Rotorua Highlights including Te Puia & Polynesian Spa Small Group Tour from Auckland

Overview

Available languages

English

This carefully curated day tour combines the best of Rotorua's natural wonders, Māori culture, and world-class relaxation, offering a truly immersive experience. You will visit Te Puia for a 90 minute guided tour, & the Polynesian Spa for deluxe lake spa entry

Description

Please note that depending on your selected package and preferences, not all guests will participate in the same activities, ensuring a tailored and personalized experience for everyone!

Itinerary:

1. Auckland - Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city!

2. Waikato – Exiting Auckland we travel south through the stunning Waikato countryside, the most extensive farming area in the world, encountering beautiful scenery, mighty rivers, great photo opportunities, impressive mountains and several farm animals along the way. During our adventure in the Waikato we will also stop for a quick coffee break at a special location.

3. Tirau – Continuing our journey to Rotorua we pass through Tirau famously dubbed the 'Corrugated Iron Capital of the World' because of the many unique corrugated iron sculptures and buildings. This town never fails to get a look and a laugh and our guides will point out all the main highlights on the way through.

4. Rotorua City Highlights – Arriving in Rotorua we will do a guided driving tour for you to get your bearings and see the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua,

Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths.

5. Te Puia – On arrival in Rotorua, your first stop is the world-renowned Te Puia. Here, you'll enjoy a fully guided tour of this iconic cultural and geothermal park. Marvel at the impressive Pohutu Geyser, bubbling mud pools, and steaming fumaroles. Learn about the traditions, artistry, and history of the Māori people as you explore the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, where master carvers and weavers preserve and share their ancient crafts. Don't miss the chance to see the elusive kiwi bird at the onsite Kiwi House!

6. Lunch break - After your Te Puia experience, you will have the opportunity to purchase some lunch.

7. Polynesian Spa - The afternoon takes a serene turn as you arrive at the luxurious Polynesian Spa. Enjoy exclusive entry to the Deluxe Lake Spa, where you’ll soak in geothermal mineral pools overlooking the tranquil waters of Lake Rotorua. The natural mineral-rich waters, sourced from two unique springs, are known for their therapeutic properties, providing ultimate relaxation for body and mind.

8. Auckland – Sadly we must start to head north again but your day is not over with a fully guided return trip to Auckland with secret stops along the way.

Highlights:

Lake Rotorua
Government Gardens, Blue Baths, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & Rotorua Museum
Time at chosen activities
Waikato Farm Region

Inclusions:

Complimentary hotel pick-up and drop-off in Auckland (select hotels only)
Entry & 90 minute guided tour at Te Puia
Deluxe Lake Spa entry at Polynesian Spa
Fully guided tour with an experienced, friendly driver-guide
Comfortable, air-conditioned transport
Small group size for a personalized experience

Cancellation Policy

Terms: Tours will only run if at least 5 people have booked on the tour, we reserves the right to alter the tour due to weather or operational needs.

A full refund will be issued for cancellations made a minimum of 10 days prior to the scheduled departure time.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

Options

Reviews

4.79

368 reviews

314

Awsome
Laura C,,Jan 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Awsome experience Tour guide very friendly and knowledgeable contact me via email and WhatsApp thank you so much
Rotorua day trip
Sanjay M,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The tour was fun and a chance to learn about Rotorua and Māori culture. Grant was our driver and guide. Very informative and helpful in many ways.
Fun tour
alex mn1,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a fun well organized tour. Grant was a great guide and driver and took good care of everybody. He was well spoken, very knowledgeable and very good sense of humor :) We had plenty of time for sightseeing and both places we visited were interesting.
The bus ride takes...
Mackenzie P,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
The bus ride takes approximately 3 hours one way but the guide does stop about an hour in for coffee/bathroom. Same on the way back but with ice cream/bathroom. We went to Wai-O-Tapu for about 2 hours on a self guided tour of the Geothermal Hot Pools (FYI it smells STRONGLY of sulfer). Then everyone got to pre pick their second activity which we did the Polynesian Spa. We spent around 2 hours there as well which was relaxing but only needed about an hour (we also smelt like sulfur from the mineral in the hot tubs at the spa which wasn’t enjoyable). Overall it was memorable but wouldn’t necessarily spend the money on the trip if given the choice again.
Amazing experience
carlarD1892ZB,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The guides are very good, and the experience was amazing.
Wow
CARLA D,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Amazing tour, the guides are incredible. The places are stunning. The Maori presentation are the best.
Great experience
janellemA8057BZ,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Totally enjoyed the trip. Seeing the Kiwi Bird was incredible. Our guide Mark did a great job especially dealing with other passengers who were quite disrespectful to other customers eg late back to bus and demanding needs for themselves with no consideration for other people on the tour. Despite this we had a wonderful day. Would highly recommend the tour to anyone.
Excellent tour, highly recommend
NikkiC travels,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent tour through Rotorua. Long day but did not feel like it. So much packed into a 12 hour day. Ben our tour guide was so great. Had great fun facts, pointing out key places and helped us easily get around. We were lucky with only 5 people on the van. Van was also amazing. Highly recommend Cheeky Kiwi!
Awesome Rotorua trip
567pujam,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
John’s vast knowledge and expertise made the trip extra special .. thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend it to everyone. Thank you John for an awesome trip 😊
Best decision to book with Cheeky Kiwi
alvinal483,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We booked 3 tours with Cheeky Kiwi. From scheduling to answering questions, the company did a great job with quick responses and made booking super easy. Specials shout out to our 3 guides: Ben, Simon and Danny. These are 12+ tours and they made it informative and fun! We will recommend them to anyone considering tours in NZ. Thank you so much guys!