Category Rotorua Geothermal Escapes

Auckland · ROTORUA GEOTHERMAL ESCAPES

The 15 Best Rotorua Geothermal Day Trips from Auckland

78 reviewed

Rotorua is where the ground breathes: geysers on cue, mud that bubbles like soup, the Champagne Pool steaming orange at Wai-O-Tapu. These are the best Rotorua trips from Auckland, compared on what you actually see, whether Hobbiton or a Māori village comes with it, the drive each way, and the price per person.

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland - The 6:00 am departure and Waikato drive: turning travel time into part of the tour

1.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 681 reviews · from $253Our pick

A 13-hour small-group tour from Auckland to Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Rotorua’s Te Puia, with guided entry, snacks and water.

“Fantastic trip and would not hesitate to book again for this or any other tour with Cheeky Kiwi. Our guide Grant was incredibly knowledgeable about New Zealand as a whole and went out of his way to make the trip and fun adventure.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour - Hobbiton: From Alexander Family Sheep Farm to 44 Hobbit Holes

2.Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 458 reviews · 9 - 13 hours · from $256

Auckland to Hobbiton, Rotorua, and Wai-O-Tapu in one long day. Guided tours, scenic stops, and geothermal sights for $256.

“Visiting Hobbiton is a life time experience, especially if you are a Tolkien fan, we really enjoyed it. Wai-O-Tapu was a disappointment, the smell was really bad because of the sulfur, i recommend to take the short walk and see the yellow lake which is at the very end and then take a rest.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu - Small Group Tour from Auckland - Auckland pickup at 6:00 am, then country roads all day

3.Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 450 reviews · from $266Top rated

Small-group Auckland day trip to Hobbiton and Rotorua with Wai-O-Tapu. Hotel pickup, guided walks, snacks, and geothermal photo stops.

“We like to visit to Hobbiton. It is an experience that brings the movie into reality. We felt like we were part of the characters in Shire. The place was well kept and blended into the NZ environment well. My daughter after visiting Hobbiton watched the Fellowship of the Ring again on the plane and were emotional.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras

Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras - The road trip start: Auckland to Rotorua without the stress

4.Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 373 reviews · from $214

Small-group Rotorua day trip from Auckland: hotel pickup, guided drive, and choose up to two stops like Wai-O-Tapu or Te Puia.

“The day tour was a wonderful blend of nature and Maori culture appreciation. Our tour guide is absolutely fantastic, that included a brief visit -totally amazing surprise towards the end of our visits, making the experience even more unforgettable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch

From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch - Hobbiton Movie Set: from the bus ride to the guided walk

Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland

Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland - Te Puia and the Māori Arts & Crafts Institute: culture you can actually watch

6.Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 235 reviews · from $253

Rotorua small-group day tour from Auckland with hotel pickup, Te Puia Māori culture, geothermal wonders, and a buffet lunch included.

“Beautiful lakes, Geysers, gondola ride Fantastic food Great visit to Maori Arts and crafts museum One needs at least 2 to 3 days to cover several beautiful sites and locations in the city of Rotorua. All 3 guides were simply superb.. Daryl, Hermes and Pete”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour - Te Puia Geothermal Park: Pohutu Geyser and volcanic power up close

7.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 223 reviews · 13 hours · from $244

Auckland small-group day trip to Waitomo glowworm caves and Rotorua’s Te Puia geothermal park. Guided, air-conditioned, from $244.

“Even though we had a bit of rain, we enjoyed the glow worm caves and Te Puia. Our tour guide Jeoff was incredible and made the trip even more fun - the journey was very comfortable, Jeoff provided commentary about sights we were crossing and also several fun facts about the area and about new zealand history. he answered all our questions and also provided us with snacks and water on the journey. Would definitely recommend Cheeky Kiwi travels and if you get Jeoff as your tour guide then that is icing on the cake”

Check availability →Read our full review

Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland

Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland - Getting There: Early Start, Pickup, and Small-Group Comfort

8.Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $266

Hobbiton and Rotorua in one day from Auckland: guided Lord of the Rings set, Te Puia Māori culture, geysers, and kiwis.

