Te Puia Tour, Haka Show & Lunch Small Group Tour from Auckland
Description
Experience the world famous geothermal and Maori cultural wonders of Te Puia. This unforgettable tour combines natures power and beauty with Maori culture all in one day. Highlights: • Te Puia Geothermal Park & Pohutu • Maori Cultural Village and Arts School • Rotorua City Highlights • Waikato Farm Region While the destinations you will be visiting are truly spectacular, Cheeky Kiwi Travel believe it’s our small groups, guides, the journey and the little details that set our tours well apart. Secret stops, wildlife viewings, specially designed vehicles and many other pleasant surprises ensure our tours are an experience to remember. This day tour gives you the time to explore Te Puia fully and participate in the activities there, unlike many other tours. Led by our passionate tour guides, notorious for bringing your journey to life by sharing their stories and rich background knowledge, and run in modern, comfortable minibuses packed with extras ensuring your comfort and safety.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your tour starts in New Zealand’s largest city. As we drive out of the city your guide will not only set the scene for your adventure today but also point out and guide you past some of the city’s top highlights.
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.
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.
Arriving at our feature destination, Te Puia, you will receive a fully guided tour to best experience the geothermal and cultural wonders including: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori Architecture, The National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, geothermal events and even the chance to view a Kiwi bird in the Kiwi viewing house. Your ticket price also includes the Maori Cultural Performance and Traditional Maori Hangi Buffet Lunch.
To finish off our Rotorua experience we do a guided driving tour seeing the most famous sites in Rotorua city including: Lake Rotorua, Rotorua Museum, Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) & the Blue Baths. If there is time, we may even visit a special souvenir shop for some discounted shopping and to try Manuka Honey.
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
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
*If no pickup is selected at booking, you’ll be assigned our default meeting point (SkyCity Hotel). You can update this anytime. If your location isn’t listed, please choose the nearest available option. *An email with important pickup details will be sent prior to your tour. Please read it carefully. *Pickups may begin up to 20 minutes before departure. Please be ready and waiting outside 5 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. *Not all pickup locations are serviced on every departure. Please wait at your confirmed pickup location. *Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. We are unable to wait for late guests.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately and wear comfortable walking shoes
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
Reviews(58)
It was a very lively trip.we had plenty of time to experience and enjoy the places.Our guide was friendly and made it very interesting
Alexandro did a great job transporting us and we had a great tour of Rotorua.
Kia ora! Great to hear you had such a good day in Rotorua! Ale will be pleased to know his driving helped make the experience smooth and enjoyable. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Amazing Māori tour in Auckland—authentic, welcoming, and full of powerful stories. Our guide shared the culture with so much heart and knowledge that it felt like a privilege to be part of it. I learned so much and left feeling more connected to the land and its history.
Kia ora! Thank you for such thoughtful words. It’s special to hear that the experience felt authentic and meaningful, and that you left feeling more connected to the land and its stories. That’s exactly what we hope our guests take away from a day in Rotorua. We’re grateful you chose to share that journey with us, and we’d love to welcome you back for more experiences around Aotearoa in the future. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
The bus trip to Rotorua was very interesting with Cam giving us commentaries of interesting places and landmarks.
Kia ora, It’s great to hear you enjoyed the journey as much as the stops! Cam loves pointing out the little details and stories along the way, so it’s fantastic that the commentary added to your experience. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Ben is simply the best! His knowledge of cultural and historical sites, as well as his personal experi nice and places he chose to share with us are truly special and unique; worthy of epic vacation legend. He was prompt, courteous, and safe. He built a group of strangers into friends!
Kia ora Alexander, Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. It’s great to hear how much you valued Ben’s knowledge and the way he shared Rotorua’s cultural and historical sites with you. Te Puia and the wider region have real depth to them, and having the right guide makes all the difference. I also appreciate you mentioning how the group came together during the day. That’s something we care about on our small group tours, creating an environment where people feel comfortable and connected, not just transported from place to place. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Brought here as part of our NZ tour. This is an amazing place, kiwi sanctuary, university, geysers, cafe, cultural experiences, crafting. Excellent place to visit to get an overview of the Maori culture and passing it on to the next generation as well as explaining it to those of us not from NZ. The Maori greeting ceremony was amazing and gave us all a greater understanding of the meaning of the sounds and moves. Geysers were a sight to behold. I really enjoyed the tour of the crafting centre and the young people involved in maintaining the skills. An excellent facility!
Kia ora! It’s wonderful to hear how much you enjoyed the Rotorua highlights and Te Puia experience. The way the Māori culture is shared there, from the greeting ceremony to the crafting centre, really does give a deep insight into New Zealand’s heritage. And yes, the geysers never fail to impress! We’d love to welcome you on another Cheeky Kiwi adventure in the future. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Really enjoyed seeing the mud pools and the geysers, and Maori performance was fun. Buffet was billed as traditional Maori meal but seemed pretty generic - fine but nothing particularly memorable. Ended up paying extra to add the tree walk as otherwise there would have been two hours of down time just waiting for the bus to come back to get us. Not sure if the other options would have been preferable but happy with what we did.
