Top things to do in Rotorua

Rotorua is 234km from Auckland, a 3.5-hour drive, and the ground around the city is still working. Steam vents, boiling mud and geysers sit a short drive from lakeside streets, and Māori culture runs through the district. Things to do in Rotorua start with that geothermal landscape, then spread across the lakes, the rivers and the forest.

Most of it clusters in a few areas. The lakefront is where floatplanes, helicopters and the paddle steamer leave. Fairy Springs Road has the forest ziplines and a hangi village. Okere Falls is the base for rafting and Lake Rotoiti kayak trips, and Velocity Valley and the Agrodome share a stretch of State Highway 5, 10km out of town.

Pick a theme and the day takes shape. The guided tours walk the geothermal valleys with someone who knows them, the Māori cultural experiences range from village visits to hangi dinners, and the water sports cover Grade 5 rafting and glow worm kayaking. Day trippers from Auckland and Hamilton can fit a surprising amount around the drive.

The standouts come first, and the rest of the region follows by category.