Organized Tours

You'll find heaps of brochures for half- and full-day tours at the visitor center. Most of the tours take in the main geothermal attractions and are similarly priced.

One of the best tours is Destination Tarawera, which begins with a pickup from your lodging by Mt. Tarawera New Zealand Ltd. (tel. 07/349-3714; www.mt-tarawera.co.nz). You'll either be driven or helicoptered up Mount Tarawera via Kaingaroa Forest and take a guided walk through and around the craters. If you choose the helicopter option, you'll be whisked off the mountaintop to fly over nine craters and follow the 15km (9 1/3-mile) path of the 1886 eruption to Waimangu Volcanic Valley. You return to Rotorua (landing at Te Puia) via the volcanic crater lakes. It's about 4 amazing hours altogether, and costs NZ$455 per person for the helicopter option for a minimum of two passengers.

Walking Legends Guided Walks (tel. 07/308-0292; www.walkinglegends.co.nz) operates fully guided 4-day treks from Rotorua, in the Lake Waikaremoana Trackin Te Urewera National Park, 150km (93 miles) southeast of Rotorua. It has its own launch to transport passengers and luggage to and from the start and finish of the track. You'll get into real outback country with this one; the 4-day experience costs NZ$1,190 adults and NZ$990 children 12 and under. Moderate fitness is required.