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Tauranga Hikes: Scenic Bay and Forest Views
4.9
16 Ratings
Mount Maunganui
For those who love walking, this tour is a perfect choice. It features two brief hikes that highlight the stunning natural beauty of Tauranga and its surrounding countryside. Participants will experience breathtaking views of the Bay of Plenty coastline and New Zealand’s native forests, while also gaining insights into the local history of the area.
For those who love walking, this tour is a perfect choice. It features two brief hikes that highlight the stunning natural beauty of Tauranga and its surrounding countryside. Participants will experience breathtaking views of the Bay of Plenty coastline and New Zealand’s native forests, while also gaining insights into the local history of the area.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mount Maunganui - The driver/guide will provide a delightful visual journey to several famous sightseeing locations around Tauranga. Starting from the port gates, the tour travels through Mount Maunganui township, passing Mauao, the iconic mountain landmark, and “The Mount Main Beach,” one of New Zealand’s top beaches known for surfing,…
- Mount Maunganui - The driver/guide will provide a delightful visual journey to several famous sightseeing locations around Tauranga. Starting from the port gates, the tour travels through Mount Maunganui township, passing Mauao, the iconic mountain landmark, and “The Mount Main Beach,” one of New Zealand’s top beaches known for surfing, professional beach volleyball, and surf lifesaving competitions. Learn about the landscape’s formation, human settlement, the city’s founding, the province’s produce, and modern life in the area.
- McLaren Falls Park - Departing the beach, the driver will guide you across the harbour bridge, through the city, and into the Kaimai range foothills to Ōmanawa and McLaren Falls Regional Park. This 190-hectare parkland, adjacent to a man-made lake that powers the local hydro-electric station, offers a short walk (approximately 45 minutes return) along a winding path up a small streambed to a natural waterfall hidden in native bushland, then around the lake’s edge with birds and wildlife. Discover local flora and fauna and see glow-worm threads in daylight. On the way out, stop at McLaren Falls to admire the rock formations and stunning view from the bridge.
- Te Puna - The tour continues with a short drive to Te Puna on the city’s edge, stopping at Minden Lookout for breathtaking views of the bay, harbour, and city. Enjoy a break at a local café at the hill’s base before proceeding to the next activity.
- Puketoki Reserve - After the café break, return to the Kaimai ranges’ foothills to Puketoki Reserve. This serene native bush of Puketoki Scenic Reserve is a hidden treasure. The guided walk (approximately 1 hour) meanders through regenerating forest rich in history, following old logging routes beneath towering trees and native vines. Originally gifted to the community in 1926 by local landowner Henry Sharplin, the 35-hectare reserve began as logged farmland and has been protected and restored into the thriving bush seen today, dotted with towering old forest giants. Along the way, uncover stories of early bush milling, regeneration, and conservation while spotting native birdlife in this tranquil, sheltered valley. At the walk’s conclusion, the driver will return you to the city and across the harbour bridge to the tour’s starting point.
What's Included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Local Driver / Guide
- Live commentary on board
- Port pickup / drop off
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Local Driver / Guide
- Live commentary on board
- Port pickup / drop off
What's Not Included
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Location
Port of Tauranga Ltd
Salisbury Avenue
Please meet at the WICKED WANDERS sign board on the grassy mound opposite the port gates.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(16 Ratings)
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1 star
Kathleen_s
Apr 7, 2026
New Zealand’s great outdoors - Enjoyed seeing New Zealand in the “bush”. Everything was informative and beautiful to see. Tracy was a great guide!
Review provided by Viator
Jacqueline_r
Mar 23, 2026
Mistletoe Bay Walk - Was a great walk on a beautiful day with very friendly informative guides. Definitely worth what we paid.
Review provided by Viator
Donald_h
Mar 20, 2026
Great nature hike - Russell was an informative and helpful guide. We took great hikes in a small group of 10 folks. He pointed out multiple varieties of birds and vegetation.
