The Best Things To Do Near Rotorua, New Zealand
If there’s one place to make your base for a stay on the north island of New Zealand, it’s Rotorua. Located on the lake it’s named for, Rotorua is a waterside city with a diverse range of activities nearby. Read below for our recommendations on fun things to do around Rotorua, New Zealand, to make the most out of your trip – as there are so many things to do in Rotorua that you have to choose from!
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First and foremost, enjoy a stroll through the city itself. There are plenty of storefronts, restaurants, and parks to explore. I personally would recommend checking out one of the ice cream shops along the lake and grabbing a cone by the water. Then when you’re ready to venture out of town, check out the following.
*Please note that this list creates a PACKED day – doable, but full. If your travel style is a bit more laid back, I recommend spreading these activities across two days.
1. Take a Guided Tour of Whakarewarewa (the “Living Maori Village”)
One of my absolute favorite things to do while traveling is learn about the culture and history of the area I am in. My other favorite thing to do is see cool stuff. In a tour of Whakarewarewa, you get to do both.
Whakarewarewa Village (the “wh” is pronounced how “ph” is in the United States) is also commonly known as the “living Māori thermal village.” The Māori are the aboriginal people of New Zealand, and the term māori may refer to anything related to them, their culture, or their language. More specifically, the Whakarewarewa village is home to the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people.
Rotorua and Whakarewarewa (Whaka for short) are located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone and sit atop active fault lines. As a result, there is an abundance of geothermal activity in the area. Throughout the tour you will learn how the Māori harnessed this geothermal energy for heating. Some of the demonstrations include heating the central communal bath and creating an oven from a steam vent.
Towards the end of the tour, your guide will take you to the village’s closest viewpoint of the Pōhutu geyser (pictured above). On average, the geyser erupts about twenty times a day – so you are sure to see the spectacle no matter what time you visit the village. Before parting ways, our tour guide left us with a traditional Māori proverb, that roughly translates to the following: “What is the most important thing in the world? It is people.“
A ticket for the tour will also gain you access to the Māori Cultural Performance. It includes a demonstration of the chant that the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people would historically use to attempt to intimidate their opponents prior to battle (and therefore to avoid having to go to war). The performance also includes a traditional Māori love song (waiata) and a poi dance (haka).
Guided tours through the village are offered three times a day and last about an hour. An adult ticket costs $35 New Zealand dollars.
2. Explore the Whaka Geothermal Trails
Before you leave Whakarewarewa, take the opportunity to hike the geothermal trails. Having the ability to go at your own pace and unaccompanied, this is a great way to take photos of all of the natural geothermal sites in the village: get up close to the boiling mud pools, take in the geyser and steaming lakes from a higher vantage point, and walk right across the sulfur pools on a boarded wooden path.
You do not need any tickets to access the trails. As long as the village is open, you may walk freely. Just be aware that all of these geothermal sites are, of course, extremely hot.
3. Take a Guided Tour through Hobbiton
While I have nothing against The Lord of the Rings, I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a fan – simply because I haven’t actually seen the movies or read the books. We did make an attempt to catch up on the films before our visit, but unfortunately the wifi at our campground wasn’t strong enough to get the job done. Nevertheless, our visit to Hobbiton was one of my favorite things to do on the north island.
Hobbiton is situated on picturesque farmland amid miles of rolling hills covered in grazing sheep. When it is time for your tour, you will board a bus that will drive you through the pastures and to the Shire. There you will begin your walking tour of the hobbit holes all the way to the Green Dragon Inn. Meticulously detailed and adorably cute, each hobbit hole is decorated to show the occupation of the hobbit that lives there.
Even if you are not an avid Lord of the Rings fan, Hobbiton is well worth adding to your trip’s itinerary. An adult ticket to the Hobbiton Movie Set tour is currently $89 New Zealand dollars. Be sure to book this one in advance as the time slots do tend to fill up. (Hobbiton is an hour’s drive from Rotorua, so be sure to factor the time into your plans.)