“Very entertaining excursion to Hobbiton and Rotorua. Jeff was an excellent guide, providing lots of interesting information about New Zealand, its history and its culture. Thanks a lot Jeff for the enjoyable journey.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland: Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka

Auckland: Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka - Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland: Lady Knox and the art of moving fast

9.Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 161 reviews · 12 hours · from $236

Small-group Rotorua day trip from Auckland: Wai-O-Tapu geysers, Pōhutu at Te Puia, plus Māori Te Ra and haka in Te Aronui a Rua.

“I thoroughly enjoyed myself during this tour! This was my 1st time visiting New Zealand and my goal was to be able to see and experience as much as possible. My tour guide Dave was absolutely awesome! I appreciated his commentary about New Zealand and just his overall knowledge and tips that he shared about the excursions that we would be participating in for the day. I know it’s always a challenge to allocate time effectively when you’re trying to cram a lot of activities into a relatively short amount of time. However, I did feel a little rushed while at Wai-O-Tapu. I don’t think I lingered in any one…”

Check availability →Read our full review

From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia

From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia - Getting picked up in Auckland without the long hotel shuffle

10.Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 149 reviews · 10 - 13 hours · from $286

Small-group Auckland day trip to Hobbiton and Rotorua: 2.5-hour Hobbiton tour, Green Dragon drink, Te Puia geothermal culture and lunch.

“Great full day tour. Our Hobbiton guide was awesome, he gave us plenty of time to take pictures and shared interesting facts along the way. Mere was our guide at Rotura, she was super energetic and kept the tour interesting.”

Check availability →Read our full review

From Auckland: Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations

From Auckland: Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations - The Hak and performance time: culture you can read, not just watch

11.Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 125 reviews · 12 hours · from $194

12-hour Rotorua trip from Auckland with a guided Whakarewarewa Māori village, Hak performance, and one extra geothermal or spa adventure.

“Jason was an excellent guide! He made the entire day really enjoyable and made sure we were able to do all the activities we signed up for. The experience itself was amazing! Highly recommend! I learned so much about the beautiful New Zealand landscape and Māori culture!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland to Hobbiton Movie Set and Rotorua’s Geothermal Valley

Auckland to Hobbiton Movie Set and Rotorua's Geothermal Valley - How the day run actually works (and why timing matters)

Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia

Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia - Hobbiton Movie Set: the guided 2.5-hour Shire walk

13.Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 96 reviews · 13 hours · from $256

Hobbiton and Te Puia in one long day from Auckland. Guided Hobbiton set tour, Māori culture, Rotorua geothermal sights, Pohutu Geyser.

“Grant is a joyous man and a nice guy. My little one always conversed with him with a joke that he himself listen. This man made sure we will be home safely after the tour and he is very precised giving instruction so everything will be on track and everyone enjoy the day. I love this man, very humble and friendly. He has the knowledge and information of telling us history of New Zealand. Thank you Grant.”

Check availability →Read our full review

TRIPLE DEAL Wai-O-Tapu, Redwood & Blue Springs from Auckland

TRIPLE DEAL Wai-O-Tapu, Redwood & Blue Springs from Auckland - Early start from Auckland: how the 12 hours actually feels

14.TRIPLE DEAL Wai-O-Tapu, Redwood & Blue Springs from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 81 reviews · 12 hours · from $214

12-hour Auckland trip: Wai-O-Tapu mud pool, Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15, Whakarewarewa redwoods and Blue Springs turquoise water.

“I liked the Blue springs the Most, it was just sad that we didnt had enough time there. Maybe you should use less time in other Place and more time at the Blue Water springs. But all in all it was a Great day.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups

Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups - Auckland Pickup to a Smaller-Group Day That Still Moves