Waitomo Glowworms and Te Puia in One Day: Underground Lights, Then the Geyser

One day out of Auckland that goes underground before it goes geothermal. Waitomo comes first. The guided walk through the caves passes stalactites, stalagmites and lime columns, then drops further down to the grotto river, where a boat carries you under a ceiling of glowworms. The caves have been open to visitors for over 120 years, and the light is unlike anything above ground. Then Rotorua and Te Puia, on a fully guided 90-minute tour: Pōhutu Geyser, Māori architecture, the National Māori Arts School, geothermal craters, and the kiwi house. The drive itself is part of what Cheeky Kiwi Travel sells. Groups are small, the minibuses are modern, and the guides talk the whole way rather than putting a playlist on. South out of Auckland the road crosses the Waikato, which the operator calls the most extensive farming country in the world, and passes Taupiri, where Māori burial grounds and carved poles stand beside the road. Otorohanga calls itself the Kiwiana capital of New Zealand, and the town lives up to the claim. Rotorua finishes with a guided drive past the lake, the museum, the Government Gardens, Whangapipiro (Rachel Spring) and the Blue Baths. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.