Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Rotorua tours and experiences. You can browse the options here.
Rotorua is a travel destination that will stay with you long after your visit comes to an end.
Rich in Māori tradition and zen natural attractions, and packed with one-of-a-kind experiences, this relatively small city of 60,000 people basks beside majestic Lake Rotorua (a large body of water that fills what was once a volcanic crater) in the North Island’s Bay of Plenty region. It’s long been home to the proud Te Arawa people, who love to share their culture with visitors. The region is possibly best known for its geothermal activity, and has been drawing fascinated tourists to its bubbling mud pools, steaming thermal springs, and gushing geysers since the 1800s.
Rotorua is popular with local and international travellers alike, and there are many activities, tours, and attractions on offer. When planning your visit, you’ll quickly discover that it’s deciding what not to do that’s the biggest challenge. If you want to see and do it all, consider purchasing a Rotorua Super Pass.
Here’s a checklist of our top ten things to do in Rotorua on a first visit.
Watch our video of ten top things to do on a North Island road trip:
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1. Learn about local Māori cultural heritage
The Te Arawa people have occupied this area for well over 700 years and Rotorua is often cited as the spiritual heartland of Māori culture. You’ll hear many beautiful tales during your stay, including that of Hinemoa and Tutanekai — the region’s most famous lovers. Visitors can tap into a trove of richly layered cultural experiences, and here are two that we can highly recommend. The first is a visit to the Mitai Māori Village, where you’ll be treated to a guided nature walk, a traditional hangi feast, and a performance of dance and song. And yes, audience participation is involved!
The second is Whakarewarewa — The Living Māori Village. This truly special place is home to the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, who have been sharing their way of life with visitors for more than two centuries. The village is located in a geothermal valley dotted with geysers and thermal steam vents, and the relationship between the residents and their environment is an extremely interesting one. You’ll learn more over the course of your visit.
2. Visit Te Puia and the Māori Arts and Crafts Institute
Located in the same geothermal zone as Whakarewarewa, Te Puia is another highly rated cultural attraction. It’s home to the famous Pohutu Geyser (which can also be seen from a distance from Whakarewarewa) and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. Visitors are taken on a tour of the site with a Māori guide.
3. Enjoy some geothermal pampering
Rotorua is situated within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, which runs from Whakaari White Island to Mount Ruapehu) and exploring its geothermal landscapes is almost akin to traversing an alien planet. Whiffs of sulphur drifting on the breeze only add to the experience.
The mud pools and thermal springs have long been known for their therapeutic powers. Plan a visit to Hell’s Gate ‘Mud Spa’, which boasts the biggest active mud volcano in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hot waterfall! Enjoy a therapeutic mud bath or soak in the warm mineral infused waters.
Those after some serious thermally powered R&R should head to the lakeside Polynesian Spa. From the public and private hot pools to a full suite of spa treatments and therapy packages, there’s no end of rejuvenating ways to fill your visit.
4. Go geothermal for free
There are also some no-cost options for getting the geothermal warm fuzzies. Kuirau Park is located on the edge of the CBD (close to Rotorua Hospital), and has hot springs and mud pools within its boundary. Take advantage of the free thermal foot baths — a boon for weary sightseers with sore feet!
Located about 35 kilometres south of Rotorua, Kerosene Creek is a warm river and waterfall where you can relax for nix in lush bush surroundings. This place is absolutely worth a visit if you have a car and a few hours to spare.
5. Get adventurous
Let’s ratchet things up a notch. New Zealand is renowned as an adventure lover’s playground — and many of the most thrilling pieces of ‘play equipment’ can be found in and around Rotorua! Go zorbing (if you need to ask, you’re probably past it), jet boating, mountain biking, zip-lining, and whitewater rafting over the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world. Up on the peak of Mount Ngongotaha — reached by gondola with Skyline Rotorua — many more adrenalin pumping activities await you, including the popular Luge. Check out Rotorua Tourism’s handy list of adventure activity operators.
6. Travel to Middle-earth at Hobbiton
From Rotorua it’s less than an hour’s drive to the famous Hobbiton Movie Set, which was used in the making of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. Follow in the footsteps of Bilbo Baggins and take a peak inside his luxury bolthole Bag End.
7. Step back in time
Māori arrived in what is now modern day Rotorua during the 14th century, having made their way inland along the Kaituna River from the coastal village of Maketu. The earliest recorded European arrivals occurred around 1830 for the trading of harakeke (flax). Christian missionaries soon followed. The Duke of Edinburgh visited the region in 1870, which kick-started tourism. A town was built on the edge of the lake in the early 1880s as a base for those wanting to visit the geothermal zones.
History buffs will want to visit Rotorua Museum, which has occupied a very grand edifice known as the Bath House for close to six decades. Sadly, the building has been closed for some time for earthquake strengthening, but is anticipated to reopen in 2028. Head to the Museum’s website for details and to browse aspects of its collection online.
8. Eat at Eat Street
From pub grub to fine fare, Rotorua has a diverse dining scene. The popular Eat Street precinct on Tutanekai Street hosts a wide range of quality restaurants and casual eateries, and will likely satisfy every taste (think Indian, Italian, and everything in between!). You can’t really go wrong here. Round off your meal with an ice cream from the delightful Lady Jane’s Ice Cream Parlour (which you’ll find at the lake end of Eat Street).
9. Shop at the markets
Market shopping is a great way to mix with the local population and there are a couple of regular options in Rotorua. The local Rotary Club hosts a market at Kuirau Park on Saturday mornings, which offers fresh produce, street food, and arts and crafts. Those who are in town on a Thursday evening should head long to the Rotorua Night Market on Tutanekai Street. Its vendors serve up an array of tasty street eats, and you’ll also find a smattering of artisanal bits and bob for sale.
10. Meet the iconic kiwi
If you still have time to spare, there are several other Rotorua attractions to check out. They include the Agrodome Farm Experience, Wonderworld Maze Park, Offroad NZ Kart Circuit, 3Mirage Multi-sensory Experience, Redwoods Treewalk, and Wingspan National Bird of Prey Centre. And who could resist an encounter with the endangered and endearing kiwi? The National Kiwi Hatchery offers tours of its nocturnal house, where you’ll have the opportunity to see these iconic ground-dwelling birds going about their business. You’ll also hear of national efforts to save the species.
For more travel inspiration, visit www.rotoruanz.com.
Browse our range of New Zealand tours and experiences here.
Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of the top things to do in Rotorua on a first visit? We would love to hear from you. Join the conversation on our Facebook page.
Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Hailing from Aotearoa New Zealand, Karllie Clifton is an avid midlife traveller and blogger who loves an adventure. In 2015, Karllie left her teaching profession, sold her home, and spent the next three years travelling full time. It sparked a real passion for budget solo travel, which she now loves to inspire others to do. In recent years, Karllie has visited more than twenty countries across three continents. She loves hiking and anything to do with the ocean.
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