Recently Viewed
Rotorua Small Group Tour: Te Puia Geothermal Wonders and Maori Cultural Experience from Auckland
4.7
92 Ratings
Auckland
Experience the world-famous geothermal wonders and Maori cultural delights of Te Puia on this small group tour from Auckland. Explore the geothermal park, immerse yourself in Maori culture, and discover the highlights of Rotorua. Join us for a day of unforgettable experiences and personalized attention.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Auckland Central - Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
- Waikato Region - Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and several farm animals along the way. During our adventure in the Waikato we will also stop for a quick coffee break at a special location.
- Tirau - Continuing our journey to Rotorua we pass through Tirau, famously dubbed the ‘Corrugated Iron Capital of the World’ because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings. This town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.
- Te Puia - Arriving at our feature destination, Te Puia, you will receive a fully guided tour to best experience the amazing geothermal and Maori cultural wonders including: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori Architecture, The National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, geothermal events and even the chance to view a Kiwi bird in the Kiwi viewing house. Add optional extras if you choose like the Maori Cultural Performance or Traditional Maori Hangi Buffet Lunch.
- Rotorua - To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
- Auckland - Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland with secret stops along the way.
What's Included
- Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
- Bottled water
- Snacks
- Entry Tickets
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Optional extras and activities - please select the tour option you want at time of booking
Additional Information
Discover the globally recognised geothermal marvels and the deep-seated Maori traditional wonders at Te Puia. An unforgettable day tour which offers a stunning combination of natural strength and beauty with Maori culture.
The highlights of the tour include:
• Te Puia Geothermal Park & Pohutu
• Maori Cultural Village and Art Institute
• Key attractions of Rotorua City
• Waikato Agricultural Region
Although the destinations on the itinerary are truly extraordinary, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel assert that what differentiates our tours are the small groups, expert tour leaders, the engaging travel experience and minor details. Surprising pit stops, wildlife sightings, uniquely tailored vehicles, and several other small yet significant surprises ensure that our tours are memorable.
Our day tour allows you ample time to explore Te Puia and engage in added activities if you wish, which sets us apart from several other tours. Our enthusiastic tour guides, popular for animating the journey through storytelling and in-depth knowledge sharing, and our modern, well-equipped minibuses enhance your comfort and safety throughout the tour.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately and wear comfortable walking shoes
- Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. If you don’t have a car seat one can be provided (with 24 hours notice).
Location
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Victoria Street West
If you have not yet booked a hotel then please select Sky City hotel as your pickup location. You can update this once your hotel is booked by contacting us or amending your pickup directly through Viator.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(92 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Giuliabw2074es
May 20, 2024
Super recommended experiences - Mark was really nice, he explained lots of curiosities about the places we noticed during the journey from Auckland to Rotorua. Always punctual and friendly. When I finished seeing Te Puia and walked the RedTree Walk, he made a point of asking me what I wanted to see of the city while waiting for the time to pick up the other participants who had chosen a different activity to do. Although on the way back we found a road closed due to an accident, forcing us to travel almost an hour and a half longer, Mark did not lose neither his calm nor his enthusiasm, remaining professional and kind regardless of the many hours of driving and taking the opportunity to tell us curiosities about the places we saw.
Te Puia disappointed me because the local guide was obviously not interested in giving any kind of explanation about Maori culture, he left us to ourselves singing Beyonce on his own. I thought the RedWood Tree Walk would have been more beautiful, but having done it during the day the lanterns were obviously turned off, a walk definitely not 40 minutes long, barely 20 minutes with photos included.
However, I give 5 stars anyway because Mark's kindness and professionalism more than made up for the disappointment of the two places!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dixon_f
May 6, 2024
Awesome day filled with Māori culture and joy - If you are looking for a chance to understand more about the Māori culture, this is the tour to join! Lunch was great, the geyser was beautiful, and our guides, Greg and Cameron, did everything to make sure we have an awesome time!
Review provided by Viator
Zinaida_m
May 5, 2024
Best trip ever 🩷 - Learning a little about the Māori culture and how they respect and preserve nature was definitely a highlight of this trip. NZ is such a beautiful country and it’s so amazing how you can run in the meadows with nothing to harm you. Visiting Rotorua must be on the list of to do things!!!
Review provided by Viator
Gerry_p
Apr 18, 2024
Hits the best of Rotorua in a day! - This was an excellent package that allowed us to experience the “must-sees” in Rotorua - in a day! Our tour guide/driver John was punctual, relaxed yet professional, and shared interesting historical and entertaining bite-sized nuggets of info on all things NZ. We thoroughly enjoyed Te Puia (geyser was awesome), the Māori cultural show and the delicious lunch buffet. We added the Rewoods Walk in the afternoon. Highly recommend this day trip if you’re short on time - it was so worth it! Thanks John!
Review provided by Viator
Go54441473207
Apr 18, 2024
Great day out! - Great day out! John was a wonderful guide; really interesting and funny and made the day easy and fun. This is the second tour I have done with Cheeky Kiwi and I'd highly recommend 👌
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy_b
Apr 6, 2024
Brandon was a thoughtful guide - Brandon was a thoughtful, pleasant and considerate guide. We were happy to support Māori culture and enjoyed seeing the geysers.
Review provided by Viator
Excursion26276784097
Apr 4, 2024
Great time in Te Puia and Rotorua - Great tour! Our guide, Brendon, was very kind and knowledgeable about NZ, he was timely and communicative. The stop in Te Puia was incredible and loved learning more about Māori history and culture. My husband and I then opted to spend time in the town of Rotorua while others went to the natural hot springs with the tour. It is a small town with a beautiful lake and great to walk around on a nice day. Overall we had a great time, everything was planned well, and would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisamb3904dm
Mar 28, 2024
Great trip to Roturura - Great tour :-) John our your guide was awesome and made the trip great fun ! Thanks for a fab day and would definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Suzd40
Mar 21, 2024
Great trip - The tour was amazing. Especially our knowledgeable tour guide, Grant. We enjoyed seeing all the volcanic activity and the Maouri presentation. Best service we have had in New Zealand.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donald_r
Apr 19, 2024
Thar She Blows - geysers erupt. - Really enjoyed seeing the geo thermal impacts across Rotorua and the native Mauri show at Te Puela. Added bonus was the sky walk in Redwood forest.
Review provided by Viator
