If you have ever stood on the beaches of Rarotonga and looked inland, you will know that the island is not flat. Beyond the coconut palms and the circle of the main road is a dramatic, jagged interior of mountains and volcanic ridges. For those keen for hiking, it looks enticing, but the reality is the interior is a world away from the manicured lawns of the coastal resorts.
While many visitors stick to the beaches or tackle the well-known path of the Cross-Island Trek, there is an entirely different level of adventure waiting for those who want to push themselves.
If you want to experience a different level of hiking Rarotonga, you need to look up Ariimoana Walkabouts and book their adventure: the Pick Your Peak Tour.
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What is the Pick Your Peak Tour?
The Pick Your Peak Tour is Ariimoana’s option for hikers and anyone looking for the slightly more challenging and lesser trodden tracks on Rarotonga.
Though, these are not a casual stroll through a fruit orchard; so, clear your schedule for the day.
These are the more physically demanding mountain treks designed to take you up the ridges to the island’s highest and most dramatic vantage points.
Pick Your Peak Options
Depending on the day’s weather conditions and your fitness level, the tour targets peaks such as Te Manga (the highest point on the island at 652 meters), Te Kou, or the challenging, vertical scrambles around the ridges of Ikurangi.
These tracks are notoriously steep, frequently muddy, and there are sections to haul yourself up using exposed tree roots and fixed ropes. (I love this bit!).
But the reward for these climbs is unmatched.
Standing on one of Rarotonga’s ridges with the tropical wind in your face, looking down at the circumference of the island, the breaking reef, and the vast Pacific Ocean is a moment that will stay with you forever.
The Importance of Your Guides: Kura and Jack
Tackling the advanced tracks of Rarotonga on your own is, quite simply, a recipe for trouble.
The island’s interior is famous for its rapidly changing microclimates. A clear, sunny morning on the coast can transform into a blinding tropical downpour in the mountains within minutes.
This is where the true value of Ariimoana shines. The company is run by a passionate local duo: Kura and Jacopo (Jack).
Pick Your Peak with Jack
Kura is a well-known local eco-warrior and musician in Rarotonga with a deep, generational connection to the land (enua) and the sea (moana).
Jack complements this perfectly with an immense passion and respect for the inland mountain geography of Rarotonga.
Together, their combined knowledge is your ultimate safety net.
Peaks Without a Clear Trail
Unlike standard tourist trails in other parts of the world, Rarotonga’s advanced tracks are not clearly signposted or regularly maintained. These trails can easily confuse an independent hiker.
Jack knows his way on these ridges.
Transport Included
The trailheads for advanced peaks like Te Manga or Te Kou are hidden deep at the ends of long, unsealed dirt roads that start inland through private plantations, far away from the main coastal road (Ara Tapu) where the island buses run.
Ariimoana includes return transport to and from your accommodation as part of the tour package.
Contact Ariimoana
Contact Ariimoana for more information or check out their Facebook page and Instagram.
- Ariimoana Walkabouts
+682 51 871
[email protected]
Other Cool Ariimoana Tours
While the Pick Your Peak Tour is the ultimate challenge for hikers, Ariimoana Walkabouts has some awesome other tours.
If you have a rest day between hikes, I recommend checking out their Inland Discoveries Tour or Reef Explorer Walk.
Read Inland Discoveries Tour and Ariimoana Reef Explorer Tour.
Final Thoughts: Pick Your Peak
I am a huge fan of these Pick Your Peak Tours. I love the whole concept.
These are hikes that I would never tackle on my own, but I have been lucky enough to go on all of these. I’ve actually hiked all of the Pick Your Peak Tours with Jack!
If you are looking for a cool, next level adventure on your Rarotonga trip, I reckon Pick Your Peak is it.
Read More About Travel to Rarotonga
- 10 Foods To Try In Rarotonga.
- Charter Fishing In Rarotonga.
- All About The Rarotonga Bus.
- Hiring A Scooter In Rarotonga.
- Renting A Car In Rarotonga.
- Choosing A Lagoon Cruise In Muri, Rarotonga.
- Rarotonga Reef Explorer Tour With Ariimoana.
- Is Dengue Fever A Worry For Travel To Rarotonga?
- Transport And Getting Around Rarotonga.
Travel Planning for Cook Islands and Beyond
These are the companies we use and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. Easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel including those who have already left home. Make sure you have travel insurance before holidaying to Rarotonga!
Gavin is our people-meeter wherever we go. For all the stories we share about the kindness of strangers in Uzbekistan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and more, it is Gavin that extends a handshake and meets a new friend without even sharing the same language.
