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Day 1: Te Pā Tū Evening Māori Cultural Experience - Dinner Included, Auckland to Rotorua Journey via Waitomo
North Island · Independent coach travel (self guided)

Auckland to Rotorua Journey via Waitomo and Hobbiton

  • 3 days, 2 nights
  • Starts and ends in Auckland
  • Hotel 3 star
Fromper person, twin share

Where you will go

1 places you sleep in over 2 nights. Select a place in the list to find it on the map.

Overnight stop, in route orderVisited on the wayScheduled coach, no guideStarts and ends in Auckland. 1 overnight stop across 3 days, about 440 km of driving. Select a marker to open that day.

Overview

Independent coach travel (self guided). You travel on your own on scheduled coach services. Your seats and hotels are reserved; no guide travels with you. You are not left to it: your whole trip is in a travel app, and our New Zealand support team is a message or call away, seven days a week.

Visit Waitomo Caves, Tamaki Māori Village, and Hobbiton Movie Set, and experience a ziplining adventure with Rotorua Canopy Tours on this 2-day fun-filled tour. 3 days through the North Island, starting and finishing in Auckland. Along the way: Te Pā Tū Evening Māori Cultural Experience - Dinner Included, Rotorua Intercity Depot to Rotorua Accommodation, Mountain Jade - Highlights Tour. Every night is booked and the travelling is handled, so the itinerary below is what you actually do rather than a list of things you could arrange yourself.

  • 2 nights accommodation
  • 5 included activities
  • 3 meals included

Explore more:North Island toursHobbiton and Lord of the RingsFamily holidaysSolo travellersRotorua toursAuckland toursWaitomo Caves tours

What is included, and what is not

Included in the price

  • 2 nights of accommodation, hotel 3 star
  • Scheduled coach travel between destinations, seats reserved
  • 5 included activities and entries along the way
  • A detailed day by day itinerary with every booking reference
  • Support from a New Zealand based specialist while you travel
Included activities
  • Te Pā Tū Evening Māori Cultural Experience - Dinner Included
  • Rotorua Intercity Depot to Rotorua Accommodation
  • Mountain Jade - Highlights Tour
  • Polynesian Spa Deluxe Lake Spa
  • Ultimate Ziplining Experience with Rotorua Canopy Tours
  • Rotorua to Auckland by InterCity Coach

Not included

  • International flights to and from New Zealand
  • Travel insurance, which we recommend arranging on the day you pay your deposit
  • Meals other than the 3 meals listed in the itinerary
  • Personal spending, tips and anything not listed as included

Anything here can be added. Extra nights, room upgrades, more activities or a different vehicle: tell us what you would change and we re-quote, no obligation.

Day by day

Aucklandview on Google Maps

New Zealand’s Most Awarded Cultural Attraction, presenting Te Pā Tū. Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within the forest Pā (village) blanketed by towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and a forest-formed amphitheatre. Te Pā Tū shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across 4-hours of celebration and feasting. These events change with each season of the Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

Rotorua Intercity Depot to Rotorua Accommodation

You will be collected from Rotorua Intercity Coach Depot and transferred to your accommodation.

Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set with Gray Line / GreatSights - includes picnic lunch

Take a journey through the heart of the Central North Island, taking in the Waitomo Caves and Hobbiton Movie Set on a full-day sightseeing tour. Setting off from Auckland, travel through the lush farmland of the Waikato and King Country regions, enjoying your driver guide’s entertaining and informative commentary. At the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, take a guided tour through impressive underground caverns and learn how stalactites, stalagmites, and other limestone structures were formed over millions of years. Then, travel to Matamata, and take a guided tour of the famous Hobbiton Movie Set, located inside a picturesque 1,250-acre sheep and beef farm. The tour includes a picnic lunch. After visiting Waitomo and Hobbiton, continue to Rotorua.

AucklandTourism New Zealand
TonightSudima Lake RotoruaLunch and speciality dinner

Sudima Hotel Lake Rotorua boasts a location that is second-to-none, right on the shores of beautiful Lake Rotorua. Adjacent to the world-famous Polynesian Spa complex and just a short stroll to all the attractions in Rotorua.

Rotoruaview on Google Maps

This 30-minute highlights tour is a rare opportunity to spend time with New Zealand Jade artists. New Zealand Jade known as Greenstone, but more commonly known in New Zealand as Pounamu has a rich history within Māori culture. The expert guide will show you the intricate process of Pounamu carving firsthand in the Mountain Jade studio. The local artist will be there to personally demonstrate the carving process and share their stories and knowledge with you. To top off the tour, you will get to select your very own piece of Pounamu and learn to string it yourself so you can take it home.

