Top North Island Attractions & Museums

Step into Peter Jackson's Middle-earth with this guided group tour of the Hobbiton™ Movie Set from 'The Lord of the Rings' film trilogy. Learn more about the movies than you ever would by exploring by yourself with the help of your local guide. And with a shuttle service at your disposal, you enjoy a truly seamless Matamata experience.

Wētā Workshop Unleashed is an immersive, guided experience at Auckland's SkyCity, created by five-time Academy Award-winning Wētā Workshop. On this interactive tour, you'll go behind the scenes of practical filmmaking and see how props, creatures and special effects are made. The experience takes you through three original film worlds - fantasy, science fiction and horror. Led by entertaining hosts, you'll explore detailed movie sets, get hands-on with practical effects, and come face-to-face with creatures, robots and larger-than-life characters built by the Wētā Workshop crew. Photography and video are welcome throughout, so you can capture and share your visit. Suitable for film fans, families and creative minds, Wētā Workshop Unleashed is a hands-on alternative to a traditional museum and a unique thing to do in Auckland. Your ticket includes a complimentary souvenir video.

Gain entry to the New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia on a guided tour of this geothermal hot spot. Take a walking path up to steaming vents, boiling mud pools and erupting Pohutu Geyser at Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley; observe the emblematic kiwi bird; and discover Maori traditions at the cultural center. Upgrade to include a cultural performance of Maori song and dance, including the warlike ‘haka.’ Showtimes are available several times a day during admittance.

Explore the well-marked paths of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland with this admission ticket that grants you all-day access to one of New Zealand’s most popular geothermal parks, just outside Rotorua. Stroll past gurgling mud pools, volcanic craters, and steaming lakes at your own pace. Consult your complimentary map to learn about the area’s volcanic activity, and view informative displays along the trails and at the visitor center.

Auckland’s 1076-foot (328-meter) Sky Tower is one of the city’s most popular attractions, especially for first-time visitors. Save money and time by pre-booking your general Sky Tower admission ticket, which allows you to visit the observation decks. Get quickly orientated and spot key landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge, Mount Eden, and Waiheke Island. Souvenir photos are available to purchase.

Make the most of your time in Auckland with skip-the-line access to the Auckland War Memorial Museum (also known as the Aukland Museum). Housed in a beautiful heritage building, the museum's three floors showcase New Zealand's diverse culture, rich heritage, and its role as a place of remembrance for those who sacrificed their lives in war.

Enjoy one of New Zealand’s original tourist attractions: a tour of the magnificent Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Your guide—who may be descended from the Māori chief who first discovered the caves—leads you underground and tells you about the cultural significance of this site. Hop into a boat and glide on an underground river, enjoying the light show put on by millions of tiny bioluminescent insects hanging above.

Treat yourself to a relaxing spa experience at adults-only Lake Rotorua hot pools, where pre-booking admission gets you access to acidic and alkaline pools, a reflexology walk, and a hot pool with views across the lake. It’s a serene and soothing alternative to the all-ages Rotorua spas, and includes plenty of spa time to ensure you never feel rushed.

Te Papa Museum of New Zealand is unique for its innovative, interactive exhibits that engage visitors through cutting-edge technology, its deep respect and authentic representation of Māori culture and heritage, its comprehensive displays of New Zealand's diverse natural history and cultural narratives, and its commitment to inclusivity and community engagement, making it a dynamic and inclusive cultural hub.

Located within Auckland’s SkyCity Precinct, the Entertainment Capital of New Zealand. Unleashed is the city’s newest location-based experience. Unleashed launched in 2020 and has already won two international tourism awards. Experience our 90 minute movie-making tour with a Mandarin Speaking Guide. You explore interactive and immersive make-believe film sets, focusing on the worlds of horror, fantasy and sci-fi. It's your chance to get up-close and hands-on with enchanting environments, resident creatures, hyper-realistic giants, a galactic robot, and much more.

Art, craft, and culture-loving travelers will enjoy this guided tour of a New Zealand jade (pounamu) carving studio. Learn about the cultural significance of jade to the local Maori people, and about traditional and contemporary designs. Get the chance to meet jewelry artists and to see them at work. Choose a piece of jade to string and keep as a memento.

