Attractions & Museums
1 hour
Free cancellation
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Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$67
per adult
The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa
The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa
The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa
5
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Full view
About
The National Kiwi Hatchery is the national leader in kiwi husbandry, egg incubation systems, hatching techniques and kiwi chick rearing. During hatching season (September - March) you'll get to see kiwi eggs being incubated, the hatching process and newly hatched kiwi chicks. Educational, thought-provoking and truly unique experiences, you'll get to see how we're helping kiwi at the largest and most successful kiwi hatchery in the world.
Rotorua, New Zealand
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
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5.0
113 reviews
Excellent
94
Very good
16
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA
Feb 2025 • Couples
Traveling to NZ, we wanted to see some kiwis one way or another. Browsing the options, a lot of places seemed more like zoos than something focused on kiwi learning. We opted for the Kiwi Hatchery and it was a wise decision. The experience is located on the Agrodome property, so we took the first Hatchery tour followed by visiting the Agrodome. The tour group was small (I think 6 including ourselves). The tour has a lot of information packed in and I felt like I had a decent understanding of the bird when leaving. In terms of live kiwi viewing, there is an enclosure with a few adult birds. This is quite dark as it mimics night since they are nocturnal. We were able to spot 2 of the 3 in this area. We then got a look at some eggs they were caring for and even a baby kiwi that they were taking the vitals of. This is from behind a glass wall so you can get some good looks. While I didn't go to other kiwi attractions, I think it'd be tough to find a better one. This is a responsible tour, very informational, and we got to see kiwis big and small. Even better, all the money spent goes back to the kiwi conservation cause. Check this one out.
Written 16 February 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.
Apr 2024 • Couples
We loved our visit to the Agrodome and National Kiwi Hatchery. The experience begins with a small museum to get some background on the kiwi and the threats they face. Then you get to see into the nocturnal room and try to catch a glimpse of a full grown kiwi (we spotted one and it was exciting!). The highlight was watching a 12 day old kiwi (just a little ball with a chopstick beak) get fed while falling asleep. If you love wierd birds, this place is great.
Written 4 May 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.
cgmoo
London, UK
Dec 2024 • Friends
Always a hard decision to make to see wildlife being kept in captivity, but here they are doing it with a great conservation hat on, and they tell you the process of what they do and the why as well as the how.
It is all very well set up, and as well as being able to see the young kiwi's they tell you so much about them. We were lucky to see 3 kiwi's in the dark, and the groups that you are put in are small enough that you get the chance to stand and watch the kiwi's without feeling that you need to move aside to let someone else get the same chance.
And as you move through the site you learn more as you go.
The host was knowledgable and friendly, and did not make us feel rushed.
Hard to give a good score, as I want to keep this hatchery a great secret to leave the kiwi's in peace, but I know that they money collected from our visits helps them continue the programme.
A great set up for the visitors, and the kiwi's
It is all very well set up, and as well as being able to see the young kiwi's they tell you so much about them. We were lucky to see 3 kiwi's in the dark, and the groups that you are put in are small enough that you get the chance to stand and watch the kiwi's without feeling that you need to move aside to let someone else get the same chance.
And as you move through the site you learn more as you go.
The host was knowledgable and friendly, and did not make us feel rushed.
Hard to give a good score, as I want to keep this hatchery a great secret to leave the kiwi's in peace, but I know that they money collected from our visits helps them continue the programme.
A great set up for the visitors, and the kiwi's
Written 1 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.
Thank you for sharing such an informative review and being a part of our conservation journey just by visiting!
Written 6 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vicky T
Brisbane, Australia
Jun 2024 • Couples
We are so glad we chose to do this Kiwi hatchery tour. Harley was our tour guide and he did a great job at teaching us all about the kiwi in a friendly fun manner. We saw some kiwi but they are not fond of humans so could be hard to spot sometimes. This organization relies on funding from tour visitors to keep doing the very important task of helping the endangered kiwi species survive. Such a fabulous experience! Thank you to Harley and the team.
