Rotorua Travel Guide: 7 Best Things to Do & 2-Day Itinerary

7 Best Things to Do in Rotorua

1. Visiting Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland

One of the first things I did when I arrived in Rotorua was to book a tour to visit the famous https://maps.app.goo.gl/wpXwWKdDtMmbbu5B7, a stunning geothermal area that people claim to be the most colorful nature you will ever see in New Zealand, and I had to agree with them.

The organized tour to Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland includes a visit to the Lady Knox Geyser, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, and a walk around the Waiotapu thermal wonderland.

The tour will pick you up as early as 8 AM from your accommodation to visit the Lady Knox Geyser, an artificially catalyzed geyser, just in time for the scheduled eruption at 10:15 AM every day. It might not be as impressive as the one in Iceland, but it is still quite an interesting thing to see here.

After the geyser eruption, the tour will take you to Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, where you will be able to see the beautiful colored lake, the Champagne Lake.

The colors of this lake are just outstanding. Pure Mother Nature, at her best. You will be able to see the colors shifting from green to bright orange as the lake goes deeper and deeper. It is quite a sight to behold.

Within Waiotapu, you will find several walking paths ranging from 35 to 75 minutes that will take you around the thermal area and visit all the attractions in Waiotapu. With the time given by the tour, you will be able to do any of the walks, as long as you don't spend longer than 75 minutes.

I recommend you go with the 75-minute walk, as I did. The walk will take you around the area, with several stops and picnic spots for you to rest and enjoy the view.

At the end of the trail, there is also a natural hot spring that you can choose to jump into, as we did. Just don't put your face in it, as the hot spring is laden with sulfur, which could impact your respiratory system if you are not careful.

Once you are done with the walk, the tour will take you back to Rotorua city center where you can continue exploring the rest of the town. The entry fee is 47 NZD per person, while a tour should costs around 110 USD, but it varies by operators, so check the current tour details when booking.

Where to Stay in Rotorua?

Budget

YHA Rotorua

Dorm | $

See Availability

👍 Top Pick

Mid-Range

The Heart of Rotorua

Double Room | $$

See Availability

High-End

Quest Rotorua Central

Double Room | $$$

See Availability

View More Hotels

2. Visit the Government Gardens

One of the best free things to do in Rotorua is to stroll around the Government Gardens, an immaculate park surrounded by beautiful, calm nature with a stunning wooden-framed structure, the Rotorua Museum, standing at the center.

When you are at the Government Gardens, be sure to have your camera ready as there are a ton of beautiful things for you to take photos of. You will find many beautiful flowers (including many roses) and plants here, as well as ancient geothermal pools, traditional and modern Maori-inspired art, and sculptures scattered all over the garden.

3. Admire the Beauty of the Rotorua Museum Building 🏛️ Best Museum

Within the Government Gardens, you will find the Rotorua Museum, an iconic Tudor-style building at the center of the garden, which is considered to be the most impressive Elizabethan Revival building in New Zealand.

The museum has been closed to the public since 2016 following earthquake-related damage. The good news is that the major seismic strengthening and restoration work was completed in September 2026. The building is now moving into its exhibition-development phase, with the museum working toward a full public reopening in 2028.

For now, you can still visit Government Gardens and admire the restored Bath House building from outside. There may also be occasional opportunities to enter the restored building before the full museum reopening, but these are announced separately rather than operating on regular museum hours.

4. Explore Rotorua By Walking the Rotorua Walkway

Another cool free thing to do in Rotorua is to take a walk along the 26-km long Rotorua Walkway, which will take you to all the tourist attractions in the city and more.

The Rotorua Walkway has been developed for 10 years, and it has over 8 sections from which you can choose. Do not worry; you do not have to do the entire 26 km length of the walk if you do not want to.

Just choose the section that passes through the tourist attractions you want to see and combine them with other sections to create your own experience of the Rotorua Walkway.

That's what I love most about New Zealand: its carefully designed walk paths that you can take in almost every city in the country. They really do love walking here, and so do I!

You can get the Rotorua Walkway Map from the Tourist Information Center near where the bus drops you off, and you can follow the trail from there. You can also check out the official Rotorua Walkway map online here. I highly recommend that you do sections 3 and 4. They will take you through Rotorua Lake, Sulphur Point, and more.

