Towering 1,111m over the lakes of Rotorua, Mount Tarawera stands as a recent reminder of the areas explosive past. Scrambling up the red slopes of this volcanic crater, you are treated to 360° views overlooking Rotorua and on a clear day, even over to Whakaari (White Island) and Mount Ruapehu. However standing atop of this now-peaceful crater, you overlook a huge 17km fissure slicing through the rock, a battle scar etched into the earth’s surface from Mount Tarawera’s violent eruption just 136 years ago.
Hiking Mount Tarawera combines rich Maori culture, history, geology and panoramic views in to one fantastic day, culminating with a 120m run down the scree slopes into the belly of the crater. This little known, but stunning destination is a must-do the next time you are visiting Rotorua, but begs the question “how to hike Mount Tarawera?”
How to get to Mount Tarawera
Rotorua, Rotorua Lakes District, Bay of Plenty, 3010, New Zealand
Rotorua Lakes District, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera can be found around 45 minutes southeast from central Rotorua, however once at the base of the mountain it is necessary to embark on a seriously bumpy, windy dirt track journey for another 25 minutes in a 4WD to reach the edge of the crater.
We’d highly recommend asking your tour guides to pick you up from your accommodation or a central point in Rotorua, like the i-Site. There’s not really a car park at the bottom of the volcano and from there, it’s private iwi land, requiring gate access to the start of the hike – only the hardiest of 4WD’s can handle this road, so it’s certainly not one for the hire car! Therefore, the easiest option is to arrange collection from Rotorua town centre.
Can you hike Mount Tarawera without a guide?
The answer is no – you’ll need to join the incredible team at Kaitiaki Adventures for a small group tour and believe us you won’t regret it.
As relatively well seasoned travellers, we try to avoid doing anything guided or in a group and much prefer heading off to explore by ourselves, especially when it comes to hiking in New Zealand.
However Mount Tarawera is different, and the reason behind why you can’t hike this beautiful volcano unguided is a precious one. The mountain belongs to the Ngati Rangitihi Iwi with the volcanic domes once serving as a Māori burial site and therefore considered tapu (sacred). This means Mount Tarawera is closed to the public – the only way to access it is by joining the Kaitiaki Adventure’s tour.
The name Kaitiaki adventures comes from the word ‘kaitiakitanga’, which means guardianship or protection and that is exactly what the team intends to do with their sacred land.
Mount Tarawera Guided Hike
Kaitiaki Adventure’s offer two options to hike Mount Tarawera:
- Mount Tarawera Crater Walk (half day tour)
- Operates daily, departing at either 8:30am or 10:30am
- Allow 4.5hrs
- Tour involves hiking around the crater rim before descending down the scree into the heart of Mount Tarawera crater.
- Cost: $195 per person
- Mount Tarawera Full Day Crater Walk
- Operates weekends only, departing at 8:15am
- Allow 7hrs
- In addition to the same crater walk included in the half day option, this tour offers an additional hike around the Tarawera dome above lakes Rotomahana and Tarawera prior to linking back up with the half-day track on the summit of Ruawahia (highest of the three peaks).
- Cost: $258 per person
We completed the half day crater walk option in in January 2023, and I am so pleased that we had our fantastic guides Dan and AJ to help us navigate the mountain – both were full of great knowledge and laughs, whilst moving along at a comfortable pace for the entire group.
They also taught us a great deal about the mountain from the last eruption in 1886 which destroyed the famous pink and white terraces, to what the land means to the Maori iwi today. From start to finish they were great company and I certainly needed their expertise to assist me down some of the steepest scree I’ve come across!
What to expect hiking Mount Tarawera
Mount Tarawera isn’t like a normal volcano hike. The 4WD takes you a fair way up the track, meaning the ascent isn’t as bad as what you would expect for climbing a volcano.
The crater rim walk takes around 2 hours (you may see 4 hours advertised but that includes the driving) and is approximately 4km in legnth. It varies in elevation with the steepest part being a short scramble up ‘Hillary’s Step’ – one of the great mountaineer’s many training grounds dotted around New Zealand he used as practice prior to scaling Mount Everest.
I would highly recommend picking up a hiking stick from the hut before departing. It certainly made sliding down the steep scree a little bit easier!
Dan and AJ were awesome with our little group of 8 people. Stopping at regular intervals to inform us of different stories about the land, the geology and encouraging us to take pictures at the points with the best views.
They also taught us how best to navigate the scree, giving us a less steep practice run, before helping us descend into the crater itself.
The walk circles around the crater edge, with breathtaking views in every direction. After about 30 minutes of steady walking you reach the summit of the volcano at 1,111km. Having taken in all the views and identified all the major landmakes for as far as the eye can see, you then begin the gradual decent to the very edge of the crater…
The Scree Run!
Suddenly the faint dirt path seems to stop and you are staring down a 45° scree slope heading down into the middle of the crater. Dan & AJ then give us a quick recap “dig your heels in, lean back and send it!!”
After a bit of encouragment, some of the boys go ahead gathering more and more pace as gravity begins to take over – however all managed to stay on their feet as they reached bottom of the crater in no time at all.
However, if like me you’re less confident, the guides are great for helping you down at your own pace. As I said at the start, AJ told us an 80 year old had managed it just the day before! Even with this scree section, I’d say hiking Mount Tarawera is accessible for all, however best to leave the flipflops at home as correct footwear is a must!
Fortunately, the climb out of the crater is no where near as steep as the descent into it. A steady path curls right, up and out of the crater and back to the van for a bumpy ride back down the dirt road to Rotorua.
I’m not sure how many volcanic craters there are around the world where you can run down into and get a sense for the true scale of these creations, making hiking Mount Tarawera a truly unique experience we’d highly recommend.
Is hiking Mount Tarawera worth it?
100%!
We love Rotorua and think it’s a must-do stop on any New Zealand itinerary. Famous for it’s geothermal activity and high soaring geysers, the area still has so much more to offer than that and Mount Tarawera shows just this.
Although being a guided hike it does mean it will be that bit more expensive, the transport, knowledge and assistance provided by the guides is well worth it! Hiking Mount Tarawera is certainly an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.
We’d highly recommend checking bookme.com for a discounted visit. BookMe allows you to book activities across all of New Zealand at cheaper rate on certain days where there is less demand. We booked our trip via this platform for a very reasonable $99 per person!
Other activities to enjoy in Rotorua
Hiking Mount Tarawera is just a half day activity and not too taxing on the body, so there’s lots more you can do while you’re visiting this action packed spot.
We would highly recommend trying out Zorbing or race down the Skyline’s Luge. Both of which are surprisingly great fun and also only last a few hours of the day, combining with the Mount Tarawera hike for a brilliant day of activties. If you’re needing a higher dose of adrenaline, soar over watefalls on a canopy zipline, bungee jump, or tackle white water rafting!
Rotorua is also famous for it’s mountain bike trails, and the good news is there’s something for everyone. Try out the 33km Whakarewarewa Forest Loop which gives you great views of the city and the lake, whilst being achievable for everyone graded 1-3.
And of course, don’t miss out on visiting one of the various geothermal parks whilst you’re in town. Relax in the sulphur and mud pools at Hell’s Gate or experience a traditional Maori performance at the grounds of Te Puia.
Whilst Queenstown is known as the ‘Adventure Capital of the World’, little Rotorua certainly still packs a punch.Whatever you decide to do, give Rotorua a few days of your New Zealand itinerary and be sure to add in hiking Mount Tarawera for an exellent guided experience taking you deep into the crater of a sleeping volcano!