Te Puia: Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience with Dinner
Recommended by 93% of travelers
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Rotorua, New Zealand
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience an evening of authentic Maori food, movement, and music paired with the raw power of the Pōhutu geyser on this cultural experience. Watch an energetic performance inside a carved Maori meeting house, followed by a delicious ‘hangi’ feast prepared in a traditional pit oven. Later, venture into the geothermal valley to sip hot chocolate under the stars and watch the eruption of the Southern Hemisphere's largest active geyser.
- Watch a welcoming ceremony and music and dance performance inside a carved Maori meeting house
- Feast on a buffet dinner including specialties cooked in a authentic 'hangi' pit oven
- Ride a motorized people-mover out into the starlit geothermal valley
- Sip hot chocolate among bubbling rocks and watch the eruption of the Pōhutu geyser
What's Included
- Full Buffet Hāngī Dinner
- Water, Tea and Coffee
- Traditional Māori welcome
- 45 minute Māori cultural performance
- Hot chocolate at the geyser terrace
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Te Puia - Rotorua, NZHemo Road, Whakarewarewa, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.5:30 pm
Itinerary
Begin the memorable night by making your own way to Te Puia. Get a sneak peek at the delectable dinner to come with a reveal of the hangi, a traditional Maori cooking method in which layers of meat and vegetables are baked over hot stones and wood in an earthen pit oven.
Head to a Maori wharenui, or meeting house, constructed of intricately carved wood for a special pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony), followed by a storytelling performance featuring traditional costumes, music, and dance.
After this high-energy entertainment, tuck into a hearty buffet featuring hangi specialties of chicken, lamb, veggies, and stuffing, along with soup, seafood, pasta, breads, and dips. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available, and all the meat is halal, with pork cooked separately. Decadent dessert options include Kiwi favorites like steamed pudding with custard from the hangi, ice cream, trifle, cream puffs, mousse, and light-as-air pavlova.
With a satisfied stomach, step onto the waka (motorized people-mover) for a ride out into Te Puia’s bubbling geothermal valley. Sip hot chocolate under the stars while surrounded by steaming rocks, and watch an eruption the Pōhutu — the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the world’s most reliable.
Head to a Maori wharenui, or meeting house, constructed of intricately carved wood for a special pōwhiri (welcoming ceremony), followed by a storytelling performance featuring traditional costumes, music, and dance.
After this high-energy entertainment, tuck into a hearty buffet featuring hangi specialties of chicken, lamb, veggies, and stuffing, along with soup, seafood, pasta, breads, and dips. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available, and all the meat is halal, with pork cooked separately. Decadent dessert options include Kiwi favorites like steamed pudding with custard from the hangi, ice cream, trifle, cream puffs, mousse, and light-as-air pavlova.
With a satisfied stomach, step onto the waka (motorized people-mover) for a ride out into Te Puia’s bubbling geothermal valley. Sip hot chocolate under the stars while surrounded by steaming rocks, and watch an eruption the Pōhutu — the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of the world’s most reliable.
1
Te Puia
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 99 reviews
Courtney_W, Mar 2026
An incredible authentic experience to highlight a peek into the Maori culture. Our guide Miti was phenomenal, she was so genuine and thoughtful providing our group with such thorough information on her culture and family history. My heart was so full after this experience she presented the information from her heart with such pride. Although the weather was quite rainy and cloud covered, the geyser was quite impressive and the buffet dinner was delicious a vast variety of items oysters, mussels, lamb, ham, chicken, salads, desserts so much food and excellent service staff. Highly recommend this tour it was very professional, well organized and I felt represented the Maori culture with such pride and authenticity. Worth the price for sure. A thoughtful suggestion for families travelling with infants is to be aware that a crying or fussing baby can be distracting not only for other guests but performers too. In my opinion, it is not the most suitable experience for very young children.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Tēnā koe (hello),
Really appreciate you taking the time to share this, sounds like the experience left a pretty special impression on you. I’ll make sure your kind words are passed on to our kaiārahi (guide), she’ll be stoked to hear how much her kōrero (storytelling) and connection to her whānau (family) came through so strongly.
Even with the Rotorua weather doing its thing, I’m glad you still got to enjoy the geysers and make the most of the evening. Great to hear the hāngī (traditional Māori feast) buffet hit the mark too, especially with that full spread on offer.
It means a lot to know you felt the experience was authentic and respectful of te ao Māori (the Māori world). That’s something we put a lot of care into across both the cultural performance and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute.
Also really appreciate your honest feedback around travelling with infants, that’s a fair point and helpful for other manuhiri (visitors) to consider when planning their visit.
