Best Rotorua Day Trips & Things to Do

Rotorua is located on New Zealand's North Island, set within a volcanic caldera and alongside a large lake of the same name. The city is famous for its unique landscape of bubbling mud pools, steaming vents, and powerful geysers that have drawn visitors for over a century. The region is a center for Māori heritage, where travelers can visit living villages like Whakarewarewa or Ohinemutu to see how local communities use natural geothermal heat for cooking and bathing. In the Te Puia valley, the Pōhutu Geyser erupts regularly, reaching heights of up to 30 meters. Beyond the steam, the surrounding landscape offers diverse outdoor activities. The Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest is world renowned for its mountain biking trails and tree walk among massive California redwoods.