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Rotorua Small Group Tour: Te Puia Geothermal Wonders and Maori Cultural Experience from Auckland
4.7
101 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
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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
- Water available & snacks provided
- Small Group and Fully Guided Tour
- 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).
- 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.
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
(101 Ratings)
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Chikere_z
Jul 23, 2024
Adorable - I had a great time with Cheeky Kiwi! Not only was it a learning experience, it was quite enjoyable as well. At the end of the tour, we learned about about everyone’s home country which I thought was a nicely added touch. Would definitely recommend 🙌🏽
Review provided by Viator
Jasonsg1417kd
Jul 18, 2024
Grant is awesome - Our tour guide grant was amazing. From the time he pick us up at our hotel on time till he brought us back safe to
Our hotel He talk the whole way going and coming back. It was a beautiful day . The drive was smooth we made couple bathroom stops before we got to our destination. Thank you so much grant!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacurry22
Jul 13, 2024
Great Experience!! - This was a really great tour! Our driver, Simon, was a lot of fun and shared information about the history or area along the way!
The Te Puia Cultural Center was really nice to visit, but we should have been given a little more time to walk through it. I felt rushed and didn't have enough time to read about all of the exhibits.
The geothermal sites were nice - a much smaller version of Yellowstone.
Review provided by Viator
493juliec
Jul 13, 2024
Great Tour! - This was a really great tour! Our driver, Simon, was a lot of fun and shared information about the history or area along the way!
The Te Puia Cultural Center was really nice to visit, but we should have been given a little more time to walk through it. I felt rushed and didn't have enough time to read about all of the exhibits.
The geothermal sites were nice - a much smaller version of Yellowstone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vinod
Jul 11, 2024
Wonderful exposure to Maori arts and crafts as well as cultural performance. - It was a wonderful day out to Rotorua. The Te Puia Maori Centre gave us a good exposure to Maori arts and crafts as well as cultural performance. The 'big' buffet lunch that we had signed up for turned out to be very good with decent options for vegetarians. The hot geysers erupting in front of your eyes was quite an unforgettable experience. We spent some free time enjoying the boardwalk on the lake. We should have opted for a small group tour. With 16 on the van, it took a long time to pick up and drop everyone and at the end of the 13-hour drive, we were quite fatigued. Our guide and driver, Grant was extremely nice and knowledgeable about the place and the culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
573sunnym
Jul 3, 2024
Do it! Do it! Do it! - Had an awesome time! I recommend to everyone! Absolutely fantastic and I would do it again. Our guide MALCOLM was amazing love him! Very thoughtful, organized and laid back. Learned so much. It’s kind of dangerous now my daughter has fallen in love with Kiwi life and wants to move here!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seaside20537717408
Jun 25, 2024
10 out of 10 recommend@ - Perfect! I got lost and they had someone available at 6:30am to answer my call and give me directions to find the right hotel where my guide (Grant, great guy) was waiting for me. Friendly and helpful staff. They give you lots of options of what experience to choose when you get the one of the daytrip destinations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
891charmained
Jun 17, 2024
Must visit - My family and I (total of 7) enjoyed so much on this tour. Grant, our tour guide, was fantastic. He was very accommodating and he made us feel very safe with the long drive. He was also very knowledgeable and gave us insights about the different places. This is a must visit. Even my 6 year old daughter enjoyed Te Puia. Thank you so much to Grant and Cheeky Kiwi Travel for the very wonderful experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lilysurya
Jun 14, 2024
Rotorua - worth visiting but quite a drive - It was raining so heavily so hard to experience Rotorua at its best but we got to see black swans, the lake, and made some nice stops along the way
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lily_s
Jun 14, 2024
Rotorua in a dy - It was raining the whole day but we still had fun. The lake was looking like an ocean. We found black swans. John tried to show a few things along the way. The group was not enthusiastic for afternoon activities as it was cold ans rainy. We made it back early and it was sunny back in Auckland! ♥️ could be better if we could stop by the Polynesian Spa or the Wai Ariki Spa 😂
Review provided by Viator
