Tauranga Shore Excursion: Wai-o-Tapu with Forest Walk/Forest Spa
Description
Pass by kiwifruit orchards and lakes as we drive you to the nearby town of Rotorua. Learn about the real New Zealand as we explore the hinterland in a small group. Visit The amazing Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland-New Zealand's best geothermal experience! Be guided through this dramatic and unique park and witness the Lady Knox Geyser. Buy your lunch at the cafe here- "hangi" pasties recommended! Next we visit a secret spot where you will witness the best boiling mud pools in NZ. Next you choose between 2 locations: 1. The awe-inspiring Redwood Forest; Experience the cool and calm created by this unique ecosystem, either on the ground, or by upgrading to the Canopy Treetop Walk: Traversing the swing bridges and walkways high in the forest 2. For those who want something a bit more luxurious, there is also the option to take time out in a private forest hot tub (extra charge), complete with drinks on tap! Enjoy tasting kiwifruit, NZ sweets, brownie and cool drinks along the way.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On our way to Rotorua, we stop briefly at the pretty lake Rotoiti and it's excellent cafe. Coffee addicts can get a coffee fix at this well known spot for exceptional coffee. The rest of us can enjoy the lake outlook for a few minutes.
Next we head to the very best of New Zealand's geothermal parks- The amazing Wai-o-Tapu Geothermal Wonderland! Witness the amazing Lady Knox Geyser shooting 10M in the air, enjoy a guided tour of the first portion of the park, then take your time to walk through as much or as little of this stunning park as you like. Purchase your lunch in the excellent cafe (Hangi Pasties recommended).
Next, we take you to see some little-known but spectacular bubbling mud pools. Most tour companies skip over this, but these are the most spectacular mud pools in New Zealand. Why would you miss them?
Next you choose: 1. Enjoy a relaxed ground walk through the famous Redwoods Forest. Breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the calm and cool atmosphere in this special place. 2. Upgrade to experience the exciting Redwoods Treetop Walk (Highly recommended, payable on the day). Traverse the swing bridges and walkways high in the forest, and learn about this unique ecosystem. Breathe in the cool and clean air, and look out for native birdlife as you explore the many walkways and bridges. This is an outstanding activity, and one of our absolute favourites in the region. 3. For those more keen on a little luxury quiet time, we will take you to Secret Spot Hot Tubs, instead of the Redwoods Forest. You can hire a private forest spa, complete with drinks on tap! What a way to wind up your day in nature! Extra admission charge applies for the private hot tubs.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Important note: Please don't worry about published start and end times - we know when your ship is in and will confirm start and end times with you closer to the tour date. We time all our tours to suit your ship docking times. We will be standing in front of the flagpole just outside the Cruise Port Exit. We will have a sign with "A Day in the Bay" and your name on it. Please try to be there 10 mins prior to the trip leaving. When you step off the ship, turn left and walk 50-100M out the port gates. Once out the gates, look to your right and the flagpole is there. We provide a fully guided experience using Mercedes Vans with panoramic windows.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(4)
We cannot recommend this tour enough!! Meg and Pete are the best people we've met and best tour guides that we've had on our trip! The tour itself is incredible already with two amazing stops but they made it next level - very knowledgeable, kind, accommodating, and hilarious individuals! The local knowledge and things we learned about the area and New Zealand was amazing! Such a fantastic and memorable day!!! -Jaren & Stacey
Jaren, thank you so much for your kind review! We are feeling a little lost at the moment with no cruise passengers to meet, roll on October! We so love sharing our wee corner of paradise with happy cruisers, and enjoyed meeting you guy so much xx
I want to tell you all how fantastic this tour is . We found them on line looking for things to do in port while on our first ever trip to NZ on a cruise. We certainly picked the right tour and the perfect company to go with . Meg was a fantastic tour leader and was able to answer ALL of our questions as we travelled inland from port to view the amazing thermal pools, red wood forest and other delightful scenes. We were well cared for and no waiting in queues where ever we arrived as Meg had everything pre organised so every part of the day was well utillised . This day contained so many highlights to tuck into our memories . We would come back again and do another tour with A DAY IN THE BAY for sure. This tour certainly surpassed its advertising , value for money was excellent and is suitable for anyone no matter how young or old as long as you can do a bit of walking but even that is not a deal breaker as you would still see so much.
Thank you so very much Lisa for your lovely review! I had a wonderful day with you guys, and appreciate you taking the time to write this review so others can find us too! I'm so glad you had a great day- that's really all we want...happy visitors to our stunning area :) Meg
The trip with "A day in the Bay" from Tauranga to see the Waiotapu geothermal park and walk high amongst the giant redwoods was one of the highlights of our New Zealand Cruise. Meg was excellent, (as were the chocolate brownies and chilled lemon drink that appeared everytime we stopped)! We saw much more than we had expected and went to places the big coaches can't get. Meg was fun, very informative, and because they take small groups, was able to be flexible. They are a small locally based company who know the area intimately. There was never a worry that we wouldn't get back to the cruise ship on time. It was excellent value for money and will remain a special memory from our trip. Thankyou Meg.
Shirley I really appreciate you taking the time to write such a kind and detailed review. We are truly loving our days with tour groups and your group was a hoot! Safe travels, you never know, we may meet again someday! Meg
What a wonderful Wai-o-Tapu tour! They (Meg & Pete) are retired teachers so the attention to organization, knowledge of the area, and the little details made this trip special. I love supporting small businesses and was delighted to hear how they turned their passion for New Zealand and travel into such a memorable experience. Small details like fun facts about NZ while in transport, whipping out a small diagram and explaining the landscape, umbrellas, roadie snacks, and a surprise goodie bag…..I’m not going to tell what it was, you’ll have to sign up for your own tour to get the surprise:) Much Gratitude!!
Thank you so very much for joining us and we are so glad you enjoyed the tour!
