Travel time from City Centre (Arawa St. Rotorua): 5 minutes
Is there bus service in this area: YES
Uber/Taxi fare: $15 NZD (one-way)
Gas fees: $5-$10 NZD (roundtrip)
Parking: Limited free parking
Entrance Fee: $229 - $259 (Ultimate) , $159 - $189 (Original)
Kia Ora!
Who's ready for some jumping and ziplining 115 feet high? Raise your feet!
Finally ticked off Rotorua’s Ultimate Canopy Tour – New Zealand’s #1 zipline adventure!
Over 3.5 unforgettable hours, you’ll soar through a progression of ziplines (finishing with a 400-metre tandem flight), cross three swing bridges, climb a suspended staircase, and even brave a volcanic cliff-walk.
My partner and I first tried to do the Ultimate Canopy Tour back in December 2024. Unfortunately, strong winds rolled in and the guides had to cut the tour short — we even heard trees falling! Safety is their number one priority, so while it was super disappointing, we were honestly just thankful nothing worse happened. The silver lining? They gave us the option to either rebook or get a full refund. Pretty awesome, right? Of course, we chose to rebook.
Fast forward four months later, in May 2025 — and wow. Even as I’m writing this, I can still feel the adrenaline rush.
I won’t spoil every detail (because you have to experience it yourself!), but here are a few practical tips I learned from our 1.5 attempts at the Ultimate Canopy Tour that you probably won’t find on their website or the usual blogs:
1. If you have bangs, clip them back. Trust me, your eyes will thank you.
2. Skip the lash extensions. I know, we all want cute photos, but wind + lashes = burning eyes. (Honestly grateful our first tour got cut short, because wow…)
3. Dress smart. Jackets and track pants with zipped pockets are a lifesaver. Don’t be afraid to take your phone — it’s easier to hold while zipping than you’d think. If you’ve got the budget for a GoPro or DJI Pocket, even better. Totally worth it!
4. Don’t stress if you don’t film. The team takes great photos of you (and the group) and emails them afterward — so you’ll have memories either way.
Here are samples pictures from Team Rotorua Canopy Tours:
I'm thrilled to share the videos from our zipline jump! I pushed past my fear and even went full Spiderman with an upside-down descent. 😄 Check it out HERE! Hope you enjoyed this blog — and maybe it’ll inspire you to try this once-in-a-lifetime adventure too!
Until my next travel!