Is this a post about the best things to do in Rotorua? Maybe, but I’m not going to claim it.
So what is this?
It’s a list of the Rotorua activities I’ve completed over the years which has amounted to over a month in the city.
p.s. check out the daily deal websites for Rotorua attractions. There’s a lot of competition among tour operators in Rotorua, so there’s plenty of deals to be had.
Now, let’s get into this list of…
16+ FUN THINGS TO DO IN ROTORUA
Note: I haven’t listed all of the hikes/walks in Rotorua as that gets boring when there are so many must-see attractions in Rotorua. So I’ve only included a few of the more unique ones in this post.
1. EXPERIENCE THE WONDERS OF TE PUIA
Te Puia is one of the most famous attractions in Rotorua with its value coming from the three different areas within the grounds:
- Geothermal wonders – including the Southern Hemispheres largest active geyser
- Kiwi conservation – they work with DOC to take care of a couple of kiwis on an ongoing basis (you will see a kiwi)
- Maori arts & crafts – an institute where you can see students developing Maori arts and crafts skills
Your entry fee includes a two-hour guided group tour which will take you to different areas of Te Puia. The guides are full of knowledge and add a lot of context to what you’re experiencing.
After the tour, you can go back for a closer look at the stuff you find the most interesting.
Price: The regular price is $60 for adults. Do check the website and the daily deal sites for specials and discounts.
2. RELAX AT THE POLYNESIAN SPA
The Polynesian Spa is an amazing spot that utilises two natural springs to fill 28 pools on the property. Some are acidic (for relieving tired muscles, aches, and pains) and some are alkaline (for nourishing the skin).
I’m not a massive fan of hot pools, but on a weekday afternoon I couldn’t help but enjoy testing out the various pools before settling into one of the Priest Pools.
Quick tip: bring a water bottle.
If you’re looking for a ‘regular’ experience, the Pavilion Pools ($32) are the best option. But they have a variety of options.
You can also get discounted tickets at BookMe.co.nz.
3. JOIN A GUIDED WALK AROUND MOUNT TARAWERA
When Mount Tarawera erupted in 1886, the lives lost (~120) was tragic, as was the loss of the areas famed Pink and White Terraces.
But Mother Nature evolves and you can walk to the summit of Mount Tarawera with one important detail. You must on a guided tour (because humans ruin everything).
The experience is incredible and ties in with other interesting things to do in Rotorua based around Lake Tarawera. On the tours, you walk around the crater and then get to go straight down into the middle of the dome before coming back out. The views? Amazing.
The two authorised tour providers are Kaitiaki Adventures (this is what I did and paid $99) and Volcanic Air.
4. SWIM AT LAKE TARAWERA’S HOT WATER BEACH
You’ve most likely heard of the Coromandel’s famous Hot Water Beach close to the Cathedral Cove walkway. But there’s another Hot Water Beach you can visit on the shores of Lake Tarawera.
And you don’t need to wait for the right tide to enjoy this beach with the water from a hot water spring trickling straight into Lake Tarawera. Go and enjoy that swim in the spa-like waters.
You’ll notice the sand is warm too, with plenty of signs in place to make sure you don’t end up burning yourself.
You can access the beach via ferry with Totally Tarawera or walk there via the 15km Tarawera Trail.
For most people, a combination of walking the Tarawera Trail and the ferry (catching the ferry there is best time-wise) is going to be a great way to spend a day.
5. VISIT THE BURIED VILLAGE OF TE WAIROA
Te Wairoa was the gateway to the Pink and White Terraces before the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption destroyed the village. Excavations of the village took a long time to begin, but it’s now one of NZ’s most important archeological sites.
When you visit, you’ll begin your journey in the museum which gives you some good background on what happens, and then you’ll walk on a circuit around the village to some of the excavated sites. What I really liked was the storytelling throughout.
It’s best to check the website for opening times and prices, but adults are generally $35 for adults and $10 for children. This also includes access to the waterfall. You may find a good deal on BookMe also.
6. RIDE THE TE ARA AHI TRAIL
New Zealand is one of the meccas for cycle touring (so I’m told) and has 22 Great Rides across the country with one, the Te Ara Ahi Trail, starting in Rotorua.
Best experienced over two days, the 47km end-to-end trail doesn’t have the nickname Thermal by Bike for no reason. On the trail you pass these geothermal destinations:
You’ll also ride by the Tamaki Maori Village, Rainbow Mountain, Kerosene Creek, and the Whakarewarewa Mountain Bike Park. Awesome attractions in their own right.
As I experienced, definitely do the ride over two days as the attractions will take up a good portion of your day and there is some elevation involved.
7. RENT A BIKE OUT FOR THE DAY
If you’re a semi-serious mountain biker, you’ll already know about the plethora of mountain biking trails around Rotorua. If you’re like me and aren’t familiar with the scene, just know there’s dozens of trails and something for everyone.
The best place to start for most if going to be Whakarewarewa Mountain Bike Park a.k.a. The Redwoods (you can ride out there from downtown) with over 150km of trails. That’s enough to keep anyone busy for a few days.
