The city of Rotorua and its surrounding area (which I'll say includes Taupo for the sake of this post) is a small town along the lake of the same name on New Zealand's North Island. It really is a must-visit if you're touring NZ, and you'll find a wide variety of things to do there. Read on for a few must-dos, as well as suggestions for your different options and what we did on our trip! 1. Geothermal Wonders One of the first things you'll notice when you get close to Rotorua is the smell. Much of the town uses geothermal energy thanks to all of the activity in the area. Experiencing some of these wonders is definitely a must-do while in the area. We chose to have our main experience at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, where we were able to see bubbling mud pits, colorful hot springs and pools, the lime-green colored Devil's Bath, and the steaming waterfall in the above picture. We also saw Pohutu Geyser and some other geothermal features as part of our tour at Te Puia (see must-do #2), but there are plenty of other options. If you want spa experiences like mud baths in addition to seeing geothermal wonders I recommend Hells Gate. If you're on a budget try the free Kuirau Park, and if you're in it to see as many amazing features as possible hit up Craters of the Moon and Waimangu Volcanic Valley as well. 2. Maori Culture There are lots of opportunities to learn about Maori culture in the Rotorua area. You can visit Whakawerawera Living Maori Village, see artifacts at the Rotorua Museum, or attend a free cultural show at the Pohutu Cultural Theatre. One of the most memorable things you can do is attend a Maori hangi feast and show. There are three main options here, all of which sound like a good time, and we ended up going with Te Po at Te Puia. All three offer traditional Maori food, music, and culture, and are around the same price. A little more information about each is below, but check out each link to see what each one has to offer. Te Puia Te Po Indigenous Evening Tour. This is the tour we chose. We were able to go on a guided tour of the geothermal areas at Te Puia, including Pohutu geyser, the largest in New Zealand. We also got to check out their kiwi habitat (though the birds were asleep) and their cultural center where students can learn traditional Maori artisan crafts. Next came the welcome ceremony, and a quick look at the hangi food (which was being cooked in a traditional pit oven with heated rocks) before the cultural show, where Maori performers displayed traditional songs and dance, including the famous haka dance. Finally, we were able to eat from the wonderful buffet, that includes hangi food as well as seafood and their famous steam pudding (this experience is said to have the best food of the three). We were very satisfied with our experience and would definitely recommend it! Mitai Maori Village Evening Experience. Mitai's big draw is that the performers arrive by war canoe (waka), which should make for a grand entrance! Their hangi meal and cultural performance sound similar to what we experienced at Te Puia, but they do offer a guided walk through Fairy Springs to see glowworms after dinner. We were already planning to visit Waitomo's glowworm caves, but if you're short on time for the trip and really want to see them, this could be a good option! For a little more, you can book the Beauty by Night combo for an additional guided nighttime tour of their kiwi area, as well as a ticket to come back to Rainbow Springs Park the next day. Tamaki Maori Village Evening Experience. This experience is said to be New Zealand's most awarded cultural attraction, and it offers a similar hangi feast and cultural show to Mitai or Te Po. I'm also told there are singalongs on the bus home from the experience, so it may be a bit more of a festive atmosphere than the other two options! 3. Hobbiton If you're at all a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies or books, I highly recommend taking a Hobbiton tour! The grounds are beautiful, with all sorts of flowers and those green, rolling hills that perfectly capture the Shire. You'll get to see the Mill, tons of cute Hobbit holes across the 12 acre set, and even have a drink at the Green Dragon Inn. Kayaker at Okere Falls Park 4. Adventure Activities We saw all sorts of adventure activities near Rotorua, from white water rafting or kayaking at Okere Falls to canopy tours to zorbing! New Zealand is known as a great place for adventure travel (bungee jumping was invented there, after all), and you can check out even more options here. As for us, we are not really adrenaline junkies, but we did enjoy plenty of hiking and did some mountain biking on the world-class trails at Whakarewarewa Redwoods! 5. Chasing Waterfalls I always love seeing waterfalls when I can, and Rotorua had plenty to see! We took a wonderful drive north of Lake Rotorua to get to Okere Falls Park, where you can see three different cascades. Then on our way to Lake Taupo we stopped by Huka Falls, which are rapidly moving falls with the most gorgeous blue color. There are lots of other waterfalls in the area as well, some of which are not quite as accessible, but you can check out more of them here! 6. Whakarewarewa Redwoods The wonderful Whakarewarewa Forest is a large natural area near Rotorua full of California Coast Redwoods. It features a wide array of walking and biking trails and is a great way to spend some time in a peaceful outdoor setting while in the area. We chose to experience the Redwoods two ways: by mountain biking some of the trails in the park, as I mentioned previously, and by doing the Redwoods Treewalk. The Treewalk is a series of paths and bridges suspended between 9 and 20 meters above the ground, so you get some great overhead views of the forest. We did it during the daytime, but you can also walk it at night, when 30 artistic lanterns light the way. 7. Lake Taupo Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand, so you may find yourself having to go around it if you are traveling the North Island. It's a really beautiful lake, and there are plenty of water-based activities to do on it. One of the most famous areas of the lake is the Mine Bay Maori rock carvings created by artist Matahi Brightwell and his team in the 1980s. Originally we were planning to do a kayaking tour out to see the carvings (as they can only be viewed from the water), but in the interest of time and weather we decided to see them via restored steamboat through Ernest Kemp Cruises. The main carving of a tattooed face towers an impressive 14 meters over Lake Taupo, and there are a variety of other carvings to see as well. 8. Grab a Bite at Eat Streat Rotorua and Taupo have tons of great restaurant options, but our favorite place was Eat Streat. It's a sort of pedestrian walkway located at the end of Tutanekai Street and lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars. The atmosphere is great and there are tons of different options to choose from, whether you want traditional New Zealand comfort food or Asian dishes! One of my favorite places we ate while in NZ was actually CBK (Craft Bar & Kitchen), which is located on Eat Streat. I hope this guide has helped you to choose options for experiencing the must-dos in the Rotorua area! Be sure to check out some geothermal wonders and learn about Maori culture, then visit Hobbiton and sample foods at Eat Streat. Natural wonders abound, whether you want to participate in adventure activities, get out on the water of Lake Taupo, see the Redwoods, or find waterfalls. How about you? Have you visited any of these attractions? Are you interested in New Zealand for future travels? Let me know in the comments!