Rotorua Geothermal Living Maori Village Tour Whakarewarewa 6.5hours Tour
4.5

Rotorua Geothermal Living Maori Village Tour Whakarewarewa 6.5hours Tour

By Cruise Tours Tauranga
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Visit an authentic Living Maori Village deep in the geothermal region of Rotorua on this full-day excursion including a light lunch of a hangi pie, salad and corn. Tour with a local Maori guide and learn about how the villagers have adapted to the harsh geothermal environment. You tour will also include visits to the famous Government Gardens and Rotorua Lake. This is a small group tour with a group size usually up to 18 persons. Please note that the ticket sent to you by Viator/TripAdvisor will show the standard tour departure time. As the ships arrival time in port varies so much, we adjust the start and end times each day to suit the ships time in port. When your booking is accepted by us, we will confirm the true start time for the day, which overrides the time printed on your voucher. We use the correct times for the ship which we take from the Port of Tauranga web site.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 20 per group
Duration: 6h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Experienced professional guide
  • Port pickup and drop-off
  • Maori cultural performance
  • FREE light lunch, hangi style
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Entry/Admission - Whakarewarewa - The Living Maori Village
What's not included
  • Personal expenses


Start:
  • 1 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
    The meeting point for passengers off the cruise ships is on the grass by the flag poll just outside the port pedestrian exit gate on Salisbury Avenue. If you are not travelling on a cruise ship then this is still the meeting point unless you have made an alternative arrangement with us.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Pushchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 15629P5

    • Most travellers can participate
    • You must provide your own infant/child seat if required
    • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately. We suggest layers with hats and sunscreen
    • Tour departure time may change due to early and/or late ship arrivals and departures. You will be notified at time of booking Please check your emails to confirm tour departure times. This will over ride the time printed on the voucher.
    • Please check in with us 15 minutes prior to the departure time we advise you.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 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: 15629P5

