14 Fun Things to Do in Rotorua & Taupo in 2024/25
Updated: Nov 11
This is a New Zealand travel guide packed with 14 fun and interesting things to do and see in both Rotorua and Taupō - a volcanic region known as the adventure capital of the North Island.
A visit to both Rotorua and Taupō is a must on any New Zealand travel itinerary, and we spent 5 days in this area during Our One-Month North Island Road Trip!
The Rotorua-Taupō area is famous for its outstanding natural beauty, preservation of Māori culture, and geothermal fields as this region sits snugly in the Taupō volcanic zone, which is one of the world's most active volcano regions. When you visit Rotorua and Taupō you will witness an otherwordly landscape, with the earth stained orange and green, perforated with boiling water craters.
If you've never been to a volcanic area before, then you should be warned that you will not be able to escape the smell of Sulphur, which is akin to eggy farts!
During our 5 days in Rotorua and Taupō there was no shortage of activities, so here are 14 fun things to do there, tried and tested by my friend Erin and me on our epic New Zealand adventure earlier this year!
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All prices for these 14 things to do in Rotorua and Taupō are in New Zealand Dollars.
About Rotorua
Rotorua is a city situated on the shores of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. If you're coming down from Auckland it will likely be your first stop, as it sits 90km north of Taupō.
Rotorua is often compared to Queenstown in the South Island as it is overflowing with activities for adrenalin junkies and is a nature-lover's dream; surrounded by mountains, forests and lakes. Perhaps most famously though, tourists flock here to soak in the bubbling hot springs created by geothermal activity.
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Where to Stay in Rotorua
There are two main designated freedom camping spots in central Rotorua, the Lakeside Carpark and Hinemoa Street Carpark. Both sites are equipped with toilets a short walk away.
We stayed at the Lakeside – which only had three designated spots and they filled up early! That being said, there were a few other vans slotted in non-designated spots and they seemed to get away with it (we visited during the shoulder season of November, I imagine in high season this is regulated more closely).
There is also Hamurana Reserve Free Campground on the north shore of the lake around a 15-minute drive from central Rotorua. We didn’t stay here but found it to be a lovely lunch spot.
If you do not have a campervan or tent, there are plenty of options in Rotorua on booking.com - prices start from $50(NZD) per night.
7 Fun Things to Do in and Around Rotorua
Buried Village of Te Wairoa (and Blue/Green Lakes Lookout)
The Buried Village of Te Wairoa is a 15-minute drive southeast of central Rotorua and is a really interesting thing to do in Rotorua. At this archaeological site, you’ll learn about the 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera, which formed the landscape you see today.
There is also a stunning waterfall on the sight (down some steep stairs) with a beautiful view of Lake and Mt Tarawera. The full price per person to visit The Buried Village of Te Wairoa is $30, but we got tickets on BookMe for $12. (As with all activities in New Zealand, check BookMe first for discounts, I have found some amazing deals there in the past.)
The Buried Village of Te Wairoa is open to visitors from 10am - 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
I strongly recommend combining your visit to The Buried Village of Te Wairoa with a trip to the lookout point to Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) and Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake), as it is only a little way down the road and offers some cracking views.
Lake Tikitapu is turquoise blue due to the reflection from the White Rhyolite and Pumice bottom, and Lake Rotokakahi is green due to the shallow sandy bottom - I swear I never knew I was into Geology before this trip!
Lake Rotokakahi is privately owned by local Māori and considered sacred, so please respect their culture and don’t, swim, fish or boat here.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
The Waimangu Volcanic Valley was formed in the previously mentioned 1886 eruption of Mt Tarawera. Here you can follow a self-guided walking tour and read about all the interesting geological features and geothermal activity in the region, ending with a boat journey on Lake Rotomahana.
Some of my favourite stops on this self-guided walking tour included Frying Pan Lake, Inferno Crater which is the largest geyser-like feature in the world (if you can, time this when it overflows into the valley, or the few days after when it is a vibrant blue) and Stalactites Terraces.
The boat trip portion is 45 minutes, and you will be floating above the remaining Pink Terraces, which used to be the 8th wonder of the world before they were buried by the 1886 eruption. You'll also see numerous fumaroles, a gushing geyser and Patiti Island made of rock 18,000 years old.
You should plan around 2 hours for the walking trail before your boat departs, and 2.5 hours if you want to take the hiking trail up Mt Hazard (this was steep in some places but not too strenuous). It is $94 per person full price, but on BookMe it was $46!
