Explore The Lakes Tour | 4 hours

61 Reviews | Rotorua
Likely To Sell Out
From $86.93 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
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Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • All Fees and Taxes
  • Transport by air-conditioned minivan
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Rotorua Central only.
  • Lunch

Overview

Explore The Lakes Tour – 9am to 1pm By far the best lakes tour in Rotorua, small group, locations and value. With 18 lakes in the Rotorua area our Explore The Lakes Tour provides a driver-guided exploration of some of the highlights of New Zealand’s Lake District: Hamurana springs, the largest fresh water spring in the North island. Okere falls and Tutea falls with Native forest walk. lake Rotoiti, the Blue and Green lakes and lake Tarawera. Explore our favourite scenic spots and natural springs on foot. Take photographs at your leisure and learn about Rotorua’s colourful culture and history from our knowledgeable and friendly guide. • Highlights • Small group, relaxed atmosphere. •  Informative, outgoing driver-guide. • Breath-taking scenery. • No queues . • Half day tour.

Pickup points

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Meeting points

Outside the information center/ i-site. Silver Ford Transit mini van with Real Rotorua signage on it.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

  • Lake Rotorua (Pass By)

    with 18 lakes in the district i will guide you to the best locations, without the crowds and part of a small group

  • Hamurana Springs Nature Reserve

    Towering redwoods, crystal clear waters, crowd free

    1 hour

  • Lake Rotoiti (Pass By)

    beautiful views across the lake

  • Okere Falls

    Enjoy a native forest walk through the Okere falls scenic reserve . Desend the stairs to Tutea falls the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world

    40 minutes

  • Redwoods Treewalk (Pass By)

    redwood plantation

  • Blue Lake Track

    Blue lake

    10 minutes

  • Lake Rotokakahi

    two lakes side by side, one blue one green surrounded by thousands of fern trees

    10 minutes

  • Lake Tarawera

    enjoy a walk along the shores of lake Tarawera with Mt Tarawera rising up across the lake

    15 minutes

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • A maximum of 8 people per tour
  • Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Supportive footwear such as trainers or hiking boots is recommended
  • This tour includes walks of up to 2 kilometers, a good level of fitness and balance is required for all participants
  • Risk Disclosure: We operate a strict safety management system that is audited to New Zealand standards. It is important for you to be aware of the risk and hazards of this tour which are: uneven grounds, tree roots, rocks and slippery surfaces that could result in slips, trips and falls causing injury / strains / sprains / or broken bones

Free Cancellation

June 10100% refund
June 11No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

5.0

61 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    61
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 61 reviews with 5 stars

Great introduction to Rotorua

Published on Feb, 2025

Great tour of the area with ample opportunities to get out and explore the area. We visited four lakes, walked through a grove of redwood trees, and hiked a beautiful path along the river all while learning about the plants, trees, and natural history of the area. Stephen is a very knowledgeable and engaging guide.

Wonderful tour of the beautiful Lakes around Rotorua.

Published on Dec, 2024

Stephen was our very friendly and knowledgeable guide for this lovely tour. We were looking for something different to do as we are past the age of wanting high adrenaline activities. We started off at the Hamurana Springs nature reserve, a beautiful, serene place with natural cold springs occurring…and had a sacred place to the iwi of Ngāti Rangiwewehi.  We walked through some extremely tall and beautiful Redwood Trees which made us feel incredibly small! Stephen talked about the trees, the plants and all the wonderful ferns. He pointed out trees that were used for medicinal purposes but others that were poisonous. From there we visited the Ōkere Falls, the Tutea Falls, Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) and Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake) and finally Lake Tarawera. Stephen filled us in with the history and flora and fauna of each Lakeside. There was a reasonable amount of walking so some fitness is needed but well worth it to see the Real Rotorua.

A Rotorua Must

Published on Jun, 2024

Amazing. Magic. Breathtaking. The Lakes tour was a definite highlight of my trip to NZ. The discovery of stunning crystal clear lakes, towering redwoods, waterfalls, and ancient volcanic craters was expertly accompanied by well researched local knowledge. Stephen’s passion for showing the wonders of Rotorua made the tour exciting and fun. I highly recommend Explore The Lakes Tour to all who manage to spend a day in Rotorua. You will not be disappointed!

Beautiful lakes and good guide

Published on Jun, 2024

Man, it is almost the best tour in my NZ trip. It is winter and only me booked this trip. Stephen was still very warm, explaining everything I was curious about during this trip-- and took photos for me. Since there was only me, it was better than a normal private trip because Stephen was so professional about these lakes and springs, and his hot chocolate!

Don’t miss this!

Published on May, 2024

I was traveling “solo” with my infant baby girl. Our guide and driver Stephen is not only a highly knowledgeable person but also very well traveled. He showed the beautiful lakes and the springs around. Also told a lot about the native flora and fauna as well as Māori tradition and culture. I highly recommend this tour!

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