Thanks again for the recommendation, we’d love to welcome you back another time.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
RoseanneM_B, Mar 2026
Spectacular. The entire staff was so enthusiastic about sharing their Mauri culture. From start to finish this was top notch. The dinner was outstanding.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
tēnā koe (hello)
It's awesome to hear you had such a great time with us. Our kaimahi (team) loves being able to share our Māori culture and stories, so it means a lot knowing that came through for you. We're glad you enjoyed everything from the experience right through to the dinner.
Thank you so much for visiting and for leaving such a kind review.
kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
Tn_S, Feb 2026
Excellent experience, a real dive into the culture and people of the area, add in the views and experience of the geyser and dinner, makes for a wonderful evening
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Tēnā koe (hello)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed the mix of culture, kai (food), and the views around the geyser.
We’re happy you felt connected to our people and the history of our whenua (land), and we really appreciate you choosing to spend your night with us.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
Peter_P, Feb 2026
Solo traveler interested in Mãori culture. Beautiful geological setting. Entertaining cultural show of Mãori dance & music. Big buffet with full selections... well done.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
tēnā koe (hello),
Ngā mihi nnui (thank you so much) for taking the time to share this. We are really glad you enjoyed your visit with us, especially as a solo traveller wanting to learn more about Māori culture. It means a lot to hear that our guides made the experience a great one for you and that you felt well looked after.
Sounds like the buffet did the trick as well, plenty to choose from and something for everyone.
kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
Susan_H, Jan 2026
Incredible! One of the best things we did on this trip. The Maori people have such a rich culture and we learned so much. The buffet was fabulous.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
tēnā koe (hello)
thanks so much for the kind words, we are really happy to hear Te Puia was one of the highlights of your trip. It means a lot to us that you enjoyed learning about Māori culture and spending time with our people, that connection is really special. We're also glad you loved the hāngī buffet, our kaimahi (team) put a lot of care into making it a memorable part of the experience. We appreciate you taking the time to share this with us.
kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
Heather_S, Jan 2026
What an amazing experience. From the history and culture of the area to an amazing cultural concert. Hot chocolate while watching the geyser followed by a buffet that was scrumptious. Wonderful time
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Tēnā koe (hello),
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. We’re really glad to hear you enjoyed learning about the history and culture of the area, as well as the cultural performance. Watching the geyser with a hot chocolate in hand is always a special moment, and it’s great to know the buffet hit the spot too. Sounds like a pretty memorable visit all round.
We appreciate you choosing to spend your time with us and hope to welcome you back again someday.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day)
Emily_D, Jan 2026
What a lovely experience. Our guide Ko was very knowledgeable and showed us a really good time. The buffet was to die for. Was so good we would come again!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Tēnā koe (hello),
Thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to leave a review. We’re really happy to hear you had such a lovely experience and that Ko made your visit enjoyable and informative, he’ll be stoked to hear that. Great to know you loved the buffet too, sounds like it definitely hit the spot. We’d absolutely love to welcome you back again in the future.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day).
Kaylene_S, Nov 2025
Beautiful, warm welcome from our tour guide, Rob. Spectacular geyser viewing, dance and musical performances were outstanding and the evening wrapped up with a delicious buffet!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Tēnā koe (hello),
Really appreciate you sharing this with us. Awesome to hear that Rob gave you such a warm welcome and that you enjoyed the geysers, the cultural performances, and the Hāngī Dinner Buffet to finish the night off. Our kaimahi (team) works hard to make the experience special, so it’s great to know it landed well for you.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day).
Aaron_F, Nov 2025
Glad we got this taste Māori culture. After a traditional greeting followed by musical and physical performances we watched the geyser bubble and spout, then enjoyed a buffet. We even had a perfect seat for the moonrise! Kia Ora.
Paul_K, Nov 2025
The dinner was a bit disappointing. The food was not as expected. The performance show was the highlight of the entire tour
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Tēnā koe (hello),
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We're sorry to hear the Hāngī Buffet Dinner didn’t quite hit the mark for you. We always try our best with our kai (food), so your feedback helps us look at how we can make things better for our manuhiri (visitors).
Really glad the performance was a highlight for you though. Our kapa (performers) put a lot of aroha (love) into what they do, so it’s awesome to hear that part stood out.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day).
Youna_K, Sep 2025
From the age of 7 to teenagers and couples in their 50s, I was able to enjoy three hours without getting bored and spend it full: New Zealand's No. 1 experience from performances, guide explanations, buffets, and natural scenery
Tim_Z, Mar 2020
Entertanment was informative and fun. Fantastic food. We enjoyed the geothermal event and learning about the Maori Culture.