Kia ora, Thanks for the balanced and thoughtful review. It’s great to hear you enjoyed Te Puia, the geysers, and the Māori performance. Those are real highlights of Rotorua. You’re also spot on that this tour works best for travellers wanting to see a lot in one day without staying overnight. We appreciate the honest feedback around lunch and the optional extras too. Adding the tree walk is a good call for many guests, and it’s helpful for others to hear how those options can shape the day. Thanks for travelling with us and for sharing your experience so openly. We’d love to welcome you back on another tour in the future. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
The tour was everything I expected and more! Alessandro was awesome and very knowledgeable about everything! I highly recommend booking this tour and perhaps request Alessandro to be your guide, best tour guide to we’ve ever had.
Kia ora Nohemi, “Book this tour now!” is exactly the kind of energy we love to see. I’m really pleased the Rotorua day delivered on every front and lived up to your expectations. Te Puia, the cultural elements and the geothermal side of Rotorua all pack a punch when they’re tied together well. Alessandro has a great way of bringing everything to life and sharing his knowledge in a way that feels natural and engaging, so it’s awesome to hear how much of a standout he was for you. Thanks for the strong recommendation and for choosing to travel with us. We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure down the line. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
Sunday, December 7, 2025 - Rotorua Day Tour inc. Te Puia Tour, Lunch & Cultural Show Cheeky Kiwi Travel has a great adventure for you to see the Te Puia Tour, Cultural Show & Buffet Lunch and the Redwoods Tree walk. On Sunday, December 7, 2025, I had the best time with Cheeky Kiwi Travel and Dave that helped us to have a great day at these attractions. The day started with an early pickup at our hotel in a well-appointed van with leather seats. Although the trip out to the Te Puia Tour, Cultural Show & Buffet Lunch is approximately 3 hours, the trip there is broken up with a rest room stop and a chance to grab a snack. Our first stop on the trip was at Royal Coffee. This has a great selection of breakfast treats, but more importantly it is a chance to use the rest room. Don’t pass up the treats and full-service rest room. Back in the van and before you know it you will arrive at the Te Puia Tour, Cultural Show & Buffet Lunch. This location also has several hot springs and geyser’s to see as well. The tour starts off with a quick video of the significance of the culture. From there, you begin a walking tour through the grounds. Please note, this area does not have a lot of shade, therefore you need to have your hat, sunscreen and water to get through the walk. For approximately an hour, a cultural center guide will take you through the campus to point out the hot springs and other significant views. When this has completed you will return to the courtyard for the cultural show. The cultural show will recreate the meeting of two tribes and culminates with a musical interlude in the tribe sanctuary. When the ceremony is complete, it is off to lunch. If you were smart enough and booked your lunch with Cheeky Kiwi Travel, you will head to the restaurant and give them your name or it may be under the Cheeky Kiwi Travel company name. It is best to check with your Cheeky Kiwi Travel guide as to what name your lunch will be on. The lunch is a great buffet lunch with a lot of deserts. After your lunch, Cheeky Kiwi Travel will transport you to the Redwoods Forest. This is a great catwalk above the trees that takes approximately 20 minutes, that is unless it has a lot of traffic. The catwalk is a serial activity and minimizes the number of people on the catwalk or platform at one time. If were able to speed through the catwalk, then you can do a quick 20–30-minute walk on the red trail through the Redwoods. This is a great chance to see the Redwood trees up close. Booking the tour with Cheeky Travel was a great way to see both events. After you book with Viator, coordinating with Cheeky Travel is easy if you have What’s App, but don’t worry if you do not, they can use other methods to work with you. If you do book the Te Puia Tour, Cultural Show & Buffet Lunch, make sure you have coordinated another event with Cheeky Kiwi Travel as the show is not an all-day adventure. Cheeky Kiwi can help you determine the other attraction to add to your day. On the way home, Cheeky Kiwi once again keeps your comfortable with a rest room stop and a chance to buy some ice cream! Don’t miss the chance to hit the rest room first and then get the Hokey Pokey ice cream in a cup so you can eat it in the van on the way home. Not only that, if time permits you will get to see an incredibly naturally clean river with clear blue water! Thanks to Dave at Cheeky Kiwi Travel, we got to see two great New Zealand attractions in a comfortable way with great food!
Simone was excellent! The show was amazing and the buffet lunch was delicious! The views were breathtaking.
Kia ora! So glad to hear you had such a good day in Rotorua. The cultural show, the buffet lunch and those geothermal views make for a pretty special combo, and it sounds like Simone helped bring it all together in a relaxed, enjoyable way. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures around Aotearoa when you’re next visiting. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝
