At the heart is Māori culture, offering the chance to step into te ao Māori (the Māori world), hear ancestral stories passed down through generations, and engage with living traditions that continue to thrive today.
Here’s our pick of some of the best cultural experiences across New Zealand.
On the North Island
Kohutapu Lodge - A Living Welcome - Bay of Plenty
Tucked beside Lake Aniwhenua, Kohutapu Lodge is where manaakitanga (hospitality) is not just shown, but shared soul-first.
Founded by Nadine and Karl ToeToe, the lodge offers an authentic window into Māori life on their ancestral lands. More than a tourism venture, it’s a place where Ngāti Manawa traditions are celebrated and passed down to future generations.
Highlights include a traditional hāngi feast, evening waiata (songs) and haka, hands-on cultural workshops, and opportunities to give back - such as preparing meals for local schoolchildren.
Set against the tranquil backdrop of Lake Aniwhenua, every experience here is designed not just to inform, but to transform.
Visit Kohutapu Lodge on Northern Secrets & Northern Kiwi Small Group Tours
Te Pa Tu – An Evening of Fire, Story, and Kai – Rotorua
Under the canopy of ancient tawa trees, Te Pā Tū unfolds like a living story - an evening where firelight dances, voices rise in song, and the spirit of te ao Māori comes alive.
The evening begins with a ceremonial pōwhiri, drawing guests into a world of kapa haka, waiata, and powerful narratives passed down through generations. As flames flicker in the forest, a reimagined hāngi feast is served, weaving indigenous ingredients and seasonal kai with contemporary flair.
Te Pā Tū is a journey into the Māori world - a magical connection you carry with you long after the embers fade.
A Te Pa Tu overnight experience is included on The G.O.A.T and The Grand Kiwi Experience Small Group Tours.
Te Puia – Geothermal Wonders and Ngā Toi Māori - Rotorua
At Te Puia, the earth itself becomes part of the story - geysers surge skyward, mud pools bubble and steam, and the land’s geothermal power reveals its raw energy.
Yet this is also a place of people and tradition. Within the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, master carvers and weavers pass down centuries-old knowledge, ensuring ngā toi Māori (Māori arts) continue to thrive.
Adding to the experience, visitors can encounter New Zealand’s treasured national bird at the Kiwi Conservation Centre - making Te Puia a rare meeting point where culture, conservation, and the drama of the natural world come together in one unforgettable setting.
Visit Te Puia as an optional activity when visiting Rotorua - Check the Trip Planner for more details.
Hells Gate – Geothermal Spa and Sacred Story - Rotorua
On Rotorua’s edge, Hells Gate combines legend, landscape, and healing.
Revered for centuries, its sulphur-rich waters were once used by tohunga (priests) for visions, cleansing, and strength.
Today, you can explore bubbling mud pools and steaming cauldrons before sinking into a therapeutic mud bath or sulphur spa - a ritual that everyone needs to experience, reconnecting body, story, and land.
A visit to Hell's Gate is included in Northern Kiwi and Northern Secrets Small Group Tours.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves – Nature’s Theatre of Light - Waitomo
Beneath the rolling green hills of Waikato lies one of New Zealand’s most enchanting treasures - the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Here, the land opens into vast underground chambers, with limestone formations carved by nature over millions of years.
Some caverns rise up to 18 metres high, while underground rivers weave their way through tunnels stretching for kilometres.
Within this hidden world, the famous glowworms (Arachnocampa luminosa) create a spectacle found nowhere else on Earth.
On a silent boat ride through the grotto, thousands of tiny lights shimmer across the cave ceilings - a scene so surreal it feels like stepping into another realm.
A place of profound cultural significance, the Waitomo name comes from wai (water) and tomo (shaft or hole), reflecting the rivers that carve through the underground.
For centuries, local Māori have revered the caves, seeing the flowing waters as a pathway that links the physical and spiritual worlds.
Stories of wai and the spiritual essence of the subterranean realm remain woven into the experience today, enriching the beauty with meaning.
Check out the Trip Planner for a range of options on how to discover Glowworms in Waitomo.
On the South Island
Pounamu – Greenstone: A Taonga Carved from Time - West Coast
On the wild West Coast of the South Island, pounamu (greenstone) is a taonga - a treasured gift carrying mana (spiritual power) that grows stronger as it passes from hand to hand, generation to generation.
Here, visitors can step into local carving studios or join guided river walks, learning the legends of pounamu while watching artisans shape raw stone into pendants, blades, and adornments.
Each piece is unique, carrying its own story - not just a keepsake, but a living connection to Aotearoa, its people, and its past.
Greenstone Caving is an optional activity available to book via the Trip Planner
A Journey That Stays With You
Travelling through Aotearoa isn’t just about seeing the sights - it’s about stepping into stories, traditions, and ways of life that are still very much alive today.
From shared meals and sacred landscapes to songs, carvings, and community connection, these cultural experiences offer more than memories - they leave you with a deeper sense of belonging to the land and its people.