Rotorua Highlights: Wai-O-Tapu, Lunch & 5 Experience Choices
Description
One day from Auckland. One must-see geothermal wonder. Five ways to spend your afternoon. Travel from Auckland to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and explore its surreal volcanic landscapes before enjoying an included lunch. Then choose one of five pre-arranged Rotorua experiences for your afternoon: walk among the treetops on the Redwoods Treewalk, relax at Polynesian Spa, soak at Secret Spot Hot Tubs, discover Māori culture and geothermal wonders at Te Puia, or take on the forest canopy with a zipline adventure. With the day organised for you, all you have to decide is which Rotorua experience is right for you. While the destinations you will be visiting are spectacular, we at Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it is our small groups, our guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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.
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.
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.
Spend around 90 minutes exploring the world-famous Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland. Wander through this surreal geothermal landscape, with its steaming vents, bubbling mud pools, and the vibrant Champagne Pool.
We make our way to Secret Spot so you can enjoy lunch and recharge for your afternoon activity.
After lunch, your guide will take you to your afternoon activity (selected during the booking process). Options are a guided tour Te Puia, Redwoods Treewalk, Deluxe Lake Spa at Polynesian Spa or Secret Spot Hot Tubs.
Take a guided drive through Rotorua’s famous landmarks, including Lake Rotorua, the Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring), the Blue Baths, and the historic Rotorua Museum.
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.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at time of booking, you will be allocated our default meeting point (SkyCity Hotel). You are welcome to update this at any time. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. *Pick-ups can begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time, depending on location. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside 5 minutes prior to your specific pickup time. *Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- 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.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Treetop Walk / Zipline Adventure Activity: Involves heights of up to 30 metres and carries an element of personal risk.
- Treetop Walk / Zipline Potential Hazards: Risks may include uneven terrain, moving platforms, slips, trips, falls, weather conditions, equipment failure, and, in rare cases, serious injury.
- Treetop Walk / Zipline Participant Responsibility: Comprehensive safety measures are in place; however, participation is at your own risk and personal safety cannot be guaranteed.
- Due to uneven surfaces & a moderate amount of walking being involved, this tour is not recommended for travelers with severe mobility difficulties, or wheelchair users
Reviews(431)
Great experience, so impressive and unprecedented views, Dave was a really good commentator and driver
Because of some reasons, this trip became my solo trip. My driver Dave gave me unforgettable memories and lots of useful advice.My English is not fluent,but he took good care of me. I really appreciate it.The service is great.I would choose this company again.
Our Rotorua Highlights Tour was a great experience. The geothermal sites in WaiOTapu including the Champagne Pool were amazing. The Redwoods Treewalk, which was part of the Rotorua tour, was a very unique experience. Our tour guide was quite knowledgeable and informative and went out of his way to make the day trip a memorable one for us. The drive to Rotorua and back was scenic with breathtaking views of rolling hills and sheep and cows. We highly recommend it. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
Fantastic tour from start to end perfect for solo females. Simon our guide wasted no time being welcoming to all which set the day up for success. Highly recommend this tour. World class hospitality, stunning landscapes and amazing destinations.
Excellent day in Rotorua- lots of time to be outside and enjoy the amazing scenery.
Absolutely brilliant day! Loved every minute! Guide was informative and friendly. Bus was comfy and trip was amazing.
Excellent experience all around. Grant our tour guide took care of us the whole way and provided great insights into the features of Auckland and the surrouding areas. The smaller nature of the tour really makes it easy to make freinds and enjoy yourself the whole way. Thoroughly recommended the Polynesian Spa add-on.
Grant loves looking after small groups just like yours on the Rotorua Highlights Tour - glad it made for easy friendships along the way! Thanks for the tip about the Polynesian Spa add-on too. We hope to see you back in New Zealand again :)
A great day spent in a beautiful part of the North Island! The itinerary suited me perfectly- enough time at each location without feeling rushed.
So glad the pacing worked well for you on the Rotorua Highlights Tour - our guides put a lot of thought into getting that balance right. Thanks for the great feedback, and we hope to see you back in New Zealand again :)
Another well planned Cheeky Kiwi tour! I have previously visited the other usually offered Rotorua activities so I was really glad to find an offering to go to the redwood skywalk. As someone from California I never cease to be amazed at these trees and it was really fun to get the viewpoint from higher up. Our guide Simon was fantastic as was the lunch offering.
Simon will be glad to hear the redwood skywalk was such a hit! He loves showing guests a different side of the Rotorua Highlights Tour. Thanks for the great review, and we hope to welcome you back to New Zealand again :)
A lot of walking and a lot of geothermal features. The tour was very well organized. The lunch place we stopped at was great. Dave, our tour guide, was PHENOMENAL. Would absolutely take any of his tours again.
Dave will be thrilled to be called PHENOMENAL! He loves bringing the geothermal wonders on the Rotorua Highlights Tour to life for guests. Thanks so much for the review, and we hope to have you back on tour again :)
