Tauranga Shore Excursion: Rotorua Highlights

Tauranga, New Zealand

Great choice

20+ bookings last month.

7 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4

· Richard_F ·

Feb 2026

Great tour covering most of the key things to see in and around Tauranga. We visited the Māori village, geysers, redwood forest, a waterfall, and a kiwi fruit farm. Our guide Terry gave a great insight into the local area and was a mine of information.

· mikesmith9 ·

Mar 2026

Full day seeing lots of different places. Tour guide and the driver were very knowledgeable and funny. They were really accommodating with our cruise ship docking and leaving times. Thoroughly enjoyed the Maori living village. A great experience. Highly recommended.

Explore our promoted experiences

White Water Rafting - Kaituna Cascades, The Originals

Tauranga, North Island

5.0

(1,331)

White Water Rafting - Kaituna Cascades, The Originals

from $80

Hobbiton Transport & Tauranga Highlights Excursion from Tauranga

Tauranga, North Island

5.0

(232)

Hobbiton Transport & Tauranga Highlights Excursion from Tauranga

from $97

Tauranga, North Island

New Zealand Data eSIM from 0.5GB daily to 50GB 30 Days

from $3

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

See the highlights of Rotorua on a full-day shore excursion from Tauranga. Travel to one of New Zealand’s most famous places, Rotorua. Spend the day exploring the otherworldly geothermal landscapes, visiting the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa, towering redwood trees, and the beautifully manicured Government Gardens. Also receive a traditional welcome at a Māori cultural village, and more. Guaranteed return to your ship at the end of the day.

Fit a lot into a day-long Rotorua shore excursion from Tauranga
See hot thermal springs, bubbling mud, and spurting geysers
Learn about Māori traditions at a cultural village
Some local food tastings are included; meals are at your own expense

What's Included

Driver/guide
Live commentary on board
Port pickup and drop-off
Covered by Viator’s worry-free policy: guaranteed on-time return to your ship
Tasting of local fare
Air-conditioned vehicle

Food and drinks, unless specified
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Port of Tauranga Ltd
2 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
There is a flagpole directly outside the main port of Tauranga office buiding, which is on the corner of Salisbury Ave and The Mall. We will be standing alongside our large whiteboard positioned on the grass area under the flagpole.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

Itinerary

Start your shore excursion with pickup from the cruise port in Tauranga, departing Mt. Maunganui for a day trip through the North Island’s lake country, sprinkled with more than a dozen pristine lakes. En route to Rotorua, hear insightful live commentary on board the vehicle.

A short drive brings you to your first stop, in the town of Te Puke, considered New Zealand's kiwifruit capital. Visit an orchard and learn more about this special fruit.

Next, drive through rolling farmland and forests to reach Rotorua. Admire the towering redwood trees at the Whakarewarewa Forest, followed by the manicured Government Gardens. After lunch in Rotorua (own expense), visit the thermal wonderland of Whakarewarewa. Follow a Māori guide through a lunar-like landscape of hot springs and mud pools, and see the eruption of the Pohutu Geyser. Hear how the indigenous people used the jets of steam from the bubbling pools for everyday functions.

Discover more Māori customs at a Māori village, starting with a traditional welcome. Enjoy a performance of song and dance, including the war-like haka.

Complete your Rotorua shore excursion with a return to Mt Maunganui, stopping at Kaituna Falls en route.

This is a worry-free shore excursion: A timely return to the Tauranga port is assured. In the rare event your ship has departed, we will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See the terms and conditions for full details.

Mount Maunganui

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mt Maunganui Main Beach (Pass By)

Te Puke

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Government Gardens

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Rotorua

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Kaituna Falls

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Zealandier Tours (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Please wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes
Please bring sun protection and jackets for cooler weather

Worry-free Shore Excursion Guarantee
ALL OUR TOURS HAVE FLEXIBLE START / END TIMES TO MEET SHIP ARRIVAL & SAILING TIMES.
“As numbers are limited, we encourage booking only when you’re confident of attending. This allows us to operate comfortably and fairly for all guests.”
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Supplied by

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)

Featured review

Roseann_F

It was a very informative and educational trip of the Maori tribe and their thermal village. The guide at the village was funny and a great teacher. The trip is far from port (1.5 hours) so make sure to go to bathroom before you get on bus or perhaps tour guide can split that time up for us elderly folks. Our bus driver made a special stop and I am most Grateful!!

Reviews

4.4

based on 458 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great tour

Paul_V, Mar 2026

A great tour well organised the highlight was Rotorua, particularly the Māori cultural show. Also enjoyed the Kiwi fruit tasting!