There are a few places where you can rent bikes in town if need be. Ask your accommodation provider as they may have a deal with one of them.
8. WINE AND DINE AT EAT STREAT
If you’re looking for the cool and trendy area to eat in Rotorua, Eat Streat (wow, the spelling is annoying) is the place to be. There’s a bunch of different places to eat and drink, which work under all weather conditions. Yay for the retractable roof!
I’ve only tried Brew and SOBAR (the veg burger is awesome) and enjoyed both a lot. All the menus are out the front of the restaurants so you can walk around to figure out what works for you.
Quick Tip: SOBAR is one of the restaurants on First Table where you can get off all food for half price if you book via the site (there’s a $10 booking fee). If you use the code CHURNZ when you sign up, you’ll get your first booking for $5.
Quick Tip 2: If you’re in Rotorua on a Thursday evening, check out the Rotorua Night Market for some fun eats.
9. DISCOVER THE STREET ART
Looking for street art is always a good option when you first arrive in a city. It gives you a chance to get a feel for what the city offers and takes you to some areas you might not usually walk to. For Rotorua, a place like Ohinemutu Village.
There’s not a tonne in Rotorua, but it’s easy to miss some of the cool pieces so check out this post on street art in Rotorua (map included).
10. SIGN UP TO AN ENDURANCE EVENT
Rotorua has a host of endurance events throughout the year. Why not sign up for one?
The Tarawera Ultra is one of the most famous ultras in the country, and even attracts a lot of attention international runners. It’s not a cheap event, but I’ll remember the 102km event for many years to come.
If you’re a runner, this calendar has plenty of events (there’s a local Park Run too) and for Mountain Bikers this calendar works. There are a bunch more events though, so do a bit of Googling and see what you can find.
11. CHASE WATERFALLS
The best place to do this in Rotorua is at the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve. The Okere Falls Track (free) will take you to three waterfalls in less than an hour:
- Okere Falls (check out the deals on BookMe)
- Tutea Falls
- Trout Falls
Tutea Falls is the famous one you see people going over while white water rafting.
The other waterfall you can see close to Rotorua is Wairere Falls, which is at the Buried Village and does have an entry fee of $14 for adults.
12. WALK AMONG THE MASSIVE REDWOODS
While the Californian Redwoods aren’t native to NZ they are spectacular. The giants make up a small portion of the Whakarewarewa Forest and you’ve got a couple of ways you can experience them:
- Take a walk on one of the tracks through the Redwoods and get up close to the base of the trees (there’s 6 of varying lengths).
- Buy a ticket for the Rotorua Tree Walk and get 20 metres off the ground and get another view of the giants. You can do the canopy walk at both night and day. Both are available on BookMe.
13. VISIT THE BLUE AND GREEN LAKES
Both the Blue Lake and Green Lake are two of the more famous lakes in the city given the contrasting colours.
You can’t swim in Green Lake so walk the Blue Lake circuit (best done on a sunny day) and finish up with a swim (I’ll pass on the winter swims). On the circuit there’s a viewpoint where you can see both lakes to compare the colours.
14. HANG OUT WITH PURE BRED CATS
The Fancy Meow Cat Cafe in Rotorua is a cat lover’s delight (that’s me). At the cafe they have well over a dozen purebred cats and kittens. Some might want your attention, some might not, but that’s cats being cats.
The cats here are purebred, which means you’ll likely see some cats you’ve never encountered before. I love the ears of their American Curl.
I liked how large the space with two separate areas where guests can hang out with the cats. There’s another little room guests can’t access where the cats go to chill out when needed.
The cat cafe often has limited opening hours (check their Facebook page for the updated hours) and while you can book in advance online, you can turn up and they should have space for you.
Price: $15 for adults during the week, $17 at the weekends for one hour at the cafe which includes a drink.
15. WANDER AROUND KUIRAU PARK
Kuirau Park is a great place to experience geothermal action for free. You’ll find the park on the northwestern edge of downtown. You can’t miss it as there’s steam coming out of several spots in the park.
There are also some nice shallow hot pools which you can use in the middle. I was thinking they might be a bit gross, but they’re not so this is definitely one of the best free things to do in Rotorua.
16. WAI-O-TAPU
I figure I’d leave this too last as I assume you know about Wai-O-Tapu already.
Is Wai-O-Tapu worth visiting?
It’s a yes for me. Wai-O-Tapu sits at the top of unique things to do in Rotorua, in an area that is pretty unique. The park is easy to walk around and it’s definitely a place where the photos you see in advance don’t lie about the reality. The colours really are that crazy.
Rotorua is one of the touristy stops in the North Island, but for good reason. There’s legitimately a heap to do in and around the city. None of these activities are what I’d say outside of Rotorua.
After reading this you should have no issues with working out what to do in Rotorua at night or day.
RECOMMENDED READING
200+ Things to do in New Zealand
There’s more than enough ideas here to keep you busy for a couple of years at least
Sailing out to the Maori Rock Carvings
One of the unique sites in the country requires you to board a yacht and head out on Lake Taupo which is cool
Walking up Mount Maunganui
If you’re heading to Tauranga/The Mount after Rotorua, you’re obliged to walk up here.
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.