3 Days in Rotorua Itinerary

The three-day itinerary at a glance

Day 1: Geothermal south, Redwoods and a cultural evening

Morning: drive about 30 minutes south on State Highway 5 to Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, the most colourful of Rotorua's geothermal parks. The Lady Knox Geyser erupts once a day at 10:15am, and the park recommends arriving by 9:45am to find a viewing spot. Then walk the trails past the Champagne Pool and the Artist's Palette. On the way back, stop at the free Waiotapu Mud Pools just off Waiotapu Loop Road.

Optional soak: Hot 'n' Cold, on the same road, is a free spot where a hot thermal stream meets a cold one. There are no facilities, and keep your head above the water, since untreated geothermal water carries a small risk of amoebic meningitis.

Afternoon: after lunch in town, walk the Redwoods Treewalk, 28 suspension bridges through the redwood canopy in Whakarewarewa Forest, which takes about 40 minutes. The free Redwoods Circuit, a 3.4km loop, is the no-cost alternative.

Evening: Mitai Māori Village for a haka performance, a hāngī dinner and a glow worm stream walk on site. The evening starts at 6pm, or 6:30pm in summer, and runs about three hours. Book ahead, since places fill quickly.

Day 2: Te Puia, the Kaituna River and Eat Streat

Morning: Te Puia, home to the Pohutu Geyser, kiwi, and the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, where carvers and weavers train. Allow around three hours.

Lunch: drive about 20km north east to the Okere Falls Store, a café and craft beer garden opposite Lake Rotoiti, known for house-roasted coffee and toasties.

Afternoon: the Kaituna River at Okere Falls has 14 rapids, including Tutea Falls, the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world at 7m. Choose one of three ways to do it:

• Rafting with Kaituna Cascades, the original operator since 1991. About two hours, with around 50 minutes on the water. Adults are $135 and children aged 10 to 12 are $80. You need to be able to swim, and the weight limit is 120kg.
• Ziplining with Rotorua Ziplines, four ziplines over the river and the falls. About two hours. Adults are $169 and children aged 5 to 12 are $119, with anyone under 15 accompanied by a guardian over 18.
• Walking the Okere Falls Track, a free 3km return walk past three waterfalls, with views of rafters coming over the rapids.

Late afternoon and evening: soak at the Polynesian Spa on the lakefront, open until 11pm, or at Hells Gate, which is open until 10pm and has mud baths and sulphur pools. Finish with dinner on Eat Streat, the covered, pedestrian-only dining strip at the lake end of Tutanekai Street.

Day 3: The lakes along Tarawera Road

Day three follows Tarawera Road east from the Redwoods, passing several lakes and the site of New Zealand's most destructive volcanic eruption. The Buried Village is only open Wednesday to Sunday, so if your third day falls on a Monday or Tuesday, swap it with one of the other days.

Morning: Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu)

Start with the Blue Lake Circuit, an easy walk around Lake Tikitapu, with spots along the way to swim in summer. Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park sits right across the road.

Late morning: the Buried Village of Te Wairoa

Continue along Tarawera Road to the Buried Village of Te Wairoa, where excavated ruins and a museum tell the story of the village destroyed by the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption. It is open 10am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday, and adult entry is $25 for New Zealand residents or $30 for international visitors. Do not skip the bush walk down to Te Wairoa Falls at the end. It adds around 20 minutes and many visitors miss it.

Lunch: the Buried Village or Lake Tarawera

The Buried Village has its own café, with cabinet food made on site, barista coffee and Devonshire teas. Otherwise, pack a picnic and eat on the shore of Lake Tarawera, with Mt Tarawera across the water. There is little else to buy along this stretch of road, so bring snacks and water for the afternoon.

Afternoon: choose a walk

• Tarawera Trail (out and back): the full trail runs around 16km one way from the Te Wairoa car park to Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own warm pool in the sand. Most people doing the whole trail return by pre-booked water taxi. For a shorter afternoon, walk an out-and-back section through the native bush along the lake edge.
• Lake Ōkāreka Walkway: a flat 5.2km return walk along Lake Ōkāreka and through wetlands, easy for most fitness levels. It is walking only, with no bikes or dogs.

Late afternoon: a soak

Head back into town for a final soak. If you used the Polynesian Spa on day two, Wai Ariki Hot Springs on the lakefront (16 and over) or a private session at Secret Spot Hot Tubs gives you something different.

Evening: glow worms

• Taiao Adventures glow worm kayak tour: a guided evening paddle to glow worm caves on a lake about 15 minutes from town, meeting at the Rotorua Information Centre at 1167 Fenton Street. Allow about three hours, with around 90 minutes on the water. Adults are $225 and children aged 5 and over are $145. Departures are at 5pm and 6pm from April to September, and later in summer, from 8pm to 10:30pm between November and February.
• Te Auheke Track (free): a 1.7km forest loop near the Redwoods to the Cascade Falls glow worm dell. Take a torch, then switch it off at the falls and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust.
• Redwoods Nightlights: the Redwoods Treewalk lit by lanterns after dark, if you only walked it by day.

On a Thursday between October and February, swap dinner for the Rotorua Night Market, 5pm to 9pm on Tutanekai Street, weather permitting.

Alternative day 3 plans

Adventure day

Spend the day on Rotorua's thrill activities: the gondola and luge at Skyline Rotorua, the Swoop and the Vertigo freefall at Velocity Valley, Zorb Rotorua, and Off Road NZ. Skyline and Mitai Māori Village are both on Fairy Springs Road, so you could swap day one's evening to follow the luge.

Free hot pools day

Drive south on State Highway 5 for Kerosene Creek and Hot 'n' Cold, then continue to Waikite Valley Thermal Pools, where pools at a range of temperatures are fed by Te Manaroa Spring, one of the largest natural hot springs in the Southern Hemisphere.

Kawerau and Tarawera Falls day trip

This one only works on a weekend or public holiday, since that is the only time forestry road access to Tarawera Falls is allowed. Drive east on State Highway 30, about 45 minutes to an hour to Kawerau, stopping at Hongi's Track, a historic Māori track between Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoehu that passes a sacred matai known as the Wishing Tree. In Kawerau, buy your forestry access permit in person at the i-SITE, since permits are not sold online or at the falls, and they are non-refundable. Call the i-SITE on 07 323 6300 to check the current fee. The falls are where the Tarawera River bursts out of a cliff face after flowing underground. Finish with a soak at Kawerau's free geothermally heated public pools, the Maurie Kjar Memorial Swimming Pool Complex, opposite the i-SITE.

Is three days the right amount of time?

Two nights covers the essentials, and three days is the point where Rotorua stops feeling rushed. You can see two different geothermal parks, fit in a full adventure afternoon, and spend a day on the lakes rather than squeezing them in between attractions.