Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

The tour was basically transfer to n from our hotel n between the sites, which was perfect for us as we like going at our own pace. Our driver Akira was very helpful n stopped at a couple spots of interest on the way for us to take pictures.

We had a wonderful day out exploring Hobbiton and the geothermal hot springs with Grant our excellent guide.

This was a GREAT tour. Keith was more than amazing pointing out things on the drive, showing us cool places that weren’t exactly outlined in the tour as we had some extra time. You can tell he really loves his job and cares about the people he is carrying around. THANK YOU! This was probably one of the best tours I’ve done in NZ so far.

Alistair gave a great tour of Tauranga and Rotorua area. Stops at Kiwi farms, geysers, hot mud pools and other thermal activity. Spent time at an active Maori village and saw a great show there. Pick up and drop off right at the cruise ship dock.

Alastair was n exceptional host. Informative and friendly. Wai O Tapu extra long walk was worth the trip. Mauri village also a highlight.

I really enjoyed this day tour. Hobbiton was even more lovely than I expected and that part of the trip was finished off nicely with a beer in the Green Dragon Inn. The thermal park was really interesting and the small group of ten people was perfect. The chosen lunch place was more than adequate and the scenery on the drive was very impressive.

We had time enough to see all the attractions at Wai O Tapu. After this I decided to visit Paradise Wild Life Park, also a great experience. Melissa is an excellent tour guide and very helpfully.

We were really well looked after by our tour guide, Grant. He went out of his way to give us a wonderful day and ensure that everyone was happy. Rotorua speaks for itself as it is stunning! Only disappointment was to discover that the availability of wifi meant that we would have to pay extra to actually have it (on a day when we were still trying to be in contact with our travel agent re flights back to the UK because of changes due to the Coronavirus). Paid extra to see the park with the geysers, which was worth it.

It was a great experience all in all. The thermal park was great (would’ve liked more time to explore - but that’s how these things go. The Mitai Maori Village experience was exceptional! Well organized and professionally done!! The only thing I was a bit dissatisfied with was the lack of clarity about the times each activity would run. It’s advertised as a “full day” activity which gives the impression that you’ll be doing something all day long. That was was not the case. There’s a big gap between the thermal park and the city snapshot (about 3hrs)- nothing wrong with it, but had I known that I would’ve done things a bit different in order to maximize my time there.

Well organised schedule. Peter was most informative, happy to answer any questions about New Zealand. Ran to a tight schedule, no waiting about for long lunches, this maximised the itinerary. Meeting point easy to find.

Definitely recommend this tour with thermal land shuttle company. The driver Keith was amazing and very knowledgeable. Perfect tour if you want to combine these two parks in the same day.

Perfect organization. Best trip to visit volcanic valley, especially when doing as shore excursion coming from a cruise