Written 1 July 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.
Julia @Scrumptious Solent
Southampton, UK
Mar 2024 • Couples
We did the more expensive ‘behind the scenes’ tour which gave us exclusive access to the hatchery and the opportunity to get up close with a kiwi chick and take photos (photos not permitted on the ‘usual group tour).
We had the privilege of being shown round by Pippi on our own so got the opportunity to ask lots of questions on our personal tour for the two of us. Fascinating to learn about the kiwis lifecycle and challenges and how the team are helping to boost survival rates in the wild by treating them from eggs in captivity and then reintroducing them to the wild when they reach the crucial one kilo weight (which stops them being easy bait for stoats to eat).
Our personal tour took about 1:5 hours and was well worth the investment. You have to book a long way in advance as the team rightly look to limit close up encounters with the kiwi chicks during their development.
Fascinating to hear that the chicks are taken back to the forest which they were taken from as eggs so the circle of life continues in that vicinity.
The centre is now part of the agrodome farm campus (although run separately) so follow the signs for that park.
There’s a nice cafe and gift shop on-site too!
We had the privilege of being shown round by Pippi on our own so got the opportunity to ask lots of questions on our personal tour for the two of us. Fascinating to learn about the kiwis lifecycle and challenges and how the team are helping to boost survival rates in the wild by treating them from eggs in captivity and then reintroducing them to the wild when they reach the crucial one kilo weight (which stops them being easy bait for stoats to eat).
Our personal tour took about 1:5 hours and was well worth the investment. You have to book a long way in advance as the team rightly look to limit close up encounters with the kiwi chicks during their development.
Fascinating to hear that the chicks are taken back to the forest which they were taken from as eggs so the circle of life continues in that vicinity.
The centre is now part of the agrodome farm campus (although run separately) so follow the signs for that park.
There’s a nice cafe and gift shop on-site too!
Written 16 March 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.
Regan K
New York
Dec 2023 • Friends
We learned about Rotorua’s National Kiwi Hatchery while we were staying in Taupo for a few days. We emailed back and forth a few times trying to book the behind-the-scenes tour (do not believe the website—the online booking system seems unusable) before finally nabbing a spot. Note that bookings are handled by folks at Agrodome, which hosts the Hatchery, but they don’t seem to know much about the tours and are slow to respond to email.
Once we showed up, though, all of our frustration disappeared. We were the only two booked for the tour (they cap it at four) and were put in the capable hands of Eve, a kiwi keeper who is enthusiastic and passionate about kiwis and conservation. Since it was just the two of us on the tour, we were able to set the pace ourselves, skipping over the general overview since we’d been to another kiwi facility previously. We got to the kiwi chick area as quickly as we could (after a brief time in the dark room, where the only adult kiwi was hiding and couldn’t be seen) and got to meet THREE kiwi chicks: one that had hatched an hour before, one that was four days old, and one that was 24 days old.
A major highlight of this tour was the ability to take pictures everywhere (except the dark room). For the regular tour (far less expensive), pictures of the chicks are prohibited. But Eve encouraged us to take lots of photos. So we snapped away as she and another keeper weighed and checked out the two older chicks, letting us get nice and close (though not touch, of course). We got to enjoy a lot of time with the chicks (almost an hour and a half) and picked Eve’s brain with every question we could think of. We ended at the gift shop, which had some nice things but could have had more.
This tour was very expensive, but worth it if you’re really into kiwis and want to have a good amount of exposure to them. We’d previously visited the West Coast Wildlife Center near Franz Josef, where you can see more adult kiwis and maybe some chicks behind glass; they had better (reasonably priced) options for sponsoring kiwi chicks. Still, it’s hard to beat being able to lean in and look at a baby kiwi’s face from inches away.
We applaud the work they’re doing. If you’re considering the behind the scenes tour, do it!
