South Pacific
New Zealand
North Island
Bay of Plenty Region
Rotorua District
Rotorua
Things to do in Rotorua
Tamaki Māori Village

Tamaki Māori Village, Rotorua: Address, Phone Number, Tamaki Māori Village Reviews: 4.5/5

See all things to do

Tamaki Māori Village

See all things to do
See all things to do
Tamaki Māori Village
4.5
5,407
#6 of 64 things to do in Rotorua
Historic Sites
Visit website
Call
Email
About
Tamaki Māori Village – Evening Cultural Experience. New Zealand’s Most Awarded Cultural Experience! Experience an evening of ceremonial ritual, powerful cultural performance, storytelling & hāngi feasting. Share in the Pōwhiri, our ancient ceremony of welcome before entering our pre-European Māori Village nestled within a native Tawa Forest. The village comes alive with sights, sounds & activity of days gone by including haka, poi, tattooing, weaving, carving and arts of warrior training. You will have the opportunity to participate in these activities. Witness the earth being scraped away from the hāngi pit to reveal baskets of food cooked beneath the ground on hot stones. Enter the ancestral meeting house and enjoy a powerful cultural performance before dining the traditional hāngi buffet feast!
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
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.
Top ways to experience Tamaki Māori Village
See all
The area
Address
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
246 within 5 kms
Ali Baba's Tunisian Takeaways
850
0.5 km$ • Mediterranean • Healthy • Middle Eastern
El Mexicano Zapata
562
0.5 km$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • Central American
Sabroso
736
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Latin • South American
Scope
211
0.5 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • European • New Zealand
Artisan Cafe
492
0.5 km$$ - $$$ • Cafe • New Zealand • Vegetarian Friendly
Capizzi Pizzeria
444
0.4 km$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly
Gelato Mio Ice Cream
168
0.6 km$ • Dessert • Cafe • Gluten Free Options
Ciccio Italian Cafe
579
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Italian • Vegetarian Friendly
Indian Star Restaurant
1,790
0.5 km$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Balti
Le Café de Paris
375
0.5 km$$ - $$$ • French • Cafe • European
See all
Attractions
36 within 5 kms
Rotorua i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
343
0.3 kmVisitor Centres
Sulphur Point
144
0.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Whangapipiro Rachel Pool
14
0.2 kmHot Springs & Geysers
Government Gardens
1,176
0.4 kmHistoric Sites • Gardens
Rotorua Night Market
166
0.4 kmFlea & Street Markets
Fancy Meow Cat Cafe
487
0.6 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Bibleworld Musuem & Discovery Centre
50
0.4 kmSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Arawa War Memorial Statue
12
0.3 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Monuments & Statues
Eat Street
939
0.5 kmNeighbourhoods
Rotorua Antiques & Collectables
36
0.5 kmAntique Shops
See all
Popular mentions
4.5
5,407 reviews
Excellent
3,894
Very good
1,057
Average
292
Poor
93
Terrible
71
Le O
1 contribution
Fun experience
May 2021 • Friends
TJ and aunty Kim were fantastic hosts and the experience was very fun and intimate. The food was awesome and the vegan option was super tasty
Written 9 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RMcM50
17 contributions
Conference group visit
May 2021
Fascinating tour with an experienced guide who gave us insights into the village’s history and current life as a living village. A real eye opener!
Written 27 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thank you for the great review! It was a pleasure to host your conference group and we are happy to hear you found our experience fascinating! Ngā mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 3 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
809kayp
Auckland, New Zealand15 contributions
A fun cultural experience
Apr 2021
This was a most interesting cultural and dining experience. Everything was well prepared and flowed seamlessly from one part to another. The guides were so friendly and informative. My husband and I and our granddaughters learned a lot, and enjoyed every minute. The hands on experience with the dough was great for the children especially, and the food was delicious and plenty of it.

Thank you so much for hosting us. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.
Written 3 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thanks so much for your wonderful review and recommending us, we are glad to hear your family enjoyed their experience at Tamaki Māori Village!
Written 9 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tour217433
4 contributions
Family holiday
Mar 2021 • Family
I didn’t really have too much idea of what I had booked I just wanted my kids to have a cultural experience. I was nervous that they wouldn’t enjoy it but what a fantastic night! We loved absolutely everything about it. We enjoyed every second of the over 4 hour experience and we left with bellies full of delicious food. The staff were all so friendly and made the whole night even better. I have 1 reasonably fussy eater but he tried everything. I think this is a must do if you go to Rotorua. We are still all talking about it 3 days later.
Written 27 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thanks so much for your amazing review! We appreciate all the support from our Manuhiri (guests), wonderful to hear you enjoyed your experience with us at Tamaki Māori Village, Nga mihi Tamaki whānau
Written 9 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ashleigh Jillings
Whangaparaoa, New Zealand93 contributions
What a fabulous experience
Apr 2021 • Family
We visited Tamaki Maori Village with our 5yr old and loved every minute! They were very accommodating, we were very well fed and well entertained all night. Miss 5 loves feeding the eels and we loved creating our own burgers! We will definitely be back again one day, thank you.
Written 3 April 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora Ashleigh, Thank you for your wonderful review, we enjoyed hosting your whānau and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your holiday! Nga mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 6 April 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
403victoriao
6 contributions
Lovely evening
Mar 2021 • Family
We returned to the Tamaki evening experience after having experienced it before Covid. Although the experience was different we thought it was better in many respects, more personal, authentic and focussed on human connection. We loved making the burgers with our 4 year old, sitting around the fire and interacting with the family who gave us an amazing performance whilst also very having fun and being themselves - that was lovely to see. We had a lovely family experience, connected with lovely people, ate yummy food and experienced Maori culture in a comfortable and authentic setting. Lovely memories made.
Written 21 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thanks so much for your wonderful review. So happy to hear your family enjoyed their experience with us, Nga mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 22 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RossBoP
Rotorua, New Zealand2 contributions
Percent evening
Feb 2021 • Couples
Highly recommended. Good food. Plenty of it. World class entertainment. Happy/funny hosts. Be prepared to be social and to step out of your comfort zone too.
Written 14 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora Thanks so much for you wonderful review, we hope to see you again soon, Nga mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 18 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David K
1 contribution
$130 for a deep fried burger and a dude in a T-shirt? AVOID!
Feb 2021
This was supposed to be the highlight of our trip to Rotorua - after all, according to the website this was one of the "Top 10 Experiences in the world". The reviews I read seemed to confirm this, however after my visit to Tamaki Maori Village I am beginning wonder whether those reviewers had reviewed the wrong place by mistake.

