Cultural Experience & Seasonal Māori Cuisine at Te Pā Tū

Overview

Available languages

English

3 hours

Mobile ticket

Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) blanketed by towering Tawa trees, its blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre.

Te Pā Tū offers 3-hour evening events that change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar.

Across summer, Tū Te Rā celebrates an abundant harvest, and we explore concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace.

Throughout winter, Tū Te Ihi marks promise heralded by the arrival of the Matariki star cluster which high and bright in winter skies, signalling the new lunar year – we share the energy and passion of this celebration.

Cultural knowledge unique to each season is shared from the outset – rituals, songs, stories and continue across the night. From the beginning too, we share local, seasonal kai - plentiful and delicious. Kai horotai (indigenous canapes) is followed by a torch lit walk to a lavish 3-course fusion feast.

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Transportation options are wheelchair accessible

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required

Camera and Video usage is permitted throughout the entire evening experience.

Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark

PLEASE RECONFIRM YOUR BOOKING 24 HOURS PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Te Pā Tū shares Māori history, traditions, and cultural aspirations across 3.5 hours of celebration and feasting. Feast on song, drama, tradition, and divine seasonal kai (cuisine) within our forest Pā (village) –blanketed by towering Tawa trees, blazing bonfires, and forest-formed amphitheatre. These events change with each season of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar. Tū Te Rā – Summer Harvest Celebration (October - April): Across this lunar phase, the sun expresses optimal energy, the days are longer, and light nourishes the natural world. Tū Te Rā celebrates abundant harvest and explores concepts, rituals, and stories of ancient Māori warfare and peace. Tū Te Ihi - Winter Matariki Celebration (May - September): \ Tū Te Ihi includes the time in the earth’s cycle when Matariki stars are high and bright in winter skies. Te Ihi references the energy and passion stirred by the Matariki cluster and the promise they herald.

What‘s Included

Māori Cultural Performance

Traditional welcome ceremony

Māori fusion feast

Air-conditioned vehicle

Return transport from central Meeting Point

Gratuities

Alcoholic Beverages

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Options

Te Pā Tū - 5.00pm (May-Sept)

Pickup included

Te Pā Tū - 5.00pm (Oct-Apr)

Pickup included

Te Pā Tū - Māori cuisine

Pickup included

Te Pā Tū - 6.15pm (May-Sept)

Pickup included

Te Pā Tū - 6.15pm (Oct-Apr)

Pickup included

Te Pā Tū - 7.30pm (Oct-Apr)

Pickup included

Reviews

4.76

1,498 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1257

165

Highly recommended
K1385KFclaudiak,,Dec 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Highly recommended experience with great insights to Maori culture, possibilities to participate, excellent show and dinner.
The most exceptional and...
Julia R,,Dec 18, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The most exceptional and incredible experience. The staff and performers were so enthusiastic! Excellent time spent and well worth it! A must do for any trip to NZ
Worth it!
Colleen A,,Dec 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Family of 4 (kids ages 11 & 13) really loved this experience! It was a cold, rainy night but the hosts adapted and the program was wonderful. Really educational and we felt like part of their family for the evening. Great vocal talents and they fed us well. Worth a visit!
Dinner experience was not good for me.
Valerie B,,Dec 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00
Shared food, family style with people you don’t know. No explanation of how the process was to unfold. Food plates coming out so fast one after the other it was chaos. Horrible.
The entire experience was...
Gregory S,,Dec 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
The entire experience was fantastic! Fun, educational and really engaging. Oh, and the food was excellent!
We know there’s a lot of...
William F,,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We know there’s a lot of “touristy“ things to do in Rotorua, but this one was worth every dollar. Not only was the cultural experience and the time learning about the Māori culture, informative, but the feast was off the hook! The food was amazing, the people were kind and generous, and the music was an added bonus we hadn’t expected. Grateful for the family and tribe sharing their culture with all of us. Would recommend as a top activity in Rotorua.
Te Pa Tu- exceptional!
LuxeExecutiveTravel,,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This experience was, hands down, one of the best cultural experiences we’ve ever enjoyed. The guides and performers were incredibly knowledgeable, and their interaction with guests was both engaging and fun. The performances — singing and dancing — were loud, proud, and full of energy, and it was clear how much they genuinely loved putting on a show for us. The hāngī and Māori food experience was exceptional: absolutely delicious with a generous variety, including duck, lamb, and wagyu beef. We also chose the paired non-alcoholic menu, which was a lovely and thoughtful touch. My only suggestion would be to have some background music while dining, but aside from that, the experience was faultless. A solid 10/10
Great way for overseas friends to see Maori culture!
D380DKlouises,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Beautiful experience! My friends from overseas loved it and came away with new knowledge of my culture. I grew up away from my whanau Marae, so it was noce to bring them to a place that could be open to their limited knowledge and understanding. Great food, good entertainment! Will definitely bring friends again!
Amazing evening.
Nancy T,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We learned a lot about the culture and food of the Māori people. The performers were excellent. It was also fun to be an active participant in the experience.
Great experience!
Christopher J,,Dec 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This family operation works hard to both entertain and educate. This was a great hands-on way to learn about Maori history and culture, and the food was great too!