Rotorua Day Tour: Exploring Wai o Tapu, Waimangu, and Te Puia's Geothermal Wonders and Maori Culture

Embark on a thrilling day tour in Rotorua, New Zealand, exploring the captivating geothermal wonders of Wai o Tapu and Waimangu. Immerse yourself in Maori culture at Te Puia and discover the rich history and customs of the Maori people.

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland - Embark on an enchanting adventure to Wai O Tapu Thermal Wonderland, one of the globe’s most extraordinary and dynamic geothermal parks, situated just 20 minutes from Rotorua CBD. Enjoy a guided tour through Wai O Tapu for about 45-60 minutes to discover its vibrant and distinctive landscape before heading to the…
What's Included
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Other
What's Not Included
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
Additional Information

The tour departs daily between 8:00-8:30 am. from your accommodation and drives you through forestry and farmland to New Zealand’s largest boiling mud pool. Your guide shows you a series of colorful hot springs and volcanic features at Wai-O-Tapu. Then see the Lady Knox geyser eruption at 10:15 am.
Next a short drive to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley where…

Location
Rydges Rotorua
Tryon Street
Please wait outside the entrance to the Rydges hotel at 8:30 am. There is plenty of free parking in and around the back of the hotel. Thank you.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(23 Ratings)
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Julie_d
Jul 6, 2025
Great local tour with Clive - could skip the formal Maori tour - This was a great way to spend some time. Clive, a wonderful local gentleman and as our guide he was so knowledgeable about the all the places we went. Keith was on time, personable and super nice. He took us to so many cool places that we would have never thought to go, it was so worthwhile and enjoyable. He explained things about our stops that only a local could know. Highly recommend taking the tour with Clive. As for the second half of the activity spending time on the Maori tour, (without Clive) that was just okay. Our family would have been just fine traveling the day with Clive and stopping by the Maori location on our own for a short time to see the sites.
Review provided by Viator
Katerina_s
May 23, 2025
Hot (springs) experience - Amazing experience! Clint was very knowledgeable and friendly. As a female solo traveler, I was alone for half of the tour but never felt uncomfortable. I highly recommend it—the hot springs and the mini hike were incredible! Take with you some snacks and water bottles.
Review provided by Viator
596emesej
May 12, 2025
Day filled with exploring - I spent an amazing day full of nature and culture. It was a small group tour with a fantastic, knowledgable guide. The tour covers the most important sights around Rotorua area. As I did not spent much time in Rotorua it was the perfect choice to me to discover as much as I can.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Asta_b
Apr 13, 2025
Great day - I really liked that I could visit 3 main attractions in one day. The guide/driver was very friendly and informative. An amazing day out.
Review provided by Viator
Lily_m
Mar 5, 2025
An Excellent Tour - It's a long day with a lot of walking but so worth it. You feel that you've really seen the amazing geysers and learnt all about the history. Linda was so informative. Great value.
Review provided by Viator
115geoffd
Feb 12, 2025
Full Day Eco Tour - I had an informative and enjoyable tour with Elite Adventures where I came to better understand the amazing natural environment of this part of NZ. I'm happy to recommend them, and especially note the great service and guiding by Linda, who is one of the companies guides. Thanks Linda for a great day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dilip_s
Feb 5, 2025
Rotorua Eco Cultural full day tour (Wai o Tapu, Waimangu,Te puia) Dec 28, 2024 - Route, Tour, Guide and Place all was good. We had good experience with this Viator tour - We definitely love this trip
Review provided by Viator
Josetimothys
Dec 30, 2024
Enriching Day Tour - It was a small group tour of 11 people from around the world. They were able to pick us up on our Motel in the city centre of Rotorua. Clint was a fantastic and knowledgeable guide who can weave the geothermal history of the area, the experiences and stories of the local Maori and later European settlers, and his own life experiences. The whole tour from Waiotapu, Lady Knox Gyser, Waimangu, the Blue and Green Lakes, and Te Puia create a great narrative introduction to Rotorua. Be prepared for lots of walking, so always have water handy and good sun protection. Some parts of tour (Waiotapu) might have areas of intense sulfur smell. Be prepared for pollen, depending on what season ir weather you will take the tour in.
Review provided by Viator
Vera_h
Dec 20, 2024
Can’t be missed tour - Clint is a professional and knowledgable guide. He can explained all things in details and tell you many stories about Maroi culture. Highly recommended this tour
Review provided by Viator
Keith_w
Dec 7, 2024
Fun and educational Adventure - Great guide with good stories and facts about areas. Places visited were picturesque. Guide was considerate of all passengers.
Review provided by Viator
From $226
up to 11 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).