Open 7 days a week from 9am - 5pm, self guide your way through a range of exhibits from Mountains to sea. You will see introduced species, native tuna (eels), our brown kiwi and tuatara of Aotearoa before finishing under the sea, our largest exhibit. Experience the wonders of the ocean as you witness the stingrays gliding through the water and the grace and beauty of the sea life. Feeding times 10am and 2pm daily.

Slip into steaming water and cold pools at the Rotorua Deluxe Lake Spa, where pre-booked admission gets you access to premium changing rooms, an indoor lounge, mineral pools, and heated poolside recliners. The all-ages facility is a family-friendly alternative to Lake Rotorua’s adults-only options, and with four hours of spa time, you won't feel rushed as you relax, soak, and pamper sore traveling muscles.

Rotorua is famous for its boiling geysers, boiling mud pools, and Māori culture. But if you’re seeking a fun family-friendly activity to fit in between the highlights, head to the Wonderworld Amazement Park in Rotorua with this handy admission ticket. Guarantee your admission, even on busy summer days. The whole family will love the mazes, playgrounds, and glow-in-the-dark cave, among other attractions.

Visit two of New Zealand's must-see attractions on this combo tour from Auckland to the Hobbiton™ Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Peek into Hobbit holes, frolic in the Shire, and get a drink at the Green Dragon Inn on a guided tour of Middle-earth, followed by a café lunch. In the afternoon, explore Māori myths and history on an underground boat ride at Waitomo, surrounded by thousands of glowworms.

Gain insight into Kiwi culture when you visit the All Blacks Experience in Auckland. Whether you’re an avid rugby fan or simply interested in learning more about the Haka and the New Zealand national teams, this interactive experience entertains and informs. Hear interesting stories about the team and famous players, see All Blacks memorabilia, and even watch a powerful haka.

Save time and guarantee your time slot by pre-booking admission to the Odyssey Sensory Maze. This admission ticket makes it easy to enjoy a trip to the sensory maze. Store your belongings in a locker, then experience the challenging spaces, illusions, scents, and sound effects of the mysterious maze. A fun, family-friendly attraction that’s ideal for kids aged 8 and over.

If there's one thing people associate with New Zealand, it’s sheep, so make your trip to Rotorua complete with a visit to the Agrodome. Interact with the wooly animals during and educational and family-friendly farm tour experience that includes sheep-shearing, wool-spinning, and sheep dog demonstrations.

Stand on the spot where New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was signed in 1840. Find out how this document was forged with admission to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Your day pass is valid for two consecutive days and includes an informative guided tour, an introductory film, a cultural performance, and full access to the historic site.

You’ll see native wildlife and farm animals throughout New Zealand, but at Staglands Wildlife Reserve get up close with some of the country’s remarkable fauna. This entry ticket makes it easy to plan your day out at Staglands. Catch a glimpse of native birds flitting between native forest stands or meet some of New Zealand’s unique aquatic life. Catch the lunchtime feeding tour or tractor–trailer rides at select times.

Whangarei is home to the largest collection of painter, ecologist, and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s work outside Vienna. Explore his art and architecture, as well as his dedication to nature on this self-guide or optional guided tour, as well as taking in the Wairau Māori Art Gallery, which features contemporary Māori artists exploring indigenous themes and Aotearoa’s history.

Visit the Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day tour from Auckland that explores New Zealand's "Middle-earth," where "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films came to life. Travel through a landscape of lush farms, then take a guided tour of the 12-acre (4.8-ha) Hobbiton Movie Set, from hobbit holes to gardens and the Green Dragon Inn. With free time to shop and explore, this tour includes transportation from selected locations in Auckland for your convenience.

Gain admission to your choice of several heart-thumping activities at Velocity Valley, an adrenaline-inducing theme park located just minutes from central Rotorua. Not for the faint-hearted, each extreme ride provides non-stop blood-pumping action. Whether you’re traveling with family or friends, this adventure park has something for (almost) everyone. Choose from various handy admission packages to suit your time, needs, and budget.