Tarawera and Rotorua Lakes Eco Tour by Boat with Guide
5
Tarawera and Rotorua Lakes Eco Tour by Boat with Guide
By Rotorua Duck Tours
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
from per adult
$105.00
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-95, max of 56 per group
Duration: 2h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
Written guide: German, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English, French, Spanish
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
More
- Live commentary on board
- Driver/guide
- Entry/Admission - Rotorua Duck Tours
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transportation to/from attractions
- Start:
- 1241 Fenton Street, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandPlease arrive at the meeting point 20 minutes prior to your departure time. Late arrivals will need to reschedule to the next available departure.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3442P2- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- We have tours available with translation sheets in Chinese, French and English
- Most travellers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 56 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 3442P2
Reserve your spot
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 1241 Fenton Street, Rotorua 3010, New ZealandPlease arrive at the meeting point 20 minutes prior to your departure time. Late arrivals will need to reschedule to the next available departure.
- 1Pass byRedwoods Treewalk
- 2
- 3Pass byBuried Village of Te WairoaMt. Tarawera
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Allymo740 contributionsDo yourself a favour and take this tour!Loved the information about Rotorua and the history of the Duck. The scenery was beautiful. I loved going from land to lake and back again. But mostly, our guide Esther was hilarious and made the whole experience so much fun.Written 6 September 2024
- sue18120 contributionsA great start to our stay in RotaruaWe were recommended to do this tour by someone we met in a supermarket in The Coramandel Peninsula and it certainly lived up to our expectations. We had booked a morning tour but we were asked if we would mind being upgraded to the longer afternoon tour as we were the only 2 people booked for the morning. We happily agreed to join the 4 other passengers in the afternoon for the Lakes tour. Esther was our driver and guide and she was excellent and managed to give an informative and amusing commentary. It was really helpful to have done this tour on our arrival in Rotarua because Esther was able to explain so much about the geography, the history and the people who live and have lived in the area. She was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. We thoroughly recommend the tour.Written 5 September 2024
- Inspire501225474700 contributionsGreat tripThe tour was great. Esther was knowledgeable, friendly and funny tour guide. Would recommend others to do this tour. Well worth it.Written 12 August 2024
- Hughsi0 contributionsA great experience and a must do!We had a ball! The views were amazing! Our guide Ester made the trip very memorable! Loved the music entering the lake!😂 Mark and Shirree AustraliaWritten 6 August 2024
- vickit6490 contributionsAqua Duck day outThe Aqua duck tour was fantastic. Matt was very entertaining. He was very knowledgeable of the area. The Government Gardens were also great.Written 1 August 2024
- Roam076243772750 contributionsThoroughly recommended/Give the girl a pay raiseA big ups to Esther our guide who was the most Humorous / Informative competent young lady. Great to a fellow comrade from the far north, spreading her skills and knowledge with the roopu. Our group was amazing 👏Written 24 July 2024
- jacquicreighton0 contributionsGreat fun!Our driver was knowledgeable & gave a very humorous commentary. Our grandson especially enjoyed seeing Bruce the goose! Scenery was beautiful despite a grey cloudy day.Written 18 July 2024
- jodiesD3151FH0 contributionsGreat experience, great price!Alex was a brilliant guide! So knowledgeable and you could tell he really loved what he did! Suitable for the whole family, amazing views! Lovely afternoon out!Written 18 July 2024
- TSandH0 contributionsExcellentA great trip with Alex, our driver being both informative and entertaining. We booked it last minute and are glad we did.Written 17 July 2024
- sherylw9530 contributionsHighly Recommend 💯I recommend this experience 💯 We were a family of 5, ages 2 years old up and I tell you this is by far some beautiful memories we have added to our album.To our host, you are bomb dignity girl,such a vibeWritten 12 July 2024
- Tourist486413107150 contributionsBeautiful views and amazing tourMy son and I had a amazing time ☺️ that's to our tour guide Esther. Great hospitality and gave me a great insight of what actually happened at the mount Tarawera eruption ❤️ had a awesome time and seeing the wonderful views on the lake'sWritten 8 July 2024
- kimberlyhX7904WI0 contributionsEnjoyed the rideIt was very informative a bit chilly on the rivers but lovely adventure. The driver had some cool stories about each river.Written 8 July 2024
- Explore216768860270 contributionsGreat experienceWhat an absolute delight of a tour with a very knowledgeable and funny guide. She had the most interesting facts and stories and made the trip so much more interesting! A very much recommended activity when visiting Rotorua!Written 19 June 2024
- Odyssey045977354070 contributionsSo much funGreat trip, fabulous fun, super knowledgeable and friendly guide/driver/skipper. Transition from road to lake was amazing as was the condition of this WW2 duck.I'mWritten 17 June 2024
- Escape003749532590 contributionsQuack quack with EstherThoroughly enjoyed the trip which was even more interesting with the all-in-one host ; driver; conductor; and commentator EstherWritten 11 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
175 reviews
Excellent
154
Very good
18
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Nico
Auckland, New Zealand2 contributions
Jun 2020
Absolutely fantastic experience. It was such a thrill driving into the lakes and the scenery was breath-taking. And awesome value at only $95 for a 2+ hour experience. The staff at the store where you sign in couldn't have been more helpful. The guide was incredibly funny and I stepped off the tour knowing much more about Rotorua’s history and the background of the amphibious vehicle itself.
Written 16 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this amazing review. We appreciate the kind words and the support during this time. Without you coming on our tours we can't continue to keep doing what we are doing so we can't thank you enough and we are so pleased that you had fun!
