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Rotorua Small Group Tour: Geothermal Wonders and Maori Culture from Auckland
4.6
134 Ratings
Auckland
Experience the geothermal wonders and Maori culture of Rotorua on a small group tour from Auckland. Customize your day trip with unique activities and attractions. Book now!
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, might 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.
- Rotorua - Arriving in Rotorua we will do a guided driving tour for you to get your bearings and see the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
After your city highlight drive your tour becomes very flexible and you have the choice between free time to explore or adding (at additional expense) up to two Rotorua attractions to visit including: Te Puia, Wai-O-Tapu, Polynesian Spa, Agrodome & Skyline Gondola. We will pick you up and drop you off at each location as time permits.
- 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
- Entry tickets (purchased activities only)
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Souvenirs (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 renowned geothermal marvels and Maori cultural heritages of Rotorua at your leisure, including exclusive activities and sights specifically for our Rotorua day tour, all within this guided one-day trip from Auckland.
On the itinerary:
• Rotorua Lake
• Government Gardens, Blue Baths, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & Rotorua Museum
• Spare time for optional activities
• Waikato Agricultural Region
While the places you’ll be exploring are genuinely extraordinary, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel feel that our small groups, personal tour guides, the travel experience, and the smaller elements are what really distinguish our trips. Expect unexpected stops, wildlife encounters, custom-built vehicles, and several other delightful surprises that make our tours memorably unique.
Our tours are led by our intensely enthusiastic guides, who are recognized for bringing the tour to life with their narratives and deep knowledge of the area. They are carried out in modern, amenity-packed minibuses ensuring your comfort and well-being.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- A moderate amount of walking is involved.
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- 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 at least 24 hours notice).
Location
SkyCity Hotel Auckland
Victoria Street West
Please pick this location if your hotel is not on our list. We do not pick up from your hotel if it is not listed
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(134 Ratings)
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Golferbryant
May 21, 2024
Geothermal pools - The views were outstanding. The whole family found the tours to be engrossing and enlightening. John our driver certainly added to the experience. This certainly is a do not miss moment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adelediehl
May 7, 2024
Rotorua Tour With Wai o Tapu and Te Puia - I booked a trip to Rotorua with a visit to Wai o Tapu and Te Puia and it was fantastic. On the one hand, both places are really beautiful and worth visiting. On the other hand, the driver, Grant, was fantastic! He was extremely kind, a very good guide as, on the way, he commented on what we were seeing. I highly recommend it. Everything was very well organized and we didn't queue anywhere. Go for it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janelles558
Apr 23, 2024
Great experience - Amazing tour. Beautiful scenery. Brendan the host very knowledgeable and flexible with guests doing different activities. Wear your walking shoes.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cindy_w
Apr 14, 2024
Te Puia and Wai-O-Tapu - Great experience! John was a professional driver, and was engaging and personable. He explained how the day was going to work and everything went smoothly. We appreciated the stops to stretch our legs, incorporating some sort of history or landscape splendor each time. We visited Te Puia and Wai-O-Tapu and they were incredible. It's a long day, but well worth it!
Review provided by Viator
Nicola_p
Apr 1, 2024
Great experience - Hiking in Rotorua is definitely worth the experience. Also, tour in Te Puia brings a lot of connection with the land and th history.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_a
May 11, 2024
Poor service - The Poly Spa and Geysers were great.
The downside was that the service provided by cheeky kiwi tours was quite disappointing. Guide didn't bother to give a basic greeting, was late for pick up but didn't even acknowledge or apologise for it. The transport was full. We were all packed in like sardines, the seats were just fitting which meant you couldn't move because of the person next to you.
Very disappointed. Wouldn't recommend going with this service provider.
Review provided by Viator
Ted
May 2, 2024
Going back in time - Once in a lifetime experience. Long day but our guide Warren was very knowledgeable and great sense of humour. Warren was very familiar with Maori culture and even spoke a little of the language. The geo thermal portion of tour very interesting. Would suggest a mask for anyone with breathing issues. Walking around the ponds can be little uncomfortable but certainly worth it! Getting to kiwis live and up close was also very cool.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_n
Apr 8, 2024
A lovely day - Grant was very friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. He provided lots of useful information about Auckland and NZ history, culture, and economics. He worked around everyone's schedules and interests. He took a road closure in stride, still managing to get everyone where they needed to go.
Review provided by Viator
Booktheif
Mar 25, 2024
A good day trip - Our guide Alessandro was brilliant, very personable and gave great commentary. Went to Wai-O-Tapu which was interesting to see. Also went to the Polynesian Spa which was relaxing and a lovely experience. Only issue was that with different people doing different activities there was a bit of confusion as to who had booked what and people have to be different places at different times, a difficult situation managed well by the guide but it meant that I actually only had about 90mins for each activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathleen_g
May 19, 2024
Left in Auckland - We were left in Auckland. We tried calling g the tour guide twice and there was a message that he/she was unavailable. We sent a email stating, "Where are you?" and there was not a response until later that day. Viator had our telephone number correct, but Cheeky Tours did not. We were on the wrong side of the City Tower. We finally contacted their home office by by 20 minutes after the departure and tried to work out attending the next morning. The agent said she had to talk with management and by 11 am local time, we were told we were classified as a no-show. We were there at 6 am (30 minutes early) and tried desperately to find their van. I hope Viator can assist with making this right as it was over $465.
Review provided by Viator
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