Where to Go Ashore: 10 Tauranga Shore Excursions

1.Rotorua Highlights

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

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua for geothermal springs, bubbling mud, Pohutu Geyser, a Māori village welcome, song and haka, kiwi fruit tasting, redwoods, Government Gardens, and Kaituna Falls. Guides such as Stephen, Rolf, and John provide commentary, while lunch is purchased separately. The tour lasts about seven hours.

“Great experience. Really enjoyed having Rolf as our guide. He facilitated and conducted a great overview of the area and put us in the hands of an excellent guide for our tour of the Maori Village. Took us to a kiwi farm and provided a personal tour plus taste testing. Most excellent, all the way around. Thank you, Rolf.”

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2.6.5 hour Small-Group Rotorua Naturally Shore Excursion – Tauranga

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

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua in a small group with a local guide such as Simon, Richie, or Alistair. See bubbling mud and steaming lakes at Kuirau Park, soak your feet, stop near a Maori village, and finish with Rotorua’s Redwoods Treewalk and Glow Worm Cave. Port pickup, snack, towels, and admissions to the redwood attractions are included.

“Wonderful excursion! Each stop was so interesting. Favorite was the treetop walk through the huge beautiful trees. The bubbling mud and steaming lakes of Kuirau Park along with birdsong as we walked was such a delight. Our guide AlastaiRead more”

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

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

Travel from Tauranga port through Mount Maunganui and the Waikato to Hobbiton. A local guide handles the drive and timing, while a Hobbiton guide leads the 2.5-hour set visit, including a furnished Hobbit home and a drink at the Green Dragon Pub. Allow for hills, gravel paths, sun, and changing weather.

“We had a wonderful experience, the bus driver Isabel was very knowledge about the area and also about the Hobbiton experience. She had lots of great stories and was an excellent tour guide of the Tauranga area. We loved the Hobbiton mRead more”

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4.Top Half Day Curated Highlights Tour

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

Join a small-group Tauranga shore tour with guides such as Jan, Duncan, Terry, or Stephen. You’ll visit Gate Pa, a kiwifruit orchard, Minden Lookout, and McLaren Falls Park, with a short bush walk, coffee and muffin, fruit and honey tastings, and hokey pokey ice cream. Port transfers are included.

“This tour is highly recommended as the 5 hours were fully utilized with sceneries and snacks - muffin, kiwi fruits and ice cream 😋👍.”

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5.History & Kiwifruit Tasting – 4 Hours

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

Spend four hours with a local driver-guide such as Russell or Emile, visiting Mount Maunganui, Tauranga’s harbor and port, Minden Lookout, and a working kiwifruit orchard. Expect small-group transport, local history, photo stops, and tastings of kiwifruit, avocado, and locally sourced tea.

“It’s a good experience to get to know the area if your here for a short time.. I think it could be done on less than 4 hours but Russell didn’t want to rush they. He was pleasant.”

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6.Shore Excursion: Local Tasting Tour from Tauranga

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

Meet Paul at the Port of Tauranga for a 5 to 6-hour tasting tour by minivan. Sample beer, cider, gin, wine, and local food, ride the gondola to Volcanic Hills Winery in Rotorua, and finish with dessert and a cocktail or coffee.

“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

Join the V8 Trike Tours team, including Kathy, Nigel, and Bernie, for a private 25 to 30-minute ride around Mount Maunganui and Tauranga. Your Chevrolet-powered trike passes Main Beach, Bay Oval, Zespri headquarters, Mount Mainstreet, and a 600-year-old pōhutukawa tree. The price covers one vehicle for up to four people.

“As locals we decided to be tourists for a day so decided to go for a trike ride. It was a fantastic experience that I’d highly recommend.”

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8.Kiwifruit Destination and Sights Shore Excursion

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

From the Port of Tauranga, you’ll ride in a comfortable European minibus with a local guide such as Stephen, Alan, or Dave. The tour combines Mount Maunganui views, a private organic kiwifruit and avocado orchard, McLaren Falls Park, and Tauranga Historic Village. Expect bottled water, seasonal snacks, homemade brownies, and a relaxed small-group pace.

“Excellent tour conducted by Alan. Who was very knowledgeable and very friendly. Loved the tour and places we visited. The organic kiwi where we gained a lot of knowledge. The waterfall, rapids and village were super visits .The snacks which were provided were lovely and the home made chocolate brownies were delicious. We didn’t feel rushed at any point. Well done to all.”

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9.Private Tour Rotorua Shore Excursion up to 8 Passengers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews

Travel from Tauranga to Rotorua in a private vehicle with guide Wendy, stopping at Mount Maunganui, kiwifruit and avocado farms, Whakarewarewa Forest, Kuirau Park, and Te Puia. The six-hour route can be adjusted for your group, but Te Puia entry, lunch, and other optional attraction fees cost 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 by private vehicle from Tauranga to Rotorua with a guide, walk among Wai-O-Tapu’s colored pools and mud vents, watch Lady Knox Geyser, then visit Government Gardens, Kuirau Park, the lakefront, and more. Guides may include Marina, Steve, or Phillip. Wai-O-Tapu entry costs extra.

“Our private shore excursion was an incredibly fun little adventure through beautiful forests, Kiwi fruit orchards, and geothermal wonderlands of the North Island, between Tauranga and Rotorua. Our driver, Marina, was an excellent tour gRead more”

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