Please contact us about private tour availability.
You will have you own Māori guide and private vehicle to take you on a journey into the Māori world.
Our first stop takes us to a Māori reservation. Your guide will begin to tell you about our Sky Father and Earth Mother and the connection Māori has with nature. Here you will also learn about some flora and fauna that has spiritual and medicinal purposes.
A short stroll down the road will take us to a traditional Māori village. Learn how the stories of old have been recorded in the carved meeting house and the importance of genealogy or family
tree. Visit the site of New Zealand’s own love story, Hinemoa & Tūtānekai.
Our next stop is the bastion of Māori culture, our spiritual meeting grounds, a Marae. The marae holds great significance for the Māori people as it is a place of gathering, sharing knowledge and farewelling our loved ones. You will receive a warm welcome inside the meeting house and experience Māori protocols first-hand. Learn about the Māori world in a traditional setting.
Lunch is held in the Café at Te Whakarewarewa Living Māori Village and includes a Hangi Pie Meal & chilled water. The meat and vegetables from the pie are cooked in the geothermal steam.
After lunch, your guide will take you on a private guided tour throughout the Village. Listen to your guide share the story of the Pink and White Terraces, known as the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ and how the volcanic eruption of Mount Tarawera in 1886 shaped the Māori people of Tuhourangi/Ngāti Wahiao who live in the Village. Discover a way of life nestled amongst a geothermal valley and experience steam vents, bubbling hot pools and Pōhutu Geyser, the largest geyser in the southern hemisphere!
We finish our time off together at Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa with a kawakawa tea tasting and a closing prayer.
Photo Gallery
Terms and Conditions
Please provide any physical or medical conditions at time of purchase a ticket (e.g. hearing, walking, sight, skin sensitivity, pregnancy, heart) Please bring weather appropriate clothing and footwear, as well as: • Sun hat & water bottle & camera • Comfortable shoes • If it is raining, we will provide umbrellas but please remember your rain jacket • In winter months, an extra layer of clothing is always recommended! • Any medical or allergy requirements Pepeha Journeys adheres to all Health and Safety requirements at Whakarewarewa - The Living Māori Village. Whakarewarewa sits on an active geothermal plateau and geothermal activity can be unpredictable. We take all practical steps to manage the hazards associated with geothermal activity. However, we also require your assistance to be able to do this. Always adhere to all warnings including signage and instructions given by our staff. Ensure children are always watched. We would encourage you to hold the hand of young children. Keep to all marked paths/tacks - DO NOT wander off the paths/tracks. Beware of moving vehicles as you walk along the roadways. Please move to the side of the road until the vehicle has passed. For further Health & Safety instructions, your guide will show you a Health & Safety video about the Village. Bookings can be rescheduled up to 24 hours before reservation, depending on availability. Cancellation requires 48 hours’ notice to receive a full refund. PJ’s may cancel, postpone or visit alternative sites due to weather conditions and/or traditional ceremonies taking place, or when PJ’s determines it is unsafe to operate. In the event that PJ’s cancels a tour, this will be fully refundable.
