Top Rotorua Day Trips

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.