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National Kiwi Hatchery - Kiwi Encounter Guided Tour

Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rotorua, New Zealand
Popular pick
Booked 20+ times last week!
  • 1 hour (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Lenka_B ·
Aug 2026
Incredibly educational, thorough and above all; loads of fun! We were so lucky to see all three kiwi’s going about in their habitat, and Theresa was an absolutely lovely guide.
· Steve_D ·
Aug 2026
Learnt so much about the kiwis and the facility that they have for them is incredible. Our host was amazing!

Overview

Gain entry to the National Kiwi Hatchery in Rotorua with this guided tour and ticket combo. Learn about New Zealand's renowned conservation program as you take a tour of the hatchery which has successfully hatched over 2,600 kiwi chicks. After a guided experience, explore the interactive kiwi burrow where you can see the life cycle of a kiwi from egg to burrow. Children under 5 years old cannot participate in this experience.
  • A guided tour of the hatchery is included
  • Learn about kiwis at the Kiwi Burrow and Nocturnal House
  • Learn about egg incubation and hatching techniques
  • See kiwi roam and forage in the Nocturnal House

What's Included

  • 1 hour guided experience in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility.
  • The chance to witness the kiwi chicks or eggs (best chance between Sep to March)
  • Insight into an internationally renowned kiwi conservation programme
  • See kiwi roam in our purpose-built nocturnal enclosure
  • Check out the interactive and immersive kiwi burrow experience
  • Return shuttle to the facility from the check-in zone at the Agrodome
  • Donation to the National Kiwi Hatchery
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Departure Point

  • The National Kiwi Hatchery, 141 Western Road, Ngongotahā, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand

What To Expect

1

The National Kiwi Hatchery

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Near public transportation
  • Stroller accessible
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Children must be minimum 5 years old to participate
  • Check-in 15 minutes prior to the tour departure time
  • Hatching season is September to March, which is the best chance to see Kiwi chicks or eggs. Outside of these dates, you may not see a Kiwi chick or egg, but still see live Kiwi in the nocturnal house
  • The facility is located onsite at the Agrodome Farm, Rotorua
  • Children under 5 years of age are unable to take part in this experience

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8
based on 327 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Must see for kiwi lovers!

Lenka_B, Aug 2026
Incredibly educational, thorough and above all; loads of fun! We were so lucky to see all three kiwi’s going about in their habitat, and Theresa was an absolutely lovely guide.

Amazing!!

Steve_D, Aug 2026
Learnt so much about the kiwis and the facility that they have for them is incredible. Our host was amazing!

Kiwis are one of life's mysteries - but you can find out more on tour

Michelle_W, Jul 2026
Informative, comprehensive and amazing! The spokesperson that took our tour, l believe, touched upon every aspect of a Kiwis life. She answered all questions with solid knowledge.

I learn a lot for things...

Isabelle_B, Jul 2026
I learn a lot for things about kiwi and I was so nice to see the rare animal for the first time. I definitely recommend this experience as all money go the hatchery

Very interesting tour,...

Rachel_N, Jul 2026
Very interesting tour, learned a lot about kiwi conservation. The resident kiwis were also super cute!

Tour was informative and...

Josh_D, Jul 2026
Tour was informative and interesting, but too expensive and misleading. During the off season there are no eggs to see, and there were no baby Kiwis to view up close in someone’s hand like in the photos. The time with the Kiwis was in a dark room for 10 minutes where you could catch glimpses of them. Maybe better during breeding season, but was not worth the price for what was provided

Highly recommended

LeneChristine_W, May 2026
Great. Wonderful guide ❤️❤️ Fantastic location and a great nonprofit initiative 🙏 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Awesome!

leilah_H, May 2026
Absolutely amazing experience. So much information and knowledge about kiwi birds! And we got to see several which was awesome :)

Great experience

Diane_L, May 2026
Arrive before April as there weren’t any babies as the breading season was over. Still worth it though

Meet the kiwi s !

Auke_R, May 2026
Good and friendly information about kiwi s and their survival as a species. What the treats are and how to proceed.

Hatchery expedition

Kerrie_W, Apr 2026
The staff are very friendly and our guide was very informative and had a great deal of knowledge that she shared with us.

Interesting and informative

Scott_K, Apr 2026
Great facility. We enjoyed learning how hard the people are working to make sure this endangered species thrives.

It was a wonderful tour....

Tia_G, Apr 2026
It was a wonderful tour. Was worth every penny. Our tour guide was kind and passionate about the kiwis and there population.

Accessibility @ the Kiwi Hatchery.