Once we showed up, though, all of our frustration disappeared. We were the only two booked for the tour (they cap it at four) and were put in the capable hands of Eve, a kiwi keeper who is enthusiastic and passionate about kiwis and conservation. Since it was just the two of us on the tour, we were able to set the pace ourselves, skipping over the general overview since we’d been to another kiwi facility previously. We got to the kiwi chick area as quickly as we could (after a brief time in the dark room, where the only adult kiwi was hiding and couldn’t be seen) and got to meet THREE kiwi chicks: one that had hatched an hour before, one that was four days old, and one that was 24 days old.
A major highlight of this tour was the ability to take pictures everywhere (except the dark room). For the regular tour (far less expensive), pictures of the chicks are prohibited. But Eve encouraged us to take lots of photos. So we snapped away as she and another keeper weighed and checked out the two older chicks, letting us get nice and close (though not touch, of course). We got to enjoy a lot of time with the chicks (almost an hour and a half) and picked Eve’s brain with every question we could think of. We ended at the gift shop, which had some nice things but could have had more.
This tour was very expensive, but worth it if you’re really into kiwis and want to have a good amount of exposure to them. We’d previously visited the West Coast Wildlife Center near Franz Josef, where you can see more adult kiwis and maybe some chicks behind glass; they had better (reasonably priced) options for sponsoring kiwi chicks. Still, it’s hard to beat being able to lean in and look at a baby kiwi’s face from inches away.
We applaud the work they’re doing. If you’re considering the behind the scenes tour, do it!
Written 18 December 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.
BerlinTraveller79
Berlin, Germany
Jan 2024 • Family
We were not impressed. We only saw two kiwis, one in the dark and one very far away. They also went massively over time, so we got into trouble with later bookings. They should really also tell you in advance that all videos and photos are forbidden. It was simply not a good experience. Their work is admirable, but they should not do tours.
Written 20 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.
KT from Ohio
Shaker Heights, United States
Dec 2023 • Family
This tour was well worth the time. The hatchery has moved to the Agrodome, and there were also sheep herding demonstrations. We learned so much about the kiwi bird - really admirable efforts to breed and keep the species alive.
Written 26 December 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.
AndoBeatts
Melbourne, Australia
Mar 2023 • Friends
This was an absolutely brilliant experience in Rotorua! We had a fantastic guide Teresa who was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly.
We were lucky enough to see four baby kiwis — two just over a week old, and two newly hatched the day before.
They’re such weird little creatures and we learned so much about them and then absolutely great work the hatchery is doing to save these amazing birds from extinction.
The museum section with the giant egg you can walk into is really well done and all the signage and displays are super informative. We also got to watch an assistant handle one of the kiwis and weigh and feed them.
The nocturnal section on the way out is really cool too as you can see a kiwi forage in the darkness in an environment very similar to their natural one.
Well done to these guys for such a great tour and the incredible work they’re doing!
We were lucky enough to see four baby kiwis — two just over a week old, and two newly hatched the day before.
They’re such weird little creatures and we learned so much about them and then absolutely great work the hatchery is doing to save these amazing birds from extinction.
The museum section with the giant egg you can walk into is really well done and all the signage and displays are super informative. We also got to watch an assistant handle one of the kiwis and weigh and feed them.
The nocturnal section on the way out is really cool too as you can see a kiwi forage in the darkness in an environment very similar to their natural one.
Well done to these guys for such a great tour and the incredible work they’re doing!
Written 17 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.
Penny H
DeForest, WI
May 2023 • Friends
We actually got to see a few day old kiwi and some older ones running around in the darkness. Learned a lot about this amazing creature. You can tell the Staff is really committed to helping them continue to thrive in the wild. No photos aloud of the birds, which is okay. Thank you.
Written 20 June 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.
How long do you think is enough time to allocate to visiting?
Written 15 August 2023
Including a short shuttle ride from the reception office to the actual hatchery and back, you are comfortably visiting the little kiwis in about 2 hours.
Written 16 February 2025
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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.