Tauranga

Kent_H, Mar 2026

Outstanding day. Steven and John were a great team. Mauri village tour was quite interesting. Waterfall was oversold. Kiwi fruit orchard was very nice.

Not my favorite tour but...

Julie_G, Mar 2026

Not my favorite tour but we’ve been on some really good ones recently. Too much time on the bus. Couldn’t hear the bus driver/narrator as he mumbled all the time.

First class tour

Ian_O, Mar 2026

Communication with the tour operatiin was superb from the start? When there was some confusion as to the timing of our ship docking the tour company changed the start time of our tour. The actual tour itself was fantastic and gave a great insight into the area but also the culture. The visit to the Màori village and the guide we had could not be faulted. Everything about the day made it an unforgettable one that i would highly recomend.

Rotorua highlights tour. Really good experience. Great tour.

mikesmith9, Mar 2026

Culture Tour Tuaranga

Tracey_B, Mar 2026

Another great trip. Stephen and John were great tour guides and were full of interesting facts and details. We had a wonderful trip and their humour and natural manner made for a great time.

Jam packed adventure

Nancy_A, Mar 2026

There was a lot to see in this jam packed tour package. The best part was the Living Mauri village visit. Perhaps the stop to see a questionable "waterfall" could be eliminated to allow for more time at the Redwood Forest. It was so beautiful, but was only used as a bathroom break. The kiwi farm was interesting. Lunch was very quick due to shortage of time.

Great experience. Perfect ending to our cruise.

Robin_S, Mar 2026

Great fun, whilst learning about the Maori culture. Not too taxing, enjoyable afternoon. Nice ending to our cruise.

Not very jnteresting

Robert_S, Mar 2026

A long and mostly boring day. 80 minute drive to Rotorua. Short visit to Redwood forest modestly interesting. Mauri show and tour good, stop at kiwi farm a complete waste of time.

All encompassing ....

joy_s, Feb 2026

All encompassing . Thoroughly enjoyed Maori village where real people lived. Kiwi farm was a bonus. Had no idea.

Professionally guided tour

SinLeung_L, Feb 2026

The trip is easy going and very relaxed. Not much walking and is good for seniors. However, it won't give you a lot of time to explore things in depth other than the cultural village visit . It was worth noting that Terry who was tour guide/driver had demonstrated his in depth knowledge and attention to every details. He patiently answered every question asked. He really made a difference in this trip!

We started our excursion...

Rafael_C, Feb 2026

We started our excursion right outside the cruise terminal. The trip from Tauranga to Rotorua took about one hour. Mike, our guide/driver, gave interesting explanations along the way. Once in Rotorua, we had a tour of the Maori Living Village, with a local guide, which included a folk sing and dance presentation. very nice. On the way back to the ship, we stopped at the Rotorua Lake, at a hot spring, at a waterfall and at a kiwi farm where we had a kiwi fruit tasting. Mike's commentaries where very entertaining. It was a very enjoyable experience. The total excursion took a little over 6 hours.

The visit to the living...

Marilyn_F, Feb 2026

The visit to the living Māori village is not to be missed. Geysers and a folkloric show. Excellent time.

Unreliable & poor conflict resolution.

Ken_B, Feb 2026

The tour guide was at neither the 1st place nor the 2nd that Viator said he would be, so I was forced to call the Viator emergency phone #. It cost US $35 on my next cell invoice, and Viator refused to reimburse me. Two other Viator booking went wrong - See those reviews. There are many other companies who are more reliable.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Ken, I am the tour operator responding to you - all I can say is we were where we always say we are going to be - and very easy to find - with uniforms - sign written and two very large white boards with ALL passengers names on - you should book directly with us the tour operator and your communication and details would be 100% accurate .

Missed meet up time

Drena_V, Feb 2026

Unfortunately we missed our excursion as a result of an approved change to our meet up time - our fault for the most part however it would have helped a lot if the reminders & electronic tickets we received had the adjusted time vs the regular scheduled time. When on a cruise & all the information you have to deal with in prep of travel etc along with the time changes - we had a 20 hr time change - it would have helped a lot to get a reminder re the actual time vs what was on the ticket etc. We did receive a voice mail when we were a no show but by the time we got the message it was already to late.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Hi Drena, it is unfortunate that you did not answer your phone or your email when I was trying to make contact on the morning of. I understand your frustration with the conflicting information you got from Viator / Trip Advisor - the online booking platform who you choose to place your booking with - unfortuantely they can not update every single tour change for every single person - and their emails are generic - had you booked directly with us the tour operator you would not have this conflicting information sent to you. I am sad for you that you did not get to go on this tour - we did hold the tour up for 10mins but we were bound by time constraints of your cruise ships time in port.