Velocity Valley
In Rotorua, Velocity Valley is the place to go to get your adrenalin pumping, and we sort of went a bit nuts here and tried everything they offered!
A session at Velocity Valley was one of my favourite fun things to do in Rotorua. I absolutely loved the indoor skydiving, so much so that I had two goes. My friend Erin was looking forward to the Schweep Racer the most, having seen numerous reels about it online – but we were a tad disappointed as the track is a lot shorter in person but it's still a hell of a leg workout!
At the end of the session, 'The Swoop' ended up being our favourite activity, where we fell headfirst from 40 metres high, reaching a speed 130kmph!
Individually each activity is $55pp, but they do offer package deals where you can mix and match, and the one we went for was 4 activities for $175pp. We did not book ahead, but again we were there in shoulder season, so in high season I suspect reserving your space would be best.
Not sure what to pack for your trip to New Zealand? Check out my article:
Mini Golf with Rabbits (Yes!)
Exactly as this sounds, in Rotorua you can mini-golf with Rabbits (and a parrot!). We found this to be a super fun thing to do in Rotorua, and really enjoyed our time on the course as it lit up beautifully with 18 holes and lots of brave (and happy) bunnies.
Sometimes you do need to gently nudge them out of your way so they don’t mess up your game!
Rotorua's mini golf with rabbits is conveniently located on Fairy Springs Road, the price is normally $20 per person - but we paid $12 on BookMe.
Redwoods Treewalk
Did you know that wood is New Zealand’s biggest export? Neither did I!
At Redwoods Treewalk you tramp across eco-suspended bridges and platforms 20 metres high in a 120-year-old Redwood forest, where you can read about New Zealand’s Forestry program: its history and importance in the area.
It's a great bird eye view of the forest made even more spectacular when lit up by lanterns in the evening, and it was one of our favourite things to do in Rotorua.
Designed by David Trubridge, the lanterns are very beautiful and walking between them and the surrounding iconic NZ ferns was a lovely experience. The platforms are carefully constructed in an ingenious fashion using friction to hold them in place, which limits the impact on the tree and allows them to adjust for growth.
It is $39pp for general admission or $44pp for a booked time (this reduces your wait time), and the walk is about 45 minutes.
Explore Rotorua Town Centre
There are too many cool little spots to write about in Rotorua, so we recommend just taking a wander.
Grab a cone at Lady Janes Ice Cream, eat dinner on Eat Street, check out the unique architecture, wander the lawns, have a picnic or play some boules in the Government Gardens, and between 12pm - 3pm play with cats at Fancy Meow Café.
Kaituna Cascades White Water Rafting
We had heard amazing things about the Whitewater Rafting here and as it's something we’ve always enjoyed, we were very excited to sign up for the Level 5 run.
Choosing to go with Kaituna Cascades we were not disappointed, it turned out to be one of the most fun things to do in Rotorua! With Kaituna Cascades, you experience 14 different rapids and multiple waterfalls including dropping down the famous Tutea Falls - which is 7 metres high!
We felt like we were deep in the jungle, it sure was a wild ride, and with great guides, no experience is needed. The full price is $125pp for the 50-minute run but we got it for $60 on BookMe.
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About Taupō
Taupō is a town sitting on the fringes of Lake Taupō, the biggest lake in New Zealand. The lake sits in the crater of a huge volcano that collapsed after many eruptions, the last one being around 200 AD, and so big that it darkened the skies of Europe and China.
This was when New Zealand was still uninhabited, can you believe that? The first human settlers to Aotearoa did not arrive until 1200-1300 AD, they were the ancestors of the Māori; Polynesian travellers exploring the Pacific in canoes and guided by the stars.
Taupō is known for fishing, star-gazing, Māori rock carvings, and New Zealand's most visited attraction; Huka Falls. Here are the 7 best things we did in Taupō and surrounds during our trip there in late 2023.
Where to Stay in Taupō
There are two designated freedom camping sites around Taupo – Reids Farm near the Hipapatua Recreational Reserve and the Aratiatia Amenity Area.
(Both sites have toilets!)
Reid's farm filled up early so we ended up at Aratiatia which turned out perfect as we loved to watch the dam open. At Aratiatia there are plenty of spaces, but some patches are quite uneven.
Self-contained campers can stay on any council-owned (or managed) land in Taupō (excluding reserves and Ferry Road). So follow signage when choosing a spot.
