Exclusive Rotorua Cultural and Geothermal Experience from Tauranga

Highlights

  • On leaving port, with your chosen companions, you head to Rotorua via Pyes Pa Rd, which was originally a walking track by Maori to and from the coast to Rotorua, this is now a popular highway. On our way you pass some beautiful scenery and take a stop where Mt Tarawera can be pointed out and the destruction by its eruption which caused the Buried Village. As you arrive into Rotorua a description of its history is given before arriving to our main destination Te Puia, the Maori Cultural Center. From our arrival, clients are given a personalized tour of the old pa site, through the thermal grounds (of boiling mud and geysers), and shown the wood-carving school, flax weaving & the kiwi bird. This is followed by a Maori Welcome onto the marae, before entering a meeting house for a performance by a Maori concert party. After our 2 hours at Te Puia you head for lunch (your own expense) at a small cafe on the lake front. After lunch, you watch the lake activities before going on to the Government Gardens. The main attractions referred to are: The Rosegardens, The old Bath House (now the Rotorua Museum), The Blue Baths, The Princes Gate Hotel, The Polynesian Spa & Sulphur Point. You then travel past the Redwood Forest, explaining how it came about. Owing to sailing times, it is normally time to head back to Tauranga, you return by a different route to give an overview of the region. En route for Tauranga, clients are given the story of the kiwifruit – from how it is grown, picked, pruned, made into a variety of by-products and exported. You stop briefly to view a kiwifruit orchard, Kiwifruit Country, then travel back stopping at beautiful Mt Maunganui waterfront and beach. If necessary you may reverse the order of the tour to fit in with booking times at Te Puia. Worry-free Shore Excursion:  Supplier will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, the supplier will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

Summary

On leaving port, with your chosen companions, you head to Rotorua via Pyes Pa Rd, which was originally a walking track by Maori to and from the coast to Rotorua, this is now a popular highway. On our way you pass some beautiful scenery and take a stop where Mt Tarawera can be pointed out and the destruction by its eruption which caused the Buried Village. As you arrive into Rotorua a description of its history is given before arriving to our main destination Te Puia, the Maori Cultural Center. From our arrival, clients are given a personalized tour of the old pa site, through the thermal grounds (of boiling mud and geysers), and shown the wood-carving school, flax weaving & the kiwi bird. This is followed by a Maori Welcome onto the marae, before entering a meeting house for a performance by a Maori concert party. After our 2 hours at Te Puia you head for lunch (your own expense) at a small cafe on the lake front. After lunch, you watch the lake activities before going on to the Government Gardens. The main attractions referred to are: The Rosegardens, The old Bath House (now the Rotorua Museum), The Blue Baths, The Princes Gate Hotel, The Polynesian Spa & Sulphur Point. You then travel past the Redwood Forest, explaining how it came about. Owing to sailing times, it is normally time to head back to Tauranga, you return by a different route to give an overview of the region. En route for Tauranga, clients are given the story of the kiwifruit – from how it is grown, picked, pruned, made into a variety of by-products and exported. You stop briefly to view a kiwifruit orchard, Kiwifruit Country, then travel back stopping at beautiful Mt Maunganui waterfront and beach. If necessary you may reverse the order of the tour to fit in with booking times at Te Puia. Worry-free Shore Excursion:  Supplier will ensure your timely return to the Tauranga port for this activity. In the rare event your ship has departed, the supplier will arrange for transportation to the next port-of-call. If your ship is delayed and you are unable to attend this activity, your money will be refunded. See our terms and conditions for full details.

Tour info

Duration
6 hours
Group Size
Pricing (From)
Commentary
Meeting Point
Dropoff location

Why take this tour?

This Rotorua Tour is designed for shore excursions from Tauranga. Clients can be picked up from local accommodation (within the Tauranga/Mt Maunganui/Papamoa area) &/or from the Port of Tauranga. We visit the Te Puia Maori Cultural Center for a welcome concert and tour through its extensive thermal grounds. The tour also covers a variety of different scenery en route and visits a working kiwifruit orchard and the Government Gardens. Pick up times can be adjusted to fit with cruise-ship arrival times

What’s included?

  • Quality transportation

  • Local taxes

  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan

  • Transport by private vehicle

  • Lunch

  • Personal expenses

Things to know

Before you book

  • Duration: 6h

  • Mobile tickets accepted

  • Instant confirmation

Covid Policy

  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff

Contact tracing of clients in practice for authorities, if needed.

Cancellation Policy

    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Operated by:

Tauranga Tasting Tours

About operator:

We are a small transport company that specialises in food & wine venues. However, we can be chartered to go to venues that are not food/liquor related e.g. Shows, sports events etc. During the cruise-ship season, we travel to Rotorua's thermal delights & the Waitomo Caves. We are frequently chartered for special occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries, Hens’ Parties etc., so that people can fit the celebration to their venue type /budget, date & number constraints. Our tours are door-to-door from within the Tauranga/Mt Maunganui/early Papamoa area. We travel out of town to Sunday Lunches approximately once a month, and provide mid-week tours. We often visit gardens & garden festivals. Our Local Tasting Tour is our most popular tour. It visits Karangahake Winery (wine presentation & shared platters)The Wine Portfolio for a wine presentation & tasting (Leveret & Mills Reef wines). We then return to Tauranga's CBD for a cocktail & dessert at Takara Restaurant.

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