The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

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New Zealand's most visited archaeological site where stories of the 1886 Mount Tarawera Eruption come to life!

New Zealand's most visited archaeological site where stories of the 1886 Mount Tarawera Eruption come to life!

Highlights

  • Visit the award-winning Museum of Te Wairoa exhibition
  • Explore the archaeological sites which reveal the devastation of the eruption
  • Gain unique insights with guided storytelling or by using our electronic tour app
  • Children can partake in Smithy's Treasure Hunt with clues around the excavated sites
  • Take a stroll along the waterfall trail to Te Wairoa Falls

The violent volcanic eruption of Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886 which engulfed the village of Te Wairoa in rocks, ash and mud. 150 lives were lost and the eighth wonder of the world; The Pink and White Terraces vanished.

Step back in time and learn the history of Te Wairoa village!

Museum of Te Wairoa - Displayed are a large array of objects over 90 years old excavated from the ruins of the eruption and exhibits of the early settlers.

Archaeological Site - Explore the devastation of the eruption as you walk through the excavated sites which once housed the people of Te Wairoa.

Waterfall Trail - View the magnificent Te Wairoa stream and Wairere Falls. Catch a glimpse of the trout in the stream making their way through the crystal clear waters and feel the spray from the stunning waterfall as it plunges 30 metres over the Waitoharuru cliffs.

Smith & Co Cafe + Gift Store - Established in 1931, Smith & Co Cafe and Gift Store provide famous Devonshire Tea and Scones, excellent coffee, delicious home baking and check out the great range of eco-friendly giftware and NZ books.

Children - The kids will love digging in the discovery room and exploring the Buried Village with Smithy our archaeologist, and playing on the playground at the end!


Adult $25.00 (Aged 18+)
Teen $10.00 (Aged 13-17 years)

What's included

  • Entry to the Buried Village
  • Smithy's Treasure Hunt for children

Location

  • 1180 Tarawera Road
  • Lake Tarawera - a stunning 15-minute scenic drive from Rotorua.

Child Friendly

  • This experience welcomes families with children.

Notes

  • Open hours: Wednesday - Sunday 10am - 4pm.

    Conditions: Discount tickets are time-specific. Buried Village allows a 30 minute grace period only either side of a discount booking time. Outside of this grace period, you will have to pay the difference in rate to enter. Cancellations within 24 hours non-refundable.

    Disabled Access: Wheelchair access is provided with sealed paths and ramps. There are no steep or challenging parts within the normal walking tracks of the Buried Village. The only part of the village that unfortunately is not accessible for wheelchairs due to the nature of the terrain is the walk to the waterfall. We have a wheelchair available for public use - please enquire at reception.

  • Children aged 0 - 12 years old go FREE.

Available Bookings from 24 Nov to 7 Dec 2024

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Change Dates
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A moving experience Great time for the whole family Loved it! Great Trip Historical wonder
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Authenticated Reviews & Photos All of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

4.7

351 reviews

Showing all 351 authenticated Bookme reviews

benhulme from New Zealand wrote on 06 October 2024

Great Family Time

My kids are between 11 and 15, and I was hoping they'd still be interested in doing something without technology. Needless to say, they were all into it! We did the Treasure hunt, which turned into a very competitive aspect of our exploration. We were reading almost every sign, paying close attention to every detail on the journey. We even strayed off the path to feed grass to a giant goat and too very wooly sheep which was out of reach for them. The grass is always greener! The staff were super friendly, and even gave us a summary right at the start of what the village was, what happened and why they're there today. A super affordable experience, and definitely worth every cent! Lake Tarawera is only a few minutes drive beyond (which they also recommended seeing at the end), and made for a great morning with the family. A photo of my eldest and I doing a dress up there has been added.

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Clive Pahl from New Zealand wrote on 26 October 2023

Very good

Very beautiful and we really enjoyed it

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shaunl1 from New Zealand wrote on 21 July 2021

A must do

An awesome experience and the tour guide was well informed and funny. The water falls are amazing 🤩

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Alana from New Zealand wrote on 12 July 2021

buried treasure

great experience, kids loved the treasure hunt! the waterfall walk is lovely & challenging. we learnt alot being immersed in history and reading the different stories of people who lived through the eruption.

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Julie Fairman from United Kingdom wrote on 17 November 2024

Great little history lesson

We wanted to find out more of the history of the area and this place gave that. Excellent exhibition and lots of information

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Booking

10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July

12

Adult Aged 18+

Teen Aged 13-17 years

*This option must be made together with another price type.
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