Category Rotorua Day Trips

Auckland · ROTORUA DAY TRIPS

The 15 Best Rotorua Day Trips from Auckland

56 tours

Rotorua sits on a geothermal field that steams through the middle of a public park, a shade over three hours south if the motorway behaves. The 15 trips below cover the Wai-O-Tapu terraces, the Pohutu geyser at Te Puia and the carved marae beside it, with a note on which ones bolt Hobbiton on and still get you home.

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland - From Auckland to Waikato: coffee, Kiwiana, and a scenic warm-up

1.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 681 reviews · from $253Our pick

Small-group Waitomo glowworms and Te Puia in one day from Auckland, with tickets and snacks included, 6 am pickup.

“This tour is a must for anyone travelling around Auckland and with little time to really appreciate the natural beauties of the country. The visit is the cave and of the geysers were awesome and the guide, Ben, was very knowledgeable, kind and a tuned to the needs of our group. Cheeky Kiwi is a great tour operator!! Thank you so much for this great trip !”

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Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

Auckland: Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour - Pickup in Auckland, then the Waikato countryside road-trip feel

2.Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 458 reviews · 9 - 13 hours · from $256

Auckland day tour to Hobbiton, Rotorua, and Wai-O-Tapu. Guided LOTR set walk, geothermal colors, city sights, and snacks.

“We really enjoyed the visit to Hobbiton. We would have liked more time at the gift shop and the Green Dragon Inn. Alfredo, our guide, was excellent! He was extremely personable and knowledgeable about the history and facts about the areas we visited. And on our return trip, he took us to see sites along the way home. It was great fun! Had a very enjoyable day.”

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Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu - Small Group Tour from Auckland - Pickup, the 6:00 am start, and why the coach time matters

3.Hobbiton & Rotorua including Wai-O-Tapu – Small Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 450 reviews · from $266Top rated

Small group tour from Auckland to Hobbiton, Rotorua and Wai-O-Tapu. Guided set walk, Green Dragon drink, geothermal wonders.

“I didn't know we as 3 adults would like the Hobiton experience as much as we did. The countryside through the entire trip was beautiful. Our hike around Rotorua made it a day to remeber.”

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Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras

Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras - Small-group transport: comfort, snacks, and guides who set the tone

4.Rotorua Highlights Tour from Auckland with Optional Extras

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 373 reviews · from $214

Small-group Rotorua day trip from Auckland with hotel pickup, geothermal wonders and Māori culture, plus flexible spa options.

“This day was SUCH a well organized effort - I was very impressed that this day was able to be personalized to the actiivitiee that each person on the tour wanted to do which really allowed each tourist to make the experience their own. We had an incredible time learning about Māori culture more at Te Puia then relaxing at the Polynesian spa. John was a great guide throughout this process - making sure we were engaged during the drives (he’s a man of many interesting facts and knowledge and kept it fun) and making sure we knew where to be at each stop. Couldn’t have had a better experience!…”

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From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch

From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch - Free Pickup in Central Auckland, and Why It Changes the Whole Day

5.From Auckland or Rotorua: Hobbiton & Waitomo Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 281 reviews · 11 - 13 hours · from $286

Tolkien fans and nature lovers get both Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo glowworms in one long day, with hotel pickup and buffet lunch.

“Absolutely amazing experience with great tourguide Cris with the C. :) Even tough we are big fans or any fans in fact of the LotR, we still enjoy Hobbiton so much, and the glowworms? Waaau ❤️”

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Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland

Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland - Auckland to Rotorua: using the long drive well

6.Rotorua Small-Group Day Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 235 reviews · from $253

Rotorua day trip from Auckland with small-group transport, Te Puia culture and geysers, Lake Rotorua sights, plus a buffet lunch and optional add-ons.

“Very good tour. Dirk was an excellent guide on the drive there, then Kahu at Te Puia was excellent in walking us through Maori traditions. Irma took great pains to then drive us around on a very rainy day when some attractions just didn't make sense, before smoothly handing us over to Bunty for the drive home. Would have been just terrific if the weather had been a bit better”

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Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour - Pickup and the Waikato Drive, What Those Short Stops Really Mean

7.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 223 reviews · 13 hours · from $244

Auckland small-group day trip to Waitomo glowworm caves and Rotorua Te Puia, with Māori culture, geothermal sights, and guided stops in 13 hours.

