Rotorua for All Ages: The Ultimate Multi-Generational Travel Guide
Planning a family holiday sounds easy, until you realise you’re trying to keep a seven-year-old, two teenagers, Mum, Dad and the grandparents entertained at the same time.
Luckily, Rotorua is one destination where you really can please everyone.
With geothermal wonders, Māori culture, forest adventures, relaxing hot pools and plenty of opportunities to dial the adrenaline up (or down), Rotorua is made for multi-generational getaways. The trick is finding experiences everyone can enjoy together, with a few opportunities to split up and follow your own adventures along the way.
Travelling with the whole whānau? Here’s our guide to experiencing Rotorua at every age.
EXPERIENCES EVERYONE CAN ENJOY
Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Start your family adventure at Waimangu Volcanic Valley, where explorers young and old can discover the incredible landscape created by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera.
Your experience begins with a self-guided walk through the volcanic valley, following trails past steaming craters, bubbling geothermal features, colourful lakes and native bush. Along the way, interpretive signs reveal the stories behind this remarkable landscape, giving every generation something to discover at their own pace.
At the end of the walk, the adventure continues onto Lake Rotomahana for a 45-minute cruise. From the water, you’ll get a completely different perspective of the valley, discovering geothermal features only visible by boat while hearing stories of the lake, its cultural history and the legendary Pink and White Terraces.
Combining nature, history, geothermal wonders and a scenic boat trip in one experience, Waimangu is an easy crowd-pleaser for a multi-generational day out.
Redwoods Treewalk
See Rotorua’s famous Whakarewarewa Forest from a completely different perspective at Redwoods Treewalk.
Suspension bridges and platforms take you amongst towering redwoods for a peaceful forest experience that feels adventurous without requiring anyone to be an adrenaline junkie. Come during the day to appreciate the scale and beauty of the forest, or visit after dark when the Nightlights transform the trees into something seriously magical.
Visitors need to be able to walk unaided to complete the Treewalk, so it’s worth checking suitability for your group before visiting.
Polynesian Spa
After a day of exploring, getting the whole family to agree on slowing down shouldn’t be too difficult.
At Polynesian Spa, Rotorua’s famous geothermal waters offer something for different ages and tastes, from family-friendly bathing to more indulgent adult experiences.
While the younger members of the family enjoy a splash, the grown-ups can embrace the opportunity to relax. Add beautiful views over Lake Rotorua and you’ve got an easy way to finish a busy day together.
Te Puia
Geothermal landscapes meet Māori culture at Te Puia, making this another great experience for bringing generations together.
Explore Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley, see bubbling mud pools and the famous Pōhutu Geyser, and learn more about Māori art, culture and traditions. It’s an opportunity for younger visitors to discover something completely new, while adults can delve deeper into the stories, history and cultural significance of the area.
Agrodome
Sometimes the simplest activities are the biggest crowd-pleasers, and meeting a few four-legged locals is hard to beat.
At Agrodome, families can experience a slice of rural New Zealand through farm shows, animals and farm tours. It’s particularly brilliant for little ones, but don’t be surprised if the adults get just as invested.
Agrodome has also put a strong focus on accessibility, with wheelchair access throughout the Farm Show and an accessible trailer available for the Farm Tour when arranged in advance.
Skyline Rotorua
If your family can’t agree on how adventurous the day should be, Skyline Rotorua makes things easy.
Everyone can begin with a gondola ride up Mount Ngongotahā and take in sweeping views across Rotorua. From there, the more adventurous members of the family can take on the luge and other activities, while those who prefer to take things slowly can simply enjoy the scenery.
Our advice? A little friendly intergenerational luge rivalry never hurt anyone.
FOR THE ADVENTURE SEEKERS
Sometimes the teenagers and grown-ups need an adventure of their own.
Rotorua has no shortage of opportunities to get the heart racing, making it easy to split the group for a few hours before meeting up again afterwards.
Zip through an ancient native forest
For an adventure that combines a little adrenaline with a whole lot of nature, head into the treetops with Redwoods Altitude.
This two-hour guided treetop adventure takes you deep into ancient native forest, where you’ll soar between the trees on ziplines, cross swing bridges and explore platforms high above the forest floor. Along the way, your guides will introduce you to the native plants and wildlife. Your ticket also includes a 15-minute guided glowworms tour in their purpose-built eco-cave.
It’s an unforgettable way for teens and adults to experience Rotorua’s forests from a whole new perspective.
Go white water rafting
Ready to turn things up another notch?
Join Kaitiaki Adventures for a white water rafting adventure through Rotorua’s incredible landscape. Between rushing rapids, native bush and plenty of splashing, it’s the kind of experience guaranteed to become one of those family stories that gets retold for years.
Check age and participation requirements directly with the operator when booking, particularly if younger teens are joining the adventure.
FOR KIDS (AND KIDS AT HEART)
Who says the kids should get to have all the fun?
Roll downhill in a giant inflatable ball
Some Rotorua experiences require very little explanation.
At ZORB Rotorua, you climb inside a giant inflatable ball and roll downhill. That’s essentially it, and it’s every bit as ridiculous and fun as it sounds.
Riders must currently be at least five years old, and ZORB even recommends riding with family or friends because it’s more fun together.
Whether you’re eight, eighteen or considerably older and questioning your life choices halfway down the hill, this is one Rotorua experience you’re unlikely to forget.
Get lost together at aMAZEme
For something a little closer to the ground, put the family’s navigation skills to the test at aMAZEme™.
Challenge each other to find your way through the hedge maze and enjoy some old-fashioned family fun along the way. It’s relaxed, playful and a great addition to an itinerary when you need something the younger travellers can really get stuck into.
And yes, the adults are absolutely allowed to become unnecessarily competitive.
FOR THE GROWN-UPS
After all that family bonding, the adults have earned a little downtime.
Hell’s Gate Geothermal Spa
Rotorua knows a thing or two about relaxation, and Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa offers a distinctly Rotorua way to unwind.
The geothermal reserve showcases another side of the region’s extraordinary volcanic landscape, while its spa experiences give the grown-ups the opportunity to slow things down with geothermal bathing and the famous mud spa.
It’s a great option for older members of the family looking for a quieter experience or parents who have successfully handed babysitting duties over to the grandparents for a couple of hours.
Sip local wine with a view
For a more grown-up Rotorua experience, head to Volcanic Hills Winery and enjoy a wine tasting overlooking the region.
Sample a selection of New Zealand wines while taking in panoramic views from the tasting room, perched high above Rotorua. It’s a relaxed way to slow down after a busy day of exploring and the perfect excuse for the adults to enjoy a little time to themselves.
READY TO BRING THE WHOLE WHĀNAU TO ROTORUA?
The best family holidays aren’t necessarily the ones where everyone does everything together. They’re the ones where everyone finds something they love.
In Rotorua, that might mean exploring a volcanic valley together in the morning, sending the teenagers off on an adrenaline-fuelled adventure in the afternoon and regrouping for a geothermal soak at the end of the day.
From toddlers to teens, parents to grandparents, Rotorua offers plenty of ways to explore, relax, learn and laugh together.
Start your multi-generational Rotorua adventure at Waimangu Volcanic Valley and discover a landscape more than 140 years in the making.