Review provided by Viator
Korinne
Mar 7, 2026
Fantastic day at the falls and bush. - The guide was knowledgeable and very nice to work with. The locations wee were taken to were beautiful. The lunch spot was very nice and the food was good. The whole trip was well managed and the transportation was excellent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Odyssey41650576371
Mar 5, 2026
WOW! That was fun! - This tour was AMAZING! Our tour guide was informational, interesting, and so funny! We only had my husband and I on the tour so it was a little more informal which I loved! We got to see so much around the Bay of Plenty from the beaches to the forests. The hike was mostly level with a few slightly steep trails but they were not for long. Would recommend to anyone who likes easy and beautiful hikes!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Philengelman6570
Mar 2, 2026
Excellent Value Beautiful Scenery - Well planned and executed tour. The guide, Lloydy was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and courteous. There was enough time at every stop to do and see. Due to local conditions, a hike through Puketon Preserve was substituted for the Papamoa Hills section due to local conditions. The substituted hike was amazing. McLaren Falls walk was approx 1/4 mile on an easy path. the preserve hike was about 2 miles and was moderate up and down, uneven trail at times with steps at the steeper sections. There were restrooms at both locations. The lunch stop (pay on your own) was at a local cafe with very good food and many choices. $$ Bring water and snacks; temps can be cool, so bring layers. Loved this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathym438
Feb 22, 2026
Walking in Paradise! - We took this tour as an excursion from the cruise port. They were very easy to locate right outside of the pier. We enjoyed a fabulous day with Tracy our guide. He was very friendly and knowledgeable about his home town area. Once in the park, the walk to McLaren Falls was on an easy path, and Tracy pointed out many plants and their purposes. He even found some glow worms to show us along the way. We then stopped at an overlook of the Bay of Plenty for photos, then continued to a small boutique Cafe for lunch on our own. Service was fast and the food delicious! Due to a very bad storm a couple months ago that damaged the originally planned walking track, the next portion of the hike was changed to the Puketoki Reserve aka "The Bush". This trail was more narrow with mild to medium elevation changes, and the roots required more attention when hiking. The trail was shaded by the towering trees and ferns and it was a wonderful way to spend an hour immersed in this beautiful lush country, just what we had hoped to do! We would highly recommend this experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maureen_t
Feb 22, 2026
Nice tour and worth the time and money. - It was a great experience of seeing the local beach, the falls and taking a hike through the bush! Tracy was a a informative and accommodating tour guide! I certainly would recommend this again to anyone.
Review provided by Viator
369roxyw
Dec 18, 2025
Awesome trip with Russel - Awesome day with Russel. We were there only people on the tour. Beautiful countryside to hike and see all around. It's a bit steep, but footing was good. McClaren falls area was besutiful too. Russel pointed out various plants and we were able to see the glow worms under the roots of a tree. Glad we had awesome weather too! Russel very knowledgeable and friendly! Highly recommend this ir any tour with Russel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jim_w
Mar 21, 2026
Longer Time Hiking Than Expected - Due to some damage from a storm, the itinerary was changed but we were OK with that. We know that there would be hiking, but it was longer than expected as it was billed as a "Scenic Short Hike Tour". Going to the McClaren Falls was quick and easy as was the walk arounf the lake. However, the final hike was over an hour and involved stepping around lots of roots and going up and down hills in the jungle-like terrain. I ended up with 18.000 steps and over 7 miles on my Fitbit. Most of what we saw there was pretty much the same things so it could have been covered in 15-20 minutes. There was also a bit of confusion as we got to the meeting point at the end of the cruise pier about 30 minutes before it started. We were told to wait there until the 11:00 am start time which we did. When that time arrived, we were told where the van was in the parking lot. When we found it, all of the other passengers were already in their seats and the only open ones were in the last row. I sat back there and we asked the driver/guide if my wife could sit next to him in the front as she would have had a very difficult time trying to get to a back seat. It turned out OK, but we wondered why he didn't allow us to get to the van earlier since we were there well before the start time. We could recommend it to people if they knew how much hiking there would be.
Review provided by Viator
