A Whole Day at Te Puia: Hāngī Buffet, Haka and Time to Actually Stay

Most day tours out of Auckland pair Te Puia with something else and give it ninety minutes. This one goes to Te Puia and nowhere else, which is the entire argument for it. The ticket includes the guided tour of the geothermal park with Pōhutu, the Māori cultural village and the arts school, the cultural performance with the haka, and a traditional hāngī buffet lunch cooked in the ground. That combination takes time, and the schedule allows for it rather than hurrying you back to the van. Cheeky Kiwi Travel runs the day in small groups with modern minibuses. The drive south crosses the Waikato, which the operator rates the most extensive farming country in the world, with a coffee stop somewhere chosen for the purpose, and passes Tirau and its corrugated iron sculptures. Rotorua closes with a guided drive past the lake, the museum, the Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths, with a souvenir stop and Manuka honey if the clock allows. The return north is guided too, with stops that are not on any itinerary. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.