On the Southern side of the lake near Tongariro National Park, there are multiple free campsites along the Kaimanawa Road, this is a little off the beaten path but doesn’t require a 4WD.
If you do not have a campervan or tent, there are plenty of options in Taupō on booking.com - prices start from $50(NZD) per night.
7 Best Things to Do in and around Taupo
Hot N Cold Creek
This is a great free-swimming spot partway between Rotorua and Taupō so I will mention it first in this list of 7 fun things to do in and around Taupō! Hot N Cold Creek can be found on Google Maps, but it isn’t sign-posted, you just pull into the layby and there are steps on either side of the bridge.
This is the meeting point of a hot spring and cold river. It's the perfect combination where you can float between the two temperatures; have your top half in hot water and your feet in the cold.
This isn’t a commercial site, it's just a creek by the side of the road so don’t expect perfectly clean water. This was one of our favourite spots, we had such a great time just bobbing around.
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Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
A little further down the road is Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland where you can experience the largest mud pool in NZ, a geothermal track and every day at 10:15am, the Lady Knox Geyser. Tickets are $45 per person.
Huka Falls and Aratiatia
Lying on the Waikato River – the sole outlet to Lake Taupō – are 9 hydroelectric dams including Huka Falls and Aratiatia. At Huka Falls, over 220,000 litres of water per second fall over an 11-metre waterfall.
The best way to experience this is along the one-hour walking track where you can follow the water’s progress.
Only 2 minutes down the road is Hipapatua Recreational Reserve which is a lovely lunch spot to relax by the river and have a quick swim.
Wander the lakefront of central Taupō and take a mandatory snap by the LoveTaupō sign
Take a wander down the lakefront of central Taupō, where you almost can’t believe you’re on a lakefront given how huge it is. Here you can take a photo of the Love Taupō sign, eat a McDonalds in an Airplane and have a drink in one of the cute lakeside pubs.
View the Māori Rock Carvings on a Kayak tour with Canoe&Kayak
Visiting the Māori Rock Carving is a must when in Taupō, and you can take a boat, but instead, I would recommend the Kayak tour with ‘Canoe&Kayak’.
We happened to be the only ones on the tour (again, the perks of travelling in the Spring shoulder season!) and had an amazing experience with our guide Dug (and lots of cuddles with his dog Kahoo before we set off!).
Jumping in at Jerusalem Bay you paddle along the shoreline to Ngatoroirangi Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings. The original carver was Matahi-Whakataka Brightwell who completed the first carvings as a celebration of completing his 10-year training period with Māori Elders to become a master carver in the late 1970s.
Your guide will entice you with stories behind each carving and the newer carvings people have added since. The tour is $135 per person – keep an eye on BookMe!
Craters of the Moon Geothermal Valley
When we initially arrived in Taupō, we intended to skip Craters of the Moon having done similar things in Rotorua. But when we ended up with a spare afternoon, some friends recommended it, so we made a stop.
It turned out to be a really cool experience, and along the 1-hour trail you’ll see many geothermal springs, geysers and some great views of the valley, and the geothermal power station in the distance - Geothermal power makes up 15-20% of NZ power production! Entrance is $10 per person.
Tongariro Crossing
As a Lord of the Rings fan, I couldn’t come to NZ without a trip to Mt Doom! Also known as Mt Ruapehu, it's New Zealand’s largest active volcano in the heart of Tongariro National Park, which is home to one of the world’s top ten-day hikes – the Tongariro Crossing.
At 19.4km (one way) this hike over Mt Tongariro is outstanding but requires careful planning. As of October 2023, you must book your walk-through DOC (this is free, just them managing numbers) and book your shuttle through various providers to take you from your car at the end to the beginning.
The weather is very likely to change as you walk, and the ground is very unstable after the Red Crater, it's an arduous walk with the end being the most challenging mentally. There are toilets along the track, and it can get busy. But despite all that, it's well worth the hike with plenty of beautiful features including Soda Springs, South Crater, Red Crater, Emerald Lakes, and Blue Lake, with amazing views of Mt Ruapehu.
Thank you for reading this guide on 14 fun and interesting things to do in Rotorua and Taupō! If you enjoyed the read, please consider subscribing to the I Dream of Mangoes Blog where we post articles once per week filled with travel tips, inspiration, and stories from adventures around the world.
Britani Bryce
GUEST WRITER
NZ & PACIFIC
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