Top Rotorua Day Trips

We LOVED Stephen's nocturnal adventure!! We had such a lovely time learning from him about all of the wonderful plants and creatures of the forest near Rotorua. Stephen also took really fun pictures of us and helped us photograph the things we saw. Stephen has put together a really fun, informative, and memorable experience, and the effort he has put forth in doing so really shines through.

Seeing the glow worm caves was the top of our list for our weekend in Rotorua and this tour did not disappoint! There were 2 families with children aged 10 to 23 and everyone loved this experience. Our guide, Kesha, was knowledgable and engaging. The kayaks were easy to maneuver, with the guide pulling us into the caves. The night sky was perfect so we could easily see the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. Each cave was more spectacular that the one prior. We worried about being cold because it was the fall but wetsuits, booties, and jackets were available to all participants. We all highly recommend this tour!

We had a fantastic experience exploring Waimangu as a group with little ones. We managed the first section comfortably with a small wheeled stroller—no need for a mountain buggy—which made things much easier than expected. You get to see about 80% of the key sights in the first part of the walk, so it already feels very worthwhile even if you don’t go further. There are two additional paths, but we chose not to take the younger kids along for those since the second path involves quite a lot of stairs going up and down. That said, the rest of my family (with the older kids) completed the 2nd and 3rd sections and said it was the most beautiful hike they’ve ever done—high praise! We all met up again after taking the bus to the 3rd stop, which gave us access to the lake view… absolutely magnificent and not to be missed. The self-guided app was also a standout feature. It really brought the landscape to life—pointing out things like feeling the heat radiating from the mountainside and clearly explaining the geothermal activity (bubbling pools, steam vents, geysers). It added a lot of depth to the experience. Highly recommend this walk for families and nature lovers alike. Whether you do a short stroll or the full hike, it’s an unforgettable place that truly showcases the raw beauty of New Zealand’s geothermal landscape.