5. Hike Around Whakarewarewa Forest (Redwoods) ♥️ Must Visit

One of my favorite places in Rotorua is the Whakarewarewa Forest, or as it is known locally, the Redwoods. The Redwoods are a 6-hectare grove of majestic redwoods with many trails and walking paths running through them.

Redwoods is one of the best places to escape from Rotorua's bustling city center and be with nature. There are several hiking paths you can take around the forest, most of which involve being surrounded by these majestic redwoods.

The duration for each trail ranges from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, with some of them taking you up to the viewpoints where you will be able to see Mt Ngongotaha, Rotorua City, the lake, the airport, and the countryside of Rotorua.

You can spend the entire half of your day just exploring the Whakarewarewa Forest. You can also rent a bike from the city and follow one of the many bike tracks here in the Redwoods for a day of adventure.

Entry to Whakarewarewa Forest remains free. The main Redwoods entrance on Titokorangi Drive is currently open from 6 AM to 10:30 PM; the old 8:30 AM opening time referred to visitor facilities rather than access to the forest itself. Track closures and diversions can occur for forestry operations or maintenance, so check the latest notices when you arrive.

You can also go on the Redwoods Tree Walk, which will take you up one of these beasts of trees, and then you can walk from tree to tree on suspension bridges. It is another cool way to experience the wonders of the Redwoods. You can buy the ticket here.

6. Visit Waitomo Cave

For a day trip to explore the surrounding areas of Rotorua, I recommend that you go on an organized trip to Waitomo Cave and witness the beauty of the glowworm cave, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand.

You will be gliding through the ancient cave in the lower level of the Waitomo Cave as you witness the magical glowworm doing its thing and creating this galaxy of tiny living lights, which is something you don't see every day.

The standard Waitomo Glowworm Caves experience currently starts from 81 NZD per adult and takes around 45 minutes. If you are visiting from Rotorua without a car, an organized day trip can still be convenient, but compare the transfer-inclusive tour price with booking the cave directly.

The cave also has an upper level where you can walk around and explore the delicate cave formations. You can book the tour here.

7. Admire the Beauty of Hobbiton ☀️ Great Day Trip

Last but not least, we will be visiting the Hobbiton village, the famous movie set where the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies were shot. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions for fans of the high-fantasy J.R.R. Tolkien novels or those who are looking for something unique to do in Rotorua.

Within Hobbiton, you can photograph the iconic Hobbit Holes, visit the Green Dragon Inn, and learn how the movie set was created. Since 2023, the standard tour also includes the fully realized interiors of Hobbit Holes on Bagshot Row. The Hobbiton Movie Set Signature Tour currently costs 130 NZD per adult and lasts about 2.5 hours from The Shire's Rest. Hobbiton can only be visited on a guided tour, and advance booking is strongly recommended.

When to Visit Rotorua?

The best time to visit Rotorua is in the summer months beginning from November to March, when the weather is warmer. This allows you to enjoy the outdoors more, which is essential for a country as pretty as New Zealand.

It will also get quite touristy, so if you want to avoid the crowds, I would recommend you visit the shoulder season instead, which is from September to November and March to May.

You will see considerably fewer travelers during this time, while most accommodations will offer discounted prices, making your trip way more cost-effective than if you visit during the summer.

How to Get to Rotorua?

In order to get to Rotorua, you will have to make your way to Auckland, the main travel hub of New Zealand, where most international flights fly in and out of the country.

From overseas: Auckland is New Zealand's main international gateway and has nonstop flights from a number of cities in North America, Asia, Australia, the Pacific, and the Middle East. Routes change regularly, so rather than relying on the old airline list in this guide, compare the current connections from your departure city when you book.

To find a cheap flight to New Zealand, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and choose the best one.

Getting from Auckland to Rotorua

By Air: Rotorua has its own regional airport, but do not assume there will be a useful Auckland-to-Rotorua flight for your dates. For most independent travelers arriving through Auckland, the direct InterCity bus or driving is usually the more practical way to continue to Rotorua. If you want to fly, check the current Air New Zealand schedule first.

By Bus: InterCity still operates direct buses between Auckland and Rotorua, making this one of the easiest options if you are traveling without a car. The current scheduled journey is approximately 4 hours 15 minutes from central Auckland, with buses arriving at the Rotorua i-SITE on Fenton Street. Fares vary by departure and how early you book, so check the live price rather than relying on the old 35 NZD fare.