Polynesian Spa Deluxe Lake Spa

Rotorua’s Polynesian Spa offers a unique thermal spa experience on the shore of Lake Rotorua. Enjoy tranquil bathing and lake views in four shallow alkaline rock pools, each with different temperatures (36˚C to 42˚C). Surrounded by revitalising native New Zealand flora, natural rocks, the sound of two waterfalls and a grotto. The pools are filled with soothing alkaline mineral water leaving your skin soft and supple. Unwind in either the indoor or outdoor relaxation area overlooking the four hot mineral pools and Lake Rotorua, here you can further decompress on the five geothermally heated recliners set in the stunning backdrop of New Zealand’s lush and natural greenery. The Lake Spa is a unique thermal pool environment, where the atmosphere changes from day to night, and from winter steam to summer sparkle.

Ultimate Ziplining Experience with Rotorua Canopy Tours

Embark on a three and a half hour adventure through native New Zealand forest. Journey through the beautiful forest canopy via an incredible network of trails, tree platforms, Ziplines and swing bridges, journey deeper into natural New Zealand than ever before with the Ultimate Canopy Tour. See breathtaking views of the woodland valleys and hills as you fly through tight openings in the trees. In between the thrill of the ziplines and suspended tree bridges, your guides will share their passion and knowledge for the forest and the conservation challenges to preserve it. The tour will conclude with a thrilling 16-meter controlled descent back to the beautiful forest ground. It is important you read and understand the risks associated with this activity. For more information see here.

TonightSudima Lake RotoruaBreakfast

Rotoruaview on Google Maps

The drive from Rotorua to Auckland takes you through the heart of the Waikato and its rich agricultural land. Along New Zealand’s longest river, the Waikato. A little further than Hamilton is Auckland City, New Zealand’s largest, spread over approximately 60 square kilometres. From the vibrant and trendy fashion and cuisine found in Ponsonby and Parnell to the breathtaking native bush and beaches of the West Coast, Auckland is full of life and the opportunities to explore are endless.

Private Transfer Rotorua Accommodation to Rotorua Intercity Depot with Xquizit

You will be collected from your accommodation and transferred to Rotorua Intercity Coach Depot.

Keep this itinerary

Email yourself the day by day to read later or pass on, or with every day open.

Good to know

Departures

This itinerary departs on the dates that suit you, subject to availability. Peak season (December to February) books out early, so enquire well ahead for summer travel.

Make it yours

Add nights, upgrade rooms, swap activities or extend into the other island. Tell us what you would change and we will re-quote, no obligation.

Never travelling alone

Your whole itinerary lives in a smart travel app with live vouchers, maps and daily guidance, and your own travel specialist is reachable seven days a week while you are on the road. If plans change, we rearrange them in real time.

Who you are booking with

Operator
This itinerary is operated by a Qualmark Gold certified New Zealand operator. We book it for you and stay your point of contact.
Silver Fern Travel
Tourism New Zealand 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist (Insider), IATA certified, based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Prices
Quoted from the operator's own booking engine and refreshed weekly. The figure on this page is the one you will be quoted.
Paying
A 20% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 70 days before travel. How your money is protected.

Watch: Hobbiton on this itinerary

Asked before booking

Something not answered here? , no quote attached.

Still deciding? Worth a read: How many days do you actually need in New Zealand? · The best time to visit New Zealand, from people who live here

Fromper person, twin share
Per day
NZ$703planning included
Travelling solo
single occupancy

No payment to enquire; a firm quote within one working day. Lowest priced travel dates, two sharing. International flights not included. A 20% deposit confirms your booking, with the balance due 70 days before travel. How your money is protected

100% Pure New Zealand InsiderQualmark Gold, the official quality mark of New Zealand tourism

Itineraries operated by a Qualmark Gold certified New Zealand operator. Tourism New Zealand 100% Pure Insider.

Request a quote for this trip

No payment, no obligation. A specialist replies with a firm quote within one working day.

When would you like to travel?

You will hear back within one working day. Quotes are free and there is no obligation to book.

How it works

How your money is protected

  1. Tell us about your trip

  2. Get your firm quote

  3. Shape it until it fits

  4. Confirm with a 20% deposit

  5. Everything is booked for you

  6. Travel with us beside you

The Silver Fern Promise

You never hand over more than a small deposit

Nothing to enquire, nothing until your quote is confirmed in writing, and never more than your deposit until the balance falls due 70 days before travel. Deposits can be paid by card, which keeps your card scheme’s protections in play.

How your money is protected

A firm quote within one working day

Availability checked with our New Zealand operations team and confirmed in writing, not an automated estimate.

No booking fees, and nothing to pay to enquire

Quotes are free and carry no obligation. You pay a deposit only once the itinerary is right and you say go.

One person, before and during your trip

The same specialist plans your trip and is reachable while you are travelling, alongside in-country support seven days a week.

100% Pure New Zealand InsiderQualmark Gold, the official quality mark of New Zealand tourismInsider status, Tourism New Zealand 100% Pure New Zealand Specialist Programme. IATA certified. Every itinerary is operated by a Qualmark Gold certified New Zealand tour operator.

Questions before you enquire? Email hello@silverferntravel.com and ask. No form required.

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