I feel that it is important to know that I was all in on this. I WANTED this to be good. I was prepared for the experience to feel a bit hokey or even canned - we were paying for a show after all, and I was all in. We attended the afternoon session since we have 2 young kids and they would never make it through an evening show. I was excited for my 5 year old son to be exposed to some of the traditions of the Maori culture and I was ready to help him feel that the experience was as authentic as possible. Unfortunately that suspension of disbelief was impossible, even for a 5 year old.

The experience we got is NOT what is sold on their website. Our "host" was in sneakers, shorts and a T-shirt, our "activity" was wrapping hamburgers in pizza dough, and then majority of our time in the "village" - about 45 minutes - was spent sitting at a table awkwardly waiting for our hamburger to be deep fried while we made awkward small talk with our host and our kids complained of boredom.

When we finally did get a tour of the village it included a brief overview from our host followed by "feel free to look around". Our "traditional game" was throwing sticks back and forth. The highlight of the experience for the kids was feeding eels ground beef off of wooden barbecue skewers. The whole experience was capped off by our host dragging his poor children down to the village and making them sing for us while he played guitar. Sure, they smiled and went through the motions, but it was obvious that dad dragged them off the couch to make them perform for the tourists.

There was no traditional dress at all, there was no "cultural exposure". This whole experience was an obvious cash grab by a company exploiting people's desire to learn about Maori culture. Describing it as disappointing would be generous, "painful" would be a more appropriate adjective.

At the end of the day we paid $130/person for deep fried food that we had to make our selves while hanging out with one Maori dude in shorts and a t-shirt.

This company should be ashamed of their marketing. Absolutely not as advertised. I write this in hopes that no one else wastes their time and money on this sham of an experience.
Written 10 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora David, It is sad to read that you didn’t enjoy your time in my village and that you felt was painful and that we should be ashamed. We as Māori have been told this for many generations that we should be ashamed, that we are a disappointment. We are too strong, we are a proud race, we continue to be present in this world and we are resilient. Our experience is a time of sharing, you getting to know me and I you. This isn’t an act or me putting on a show. To enter into a Marae (Māori Village) is not that accessible for many, but our village is. The ‘feel free’ to have a look around in the village was so you were able to take photos to capture memories. My grandfather would say, “Kimihia ngā mea pai ki roto i te mea kino” Search for the positives in anything negative. Your child enjoyed feeding the eels. I got to learn about your career and meet your family. This was inspirational for me as I have experience in the film industry. But nowhere to your experience level. This resulted in me asking my children to come and meet you, your children and others on the experience. My children singing couple of Māori songs is something we naturally do on our village. Sing songs before visitors leave, or say farewell speeches. I had been talking all day and wanted to offer a different sound and voice. Not on the program, this was spontaneous. Unfortunately I distracted you with my attire hence you missed soaking in the beauty of our village, history, narratives and food. Our apologies that you feel you were misled. The cultural performance in traditional dress is on our twilight experience, Makue! Kai E! Hāmamao Jamus
Written 18 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JoH
3 contributions
A magical evening
Jan 2021
I'm still buzzing from Tamaki's new twilight experience on Saturday night! It was such a creative and personal approach to connecting visitors to the Māori culture, particularly for those of us from New Zealand who are not necessarily seeing it for the first time. I felt like I was a guest of the family and loved the chance to chat and sing around the campfire with them at the end of the night. The food was delicious and the interactive 'Puku Burger' making followed by all the canapes in the forest was one of the most memorable dining experiences I've had in a while. Loved it!
Written 18 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thanks so much for reviewing our twilight experience Makue! Kai E! So glad to hear you enjoyed your expeirence with us! Nga mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 18 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MrSteady
Epsom, New Zealand55 contributions
A unique visit with friends
Dec 2020 • Family
We took the Twilight Experience, wondering what to expect because it was new. Our group ranged from babies to older adults - was it suitable for all of us? From the pickup at our motel to our return everyone had a wonderful time, far exceeding all expectations.

Because of how this smaller scale operation was run we felt like we'd been transported to another realm to join this 'other culture' family. Our evening was one of song, dance, games, making and eating food, and talking, with a family who are passionate about their history and culture.

All of our group had a ball and without exception would love to go again.
Written 2 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tamaki-Māori-Village
Kia ora, thanks so much for taking the time to review us, it was our pleasure to host your group and we are so glad you enjoyed your experience with us! Nga mihi - Tamaki whānau
Written 18 February 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 4,909
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Frequently Asked Questions about Tamaki Māori Village
We recommend booking Tamaki Māori Village tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 8 Tamaki Māori Village tours on Tripadvisor
Restaurants near Tamaki Māori Village: View all restaurants near Tamaki Māori Village on Tripadvisor