What to do in Rotorua: A guide for adventurous travellers
Rotorua is a big tourist hub, which means it can stray into ‘touristy’ territory. But, there’s magic there if you know where to look. These are the things I enjoy doing when I’m in town.
the orange and turquoise champagne pool at wai o tapu is one of rotorua’s most iconic sights
Rotorua is New Zealand’s original tourist town.
The simmering geothermal activity in the area has been drawing visitors since the 1800s, when travellers made the trek to see the fabled Pink and White terraces. The pastel-coloured silica terraces once tumbled down a hillside, creating a visual extravaganza of pools and waterfalls flowing with mineral-rich thermal waters.
Artist John Hoyte’s watercolour rendition of the terraces; circa 1875
Unfortunately, a massive eruption in 1886 decimated the terraces.
The Pink and White terraces are now (probably) buried under Lake Rotomahana (the hunt for them is ongoing, don’t ask me why) but you can still see other evidence of the active geothermal activity that makes Rotorua special.
The town centre of Rotorua feels like many small towns in New Zealand – a lot of traffic during the day, dead quiet at night. But, Rotorua also feels shabbier to me than a lot of other places.
rotorua centre
Vape shops or fried chicken joints sit on most corners. Storefront signs are often broken or missing. A decrepit United Video sign above a boarded up shop sums it up for me – it’s a cliche, but I feel like I’ve stepped back in time, and not necessarily in a good way.
That doesn’t really need to matter, though. You could comfortably stay outside the centre of Rotorua and never set foot in the centre. There is plenty to do in the surrounding areas.
In fact, the best things to do in Rotorua are outside the town limits.
I have put together this guide as my attempt to steer you to the best things to do in Rotorua, that aren’t overwhelmingly touristy, overpriced, or generally manufactured to make the most of the tourist dollars flowing through town.
As with all of my guides, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but the things I enjoyed the most in Rotorua.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you book through those links. I appreciate your support!
kuirau park, in the centre of rotorua, is free to walk around and features steaming pools and even thermal foot baths
WHY GO: Rotorua isn’t the most naturally beautiful part of New Zealand, but the geothermal activity here has been drawing tourists in since tourism was a thing.
HOW LONG DO YOU NEED IN ROTORUA?
Two nights is usually enough — that’s enough time to visit one geothermal park and soak in some hot pools, with another adventure activity thrown in.
If you have more time, three nights gives you more time to explore the wider area.
GETTING THERE AND AWAY:
Rotorua is usually the first stop for people arriving into the North Island — it’s a 3 hour drive south of Auckland, so you can either head straight here from Auckland international airport, or spend a night or two in Auckland before heading down.
If you’re short on time, Rotorua does have an airport that will connect you to Christchurch in the South Island, or back to Auckland (but it’s a short enough distance to drive).
MY TOP THREE PICKS FOR ROTORUA:
Orakei Korako is my favourite geothermal park. It’s a little bit of a hike from Rotorua town, but it’s the quietest option and the only one to have naturally occurring geysers (I was lucky enough to see one go off).
Hot pools — my favourites are the ‘wild’ ones (see if you can find Lake Tarawera’s secret spot) or the more rustic ones, like Waitangi Soda Springs or Lake Rotoiti hot springs which you can reach via kayak.
Lake Tarawera Falls — you’ll need water transport across the lake, but it’s such a nice walk and the lake and nearby Mount Tarawera make for awesome views.
WHERE TO STAY:
Although staying close to the centre of town means you’ll be handy to places to eat, I would actually recommend staying further out.
The town of Rotorua really isn’t anything special, so you won’t miss anything if you don’t mind self catering.
FEATURED STAY
Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park
It’s nothing fancy, but it’s hard to beat the location of these simple cabins, right on the edge of the pretty Blue Lake (great for swimming) only 10 minutes from Rotorua.
The surprising activity I loved the most in Rotorua
The Wingspan Bird of Prey centre is dedicated to the protection of New Zealand’s birds of prey.
We have one endemic falcon, a small bird that loves to hop around on the ground, despite being a fantastic flier — New Zealand’s birds are beautiful, but many years of isolation made them evolve in some not-so-smart ways. Their ground-dwelling habits means they are now endangered, with far fewer left than the kiwi.
See geothermal activity in Rotorua
the bright green lake at wai o tapu
I will warn you that all of the geothermal hotspots in Rotorua are quite small. These aren’t massive, sprawling areas of activity, but generally a few cool things to see concentrated in one area.
It’s hard to put this into words, but I would say that after leaving Orakei Korako the last time I was there, I felt like — “oh, that was really cool.” Not stunned into silent awe, not bowled over by beauty, but satisfied.
Wai O Tapu — the most visually stunning park
wai o tapu
Wai O Tapu is mostly famous for the Champagne Pool, which is a well of boiling geothermal liquid about 65 metres across.
The rim of the pool is bright orange, while the steaming water is a gorgeous deep green. It is very striking.
