Tauranga to Rotorua Day Tour: Geothermal Lakes & Mt Tarawera

Walk through 1800s-style native bush full of ferns and towering podocarps, then soak in Rotorua's steaming mineral pools.

A full-day guided tour from Tauranga to Rotorua's geothermal landscape, traveling through kiwifruit plantations and farmland to reach the central plateau. You walk through native forest, visit Government Gardens and mineral pools, stop for lunch lakeside, and see Mt Tarawera across the water. The tour includes minivan transport with a live English-speaking guide and hotel pickup.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Government Gardens25m
2. Lake Rotorua30m
3. Kaituna River15m

Explore Tauranga and Rotorua highlights

• Stop at NZ’s best beach
• Visit Kiwi orchard in Tauranga
• Drive scenic route to Rotorua
• Visit old settlement by Lake Rotorua
• Browse Government Gardens and Blue Baths
• Enjoy foot soak in mineral waters
• Lunch at downtown Rotorua cafe
• Walk through native NZ bush
• View Blue and Green lakes and Mt Tarawera
• Stroll Redwood forest grove
• Optional visit to Kaituna River gorge
• Optional visit to boiling mud pools

The experience

The drive inland takes you past Mt Maunganui's beaches, through the kiwifruit orchards that make this region famous, and up the central plateau toward Rotorua. Your guide stops at one of the original kiwi farms so you can see how heavily laden the vines grow and the care required to harvest them. As you climb away from the coast, the landscape shifts to native forest and farmland, with views back toward the Pacific before you reach the geothermal zone.

In Rotorua, you walk through Government Gardens and browse the Blue Baths, then soak your feet in the mineral-rich thermal pools surrounded by steaming vents and native plantings. The tour includes a stop at one of three downtown cafes for lunch where you can relax by the lake. If time allows and you're physically able, your guide will take you down steep stairs to the Kaituna River gorge to watch the water surge through the natural gully: sometimes with rafters running it.

The highlight for many travelers is the native bush walk: a rainforest of ferns and tall podocarps that feels like stepping back to what early Maori and colonists saw before most of the forest was cleared. You'll also drive past the Blue and Green lakes for a view of Mt Tarawera, the volcano that erupted in 1886, killed over 100 people and buried the famous Pink and White Terraces. On a clear day this is the best photo spot on the tour. Weather and time permitting, the tour may include a walk through the Redwood Forest planted in the early 1900s, or a visit to the boiling mud pools of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, a 25-minute drive further inland.

What’s included

• Port pickup and drop-off in Tauranga.
• transport by air-conditioned minivan with a live English-speaking guide.
• lunch stop at a downtown Rotorua cafe.
• access to Government Gardens, thermal pools and native forest walks.
• views of Mt Tarawera and the Blue and Green lakes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 08:30, 10:00 and 11:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (15 to 95 years) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 18

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 3 pickup points.Operator's directions: “Directly outside Port security gate, there is a grassy knoll with flagpoles where our guide will be waiting for you , he should be dressed in a black short sleeved collared shirt and cut a dashing figure.”

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteNZ$ 73

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Arrow Tours

Is this one for you?Book this shared minivan tour if you want a guide to navigate Rotorua's geothermal sites and cultural landmarks in one day, or upgrade to the P5 option to add a Maori cultural performance.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

What's the drive time from Tauranga to Rotorua on this tour?

The ascent up the central plateau takes 45 minutes, and the full journey from Tauranga to Rotorua covers most of the day's 6 to 7 hours total, with stops at the kiwifruit orchard, beaches, native bush and geothermal sites along the way.

Can I soak in the thermal pools, or just look at them?

You can soak your feet in Rotorua's famous mineral-rich thermal waters in Government Gardens and the steaming pools there. It's a relaxing part of the stop before lunch.

What's the native bush walk like?

The native forest walk takes you through a rainforest of ferns and tall podocarps that many travelers pick as their tour highlight. It feels like walking through the landscape early Maori and colonists experienced before the forest was cleared for farmland.

Is the Kaituna River gorge included, or is it optional?

The Kaituna River stop happens if time allows and you're physically fit. Your guide will escort you down steep, sometimes wet stairs to see the river surge through the natural gully, and you may spot rafters on the water.

Do I need to book the Maori cultural performance upgrade, or does the tour work without it?

The standard tour includes geothermal sites and native bush. The P5 upgrade adds a Maori cultural performance and a walk through an active geothermal zone for an additional USD 40 per person.

What happens if we run out of time during the day?

The Redwood Forest and the boiling mud pools at Taupo are included if time allows. Your guide will prioritize the native bush walk and the main geothermal sites in Government Gardens and around the lakes.