Top 5 places to visit in Rotorua: Where nature and culture blend

When you set foot in Rotorua - a city in the heart of New Zealand's North Island - you will be overwhelmed by the magical natural scenery, combined with unique Māori culture. This is a land where the earth breathes, where hot springs, geothermal geysers and the scent of sulfur blend in the air, creating a natural picture that is both wild and magical. Let's explore with us the top 5 tourist destinations in Rotorua, where you will fully experience the pristine beauty and deep spirituality of the Kiwi land.

1. Te Puia

Te Puia is an extremely famous geothermal park (Photo source: Collected)

Te Puia is more than just a geothermal park – it’s a place where the earth and sky sing together. As the Pohutu geyser’s jets shoot into the air, creating a white mist that dances like nature, you’ll feel life stirring beneath the earth.
Located in the Whakarewarewa Valley, Te Puia is a living icon of Rotorua , home to more than 500 geysers and bubbling mud pools. Every step in this area is like entering a strange world – where time seems to stand still, only the bubbling sounds and the heat rising from the earth.
Te Puia is also home to the National Institute of Māori Arts and Crafts. You can admire the intricate carvings of wood, bone and stone – sacred objects that vividly tell the legends of Māori ancestors. Don’t forget to enjoy a Haka performance – a Māori warrior dance, where power and emotion are combined with the rhythm of drums and echoing chants.

2. Wai-O-Tapu

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is a surreal painting of nature (Photo source: Collected)

If Te Puia is the majestic music of the earth, then Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is the surreal painting skillfully painted by nature with magical hands. It is not by chance that this place is called “Wonderland” – a magical world.
At this unique Rotorua tourist destination, you will admire Champagne Lake – a vast lake where hazy white smoke rises above the surface of the bright orange water, created from a mixture of sulfur, arsenic and silicate. The scene is like cut from a surreal dream, both magical and captivating.
Wai-O-Tapu also offers a journey through a “corridor of fire” with turquoise pools, boiling mud pits and steaming geysers. One of the most impressive moments is when Lady Knox erupts – at the same time every day – creating a show of water and steam more than 20 metres high, leaving visitors in awe.
Exploring Wai-O-Tapu is a journey of emotions – from awe to wonder, from curiosity to fascination – like a symphony where colour, sound and movement blend into the song of the Earth.

3. Polynesian Spa

Polynesian Spa is the place to help you revive in the middle of pristine nature (Photo source: Collected)

When geothermal adventures leave you exhausted, the Polynesian Spa is the place to revive in the wilderness. This is more than just a spa – it’s a meditative experience in naturally warm waters, where the spirit is soothed by steam and scenic views.
Located on the shores of the deep blue Lake Rotorua, the Polynesian Spa offers outdoor hot spring pools where you can relax and watch the gentle mist drift over the calm waters. There are more than 20 soaking pools with varying temperatures, from 36°C to 42°C, fed directly from two natural mineral springs: the acidic Priest Spring and the alkaline Rachel Spring – each with its own benefits for the skin, muscles and nervous system.
The atmosphere here is gentle and peaceful – there is only the sound of flowing water, the wind blowing across the lake and the light mineral scent in the air. Polynesian Spa is not only a destination to heal the body, but also a journey that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world, to find yourself amidst the pristine beauty and tranquility of the tourist destination of Rotorua.

4. Redwoods Forest

Redwoods Forest is one of the most beautiful California red pine forests outside the United States (Photo source: Collected)

In the middle of the steaming, seething heart of Rotorua, you will be surprised to lose yourself in a mysterious fairy tale forest: Redwoods Forest, also known as Whakarewarewa Forest. This is one of the most beautiful California redwood forests outside the United States, planted in the early 20th century and now standing tall in the nature of Aotearoa.
Walking among the giant trees tens of meters high, you will feel your smallness in the quiet and poetic space. Each step on the trails lined with dry leaves, the sound of birds chirping and the sunlight sparkling through the leaves will take you to another world - where time slows down and the soul becomes strangely peaceful.
A special experience at Redwoods Forest is the Redwoods Treewalk – a suspension bridge connecting the pine trees, providing panoramic views and a romantic sense of adventure. At night, the forest is lit up with hundreds of artistic lanterns – creating a magical scene, as if you were stepping into a fairy tale movie.
Redwoods is not only an ideal Rotorua tourist destination for nature lovers, but also a meditative space where you connect deeply with the green forest and yourself.

5. Lake Rotorua and Ohinemutu Village

Lake Rotorua is considered the heart of the city (Photo source: Collected)

At the end of your exploration , stop by Lake Rotorua – the heart of the city, where the vast water reflects the entire sky of Aotearoa. Every morning, the lake is covered in a thin layer of mist, birds fly around, fish swim in the water – creating a peaceful and poetic scene.
On the shore of the lake is the village of Ohinemutu, where Māori people still maintain their traditional lifestyle since the 19th century. Strolling through the village, you will come across St. Faith’s Church – a unique architecture combining English Gothic style with delicate Māori carvings. The glass wall inside the church recreates the image of Jesus in Māori clothing, carrying the message of the intersection between the two cultures.
At Ohinemutu, you can also see natural hot springs nestled in the courtyard, the smoke rising gently from the ground – like a whisper from the ancestors. This is where the land lives, people live, and culture lives. It is this peaceful but vibrant atmosphere that makes this place a Rotorua tourist destination imbued with spirituality and indigenous traditions.
Rotorua is not a destination for those who want to rush through. This is a place where you need to slow down, listen to the breathing of the earth, see the beauty of every puff of smoke, every grain of boiling mud, and feel deeply the Māori spirit in every breath. The top 5 tourist destinations in Rotorua that you have just discovered, from the vibrant Te Puia to the tranquil Redwoods, from the magical colors of Wai-O-Tapu to the tranquility of Lake Rotorua, are the colorful pieces of an unforgettable journey.

Source: https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/dia-diem-du-lich-rotorua-v17068.aspx