Excellent Rotorua Tour

Richard_F, Feb 2026

Incredible journey through NZ

Lorry_B, Feb 2026

We loved this tour. Seeing the village and culture of the people was awesome.. Great tour, great guide, highly recommend

Culture and kiwis.

Anne_J, Jan 2026

Great experience with Rolf as our leader. We learned and experienced Māori life and growing kiwis. Easy to find after getting off the boat.

Rotorua tour inc Māori living village

Helen_M, Jan 2026

Thoroughly enjoyed the Māori living village - unbelievable that some people still live there with all the geo thermal activity! The Māori guide Kylie at the village was great & the show put on by the village was superb - particularly loved the performance of the Haka. Overall enjoyed the tour but I feel more time at the Redwoods and omitting the town & waterfall elements of the tour would have been better.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Hi Helen, thanks for your feedback - I appreciate you wanting additional time in the Redwoods area - but its difficult to showcase as many places of interest including historic places - in the timeframes we have available. Our itineraries are a balance to expose you to as much as is possible, but the main attraction for this tour is the geothermal living Maori village and some of the other stops we make are to use bathroom facilities. Trust you have had a lovely cruise around New Zealand.

Fun Day Trip

cyn2122, Jan 2026

For those planning adventures in Tauranga, I highly recommend this one. It was an incredible experience to immerse ourselves in the local culture. Our driver, Stephen, was incredibly knowledgeable, making our trips enjoyable and informative as we headed home. One of the highlights of the tour was the stop at the redwood forest and the Kiwi farm. The Kiwi farm was surprisingly one of my favorite parts. Learning about Kiwis and witnessing them in their growing season was fascinating, and the taste of them was delicious! I also appreciated the size of the group. It wasn’t too large, allowing us to explore additional sites.

Must see

Roseann_F, Jan 2026

Maori Experience

Carlos_J, Jan 2026

Heavy on Rorotunga. Great for learning about Maori and great tour of geyser area. The Maori guide was a little winded but entertaining. Nice look at Kiwi farm. Other sites just a drive by.

Authentic Mauri experience.

ivan_j, Jan 2026

A wonderful authentic experience of mauri life and culture at a real mauri village. Not to be missed

Fabulous Cruise day tour!

Susan_C, Jan 2026

First off the communication was wonderful since we were on a cruise ship and our times changed a bit. The tour only had 6 people and that made it GREAT. Since our time was shortened, we all opted out of time for lunch so we could see more sites. We say so many things: lakes, waterfalls, kiwi farm, redwood forest, geothermal/cultural area. The guide was wonderful and he supplied samples of dried and real kiwi, manuka honey. We were back right on time and had a super full day. Way more than any offered cruise tour and very private!

The whole day was...

Eddie_S, Jan 2026

The whole day was outstanding. Tour guide went way beyond our expectations and would highly recommend this excursion.

Wonderful experience

Vivi_K, Jan 2026

So amazed with Maori people and how they live, also the nature itself, luckily the weather was good, thanks to Rolf as our guide

Nice tour with historic...

Larry_L, Jan 2026

Nice tour with historic and cultural with the living village along with scenic travel through valley. Interesting stop at kiwi farm along with stop at Redwood forest and a river with rafting etc. Stephen our guide was very knowledgeable.

Excellent insight into Māori culture

Wendy_B, Jan 2026

A very good tour but I wouldn’t recommend it for those who are unable to stand and walk comfortably on uneven surfaces. Stephen was a great guide who went out of his way to accommodate my needs - greatly appreciated!

Great tour

Alan_P, Dec 2025

The tour was very good but driver guides microphone played up a little finding it hard to hear on bus the town we visited was awesome with a great local informative guide our driver guide was an ok guide but could have done better

Not recommended

Cassie_B, Dec 2025

You dont get what you pay for. I was promised lunch and got nothing. Then they tried to tell me that I got my tours mixed up. Never will I use Viator again. Steer clear!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

HI Cassie, I have been over this with you in regards to the two very similar tours which are on offer through Viator, both visit the same attraction but itineraires differ. One has lunch provided and the other doesnt. I understand you were extremely upset when you asked for your hangi pie lunch and did not believe your guide when he said we dont provide lunch on this tour - just an opportunity to purchase something for yourself at the cafe. Whereas the other tour operator includes a hangi pie lunch on his tour. There are a lot of tours on offer on the Viator website / booking platform and a lot are very similar as they visit the same attractions but the itineraries generally differ slightly. So yes please read what is included and what is excluded carefully when booking a tour on the Viator booking platform. If you need further inforrmation or clarification you should consider booking / communicating directly with the tour operator.