    From
    $235.00
    per adult
    Select date and travellers

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 1 Salisbury Avenue, Mount Maunganui 3116, New Zealand
      The meeting point for passengers off the cruise ships is on the grass by the flag poll just outside the port pedestrian exit gate on Salisbury Avenue. If you are not travelling on a cruise ship then this is still the meeting point unless you have made an alternative arrangement with us.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
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    • 5
    • 6
      Pass by
      Te Puke
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Cruise Tours Tauranga
      355
      Tauranga, New Zealand
      Joined in November 2013
    • chrissiefD8813HY
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      We enjoyed this tour.
      We had a great day out from our cruise ship, seeing many interesting and varied sights around Rotorua with our friendly and knowledgeable driver/ guide Richie. He was excellent. The itinerary was good value, better than expected, and the pre-tour arrangements worked perfectly.
      Written 15 February 2025
    • Excursion53507888862
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Must see location!
      It is a must see location in New Zealand if you have seen the Lord of the Rings and/or the Hobbit movies. Plus the countryside is just beautiful. It was nice to get out of a large industrial port, which was not very attractive! Easy to meet the tour right outside the port gate.
      Written 15 February 2025
    • N8287UUjulianao
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Evocative
      Brilliant, excellent guide: Brad. Amazing to see Hobbiton in real life, walk through the village and through the home. Very immersive
      Written 8 February 2025
    • Rich D
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Decent enough
      Redwoods and Rotorua highlight…no geysers seen on this tour. History lesson by Alistair was good. Lunch apparently made with heat from natural steam was ok. Van was not very comfortable as space not sufficient to stretch out for suck a long journey.
      Written 6 February 2025
    • simplyelegantsusan
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Mixed Feelings
      While parts of this tour were interesting, in retrospect with only being able to spend one day in Tauranga we would not choose this tour again. There was a lot of driving and the "bus" was uncomfortable. The seat belts were stiff and locked into place with no flexibility. I was also disappointed that it was advertised as a 6 hour tour and the driver took the liberty to make it a 6 1/2 hour tour. The issue is that had he kept it to 6 hours we would have had enough time to take the shuttle into town and see another side of the city before we had to board the cruise ship. Since he extended the tour we missed this opportunity. Please don't get me wrong. Seeing the steaming hot beds and bubbling mud pools isn't something you see every day so we enjoyed the Kuirau Park. The Redwood Forest and walking through it on suspension bridges was a lot of fun. I wasn't sure why we stopped at the Tehokowhitu-A-Tu Village since we weren't able to go inside. That seemed odd to me. I guess they didn't want to pay the entrance feel for all of us. We were given a snack there at 2:00. It was marginal since we were all were starving. There was no other opportunity available to buy lunch during the tour. Everything else on the tour wasn't necessarily note worthy. If you are spending multiple days in Tauranga this might be a good option for you, but if you are on a cruise ship and you only have one day I would recommend something else. Shortening the tour might be a great option since there is so much time spent driving around and removing things like seeing the kiwi trees and the Mount Maunganui.
      Written 5 February 2025
    • 469helen
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Hobbiton visit
      Loved visiting hobbiton. It does not disappoint. Like being in the movie. Excellent job of maintaining the location for everyone to enjoy
      Written 2 February 2025
    • Catherine C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing Hobbiton trip!
      Absolutely LOVED Hobbiton! It was even better than expected and there was never any doubt that we would make it back to the boat in time! Thank you! Our driver, Gary, was great and he had really good commentary for the entire long drive to Hobbiton! Loved seeing the countryside and the extra stops along the way. Beautiful country, amazing tour. Thank you!
      Written 31 January 2025
    • sampaul21
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best tour and value for money
      The tour was fantastic. We covered the hot spring, Mauri village with thermal activity, we ate mauri style cooking, we went to a red wood forest, saw kiwi plantation and Brian the tour guide was an absolute encyclopaedia.
      Written 18 January 2025
    • Stephani S
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Couldn’t have been better! Great tour!! We had good weather, short less than one hour drive from our ship in Tauranga.
      This was a bucket list for one in our group of friends so the other 5 of us were surprised to enjoy this incredible experience as much as she did even though we were not movie fans, we loved it!
      Written 13 January 2025
    • mazan4
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A bit of everything NZ
      This is the perfect tour to experience so many amazing and unique aspects of NZ - the mudpools, the sulpher ponds, geysers, a Maori cultural performances, Maori artwork, a kiwi sanctuary, kangaroos. All in one tour. Our guide promised to get us back to the cruiseline on time and we did not have to worry. Our guide really took care of us. I highly recommend this tour. It was one of the best tours we took in NZ.
      Written 12 January 2025
    • Destination284201
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      This tour, through Cruise Tours Tauranga, was one of the best tours we have ever been on.
      The tour through Cruise Tours Tauranga was excellent. Our bus guide was knowledgable and Finn, our Hobbiton tour guide was fantastic. Love the tour and would do it again in a heart beat.
      Written 10 January 2025
    • vickidY3459KM
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommend this tour
      Amazing experience & beautiful country! Our tour guide Ritchie was fantastic, very knowledgeable, loves his country, loves what he does & a wonderful person to boot. Made our day an absolute pleasure!
      Written 6 January 2025
    • jianhuaw2020
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      Simon had an encyclopaedic knowledge of everything and even took us to Government Gardens. A wonderful guide. The tour took us to many interesting places, very much packed.
      Written 2 January 2025
    • C8687YLstefaniep
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing
      We had an amazing day with a wonderful guide! We learned a lot about New Zealand and fell even more in love with this beautiful country.
      Written 24 December 2024
    • bamamargo
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Hobbiton
      This was fantastic! We got on the ship close to the cruise port. Our driver was nice, friendly and informative. We arrived at Hobbiton and we were told by our driver where to meet and what time to get in line for our tour. We were bused by a Hobbiton bus to the Shire where the Hobbit house were. Our walking guide was very informative as she led us to all the houses. We were allowed to enter the last house and it was so cutely decorated with Hobbit things and stuff you saw in the movie. We ended with a free drink at the Green Dragon. Loved this tour so much. It was so awesome.
      Written 18 December 2024
    See all 355 reviews
    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.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles53 reviews
    Excellent
    36
    Very good
    11
    Average
    3
    Poor
    1
    Terrible
    2

    Anne S
    Kennewick, WA11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2023 • Family
    An interesting place to visit. We have been twice with our family members who are visiting. Both times we had Michael for our tour guide who did an excellent job; he enjoys what he is doing and is very personable.

    The cultural dance was phenomenal.

    If more family members come to visit, it will be one of the stops we make on their vacation.