Jim_R, Mar 2020
everything moved along very smooth. Loved how they took the time to explain their culture and why they do the things they do. Also, loved how they told us that all the ticket funds go directly back into their village for scholarship funds.
Lynne_A, Mar 2020
Great evening of entertainment and food. Maori customs were interesting to observe as was the poi dancing and the Haka.
Food from the hangi was tasty but the buffet contained much more than that. Well chosen salads and hot foods plus desserts.
Trip to see geyser in the dark was unusual and memorable.
David_B, Jan 2020
Well organized - lots of food with plenty of choices - show seemed to be very heartfelt- very open to questions later in the evening at the geyser
You want to come hungry- but be advised that the meal is later in the evening after the show
mvr1126, Jan 2020
Really great. Learned about culture. Food was excellent and say geyser. I was the chief was to Dane with wareiors
Yvonne_d, Dec 2019
The welcome and performance were amazing. Meal was great but was definitely not expecting sooooo many people. The walk around the geysers are great too. Well laid out. Not sure if the day visit then the meal were value for money but overall the day was good
Venture27612925842, Oct 2019
This is a great opportunity to learn about the Aborigine people, culture, language & how they today pass & keep their history alive to the next generation. The work, time, & energy to do this is absolutely amazing. The buffet is out of the world !!! The seafood is of great quality and no limit. See the geyser in the evening...it's spectacular!!! Spend the money and go to this one !!!
Michelle_B, Jun 2019
This experience was entertaining and informative. We enjoyed being involved and guided through the history of the Maori people, their culture and food. The meal was delicious and the cultural experience was enlightening. The geyser and history and how it all relates to the Maori people was informative and educational. Well worth the money and time. Enjoy.
Janine_M, Aug 2018
The performance was riveting and totally enjoyable, then the food was awesome and so much of it!!! I highly recommend this place for a truly personal experience of the Maori culture.
Shaunach_T, Apr 2018
Great evening! The whole even is so well organized - even though you start off as a large group, the break you into smaller groups so that it feels like a more personalized experience. Performance was beautiful - fantastic snapshot of the culture, beautiful song and dance, followed by some fun audience participation. The meal afterwards was better than anticipated - lost count of how many times my husband went back for more. As someone with a gluten intolerance, all food was well labeled regarding ingredients and allergens and there were more than enough options for me to tuck into as well! Overall, a fantastic night - worth every penny. :-
Stewart T, Mar 2018
A thoroughly enjoyable and informative performance to promote the Maori culture which was followed by a superb meal
Kristine P, Feb 2018
Debated which tour to do. This one had no reviews but I liked the highlights. It did not disappoint. Every aspects of this tour was top notch. Highly recommend.
Catherine_B, Dec 2017
Beautiful cultural experience. Highly recommend
Laura_B, Dec 2017
Such a wonderful way to experience the Maori culture. Dinner was really good, too!
Carla_J, Dec 2025
The show in Maori was good.
The buffet was not so bad but too bad there are not more Hangi dishes..
Other than that, the presenter was great, good animation.
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Response from Host, Dec 2025
Tēnā koe (hello),
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the cultural performance and that the host helped create a fun and engaging atmosphere.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day).
Aurelie_V, Nov 2025
Spend an evening in Te Puia if you stay in Rotorua.
And the Potuhu geyser has the possibility to manifest 2-3 times during your visit
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Response from Host, Nov 2025
Tēnā koe (hello),
Ng`a mihi nui (thank you very much) for sharing your thoughts. We’re really glad to hear you enjoyed your time at Te Puia and that you got to experience the power of Pōhutu Geyser, which can indeed erupt a few times during a visit. It’s always a special moment for our manuhiri (visitors).
We appreciate you recommending an evening with us here in Rotorua.
Kia pai te rā (have a nice day).
Ferreira_C, Oct 2025
The show itself is really great and the staff is passionate.
The rest... well without more
The meal is good but I find it expensive overall.
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hidehomma, Feb 2020
ホテルの送迎つき、ドライバーが親切。マオリのハカを見た後、ハンギ料理はレストランでのもてなし。観光客が非常に多くてビュッフェを取るのが大変。でも美味しかった。そのあとは、間欠泉までバスで移動。ココアを飲みながらの観賞
YamilAdrin_P, Oct 2019
La verdad que excelente todo. Amables y cordiales ante todo. La comida, un lujo y abundante. Se justifica el precio. Es completo y encima te llevan a ver los geyserws de noche!!!
From $118.61
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Te Puia: Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience with Dinner
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