The main downside to visiting Wai O Tapu is that it is very crowded. It’s not a huge park and there is a steady stream of people in and out, so you’ll be filing along behind others.
MY TIPS
If you decide not to go to Wai O Tapu, you can still go to the Wai O Tapu mud pool — it’s free and right by the road. It’s essentially a big pit of boiling clay, but it’s quite cool to see.
Another free but cool little stop is the hot creek right beside Wai O Tapu. You can go for a little swim in the naturally thermal waters, if you don’t mind taking a dip under a bridge (it’s really not that bad).
Orakei Korako is a lovely quiet option
orakei korako doesn’t have the champagne pool, but it has plenty of colour and some pretty impressive silica terraces
Orakei Korako is pretty far off the beaten track (it’s around 50 minutes from Rotorua) but if you don’t mind the drive, it’s a stunning spot.
The difference is palpable even at the entrance to the respective parks.
The last time I was at Wai O Tapu, I had to dodge and weave through a crowd of people just to get to the bathroom.
At Orakei Korako, in contrast, I sat on the verandah overlooking the water and enjoyed a peaceful little break.
To get to the geothermal area at Orakei Korako, they ferry you across a river. Something about that just feels adventurous and cool.
Once in the park, the walk only takes 1-2 hours, depending on how long you want to look at things.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Free options
A walk around Kuirau Park is an easy thing to do when you first arrive in Rotorua. The park itself isn’t the most scenic, but it features a few steaming hot pools and there is a small area where you can bathe your feet in the thermal waters.
I also enjoyed a walk around the lakefront in the early morning, with the first rays of sunlight lighting up the steam rising from around the shore. The trail isn’t long, but you will see boiling mud and steam coming from vents – it’s cool to see such active geothermal activity so close to the town.
Rotorua’s hot springs — where to go for wild swimming in hot rivers, lakefront hot pools, and rustic pools where the water is straight from the ground
Bathing in thermal water is one of the best things to do in Rotorua, because it’s so elemental. It’s incredible seeing water bubble out of the ground already boiling.
But, the idea of hot springs in Rotorua has morphed into fancy lakeside spa resort type complexes, which feel a little removed from the water that wells up from the earth.
If you want an indulgent spa experience, the Polynesian Spa is close to the centre of town and looks across the lake — it’s a nice spot for pampering.
Or, if you’re like me, you might prefer hot springs that feel more natural. I like my hot springs to be a little rough around the edges, fed directly from the ground.
I don’t really want to sit in a hot tub for the sake of it. That can be nice, sure, but i guess what I’m trying to say is the reason to go to hot springs in Rotorua is because the water there is thermal.
Bizarrely enough, Secret Spot hot tubs are not actually filled with thermal water – the water is heated via electricity. The setting is pretty enough, but I would prefer to be in water that has come hot from the ground. That’s part of the magic of Rotorua.
Hot springs with a campground – the ideal stop for campervan travellers
Waikite Valley Hot springs let’s you camp right outside their gates, and you can access the pools before the public in the morning.
Kayak to secluded hot springs on the lake’s edge
For a neat hot pool experience that also combines kayaking and glow worms, River Rats offers a guided kayaking trip across the lake to the Lake Rotoiti hot springs. These hot pools are only accessible via water or air, so they are a little less visited.
A no-frills, earthy experience world’s apart from a polished spa complex (and I mean that in a good way)
Waitangi Soda Springs is well off the beaten track. Turning down a narrow road off highway XX, it doesn’t seem like you’re on the way to a hot pool. But that’s what makes these springs so special.
There’s nothing fancy there, it really is a pool fed by hot water bubbling from the earth. It’s low key, rustic, and a lot more in tune with nature.
Free hot springs, if you want to swim in hot water ‘in the wild’
kerosene creek. you go there because the water is warm, not because it’s pretty
Kerosene Creek is a cool little spot.
To get there, you have to drive 10 minutes down a pot holed gravel road, but it’s worth the detour for the novelty alone. The creek itself isn’t that scenic, set as it is within a pine forest – the path to the creek is lined with bramble, and the forest floor is orange with pine needles. But the water does flow through some cool rock formations and over a series of small waterfalls.
And, of course, the water is warm. It’s not piping hot, it’s more of a mellow temperature that is comfortable to sit in for long periods of time (don’t put your head under, there is the risk of meningitis bacteria).
Another free option is Hot n Cold creek, which is only minutes from the entrance to the Wai O Tapu Geothermal park.
These hot pools are more or less under a road bridge, and there is a sign warning that there could be syringes, condoms, and broken glass in the water.
It doesn't sound like a great spot to visit, but the water was actually clearer and hotter than in Kerosene Creek.
There wasn’t a lot of traffic going over the bridge, so it was also peaceful enough. If you go to Wai O Tapu, it’s well worth popping down to this creek, even just to paddle your feet around.
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this helped you choose what to do in Rotorua.
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
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