Shore Excursion: Geothermal Rotorua with Maori Cultural Performance at Whakarewarewa
4.3
44 Ratings
Mount Maunganui
Experience the geothermal wonders of Rotorua and immerse yourself in Maori culture with this full-day shore excursion. Explore Whakarewarewa, a living Maori village, and enjoy a captivating cultural performance.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mt Maunganui Main Beach - Stop and talk about this beautiful area, we tell how that James Cook discovered in 1769
  • Kiwifruit Country - Because of the pandemic, presently we will only be driving through areas where there are large plantations of kiwi . We will give you a comprehensive and interesting narrative on the development of this fruit in our country, a brief rundown of the techniques utilised in growing it and it’s importance to our local economy
  • Mangorewa River - We head to Rotorua via a beautifully scenic route with excellent examples of native fauna of this region great views of the Pacific Ocean as we head down from the elevated central Plateau
  • Lake Rotorua - We will select one of 3 fine cafes to stop for lunch, one of which you will have a fine vista of the lake and the large intricately carved meeting house (whare nui)
  • Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village - Entry is included into this historic world renowned bubbling geothermal village where local Maori still live today. You will be impressed by a storming 40 minute cultural performance where you will be entertained by the local Māori entertainment troupe with their natural gift for music and dance and a stomping good version of the Haka, a once seen, never forgotten war dance. The Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao village people have a proud history of sharing their stories, song and dance spanning over a century, being the iwi (pronounced “eewee” tribe) that originally guide tourists at the Pink and White Terraces before it was buried in the Mt Tarawera eruption. With our special agreement with iwi (tribe) we can have a peek at the famous Pohutu and Prince of Wales Feathers geysers which put on a natural (but unpredictable time wise) display of hot gushing groundwater heated by the geothermal activity beneath it.
  • Government Gardens - Stop and enjoy the beautiful gardens and the iconic Rotorua Museum
  • Polynesian Spa - Soak in the soothing mineral waters or a mud massage only found in Rotorua. This is in a wonderful setting, but we really do recommend this as a winter attraction as most of the 10 or so natural hot mineral pools are at or close to body temperature.
  • Lake Okareka Walkway - An elevated spot where you are welcome to take postcard like photos with the idyllic Lake Okareka in the foreground and its many stunning lakefront holiday homes and the once lively and active Mt Tarawera (presently dormant) in the background.
  • Tikitapu Nature Walk - You will enter an prime example of New Zealand native forest, the comments from our past clients range from beautiful to awe inspiring. Abundant with tall podocarps, dozens of different fern varieties including Jurassic Park tree ferns(Actor Sam Neil is from NZ) and to your benefit no poisonous snakes or spiders or scary creepy craw lies or tigers or leeches, so walk through and embrace without a trace of fear.
  • Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) - Lake Tikitapu (Blue lake), and lake Rotokakahi (green lake), are two gems in the middle of a beautiful native forest. Blue lake is open to everybody and is a nice destination to spend a week-end swimming, boating, barbecuing etc. while the green lake is “tapu” (taboo, forbiden) due to some historical conflict between local tribes… Nice panoramic photo to do in the lookout between these to lakes. Be amazed at the beauty of these Lakes.
  • Buried Village of Te Wairoa - Drive past this Historic site on the way to the Tarawera lookout
  • Mt. Tarawera - Take in the breath taking view of Mt Tarawera and discover the History of the 1886 eruption. Photo stop extraordinaire. We stop at a very good photo opportunity lookout to view this lake and mountain that has had a large influence on this regions history and landscape, and together with the lake offers a wonderful sight, one of the best on your tour. Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886 and buried the most touristic attraction at the time the Pink and White Terraces as well as the local village. We can see the volcano on the opposite site of the lake. Bring your camera!
  • Wai-O-Tapu - We travel towards the centre of the North Island, only if time allows,(this trip will add an additional 45 minutes to our drive time) to view the wonderful boiling mud pools, mesmerising and hypnotic to look at and a favourite of our longest serving guide, Kerry.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Bottled water
  • All fees and taxes included
  • Port pickup and drop-off
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

A favorite among our patrons - This excursion is ideally suited for those eager to immerse themselves in the varied scenery of Mt Maunganui and Rotorua, with a special emphasis on the geothermal region of Whakarewarewa, widely recognized as ‘The living Maori Village.’ Appreciate a 40-minute show featuring the rich and vibrant Maori culture through song, dance, and narratives.