“Very interesting sightseeing visited. Perfect timing. Excellent guide - Cam who takes care about tour comfort. Cam was very knowledgeable and described interesting stories facts about NZ and sites visited. It worst any minute and penny spent. Great tour!”

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Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland

Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland - Rotorua Te Puia, Pōhutu Geyser and Māori Culture That Actually Feels Guided

8.Hobbiton & Rotorua Small Group Tour including Te Puia from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $266

Small-group Auckland day trip to Hobbiton and Rotorua Te Puia, with guided tours, Pohutu geyser, Māori culture, and pickup.

“First off... watch Lord of the Rings! Secondly, don't come to New Zealand if you don't plan on going to Hobbiton! Everything about the area is beautiful... beyond beautiful. Elle was our tour guide and she did a fantastic job. I love seeing people passionate about their job. This was better than I had imagined and that makes me so happy. Afterwards, Mr. Kiwi gave us a tour of the geothermal geysers and etc at Rotorua. I watched for a long time and went back to see the cute little kiwis! We had an amazing driver, Grant, who was full of great knowledge, laughs and amazing service. He truly loves…”

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Auckland: Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka

Auckland: Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka - Wai-O-Tapu: Lady Knox, Champagne Pool, and the color of steam

9.Rotorua Wai-O-Tapu, Te Puia with Haka

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 161 reviews · 12 hours · from $236

Rotorua day trip from Auckland with Wai-O-Tapu geysers, Te Puia, and a powerful Māori haka performance, plus hotel pickup and guide.

“It was a very interesting trip, a long day but worthwhile. Our guide David was very knowledgable and it was nice to be guided by a native Aucklander.”

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From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia

From Auckland: Hobbiton & Rotorua Tour with Lunch at Te Puia - Waikato and Bay of Plenty views: what you are doing between the headline stops

From Auckland: Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations

From Auckland: Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations - Whakarewarewa Village: culture, community, and geothermal drama in one visit

11.From Auckland: Rotorua Māori Village & Activity Combinations

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 125 reviews · 12 hours · from $194

Auckland to Rotorua day trip with Whakarewarewa Māori village, steam and a Haka, then choose Waiotapu, Polynesian Spa, Redwoods, or Rotorua time.

“Jason was an excellent guide! He made the entire day really enjoyable and made sure we were able to do all the activities we signed up for. The experience itself was amazing! Highly recommend! I learned so much about the beautiful New Zealand landscape and Māori culture!”

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Auckland to Hobbiton Movie Set and Rotorua’s Geothermal Valley

Auckland to Hobbiton Movie Set and Rotorua's Geothermal Valley - Te Puia in Rotorua: geysers, mud pools, and kiwi sightings

Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia

Auckland: Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia - Inside Hobbiton: a 2.5-hour guided walk with real story details

13.Hobbiton and Rotorua Day Tour including Te Puia

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 96 reviews · 13 hours · from $256

A single day from Auckland to Hobbiton and Rotorua, with Te Puia’s Pohutu Geyser, Māori culture, and guided tours for $256.

“Our amazing driver Mike made sure everyone was comfortable, he guided and helped us through the whole day. Our guide Alex at Hobbiton was brilliant and fun! We had a great guide at Te Puia as well but don’t remember his name. This was such a cool and lovely experience and I would definitely recommend it, you wont regret it! Thank you, especially to Mike!”

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Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups

Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups - Māori Arts and Crafts Institute at Te Puia: quick, meaningful, and well placed

Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton Small Group Tour (One Way)

Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton Small Group Tour (One Way) - Hobbiton Movie Set: The Guided Tour and Green Dragon Drink

15.Auckland to Rotorua via Hobbiton Small Group Tour (One Way)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · from $204

One-way Hobbiton to Rotorua small-group tour with hotel pickup, a guided Hobbiton set visit plus a Green Dragon drink, and city drop-off.

“Hobbiton is one of my dreamed places to visit. Finally I visited it. These Hobbits houses and their gardens, and Hobbiton overall landscapes are better than I imagined. Visiting the inside of a Hobbit house was a huge bonus, every room of that house was fully furnished with cute furnitures and decorations. The entire 2 hours Hobbiton tour were filled with fun!”

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