The Thermal Path Tour is wonderful! Stephen is a very friendly and informative guide. I learned not only about the geothermal activity at 5 different sites but also about the plants and wildlife too. It's a perfect tour for anyone making a short visit to Rotorua as so much ground is covered. Highly recommended!

We arranged a full day private tour with Stephen, what a truly amazing experience it was! We booked a few months before and wanted only to avoid the ‘tourist’ spots if possible. Well the places Stephen took us where exactly what we wanted, absolutely beautiful and seemingly only we were there! Our 8 hour adventure took us to lakes a plenty, forests, mountains, waterfalls and rapids and streams as well as geo thermal wonders all across the area. We ended the day with a glorious soak in a mineral thermal pool. Stephen’s knowledge and passion for the area is obvious, we came away with a wonderful knowledge of things we knew nothing about and a great respect for a beautiful part of New Zealand. Value for money. Highly recommended.

Absolutely worth every cent. Stephen knows all the hidden gems and stories. Learned and experienced many sights and mostly away from the bustling crowds.

Great tour of the area with ample opportunities to get out and explore the area. We visited four lakes, walked through a grove of redwood trees, and hiked a beautiful path along the river all while learning about the plants, trees, and natural history of the area. Stephen is a very knowledgeable and engaging guide.

Excellent tour. Stephen is very knowledgeable and easy to be around. We learned a lot about the area and he is very conscientious and respectful of the environment. Its clear that he loves where he lives and it is reflected in the tour. We appreciated the very small group! I wouldn't hesitate to book with Real Rotorua!!

What a fabulous tour. We did the Thermal Path Tour and it was the best tour of our five day visit to North Island, and we liked all of our tours too! Our tour guide was so great and knowledgeable about everything we saw and heard. I especially enjoyed the concluding stop after a full day of exploring the natural beauty of the thermal sights of North Island, with the relaxing visit to the thermal swimming pools. Our tour with Real Rotorua tours was set up for us by Harriet McGregor of Thrifty Tours in NZ.

Stephen was our very friendly and knowledgeable guide for this lovely tour. We were looking for something different to do as we are past the age of wanting high adrenaline activities. We started off at the Hamurana Springs nature reserve, a beautiful, serene place with natural cold springs occurring…and had a sacred place to the iwi of Ngāti Rangiwewehi.  We walked through some extremely tall and beautiful Redwood Trees which made us feel incredibly small! Stephen talked about the trees, the plants and all the wonderful ferns. He pointed out trees that were used for medicinal purposes but others that were poisonous. From there we visited the Ōkere Falls, the Tutea Falls, Lake Tikitapu (Blue Lake) and Lake Rotokakahi (Green Lake) and finally Lake Tarawera. Stephen filled us in with the history and flora and fauna of each Lakeside. There was a reasonable amount of walking so some fitness is needed but well worth it to see the Real Rotorua.

This was our second tour with Stephen in 24 hours. We did the glow worms tour the night before so we knew that we were in for a great trip. Stephen curated a tour that gives you a real sense of the power of nature in the Rotarua area, ending with a dip in some lovely hot pools. Again the personal nature of the tour is the thing that was important to us. It was in stark contrast to a tour we did the next day at a Māori village in a group of about 25 people were we were barged into, shoved out of the way, and had our views of key things obscured by people taking pictures on their phones. None of this with Real Rotarua. Wish we could take Stephen with us to South Island and let him guide us there as well! Thank you Real Rotarua - two first class experiences that I would recommend to anyone.

Stephen thank you for taking such excellent care of us we felt safe and happy and entertained for 4 hours and we loved your knowledge of the region, geology, science, history, and current events. You were meant to be doing this - your earnestness and diligence and expertise is sound and your tours are fun and super interesting.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Stephen and the tour I took of New Zealand wilderness. I was the only one on the tour, which typically is awkward and unpleasant (and for this tour, rare), but Stephen was a wonderful and easy person to talk to. I learned so much about the region and it's ecosystem. He is really dedicated to caring for the environment and also providing the best quality experience for guests. I loved the walk through the woods at night, saw an abundance of wallabies, possums, stunning plants, fungi, thankfully minimal insects, except for of course, incredible glowworms. Stephen took the most stunning photos of and for me and I am extremely grateful for the experience. I highly recommend it to everyone. He has a fantastic eye for capturing images, knowledge and passion for the environment and continually works to upgrade his lighting and other equipment to provide an extremely high quality experience for guests.

Amazing. Magic. Breathtaking. The Lakes tour was a definite highlight of my trip to NZ. The discovery of stunning crystal clear lakes, towering redwoods, waterfalls, and ancient volcanic craters was expertly accompanied by well researched local knowledge. Stephen’s passion for showing the wonders of Rotorua made the tour exciting and fun. I highly recommend Explore The Lakes Tour to all who manage to spend a day in Rotorua. You will not be disappointed!

Man, it is almost the best tour in my NZ trip. It is winter and only me booked this trip. Stephen was still very warm, explaining everything I was curious about during this trip-- and took photos for me. Since there was only me, it was better than a normal private trip because Stephen was so professional about these lakes and springs, and his hot chocolate!

I was traveling “solo” with my infant baby girl. Our guide and driver Stephen is not only a highly knowledgeable person but also very well traveled. He showed the beautiful lakes and the springs around. Also told a lot about the native flora and fauna as well as Māori tradition and culture. I highly recommend this tour!

We were super lucky to have hit the jackpot with this company. Stephen picked us up from our motel and it was an amazing experience from our first to our last stop. We chose the ‘Explore the Lakes Tour’ and were so impressed with everything we experienced and absolutely wrapt with our choice. If you want a unique, informative, nature-appreciating tour choose this! We feel like we got to see part of the lesser known Rotorua that everyone should know. Take the road less travelled! This is the REAL Rotorua. We couldn’t rate more highly. Thank you so very much Stephen and Rosa!

Amazing time with Stephen, visited so many spots, super educational and a great tour guide who goes the extra mile for his clients! He will also bring you to different places to see interesting things other than lakes. Perfect experience