While en route to Rotorua, take in the sights of splendid beaches and prized properties, ahead of a 45-minute journey from the shoreline, gradually climbing up the central plateau, crossing through Kiwifruit plantations (we intend to make a stop to view these fruit-laden, but not yet ripe, vines) and typical NZ farmland leading up to our most interior point, Rotorua. Get a glimpse of the most well-liked attractions - Blue & Green lakes, view Mt Tarawera (erupted 1886) across the spectacular lake, wander through NZ native bushland packed with ferns and towering podocarps reminiscent of a 19th-century settler or Maori warrior. Explore the mud pools of Kuirau Park, and catch sight of the geysers (incl. the famous Pohutu).

Location
4 Salisbury Avenue
Salisbury Avenue
walk north from your gangway along the wharf for 150 m and then exit the Port controlled customs gate. Just 20 m on the other side of this gate we will be waiting on a grassy knoll besides some flagpoles for you. We should bearing a sign with your name on it and wearing a black Polo shirt.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.3
(44 Ratings)
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Sheri_h
Mar 16, 2024
Great option for cruise passengers! - Such a great excursion covering a lot! We began our day visiting the kiwi orchards which were to begin harvesting that day. Saw and tasted a new variety-the red kiwi! Yum! The government gardens were beautiful and the redwoods grow tall. The Māori Village was very interesting and the people warm and friendly. We enjoyed watching a few brave men learn the Haka dance. The geothermal activity in the region is impressive and we enjoyed seeing the Lakes district. A very busy and great way to see the area!
Review provided by Viator
Kulagirl
Feb 21, 2024
Beautiful and Interesting! - Terry was our guide and he was great! He has a wealth of knowledge as well as anecdotes to make it interesting and fun! The vehicle was an 7 passenger van with plenty of room as we only had 5 people on our tour. Great communication with the owner, Toby, throughout the whole booking process and easy to find just outside the cruise dock we were on.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neil_h
Feb 12, 2024
Fantastic visit to Routora - Was a great trip lots of things to see The geothermal village & Maori village was excellent also visiting the lakes was amazing scenery Thirery our guide was excellent
Review provided by Viator
Shark4rae
Feb 2, 2024
Great tour of Rotorua - We really enjoyed this small group tour. Toby was our guide and he was excellent! He’s been in the area for a long time and knew everything and everyone! We saw the highlights and avoided the crowds. Toby knows a lot about the flora, fauna, and history - which we really appreciated!! Highly recommended tour - much better than the usual script reading guides
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joel_k
Jan 26, 2024
Great private tour - Toby our guide was great took us to extra places big tour would not go to. Liked the geothermal and Maori experience.
Review provided by Viator
Brenda_g
Jan 24, 2024
Awesome - Toby was awesome. Had a great day! Never seen thermal springs before and they exceeded my expectations. Maori presentation and people were great.
Review provided by Viator
Dawn_h
Oct 20, 2023
So much better than cruise ship shore excursions! - Although cruise ships also sell shore excursions for some of the same places individuals can go on their own, it is so much better (and far cheaper) to book tours independently. This was definitely the case as Kerry shuttled we two couples around in the very comfortable, roomy Arrow Tours late model, mini coach. We did not have to wait in long lines to get on or off a bus, we were able to quickly ask questions to Kerry as he drove and narrated our tour. He individualized our tour also once he found out two of us were school teachers and had an interest in local education and the flora and fauna. We were able to soak in the beauty of not only the natural wonders around us, but the beautiful, friendly kiwi people. Kerry has spent his entire life in this area and loves to educate others. We highly recommend this company when booking tours in this area. Kerry was also amazing to just pull over on the side of the road if he saw something that would be interesting to a tourist and he also knew the best photo spots. This is a tour not to be missed! Although lunch was on our own on this tour, they did take us to a spot to have a freshly made, locally sourced meal which was also really enjoyed.
Review provided by Viator
Briangx5951kw
Apr 13, 2023
Great guide with local knowledge - I am not sure why Trip Advisor says they are 'permanently closed' - they are very much open for business. We had a full day shore excursion with Toby. It was a comfortable van, not a crowded bus. The schedule was full, but never rushed. Toby is a local who showed us things that you probably would not see otherwise. For example, we pulled over at one point and walked into a lush ancient forest full of bird song. We also had a short stop at a kiwi farm so we could see how that was done. The cultural village show/site was also good. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_k
Apr 12, 2023
Great and fun trip - This tour is well organized, tour guide ,Toby, has great knowledge of history for each highlight area, with 10 of us fit in comfortable van, we were amazing to see historic bubbling geothermal village, don't miss the concert, must see, our group had a lot of fun and enjoying this tour. I highly recommend to have Arrow Tour when you at Tauranga
Review provided by Viator
Nancy_w
Nov 12, 2023
Rotorua - This tour ended up being a private tour for my husband and I. We really enjoyed the tour of Rotorua and the Maori performance.
Review provided by Viator
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