The 11 Best Tauranga Hot Springs Tours

1.Rotorua Geothermal Living Maori Village Tour Whakarewarewa 6.5hours Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 145 reviews · from $166Our pick

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua in a small air-conditioned vehicle, with a guide such as Jack, Brian, or Saskia. At Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village, a resident explains geothermal life, followed by a hangi-style lunch and 30-minute concert. The day also includes Lake Rotorua, Government Gardens, Mount Maunganui, and Te Puke.

“We are very happy with our tour to Rotorua. Brian is a wonderful guide. He is knowledgeable and friendly and respectful. He kept the tour going at a good pace. I loved the history commentary. We spent a couple of hours at the Māori village. The tour with a resident of the village was fascinating. The performance was wonderful and the lunch was an added bonus. We made several stops on the way back to see other aspects of the area. Overall, an excellent day.”

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2.Rotorua Geothermal Wonderland Tour – Departs Tauranga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 123 reviews · from $166Top rated

Travel from Tauranga or Mount Maunganui to Rotorua in a 12-seater minivan with a local guide such as Nicolle or Russell. Visit Te Puia for Māori culture, Pohutu Geyser, mud pools, and kiwi viewing, then walk through the redwoods before returning to port.

“Overall, a good experience. The entertainment was good but the Haka presentation was very short and disappointing. The geyser was very cool and liked seeing the Kiwi birds.”

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3.Boutique tour , Mt Maunganui, NZ farm, Rotorua lakes/geothermal

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 50 reviews · from $137

Travel from Tauranga port to Mt Maunganui, Te Puke, Rotorua, native bush, lakes, and geothermal country in a small air-conditioned minivan. Guides including Toby, Kerry, Terry, and Roger share local insight. The day is packed, with lunch and some optional stops extra.

“We loved the guide/driver’s insights and information about each of the sights we visited. Toby is great. He would take us to small, out of the way sights that were very significant for our enjoyment. Quick stops at the kiwi farm and at several keRead more”

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4.Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park & Mud Spa Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · from $183

Travel from Tauranga’s cruise port to Hell’s Gate with a local driver such as Cookie, Grant, or Martin. Walk past steaming pools, mud pots, and the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hot waterfall, then spend 20 minutes in a geothermal mud bath and relax in sulphur pools.

“Mud baths were very relaxing. The carving activity was interesting. Overall this excursion was worth the time.”

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5.Waimangu Geothermal Valley & Lake Rotomahana Tour – 7hrs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $176

Travel from Tauranga to Waimangu Volcanic Valley with a local guide such as Robert, walk 4 km through craters and hot springs, then take a 45-minute Lake Rotomahana cruise. Small groups, port pickup, live commentary, and views of Mount Tarawera make this a full geothermal day out.

“This was a great tour! On the ride to volcanic springs and lake, we stopped at a kiwi farm and learned about that. Then we arrived at the volcanic area and had a terrific walk through the craters, seeing and learning about the hot springs and Read more”

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6.Private, via beaches, Kiwi farm to Rotorua 8 lakes & Geothermal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 20 reviews

Travel privately from Tauranga to Rotorua with a guide such as Toby, Steve, or Thierry. Visit Mt Maunganui, a kiwi orchard, Whakarewarewa’s geothermal village and Māori concert, eight lakes, native forest, and Okere Falls in about 7 to 8 hours.

“My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our guide was knowledgeable, prompt and thorough. This is definitely one of our family's adventures that will last for a lifetime. Our young adult kids enjoyed the experiences too. Went to so many awesome places with great views and visited the Kiwi farm and Maori village. Thank you!”

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7.Tauranga Private Shore Excursion: Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews

Travel privately from Tauranga to Wai-O-Tapu with a guide, watch Lady Knox Geyser, visit Rotorua’s geothermal sights and Whakarewarewa, and stop at Kuirau Park, the Kaituna River, and Te Puke. Guides have included Marina, Steve, and Phillip.

“Amazing trip. Saw so many gorgeous natural sites. Driver/ guide Steve very knowledgeable and personable.”

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8.Hells Gate Geothermal, Mud & Sulphur Spa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $155

From Tauranga, join a small-group trip to Rotorua with guides such as Sherril or Greg. Walk Hell’s Gate’s steaming geothermal reserve, see Māori carving, bathe in mud and sulphur pools, and visit the Government Gardens and Redwoods Forest.

“As a cruise passengers this was an amazing experience to see beautiful vicinities of Tauranga and Rotorua and experience Hell’s Gate geothermal wonders and mud spa. Comfortable vehicles (Mercedes Sprinter Van). Our guide Greg was very energetic and knowledgeable and everything went smoothly and efficiently.”

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9.Tauranga: Mount Maunganui Hot Pools Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · from $15Best value

Spend about an hour in five outdoor pools heated from 32 to 39°C at the base of Mauao. Move between massage jets, a hydrotherapy pool, a relaxation pool, and a shaded children’s pool. Towels, swimwear, private pools, and massages cost extra.

“Nice public pool. The massage is a must. The best I have ever had! Enjoyed the pools and the local feel. Watched the dare devils flying off the mountain as I relaxed in the pools. Can’ top that!”

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10.Wai-O-Tapu Geothermal Valley, & Hot River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $155

Travel from Tauranga to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, then see Rotorua’s Redwoods, Sulphur Point, and Government Gardens. Your guide, including Greg on some departures, provides transport, snacks, bottled water, and local context in a group capped at 15 people.

“Worth place to visit , great experience with lakes which is surreal. Driver is nice and the transport vehicle is comfortable.”

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11.Te Puia Geothermal, Kiwi and Māori Art

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 reviews · from $148

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua with a driver-guide, snacks and water, then visit Te Puia for Pōhutu Geyser, Māori carving, a cultural performance and kiwi conservation. Short stops include the Redwoods, Government Gardens, Sulphur Point and Kuirau Park. Lunch is not included.

“The highlights of the tour in the description give you high expectations. In the actual tour not every featured activity was fully fulfilled. The Kuirau Park and the Māori performance were the highlights. But we didn’t get to see redwoods. It’s disappointing that we didn’t make any stop at the scenic sulphur point.”

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