Rotorua Road Trips
Start your Kiwi Road Trip in Rotorua and take a self-drive tour of New Zealand. From Rotorua, you could drive to many key areas like Auckland, Northland, Napier, Wellington, Taupo, Whakatane, Waiheke, Kaitaia and Gisborne.
Each Rotorua road trip is made up of several days and each day offers something new and exciting to experience. By clicking on the name of each Kiwi Road Trip, you can read a detailed description of the trip, along with links to accommodation, attractions, activities, tours and transport in the area.
One-Way Road Trips From Rotorua
Rotorua - Wellington (4 Days)
Encounter some of New Zealand's most interesting geological features on this four day Kiwi Road Trip from Rotorua to Wellington. You'll begin in the astounding city of Rotorua, where the Earth's inner heat hisses out to create spectacular geothermal attractions.
Your next stop is Waitomo where you can explore a labyrinth of limestone caves. In the Tongariro National Park you can marvel at three immense volcanoes – walk around them or ski down them, depending on the time of year. Your next stop is Wanganui and the final stop on this Rotorua road trip is Wellington, with all it's cultural attractions.
Rotorua - Christchurch - Invercargill (14 Days)
Drive from the geothermal city of Rotorua to the oyster city of Invercargill – a Kiwi Road Trip for people who love wild places and outdoor adventures.
Highlights of this Rotorua road trip include the geothermal attractions of Rotorua and Taupo, Tongariro National Park, the Wanganui River, Wellington's vibrant city culture, the hot pools in Hanmer Springs, the garden city of Christchurch, Aoraki/Mt Cook, a boat trip on Milford Sound and the adventure filled towns of Queenstown and Wanaka.
Return Road Trips From Rotorua
Rotorua - Waitomo - Rotorua (3 Days)
Leave the geothermal activity of Rotorua behind and drive through the farmland to the Waitomo Caves where you can see huge limestone caverns filled with stalactites and glow worms.
Lake Taupo is your next port of call, with geothermal attractions to explore and waterfalls to admire. Trout fishing is another attraction in the Taupo/Turangi region. On your way back to Rotorua you will have more opportunities to see geysers, boiling mud pools and bubbling craters.
Rotorua - Napier - Rotorua (4 Days)
This circular Kiwi Road Trip takes you from the weird and wonderful attractions of Rotorua to the elegant Art Deco architecture of Napier.
A wilderness road takes you to beautiful, remote Lake Waikaremoana – a fabulous place for forest walks. Next is the Art Deco city of Napier, which is framed by swathes of vineyards and world class wineries. Your next stop on this road trip is the crater lake of Taupo, well known for its superb trout fishing. You can also explore the geothermal attractions of Taupo, before heading back to Rotorua.
Rotorua - Waitomo - Napier - Rotorua (5 Days)
In five days you can circle the central North Island region and find something of everything. Rotorua with its geothermal and Māori cultural attractions is the ideal base.
After relaxing in Rotorua, you travel across the country to the Waitomo Caves to explore the huge limestone caverns. Your next stop is Taupo, where you can enjoy trout fishing, hot pools and geothermal parks. You can then take in the Art Deco architecture of Napier before heading to Lake Waikaremoana and finally back to Rotorua.
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