the foreground.

There are lots of spots you can take a photo from on Isthmus Peak, but it does not have one, stand-out viewpoint like Roy’s Peak does. The summit, however, will give you views of two lakes, not one, so is a great place to get a panoramic shot.

Two young women stand atop a rocky outcrop partway up Isthmus Peak in front of Lake Hawea.
My sister in law and I pose for a photo in front of Lake Hawea, part way up Isthmus Peak.

FAQs About The Timing

Have a question about what time of day to go, or what time of year?

What’s the best time of day to go up?

Roy’s Peak is best scaled as early in the day as possible. Clear mornings that turn to cloudier afternoons are fairly typical in the area.

For your best shot at clear weather, start Isthmus Peak earlier in the day, rather than later.

What if it’s overcast?

Roy’s Peak is still a great fitness challenge, even if the weather is not playing ball, but honestly, if you have a couple of days that you could choose between, try and go on as clear a day as possible. That said, we climbed it on a fine day but as we got higher and higher, we went higher than the clouds. The cloud inversion we saw from the top was incredibly pretty, with the mountain tops poking through, but we didn’t get those lake views ..

Isthmus Peak is really probably only worth it on a clear day, too. We climbed it on an overcast day, and although I really enjoyed the fresh air, it was disappointing to have no view from the top. We were further up in the clouds near the summit, so it was foggier, colder, and windier. We skipped the last stretch to the summit because it would have been pointless with no lake views to be seen from either side.

Is sunrise or sunset better?

Both sunrise and sunset are great from the top of Roy’s Peak, if you are wanting to experience it at golden hour. Bear in mind that being at the viewpoint for sunrise means leaving three hours in advance of sunrise. It’s probably better to go for sunrise than sunset as you may face more competition for your moment at the viewpoint, the later in the day it gets. If you get there first, you can get that photo before anyone else!

Again, Isthmus Peak is great at both sunrise and sunset, but as the slope faces the east, you’ll be able to appreciate sunrise better and do the ascent in that early dawn light. If you fail to reach the summit before sunrise, at least you’ll catch it somewhere up the mountain.

When is it busiest?

Peak season for Roy’s Peak is our summer, December through to February, when everyone is on holiday.

Peak season for Isthmus Peak is the same; it’s most popular over the summer months.

Can it be done in winter?

Roy’s Peak is great all year round – except for lambing season. I climbed it in winter so there were patches of snow on the trial and the mountains had white caps, so it was very beautiful. Dress accordingly – it’s always going to be colder up the top than it is down the bottom, and be mindful about going up if there has just been a dump of fresh snow.

Isthmus Peak is also a wonderful walk no matter the season – it’s only closed during fawning season. If there has been lots of snow or rain recently, consider carefully if you want to attempt the trail, and be prepared to turn back if it’s not safe to traverse across so much snow, but for the most part, especially in early winter, you are likely going to have a beautiful day.

Is there avalanche risk?

Roy’s Peak is in avalanche terrain once you climb above 1000 metres, so you just need to be a bit more aware when you go, and stay up to date with any track warnings from the Department of Conservation. Don’t go alone.

Avalanche risk is not something you need to consider on Isthmus Peak.

Patchy snow and tussock line the trail to the Roy's Peak summit.
Nearly at the summit of Roy’s Peak.

FAQs About The Popularity

Exactly how popular are we talking?

How popular is it?

Roy’s Peak is significantly more popular than Isthmus Peak. It is closer to town, better known, and more insta-famous, because of the beautiful viewpoint at the top that everyone stops for a photo at. We climbed it in winter, and did not encounter too many people, but I do (regretfully) remember not taking the walk out along the ridgeline for that famous photo, and I think that was because there were a few people waiting. In summer and at golden hour, some people have had to wait half an hour for their turn at taking that photo, because it takes each person a couple of minutes to walk along the ridgeline and back.

Isthmus Peak is preferred by many, simply because it is not as popular of a walk. We climbed it in spring, and only encountered a couple of parties.

Do people really elope there?

Yes! Roy’s Peak is very popular for wedding photoshoots and elopements. You’ll even get helicopters taking people up to the viewpoint. A quick internet search reveals how beautiful a backdrop this can be for people’s special days.

Isthmus Peak is sometimes used in weddings, but not quite to the same extent as Roy’s Peak.

The track along the ridge to the Roy's Peak viewpoint is all that is visible above the clouds.
It was a beautiful day to climb Roy’s Peak but the cloud inversion meant we missed the lake views.

Regardless of which hike you choose, ensure you have adequate footwear, a large supply of drinking water, enough food to keep you going, a comfortable day pack, warm layers, waterproof layers, hats and gloves, walking poles for the descent, and a torch if you’re going to be going up or coming down in the dark.

Drink plenty of water, stay warm, wrap up in the cold wind up the top, and communicate your plans to someone down on the ground before you go. Pace yourself, tread carefully on any surfaces that could be slippery, and stay on the trail. Don’t forget to take photos, these really are two of the country’s most stunning summits!

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? Four hikers look down on the lake from the top of Roy's Peak.
Roy’s Peak | Source: Tourism NZ Visual Library

As for my favourite? All things weighed up, it’s Roys Peak. I’m more driven to steep climbs when I know there is a good photo op at the top, crowds or no crowds – that’s just me.

Plus, I acknowledge that my experience of Mt Roy on a pristine day and my experience of Mt Isthmus on a miserable day have a part to play in that, too. I’d love to have a second chance at doing both, honestly, as cloud obscured the lake views on both trips, for me, but for me personally, Mt Roy would be my pick – and I can’t wait to take my baby daughter up in a frontpack!

Roy's Peak vs Isthmus Peak? A stunning vista of lake and mountains promotes Mount Roy.
Looking down on the Roy’s Peak viewpoint | Photo Credit to Miles Holden | Source: New Zealand Tourism Library