Māori Experience Guides
Which village to choose, what a hangi actually is, and how to reach Rotorua from Auckland or a cruise ship.
Getting There
Rotorua is about three hours from Auckland. The packaged day trips, the cruise-ship route from Tauranga, and when to just stay a night instead.
Read guide →What a Hangi Actually Is
A hangi is food steamed for hours in an earth oven over heated stones. At the Rotorua villages the lifting of it is the centrepiece, not a garnish.
Read guide →Which Māori Village?
Mitai, Te Pā Tū, Whakarewarewa and Te Puia compared on what actually differs — timing, food, staging and whether people live there.
Read guide →Not sure which? Start here →