Judith_T, Apr 2026
Great experience. Staff are fantastic with people using mobility aids, except you need to go to the Ageodome first to collect actual tickets and then drive to the Hatchery, if a visitor uses Mobility Aids. This made us late for the start of the tour, even though we arrived 10mins early at the Agrodome. Actual experience and information provided was good quality and we had the chance to ask questions. We managed to see a 3 day old kiwi in the Hatchery area, as well as an adult male & female in indoor habitats.

Birds I view

Vanessa_M, Apr 2026
We arrived at the end if tge hatching season. We did see 2 Adult Kiwi and a newly hatched Kiwi Easy to find just. Best vist between September and March

Worth a visit

Leona_M, Apr 2026
We had a lovely afternoon visit here. It was very informative and really interesting to learn about the work that is done for kiwi conservation at the hatchery.

What an amazing...

Jordan_L, Apr 2026
What an amazing experience! Getting to see kiwis and learn all about the hatchery and ways they are trying to help these sweet birds was amazing. Such a fun learning experience.

A Great Place To Learn About Conscious Environmental Stewardship

James_B, Apr 2026
The tour was very informative, learning about the conservation efforts undertaken by the National Kiwi Hatchery to help these unique and fascinating ratites was an amazing experience that gave me a great introduction to NZs culture surrounding environmental stewardship. Learning about the Department of Conservation and Predator Free New Zealand Trust efforts to reach the goal of Predator Free 2050 gave me some hope that my own country may be able to one day work together as a united front to save our own land and the priceless flora and fauna that live within it.

Unmissable experience

jayne_r, Mar 2026
Really great experience. Informative and educational - and the Kiwis are awesome! If you’re in the area you should definitely schedule a visit here.

Good trip out

Lindsey_R, Mar 2026
Fascinating information about the conservation and hatching process. We were fortunate enough to be there when an egg arrived and also when another was being checked. It's the end of the season so no young kiwi to be seen. We did see 2 very active adults who are permanent residents

We had an enjoyable time...

Tamara_C, Mar 2026
We had an enjoyable time at the Kiwi Hatchery on a rainy day. Our guide was very good, and the short videos and demonstrations in the exhibits were informative, although not quite the same as seeing more live animals. We were able to catch glimpses of the 2 live kiwis in their nocturnal exhibit, but they are very difficult to see. We admire their conservation efforts and are happy to support the program, but it was not a “5-star” experience with the very brief glimpses.

Kiwi

AnnMaree_M, Mar 2026
It’s not a long tour but the guides are very knowledgeable and explain things in detail. You will be surprised at the size

Shuttle bus driver...

Katrina_M, Mar 2026
Shuttle bus driver friendly and informative about the farm and surroundings on the short trip to the hatchery. Guide was also informative, we learned a lot about the Kiwi. 100% goes back to the conservation of this unique bird.

It is a great tour! Very...

Donna_C, Mar 2026
It is a great tour! Very exciting to see and hear about the work they are doing to keep the number of kiwis on the North island growing. Many dedicated volunteers!

We learned so much about...

kaleighwoodcox, Mar 2026
We learned so much about this amazing bird, and the country it calls home. So enriching and enlightening.

A must do for a brief sighting and learning about elusive kiwis

Kim_K, Mar 2026
This was an informative experience and our guide was super knowledgeable about the kiwis. I appreciate the care that was provided to protect the kiwis natural habitat. That said, it made the experience slightly underwhelming because seeing an actual kiwi was very difficult (super dark and was dependent on where the kiwis are nesting at the time of your visit). Nonetheless, I’m super happy we did it. It was certainly time well spent.

Informative and well thought through experience

Heather_P, Mar 2026
Came across a leaflet promoting The Kiwi Hatchery and thought it sounded like a fun thing to do. We had a very pleasant bus driver to take us to the facility. The experience officer we had for our tour was very knowledgeable and professional. She was very enthusiastic and passionate about the project and Kiwis and her delivery was excellent. She answered all questions very well. We learnt a lot and really enjoyed our visit.

Wonderful experience....

Katrina_B, Mar 2026
Wonderful experience. Great setting. Educational. Staff were informative, passionate and motivated and offered a great learning experience. Very cool seeing baby kiwis. Additional opportunities to see other parts of the farm and animals.

Fascinating stuff

Paul_M, Feb 2026
You may not see a baby Kiwi - we did - but you do get to see a couple of adults in a very dark area. You will also learn a lot about this amazing bird which is unlike anything else on earth. It’s an informative and fascinating visit to this hatchery which takes around a hour.

So fascinating!!

Mary_H, Feb 2026
Wonderful tour! How could you visit New Zealand and not see a kiwi!! They were incredible and so cute!
Likely to Sell Out

From $47.01

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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On average, this is booked 33 days in advance.

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