The best of
Rotorua. Ranked.

Only if you do not have a car. The geothermal parks, the cultural villages, the Redwoods and the lakes are all out of the town centre with no urban bus service to them, so without a vehicle you will need a shuttle, a tour or an operator that includes pick-up. With a car, you can do everything independently.

A fixed-route attraction shuttle. Several Rotorua operators run scheduled shuttles from the city centre out to the geothermal parks, which is substantially cheaper than a private tour or a taxi and is designed around the parks' opening and geyser times.

Yes — the movie set is roughly 45 minutes' drive from Rotorua and multiple operators run day tours from the city, often combining it with the Waitomo glowworm caves. The set is only accessible on a guided tour, so you cannot drive there and wander in, and tours must be booked ahead.

They are the only way to see the 1886 Tarawera eruption rift and the volcanic craters as a whole, and several operators offer landings at otherwise inaccessible spots. They are weather-dependent and the most expensive thing on this list, so book early in your stay to leave room to reschedule if the weather closes in.