4. Visit Redwood Park
For a quiet way to end the day, take a walk through Rotorua’s Redwood Park. The trails are mostly flat and would be a good fit for beginner hikers.
The park is full of Californian Redwood trees and free for entry.
Where To Stay in Rotorua
Check out the accommodations below to find a great place to stay in Rotorua based on your travel style!
- Budget Hostel: Rock Solid Backpackers
- Popular Pick: Rydges Rotorua Hotel
- Luxury Hotel: Black Swan Lakeside Boutique Hotel
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What can you do for free in Rotorua? Rotorua is a good sized town with plenty to walk around and explore for free. Most notably, it’s positioned on Lake Rotorua which is free to visit. If you are not interested in the guided tour, you should also be able to hike the geothermal trails of Whakarewarewa for free. The Redwood Park mentioned in this guide is also free for entry.
2. Is Rotorua worth visiting? Absolutely! Rotorua was one of my favorite places to visit on the north island of New Zealand. Not only is it located on a scenic lake with lots of shops to explore, it is a relatively central location to make your base while visiting Mäori villages and Hobbiton – both of which are must-dos of the north island.
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About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.
What fun places to visit! Whakarewarewa looks magical! I’d love to stroll around and watch the geyser erupt! Hobbiton looks adorable too! Thanks for the great guide!
those were my two favorite places! thanks for reading 🙂
I traveled with my husband to Wellington. We had hoped to visit Rotorua but it was just too far away for the short amount of time we were there. It looks so cool though.
haha we were in the same boat but reversed! We weren’t able to make it Wellington, but I’ve heard it’s great!
New Zealand has been a place I’ve dreamed about visiting, but this post made it go even higher on the list. Hobbiton looks and sounds so unbelievably adorable!
It really is! Thanks for reading 🙂
I never heard of Rotorua to be honest. Now it is on my list. The guided tour of Whakarewarewa intrigued me the most. Such a great post! Thanks for sharing, pinning so I have it when I go!
Yay, I’m glad to hear it! Thanks so much Chrissy, I hope you have a good time!!
I absolutely loved Rotoura – and you captured all the reasons why with this post! Great job!
thank you Pamela! ☺️
Rotoura looks like an amazing day trip for sure. Obviously Hobbiton has been on my bucket list but now I really want to visit Whakarewarewa and have a tour and hike the trail. Thanks for the great day trip idea.
I hope you have a great time!
I’d love to explore the Whaka Geothermal Trails right about now!
me too! 😄
I visited Rotorua in 2009 and my regret is never getting to go to Hobbiton! It was a very fun and smelly town! Loved it! Great suggestions and hopefully one day I’ll get to Hobbiton.
“Smelly” 😂 I guess that’ll be the sulfur from all of the geothermal activity! Hahah I hope you get to go back and visit as well!
I loved Rotorua when I was there – especially the Hobbiton village. Did you go to the Tamaki Maori Village? It’s amazing!
Hey Nina! Unfortunately I only visited Whakarewarewa, and not the Tamaki or Mitai villages – I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it though! Gives me a good reason to visit again 🙂
Great post! I would love to spend more time in Rotorua!
We didn’t make it to any of these places. I love the sound of Whakarewarewa, and seeing the nearby geothermal pools…but even more, I’d like to explore Hobbiton. I mean, it IS pricy, but I still fancy it.
Both were two of my favorites! And I agree that it is a bit pricy but the experience at Hobbiton was absolutely worth it! Thanks for reading 🙂
I love that you write one-day guides! When I was petsitting my way around New Zealand for 2 years, very often all I had was a single day to explore a single location. I love those geothermal trails!
That sounds like an amazing experience!
What a lovely place! I can totally see why this place makes you want to base for a stay. Pōhutu Geyser looks absolutely stunning. Will put this on my list. Thanks for sharing😍
😊 thanks for reading!