    Our one challenge has been booking our hangi pie online at the same time we booked our admission tickets. I would suggest to just purchase what you want after your tour, (pre booking did not save any money) or be sure to bring copies of both order numbers (tour and hangi pie) if you choose to pre book. I did not have the preorder hangi pie order number with me, and though they did give us the pies, it was a stressful not only for our family, but for the involved staff as well.
    Written 25 January 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.
    Thank you for your review, though i am not sure you travelled with us. On our tour we include the hangi pie lunch as part of the tour cost.
    Written 27 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Barry S
    Bartlett, TN2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Our driver, Richard, was very informative, and we were able to cover a lot of ground in the provided time. The Maori Village was definitely the highlight of the day, and the Maori guide provided great insights into their people & culture. The Maori performed ceremonial dances & songs that definitely showed cultural pride & joy.
    Written 2 February 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.
    Thanks for your very positive review, regards Ian
    Written 10 February 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Kimberley B
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful tour guide on bus. At the Māori village, the highlight of the tour, the Māori guide was soooo informative of the lifestyle of the people as she lives in it. The “concert”, as she called it, was amazing. The singers and dancers were very talented and polished with their performance. Our fabulous guide at Māori village impressed me as she knew song words and dances (and participated in the background at the “concert”) as she had previously been one of the performers sometime before becoming a guide! What an authentic experience!
    Written 26 October 2023
    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.
    Yes, the traditional cultural concert is a real highlight of the tour, thank you for your kind comments.
    Written 13 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Paul M
    Felixstowe, UK29 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small group tour it’s about a 90minute journey from the port in a bery comfortable air conditioned minibus .
    It was a fantastic insight into a Māori village life and after a light lunch Ona tribal because of our cruise ship late docking we were led around by the very enthusiastic Johnny and were then treated to a Māori welcome show , although the tour is geared to tourism it’s still authentic
    Do be mindful of wearing the right footwear as it’s very warm under foot
    To break the journey up on the way back we stopped off at a redwood forest and a kiwi fruit orchard and even had time for a 10
    Minute stop to take some photos on the north beach before being dropped off at the port
    Captain Jack on his first day was a great guide and he and his mentor Ritchie are a credit to the company , both thoughtful and informative and sensitive to all the groups needs and abilities who ranged in age from 50’s to 70’s
    Thoroughly recommended and excellent experience
    Written 25 January 2025
    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.
    Thanks for your review, i know that Jack will be pleased that his first day as the lead guide on a tour went so well for you, he will be a great asset to our team. Regards Ian
    Written 26 January 2025
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    KF1212
    Madison, WI2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023
    This was a great experience to see the Maori culture, share a meal, and get a great understanding of their life style today. Really loved the size of the tour - 15 people max and that we also got to see the Red Woods as well as how KIWI grow. Would have loved more time at both and less time touring through the neighborhoods to see the lake - routes had a lot of speed bumps! Richard had a great relationship at the village and was pushed for time since the boat schedule changed by an hour. Nice pick up right at the dock.
    Written 1 February 2023
    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.
    Pleased you enjoyed the tour, those speed bumps are a real pain, literally. Local council idea, sorry.
    Written 3 February 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    G2
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2023 • Couples
    Just WOW! Geoff, you are an amazing tour guide! We booked last minute on the dock, and didn’t have high expectations for a tour because we waited so long. After chatting with you for a few minutes, we booked the Māori village tour. We must say, we were impressed with your knowledge of the area, juggling 2 different groups from various countries, you made sure that EVERYONE got the best experience possible. By the time we got back to the port, we felt like we were leaving a friend behind.

    As for the Māori village tour, are you sure you don’t have family there? Everyone seemed to know you, and I’ll guarantee that we got the VIP treatment because of you. Out of the 6 ports we have already been to, this was by far the most memorable experience and a whole lot of fun. Thank you Geoff!

    I would not hesitate to book another tour with Scott’s, even at the last minute. We have one more port to go, and the cruise line just cancelled our tour. Hopefully Scott’s will be at the port to save the day!
    Written 16 March 2023
    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.
    Geoff will be pleased to know you had a great time, but you have posted this review on the wrong company site, you should have gone to Scotts Tours web site review page.
    Written 18 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Carol N
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2023 • Family
    An amazing day trip from our cruise. Our guide was very good and informative. The highlight of the day was the Maori culture performance of the haka. We also enjoyed hearing about the Maori way of living and hot steaming springs.
    Written 6 February 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.
    Thanks for your very positive review, regards Ian
    Written 10 February 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Lys M
    Melbourne, Australia4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2022
    Enjoyed the genuine Maori Village. Delighted that we had time to visit the Redwood Forest, the Rapids, Botanical Gardens and points of interest not listed on the itinerary. Enjoyed returning to Tauranga via a different route, so covered a lot of ground.
    Written 17 November 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.

    himanshu0072015
    New Delhi, India205 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2019
    Wonderful authentic cultural experience. Great to see a living Maori village. The geothermals are a fascinating sight & quite surreal. If you are sensitive to strong sulpur smells thenyou might need to stay away. The Maori dancers and interludes were educative and fun. The guide who walked around the village spoke fluently and explained her heritage well. Despite the long drive - I'd definitely recommend a visit to this unique tour.
    Written 8 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.
    Thanks for the review you gave us here at CruiseToursTauranga. The Living Maori Village is a fascinating location and one we love to take our clients too when their cruise ships call in at Tauranga, just an hours drive away. Regards Ian
    Written 9 January 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Nickyd
    Melbourne, Australia4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020 • Couples
    We really enjoyed the cultural show at the Living Maori Village.. The singing and dancing was beautiful.. They are so talented.. The young lady who led us around the village which has been in her family for generations was funny, informative and a natural..Also Richard, our driver who picked us up to take us on the tour was lovely.. On the way to the village we stopped off to sample honey and ice cream and on the way back he took us to a kiwi fruit farm and we got to sample gold and green kiwi fruit and kiwifruit ice-cream... Yum.. Such a good day.. Well worth going.
    Written 8 February 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.
    Pleased you had a great day with our guide Richard, we try and break up the one hour drive to Rotorua from the port with a few stops along the way at some great little local family businesses. Change to see the kiwifruit orchards and taste the produce. Regards Ian
    Written 11 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Rotorua Geothermal Living Maori Village Tour Whakarewarewa 6.5hours Tour provided by Cruise Tours Tauranga

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