InterCity also operates services from Auckland International Airport to Rotorua, usually with a transfer and a longer journey of around 6 hours. You can book your InterCity Bus tickets here.

If you are planning to travel longer in New Zealand via buses, I recommend getting the Flexipass where you can buy hours and travel any route in the country depending on the bus's duration. It is a great way to hop around the country without having to pay a ton of money.

For more information about Flexipass, please visit the official Intercity Flexipass page here.

By Campervan: One of the most popular ways to get around New Zealand is to rent a campervan, which will allow you to travel anywhere you like and save a ton of money on accommodation by allowing you to sleep at campsites around the country. I recommend you rent a campervan in Auckland and drive to Rotorua if you are visiting Rotorua as part of a larger trip in New Zealand.

There are several well-known campervan rental companies that I have seen people driving all over the country, such as Jucy, Spaceships, and Britz. So be sure to check them out when you are in Auckland.

By Car: You can rent a car directly from Auckland International Airport via DiscoverCars. It takes around 3 hours to drive from Auckland to Rotorua via Hamilton on State Highway 1.

How to Get Around Rotorua?

By Walking: Rotorua is not big, so if you want to save some money, you can walk all over and visit some of the tourist attractions within the city. For further attractions, you will either have to take a bus, a tour, or rent your own car to get there.

By Bus: Rotorua's Cityride buses are an inexpensive way to reach places beyond the center. As of 2026, the standard adult urban fare is around 2.60 NZD with a Bee Card or 3.20 NZD cash, and an 8 NZD Daysaver is available. Bee Card users need to tag on and off.

By Car: Again, if you can rent a car from Auckland or in Rotorua to explore the city as well as the surrounding areas. You can rent a car in New Zealand here: Rent a Car in New Zealand.

By Tours: You can also travel around Rotorua with an organized tour, which will allow you to go further and visit places like Hobbiton or Waitomo Cave. You can book day trips in Rotorua here.

How Many Days To Spend in Rotorua?

One to two days (3 nights) should be enough to explore Rotorua and its surrounding attractions. Here's a sample itinerary for Rotorua:

Day 1: Visit Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, the Government Gardens, admire the Rotorua Museum building from outside, and walk part of the Rotorua Walkway.

Day 2 (optional): Visit Hobbiton or Waitomo Cave.

How Much Money Do I Need For Rotorua?

Rotorua can be relatively inexpensive if you focus on the free walks and geothermal areas around town, but the major attractions are now considerably more expensive than when I first wrote this guide.

Accommodation: Hostel and budget-room prices vary widely by season, so I would budget around 120 - 240 NZD for 3 nights for a solo budget traveler.

Food: Allow roughly 50 - 80 NZD per day if you mix supermarket food, takeaways, and inexpensive restaurants.

Transportation: Walking can cover much of central Rotorua. Local Cityride buses cost only a few dollars per trip, but day trips to Wai-O-Tapu, Waitomo, or Hobbiton can add considerably more if you need transfers.

Activities: This is the biggest variable. The standard Hobbiton tour alone is currently 130 NZD, while Waitomo Glowworm Caves starts from 81 NZD. Wai-O-Tapu and transfer-inclusive day tours add more, so choose which paid attractions matter most to you rather than assuming you need to do them all.

For 3 nights in Rotorua, I would budget roughly 350 - 600 NZD per person for accommodation, food, local transport, and one or two major paid attractions, excluding transport to and from Rotorua. Add more if you book several organized day tours.

Which tourist SIM card is best for New Zealand?

Mobile coverage and public Wi-Fi in New Zealand are much better than when I first wrote this guide. For the most reliable connection while traveling around the country, I would still recommend having your own local SIM or eSIM.

The main networks include Spark, One NZ, and 2degrees, all of which offer prepaid options. One NZ also offers a dedicated travel eSIM for visitors. Plans and data allowances change frequently, so compare the current tourist or prepaid packages based on how long you will be in New Zealand rather than relying on the old Spark "Data Lover" plans listed in earlier versions of this guide.

Alternatively, if your phone supports eSIMs, you can set one up before arriving and have mobile data as soon as you land. You can browse through available eSIMs here.

Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Looking for a more comprehensive packing list for New Zealand? Check out:What to Pack for New Zealand - The Essential Packing List