Taupō has long been a favourite family holiday spot where kids can get out into nature and go adventuring, just like kids are made to do. Our family itinerary highlights the best of our fun activities to suit every age and stage in the family.
Whether you arrive in Taupō by air or by road, you’ll be blown away by the incredible scenery. You’ll find loads of family-friendly accommodations with lake and mountain views and friendly hosts. Try Anchorage Resort, Taupō DeBretts Spa Resort or Lake Taupō Holiday Resort for spacious accommodation and great facilities like thermally heated pools.
Taupō is world famous for its geothermal hot pools, so start your holiday with a hot swim at Taupō DeBretts Spa Resort. The kids can run riot in the interactive warm water playground, and they’ll love the dragon hydroslide and the two curved racing slides.
There’s even a spa on site so one of you can sneak off for a massage while the kids play.
A great way to find your bearings in Taupō is to walk or bike with the family along the lakefront Great Lake Walkway. There are incredible views across the lake to the ancient volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park, and you’ll find ice cream and coffee stops along the way. Bikes, including kid-sized ones, can be hired from any bike shop in town.
Be sure to get a family photo in front of the iconic #LOVETAUPO sign on the lakefront as you pass by the town centre.
Today will be a day of adventure on the water! Families with younger children will love the gentle trip up the Waikato River with Huka Falls River Cruise. They’ll take you right up to the base of Huka Falls, giving you the best view of New Zealand’s most visited natural attraction.
Families with older children (they must be over one metre tall for this) will love the thrill of a jet boat ride with Hukafalls Jet. You’ll experience 360-degree spins and speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour as you head up the Waikato River to the base of Huka Falls. The kids will be talking about this for months!
Huka Honey Hive is a great place to stop on the way back to town for a delicious manuka honey ice cream, free honey tastings (and mead tastings for the adults!) and a look at the live beehives where you can see the bees going about their honey-making business behind a glass panel.
Make your way south to Tongariro National Park where the awe-inspiring volcanic landscape is filled with fun options for families. Pick up a Department of Conservation walks brochure from the Whakapapa Visitor Centre and discover some of the many beautiful walks that take you through ancient beech forest and a tussock moonscape.
A warm soak at Tokaanu Thermal Pools en route back to Taupō is the perfect way to end a day full of adventure.
Today you’ll discover one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary contemporary artworks. The 14-metre high Ngātoroirangi Mine Bay Māori Rock Carvings on Lake Taupō can only be reached by water, so book yourself on a scenic cruise with Sail Barbary (if your kids love the idea of taking the wheel or helping hoist the sails then this is a great option) or Chris Jolly Outdoors.
Tell the kids you’re going to a hidden valley to see gushing geysers, bubbling mud pools and hot springs. Lonely Planet has dubbed Orakei Korako Geothermal Park & Cave as ‘arguably the best thermal area left in New Zealand’. A short ferry ride will take you across to this valley that sits within a strange and colourful landscape boasting some of the largest remaining silica terraces in the world.
If the kids still have energy to burn after their geothermal adventure, stop off at the idyllic lakeside village of Kinloch on your way back to town. There’s a great playground on the lakefront and a great family-friendly walk called the Whangamata Stream Trail.
Kinloch is also the hub for the Great Lake Trails, a walking and mountain biking trail that leads both east and west from Kinloch. For tea stop at the Kinloch General Store for some delicious burgers and chips!
White water rafting is something the whole family can do regardless of age. Tongariro River Rafting offers an easy family trip down the beautiful and scenic Tongariro River and more adrenaline-filled trips for families with older children.
While in Tūrangi, check out Creel Tackle House & Cafe, a quaint little eatery tucked away behind a tackle shop on the river side of town. The coffee is fabulous, and the pastries are possibly the best found this side of Paris.
If you still have time up your sleeve, visit the Tongariro National Trout Centre and feed the trout in their natural habitat, see giant eels in the freshwater aquarium and watch the trout swimming in the stream from an underwater viewing chamber.
Finish the week off by visiting some of Taupō’s iconic tourist attractions. Visit Huka Prawn Park where the whānau can play on the aqua trikes, pedal boats and stand-up paddle boards, fire off water cannons, discover the interactive adventure trail and so much more!
If you haven’t already seen them, make sure you go to Huka Falls and see, hear and feel the tremendous power of the Waikato River plunging 11 metres to the crystal-blue pool below.
Further along the Waikato River, you will find Aratiatia Dam. The dam releases a few times a day producing surging rapids through the rock valley below. The kids will love the countdown sirens - make sure to arrive early for the release to get a prime watching spot.
Here are some activities to keep up your sleeve in case of a rainy day:
