Rotorua highlights tour: Lakes, falls & geothermal sites

Okere Falls sits on a Grade 5 rapid where you watch rafters drop over the waterfall from the forest floor.

A six-hour guided tour departing from Tauranga port covers Rotorua's thermal and lake landscape: Okere Falls on the Kaituna River, three lake lookouts including Green Lake and Blue Lake, Redwoods Forest, and the geothermal sites of Government Gardens, Sulphur Point and Kuirau Park. The guide is English-speaking and pickup is included. Bottled water comes with the tour, and time for lunch is built into the itinerary. Entry fees for optional activities like the Redwoods Treewalk are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Redwoods Forest Whakarewarewa40m
2. Government Gardens30m
3. Sulphur Point10m

Rotorua Highlights Tour

• Pick up from Ports of Tauranga
• Travel 40 minutes to Okere Falls
• Walk through native forest to waterfall
• Watch local rafters at waterfall
• Visit Blue Lake lookout
• Visit Green Lake (Rotokākahi) viewpoint
• Stop at Tarawera Lake lookout
• Take photos at Rangiruru Bay jetty
• Walk through Redwood Forest at leisure
• Optional Redwood Treewalk tour (additional cost)
• Stroll Rotorua Lakefront and Sulphur Point
• Walk through Government Gardens
• Wander Kuirau Park and foot soak in heated pools
• View bubbling mud pools

The experience

The tour starts with a 40-minute drive from Tauranga port to Okere Falls, where you walk through native forest to reach the waterfall on the Kaituna River. The Grade 5 rapid means rafters regularly come over the drop, and the walk puts you in position to see them. From there the route heads into Rotorua town and stops at three lake lookouts: the vantage point between Blue Lake and Green Lake, Tarawera Lake for photographs, and Rangiruru Bay where you can walk out on the jetty.

Redwoods Forest comes next, and you're free to wander at your own pace through the native trees. The optional Redwoods Treewalk (suspended bridges strung between the canopy with wooden lanterns and tree history marked on each platform) takes 45 minutes and costs extra. After the forest, the tour moves to Rotorua's geothermal zone: Government Gardens, a 50-acre reserve gifted by Māori iwi in the 1880s and now one of New Zealand's most photographed landmarks; Sulphur Point along Lake Rotorua's south edge, a volcanic area with unique plantlife; and Kuirau Park at the northern end, where walking tracks lead through active geothermal features and a legend-steeped boiling lake. You can soak your feet in the heated pools at Kuirau Park and watch the bubbling mud.

The seven-hour total includes travel time and a lunch break, so you're back at the Tauranga port by late afternoon. A licensed English-speaking guide leads the tour, and bottled water is provided throughout the day.

What’s included

• Pickup from Tauranga port.
• licensed English-speaking guide.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• access to all stops including Okere Falls, three lake lookouts, Redwoods Forest, Government Gardens, Sulphur Point and Kuirau Park.
• time for lunch and a foot soak in the heated pools at Kuirau Park.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to15h before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (5 to 15 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Ready2Roll Tours and Transfers

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guide-led walk through native forest and lakeside stops with flexibility to pause for photos, plus the option to add a canopy walk at your own cost.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 15 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What is Okere Falls and why do rafters go over it?

Okere Falls is a waterfall on the Kaituna River where the water drops over a Grade 5 rapid. Rafters intentionally navigate the rapid and drop over the falls as part of their run, and you'll see them from the forest walk below.

Can I swim in Green Lake and Blue Lake during the tour?

Green Lake (Rotokākahi) is sacred to Māori and privately owned by local iwi. No swimming, fishing or boating is permitted. Blue Lake is popular for swimming and water sports, but the tour stops at a lookout between the two lakes rather than at the water's edge for a swim.

Is the Redwoods Treewalk included in the tour price?

No, the Redwoods Treewalk is optional and costs extra. You walk through the forest at your own pace as part of the tour, but the suspended-bridge canopy walk is a separate paid activity.

What should I bring for the geothermal parks at the end of the day?

Bring a towel or wear shoes you don't mind getting wet if you want to soak your feet in the heated pools at Kuirau Park. The park has bubbling mud pools and geothermal features you can view from the walking tracks, and the foot pools are open to visitors.

Does the tour include lunch?

Time for a lunch break is included in the itinerary, but lunch itself is not provided. You'll have time to eat during the day, and you can bring your own or purchase food in Rotorua town.