The 10 Best Tauranga Shore Excursions

1.Rotorua Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 427 reviews · from $152Our pick

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua for Whakarewarewa’s geysers, hot pools, bubbling mud, and a Māori cultural welcome. You’ll also visit a kiwifruit orchard, redwood forest, Government Gardens, and Kaituna Falls. Guides such as Stephen, Rolf, and John provide live commentary. Lunch is at your own expense.

“The tour was very good but driver guides microphone played up a little finding it hard to hear on bus the town we visited was awesome with a great local informative guide our driver guide was an ok guide but could have done better”

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2.6.5 hour Small-Group Rotorua Naturally Shore Excursion – Tauranga

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 283 reviews · from $135

From Tauranga, follow a well-informed local guide such as Simon, Richie, or Alistair to Rotorua for bubbling mud, warm foot baths, Māori culture, kiwi orchards, and the Redwoods Treewalk with glow worms. The 6.5-hour small-group tour suits cruise passengers who want a broad taste of the region without paying for a commercial geothermal park.

“The guide was very informative and friendly. The thermal activity, small town and the redwoods are a must see.”

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3.Hobbiton Movie Set Shore Excursion from Tauranga (6 Hours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 267 reviews · from $198Top rated

Travel from Tauranga’s port through Mount Maunganui, the Kaimai hills, and Waikato farmland to Hobbiton. Walk among the film set’s Hobbit holes, enter a furnished Hobbit home, and finish with ale or ginger beer at the Green Dragon. Guides such as Gary, Isabel, and Anna have added local color for many groups.

“The bus trip was comfortable and our host was very good. What could have been a very boring bus trip was actually fun, interesting and informative. Hobbiton was magical, like being transported to another world. Free roaming here would be amazing, but I understand why that's not possible. Definitely a must do, regardless of whether or not your a Hobbit or LOTR fan”

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4.Top Half Day Curated Highlights Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 152 reviews · from $69

This 4.5-hour Tauranga shore trip combines Mount Maunganui, Gate Pa, a kiwifruit orchard, Minden Lookout, and McLaren Falls Park. Guides such as Jan, Duncan, Terry, and Stephen provide local commentary. Expect a forest walk, coffee and a muffin, fruit and honey tastings, and hokey pokey ice cream.

“Our driver/guide, Duncan, provided a most informative commentary for the duration of the tour. After a tour of Mt Maunganui and Tauranga the first stop was at the site of a battle in the Māori Wars. Interesting place, the highlight being the Paus at the entrance to area. Along the way we were told about the history and development of the Kiwi Fruit industry. A photo stop at McLaren Falls before heading for lunch of a huge muffin at a cafe in the park. A short drive after lunch and we were dropped off at the start of an easy walk to a pretty, but not spectacular, waterfall. On returning…”

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5.History & Kiwifruit Tasting – 4 Hours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 146 reviews · from $65Best value

Spend four hours with a local guide such as Russell, Arwen, or Emile, touring Mt Maunganui, Tauranga, Minden Lookout, and a working kiwi orchard. Expect port pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, local history, scenic stops, and samples of kiwifruit, avocado, and tea.

“Russel is a highly organised tour operator with a wealth of knowledge that he is able to share with appropriate humour.”

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6.Shore Excursion: Local Tasting Tour from Tauranga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 77 reviews · from $186

Join Paul from Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters for a five to six-hour shore outing from the Port of Tauranga. Sample beer, cider, gin, wine, food, dessert, and a cocktail, with a gondola ride to Volcanic Hills Winery in Rotorua and a possible kiwifruit stop.

“The whole day from start to finish was amazing. It was such a variety to suit all kinds of tastes. Our tour operator Paul was full of local Knowledge in all areas.”

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7.Epic 25 min V8 Trike tour of Mt Maunganui & Tauranga

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews

You ride in a private, open-air V8 Chevrolet trike with seatbelts, not helmets, for 25 to 30 minutes around Mt Maunganui and Tauranga. Guides including Nigel, Kathy, and Bernie share local sights. The vehicle seats up to four, making the per-group price good for families and small groups.

“Thank you Nigel for a wonderful cruise around Mount Maunganui on your V8 trike. It was great fun and we certainly appreciated your willingness to reschedule the time due to inclement weather. Thanks also for the pictures you took of us.”

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8.Kiwifruit Destination and Sights Shore Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 69 reviews · 4 hours · from $74

Join guides such as Stephen, Alan, or Dave for a four-hour Tauranga shore trip in a small group. Visit a private organic kiwifruit orchard, see McLaren Falls, explore Tauranga Historic Village, and enjoy bottled water plus seasonal snacks, including the much-loved homemade brownies.

“Stephen is great! We enjoyed every detail. Very informative and interesting.”

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9.Private Tour Rotorua Shore Excursion up to 8 Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews

Join Wendy of Independent Tours Tauranga for a six-hour private drive from Tauranga to Rotorua. You can see Mount Maunganui, kiwifruit orchards, redwoods, geothermal pools, Pohutu Geyser, Māori arts, and a cultural show, with optional attraction fees extra.

“We really had a fun day with Wendy as our guide. There were 5 of us on this trip. It advertises 8 but we never would have fit in the van with 8. Wendy was organized and ready for us to have a good day. She took us to see the geothermal geysRead more”

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10.Tauranga Private Shore Excursion: Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua in a private vehicle with a guide, then walk Wai-O-Tapu’s colored pools, watch Lady Knox Geyser, visit Whakarewarewa, and stop at Rotorua highlights before returning to port. Guides may include Marina, Steve, or Phillip.

“Amazing trip. Saw so many gorgeous natural sites. Driver/ guide Steve very knowledgeable and personable.”

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