How long in rotorua

Bathing at the geothermal hot springs, Polynesian Spa. Thermal hot springs at Waikite Thermal Hot Pools. Unforgettable family adventures Rotorua is one of New Zealand's top family holiday destinations.

Enjoy a family outing to Waimangu Volcanic Valley. Mountain biking, from mild to wild Biking is big here and it stretches from one side of the region to the other. Rotorua is a must-do destination for mountain biking. Receive alerts about cheap flights into Rotorua If you're interested in cheap airfares to Rotorua, we run regular special offers.

Find the perfect place to stay. Gateway International Motel. Powered by. Keep exploring Rotorua. Essential information. Best time to visit Rotorua Geothermal attractions are the main reason to visit Rotorua, and these are bubbling and hissing all year round. How much will it cost This will depend on your tastes and what you want to do. Health There are no mandatory vaccinations required for visitors to New Zealand.

Visas If you are visiting Rotorua from overseas, you might need a visa to holiday in New Zealand, depending on where you're from and how long you're staying. Cheap flights to Rotorua Flight route. Search now. Did you find this page helpful? Here is where you must make a choice, there's to routes to Rotorua from here and they both take the same amount of time.

The first way follows Highway 3 north from Waitomo. Take a right on Allen Road, follow through to Arapuni Road. Stay on Arapuni Road to Putaruru. From Putaruru up Highway 28 to where it links to Highway 5 to Rotorua. Seem too complicated? Take the easier route. Follow Highway 37 east then south on Highway 3. After you have gone through Te Kuiti look out for Highway Follow Highway 30 right through to Rotorua. If you're in need a refreshing swim from the long drive, detour to Waikite Valley hot springs.

A real local favourite. Driving Distance to Rotorua: kilometres Driving Time: 4 hours 30 minutes. Although New Zealander's are called Kiwi's, only a lucky few have ever actually seen a real-life living Kiwi bird.

The Waitomo Caves will have you feeling like you're travelling to another world. Deep below ground in the small town of Waitomo is a cave network that's home to millions of glow worms. Have a stretch with a short walk over the Arapuni suspension bridge, overlooking the Arapuni power station. This incredible metre swing bridge is bush lined, with incredible views to the surrounding forest canopy.

The Arapuni Swing Bridge is a hidden gem, that a lot of locals don't even know about. The excitement doesn't stop here. By this point, you're probably hanging out for the Luge , or maybe even a wine tasting overlooking the city's beautiful lake.

As we walked up to the waterfall, we could see why this natural display of force was so popular. The metre waterfall carries , litres per second and is a vibrant blue colour. There are several hiking and biking trails around the falls. If you have some time, you can take a jet boat up to the base of the waterfall.

We decided to stay on dry land and admire the falls from above. Lake Taupo is the biggest lake by surface area in New Zealand and lies in the caldera of the Taupo volcano.

After deciding to come back for a weekend around the lake, we made our way back to Rotorua. We were keen to try another geothermal spa, so, when we passed the Wairakei Terraces, we had a quick look around. Apart from the thermal pools, you can also visit the terraces. The terraces, as well as the geyser, are manmade but are still impressive to watch. Geothermal water is pushed up from 1.

The pools, situated under the silica terraces, looked like an oasis of tranquility. At Waikite, the thermal water comes straight from the Te Manaroa natural boiling spring. Apart from four thermal pools, the complex provides private pools, where you can relax on your own while enjoying views over the valley.

We spent around 40 minutes in the private tub, taking in the serene landscape. The park is also a successful kiwi conservation centre, where you can see these birds up-close in the nocturnal kiwi house. Our ticket was valid for the whole day, including evenings, so we came back after dinner to see the kiwis awake.

For dinner, we boarded the gondola at sunset and enjoyed a metre, scenic ride up the Skyline Rotorua Complex. At the top, you can try a variety of activities such as: mountain biking, luge, zipline or the skyswing. The dining area had an elegant interior, with large windows overlooking the city and lake.

Meals on offer are displayed buffet-style on an array of tables across the length of the room. Options range from seafood to rotisserie, as well as a varied dessert selection. On our final day in the area, we visited Te Puia, the last geothermal park on the itinerary.

We spent around two hours wandering around the park. Following Te Puia, we had a bit of a trip ahead of us. We drove from Rotorua through the beautiful countryside towards the Waitomo district. After 1. Just like the Rainbow Springs Nature Park, the kiwi house features many native birds, however, the kiwi feeding talk was the highlight of our visit.

Next on our itinerary — and our last activity for this trip — was the Waitomo Glowworm Cave. We had been looking into more adventurous options to see the caves, such as tubing, however, due to time constraints, we opted to go the more traditional route and join the walk and boat ride. After a quick introduction to the cave, its discovery and features, we boarded a small boat in almost complete darkness. We slowly glided through the water in silence and marvelled at the glowing blue dots covering the cave ceiling all around us.

New Zealand is a relatively compact country, so you can see most of the country's highlights in two weeks. To explore more of the regions and get off the beaten track, you could easily spend three weeks or more exploring. Whether you are going for just a weekend, or for a whole month, you can find an itinerary to suit you. Whether you want to pack in the sights or take things slowly, these day itineraries will help you make the most of your one to two weeks in New Zealand.

New Zealand has some of the greatest scenic drives in the world. From Northland to Southland, embark on a collection of road trips throughout New Zealand. Watch all eight videos or explore the journey that appeals most. Use the travel time and distance calculator to measure the distance between locations in New Zealand and travel time via driving, walking, or cycling.

Learn about driving in New Zealand including the road rules, which side of the road to drive on in New Zealand, using an international driver's licence and weather conditions. Let us show you the best of New Zealand on other platforms by selecting 'On' and allowing us to share data from your visit s with our partners.