What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Very informative and in a very nice setting in the bay of Islands, must see

  Olof O,May 10, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The tour by a guide was very informative and gives a good overview of what happened at that place with the historical background.

• An important place to visit, but also very enjoyable

  Greenfielder,May 9, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This is a very important location and I wondered whether it was appropriate to leave it until almost the end of a long holiday in NZ, but it was probably better that way as by then I had a more detailed understanding of the history and could appreciate much better the story and its continuing importance in the country. Our visit started with a tour, after which there was a cultural show. During the tour we got to hear about the significant artefacts (such as the waka or war canoe) and also the shared misunderstanding inherent in a treaty drafted in two languages. For the cultural show one of the audience is asked to be the "visiting tribe's" Chief and having seen somebody do it at Rotorua I thought "This is an easy way to get a front row seat". They caught me, though, with two catches. First of all I had to give a speech to the host tribe and later, to my horror, I had to stand motionless whilst spears flew in worrying proximity to me and were thrust rather close to area I would rather they didn't come into contact! I'm still here to tell the tale and the funniest part was later on when total strangers addressed me as 'Chief'. Don't let me put you off volunteering. It's good to stray a little out of your comfort zone, participation is always better than spectating and they do know what they're doing! As it was a lovely day the grounds were pleasant to walk around and we had an enjoyable lunch in the Whare Waka Café on site and spent more that we probably should have in the shop!

• Don't miss it.

  Zoltan330,Apr 28, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I really enjoyed visiting the Treaty of Waitangi grounds. I went on a tour and Noah was an excellent guide. He was well-spoken and had a great connection with a large group. I am so glad I went to the marae to watch the cultural performance and volunteered to be the chief of the group. I went into the museum, art gallery, the war museum and the Busby family home. I was there for 3 hours but could have stayed longer to look through the various buildings.

• Superb

  Tastjames,Apr 17, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Fantastic experience. Highly recommend,

  

  

  

• Interesting

  Jeffrey D,Apr 2, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  No demo of war canoe. Ceremony excelent but a bit too short. Tour good and interesting. War musuem interesting - impressive memorial room.

• Interesting but expensive to visit

  nickyw931,Apr 1, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  An interesting attraction explaining and demonstrating the history of the treaty. Well laid out with interesting exhibits. It’s a very expensive entry fee with overseas visitors being charged double that of NZ visitors. I’m well travelled and have never known another country to charge overseas guests double the entrance fee. $74 per adult so eats into your holiday spending money.

  

  

• Lovely grounds and history but a disappointing show

  happywonderer17,Mar 30, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  3.00

  The treaty grounds tour was very well put together and our tour guide was very informative. The grounds are very well kept. However the moari show was disappointing. Most of the time was spent explaining the moari carvings instead of experiencing the lovely songs and dances. Each part was very short, and didn't feel authentic, After every performance we were also told to clap! The moari show at the Auckland museum felt a lot more authentic and they preferred that no clapping took place. So some more of traditional songs and dancing would have been better and a more authentic experience to round off the treaty grounds experience.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• A Must Visit Experience, even on a wet windy day.

  Nicola M,Mar 29, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is so much more than a visit to an outdoor space where the treaty was signed. It offers an insight into the history and culture of New Zealand by way of a guided tour and cultural performance which gave us an understanding of what led to the treaty and how it was perceived at the time. Our tour guide was amazing, the enthusiasm and knowledge she shared with us for the history of the Treaty made it so interesting. It was a really wet, windy day so we did not spend too long outside but there were plenty of indoor areas and a museum to explore. This visit went beyond my expectations and in my opinion is a must do activity.

• Engaging with history

  Graham G,Mar 28, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The guide around the grounds was very engaging , passionate and informative. She really brought alive the whole experience and built on what we’d seen in the exhibition. This was followed by a moving Moari session which added to the whole experience. Breakfast at the cafe there was really good too!

• Brilliant a must do

  skiersuk,Mar 27, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had originally booked via trip advisor but this was cancelled on the day due to the terrible weather. Our guide was Noah, and we think he was excellent, lots of informal with the occasional bad joke to keep us interested. This is an excellent venue and I think fairly priced. In my view it also gives a balanced account with no effort to make out that the Moria were faultless as an other reviewer suggested, well presented and well organised.

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