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What to See and Do in Rotorua, New Zealand
If you’re wondering what to do in New Zealand, Rotorua is definitely worth including in your plans. On an extended tour of Australia and New Zealand, I’d recommend allocating at least 2 days for Rotorua, which offers plenty to see and do. In fact, it’s easily one of the best places to visit in New Zealand. You’ll find geysers, hot springs, and pools that belong to the geothermal parks in Rotorua, groves of stately redwood trees, and the Mitai Aboriginal Village (a Maori village in Rotorua).
Fortunately, you’ve stumbled upon a free New Zealand trip planner. Keep reading for a Rotorua, New Zealand itinerary that lays out what to do during your visit so you can make the best use of your limited time here.
A 2-Day Rotorua, New Zealand Itinerary
Day 1: Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, Redwoods, and Mitai
Morning – Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland
Start your first morning with a visit to one of the highlights of Rotorua—the Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland. Waiotapu is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. daily. Entry tickets cost NZ$32.50 for each adult.
To see this and other places in the Rotorua area, I’d recommend hiring a shuttle to take you there and back. I used to highly recommend Grumpy’s Transfers and Tours, but the company was sold in 2019. In their stead, you might try Ready2Roll Shuttles, which seems to be a reputable company that offers similarly flexible tours.
At the entrance, study the park map and take your pick from any or all of the walking trails. If you walk all of them, it should take about 75 minutes to walk all three kilometers without stopping. You’ll want to stop from time to time, of course.
At Waiotapu, you’ll see a vast, sprawling geothermal system with colorful pools in some places and boiling mud pools in others. The geologic formations you’ll see here date back around 160,000 years, and they’re located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. You’ll see many hot springs and a great deal of steam. Look, but don’t touch; the pools can get up to 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit) and the steam can reach 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit).
Check out an abyss-like pit called Devil’s Home.
In another area, you’ll see more than a dozen colorful craters grouped closely together, with interesting names like Inferno Crater and Birds Nest Crater. Some are up to 20 meters deep. The purple ones have manganese oxide. Reddish-brown craters have iron oxide. The yellow ones have sulphur.
The Devil’s Ink Pots are pools of boiling mud.
At Artist’s Palette, you’ll see a big hot spring called Champagne Pool. It occupies a 700-year-old crater left by a hydro-thermal eruption. It’s filled with minerals that turn the color varying shades of blue, yellow/green, orange, green/yellow, and gray, depending on which area of the pool you’re looking at.
You’ll walk across a giant boardwalk that crosses more colorful pools of water.
The Devil’s Bath is another highlight of Waiotapu, a vast lake of vivid green liquid.
Don’t miss the Lady Knox Geyser eruption each morning at 10:15 a.m.
At the far end of the Reserve, you can take Walk 3 (Yellow Walk), a scenic 20-25 minute journey through one of the most geologically active areas. Stay on the pathways at all times. You’ll enjoy a stunning view across the emerald waters of Lake Ngakoro. Be sure to see the Bridal Veil Falls, Oyster Pool, and Lake Ngakoro Waterfall en route.
Afternoon – The Redwoods/Whakarewarewa Forest
In the afternoon, on your way back to Rotorua, ask your driver to drop you off at the Redwoods Visitor Center for Whakarewarewa Forest. This free forest offers spectacular views in places. You have a couple of walking options. The Redwood Memorial Grove Walk is only 2 kilometers long and takes about 30 minutes to complete. The Waitawa Track isn’t difficult, at only 3.5 kilometers long. It should take about an hour to walk. You’ll pass through a massive forest of Redwood trees from California that have been growing since the early 20th century.
Beyond this, you’ll find incredible landscapes of exotic ferns bisected by winding streams of clear, turquoise water. Here are some of New Zealand’s best views; these look like scenes out of a prehistoric world. One pool of turquoise water is especially clear and deep. You’ll see plenty of other exotic trees and eventually emerge at a bus stop at the corner of Tarawera and Long Mile Road. There you can probably catch one of the regular buses back, which should run every 30 minutes.
Day 2: Waimangu Volcanic Valley and Mitai Aboriginal Village
Morning – Waimangu Volcanic Valley
The following day, visit Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Again, the best way to get there is via private shuttle. En route, you may have a short windshield tour of Rotorua, passing through the Government Gardens, past the Sudima Hotel overlooking a lake, a geyser, and the Rotorua Museum. It’ll take you past green, rolling hills and groves of poplar and pine trees.
Plan to arrive at Waimangu a little before 9:00 a.m. Entry should be around NZ$66 per adult.
Just beyond the entrance is a panoramic view of a valley filled with green ferns and trees, with the sleeping volcano that is Mount Tarawera in the distance. From here you can see Echo Crater and Frying Pan Lake, with plumes of steam rising from them. Beyond this is the giant Emerald Pool, which occupies a crater formed by the volcano’s eruption in 1886.
Proceed past creeks and springs laced with orange, brown, green, and yellow colors from various minerals and types of algae. Billowing steam will rise from the water everywhere, making the place look mysterious.
Approach the awesome Inferno Crater Lake, which has a brilliant light blue color framed by trees and a beach of white silica. The water is highly acidic and changes color depending on water depth.
Soon afterward, you’ll come upon the amazing Haszard Hiking Trail. A steep climb up leads to the Echo Crater Panorama, with undulating waves of treetops and mountains and volcanoes in the distance.
The Rift Valley Panorama is even more impressive.
The next notable sights will be the hot springs with their assorted ferns, mosses, and lichens; the Iodine Pool; and the Marble Terrace, a series of white and orange silica steps.
The Warbrick Terraces are great, with more vivid orange and green waters and soils, and a brilliant blue pool. Here you may pass a big flock of black swans. Strange narrow trees covered with patches of green fuzz rise out of water covered with brown and green algae.
Arrive at Lake Rotomahana and catch a bus back to an intersection not too far from the entrance. Return to the visitor center and wait for your shuttle pick-up, then return to your hotel.
Evening – Mitai Aboriginal Village
That evening, check out a traditional Maori show and dinner at Mitai Aboriginal Village. A ticket for each adult should cost about NZ$129 for the 3-hour cultural experience and buffet. Ask your hotel if it offers any discounted rates.
A shuttle from the village should pick you up at close to 6:00 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. show. While you wait, they may put out some interesting snacks, like crackers with mango chutney and caramelized onions.
You can expect to see a welcoming ceremony, followed by warriors paddling in a canoe down the river. A cultural performance and a full buffet dinner with meat, chicken, garlic bread, rice, vegetables, and more will follow.
Then you’ll be able to walk through the village.
Onward from Rotorua
Rotorua is one of New Zealand’s best places to visit. If you visit New Zealand, there are many other great sightseeing opportunities. With more time in the country, be sure to check out Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Wellington. By including these additional cities in your travels, you’ll have a complete New Zealand trip itinerary.