Written 25 June 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Michael and Carol
2 contributions
Jun 2020
We took our 2 grandchildren aged 6 and 7 years on this tour. They started off apprehensive and by the end of the tour really enjoyed the experience. The tour guides Josh (who did the talking) was funny and gave a good history of the area and the driver (sorry I have forgotten your name) made the experience memorable for the children by including them /making them feel really special, that they wanted to go back again next day. I would highly recommend this tour for any age group as the experience was magic! Thank you
Written 26 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raa
4 contributions
Dec 2021
My friends and I did this tour in December 2021 with tour guide Josh. Going on the lakes was amazing, the stories and history shared was insightful and Josh was hilarious. Going on the lakes was an experience and one which I want to go on again. Being kiwis, I never thought I would do a "tourist attraction" having visited Rotorua countless times, but this was a great experience and one which I would recommend to all tourists and locals.
Written 12 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the review! We have enjoyed being able to show people a little piece of their own backyard in a fun and engaging way. We think you can never stop learning and exploring your own country and its been so nice to be apart of that these past years.
Written 14 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rick O
Auckland, New Zealand4 contributions
Feb 2021
A tour not to be missed and definitely value for money. Marcus is an excellent tour guide, funny and knows the area like the back of his hand which makes the tour all the more interesting. A hive of information and utmost credit to him for making sure of our safety by checking his dear old 'Duck' every time she climbed out of the water. We were a party of three generations, all of whom were totally absorbed throughout the whole tour. Thank you and the best of luck in these very stressful times. Margaret O
Written 15 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much! We have loved reading your review and are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with us. Nga Mihi!
Written 24 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mic
Rotorua District, New Zealand1 contribution
Jul 2021
This was our first opportunity to experience this unique attraction and it didn't let us down. Using a WW2 amphibious "duck" gave us the ability to travel on both land and then water without having to change vehicles. The weather was "foul" but Josh made the trip fun exciting and very informative. He is a valuable asset to this operation and he gives it his all the whole trip. He is a wealth of local knowledge and he shares it in a fun and friendly manner. We had a wide range of age groups on the trip with us ranging from (estimated) 5 years old , teens right through to (again estimated) pensioners and everyone came of the trip with a huge smile and laughing and talking about how fun the trip was. Highly recommend this trip to anyone looking for that "something different experience".
Written 17 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fishydishy2014
Rotorua, New Zealand3 contributions
Jan 2020
Thirteen years ago, my soon-to-be husband and I, along with family and friends took a tour on the Duck before getting married - like, immediately before, in a wedding dress etc. We've been on it twice since as an anniversary trip, the last one being just yesterday. It was great! We're locals but would recommend it for locals and travellers as well. It's a great way to see some of Rotorua so you can plan other things if you're here for a day or two, or if you're only around for the day, you can see some of Rotorua and hear a bit of local history. Our tour guide Shelley had a great sense of humour and was very knowledgeable about our local history and the history of the ducks. Our kids all had a great time too, so works for all ages. Totally recommend! We'll be back, maybe for our 20th :)
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul S
Napier, New Zealand47 contributions
Matt was our excellent driver & guide on a very hot January afternoon.
The duck is a genuine 1940’s American WW2 amphibious truck, so it is noisy, slow & bumpy n the road, but that is part of the experience. Matt drove it well out to the lakes up & down hills , then floating us not the lake, through busy holiday traffic (roads & boats).
All this while maintaining and steady good natured , informative commentary.
Make sure you are dressed suitably, there is a roof, but no windows, so on our hot afternoon we got warm, especially out on the water. We were glad that we bought our water bottles along.
A great tour & experience for adults & kids alike.
The duck is a genuine 1940’s American WW2 amphibious truck, so it is noisy, slow & bumpy n the road, but that is part of the experience. Matt drove it well out to the lakes up & down hills , then floating us not the lake, through busy holiday traffic (roads & boats).
All this while maintaining and steady good natured , informative commentary.
Make sure you are dressed suitably, there is a roof, but no windows, so on our hot afternoon we got warm, especially out on the water. We were glad that we bought our water bottles along.
A great tour & experience for adults & kids alike.
Written 4 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our Ducks we like to say have character, definitely an experience in themselves! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us, thank you for coming along!
Written 9 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tammy F
1 contribution
Josh is highly knowledgeable about local history and his interesting stories were very entertaining on our tour. Sightseeing by a WWII Duck was a fabulous activity even in the rain. We could pull down the sides and still enjoy the tour if the rain was too fierce. Josh’s song selection was on point as we drove along and his jokes would make any Dad proud. The beauty of the lakes speak for themselves. Spectacular. Everyone who visits Rotorua should check this out.
Written 4 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John K
Christchurch, New Zealand2 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
Absolutely awesome experience. Superb views with some very good tour guides who know a lot about the history and cultural knowledge of the areas, particularly the lakes. Customer service from all of the staff was 5 star which unfortunately is a rare thing these days. A must do.
Written 10 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your kind words, we pride ourselves on giving people a positive experience from the moment they contact us and we are very glad to hear you had this experience!
Written 15 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kelsey B
3 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
The duck tour was very entertaining, the guide Esther was fantastic, she had fun jokes along the way and told great stories interpreting the area around us. It’s beautiful scenery of course but the guide is really what makes the scene come to life. Highly recommend being driven around on the duck, it’s a nice mix of a boat ride and transportation without any fuss. Amazing option for backpackers that don’t have a vehicle to get out and see the lakes!
Written 6 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So glad you had a great time , Yes Esther is the bomb and think you for taking the time to write a comment t it means a lot , Ollie
Written 7 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
How much notice do you need to do a booking and if you want to do the three which is the best ones to do and whats the good deals you have
Written 12 May 2021
Showing results 1-2 of 2
