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The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

4.7

348

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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 10 Nov to 23 Nov 2024

All prices are shown in NZD ($)

Change Dates

Anytime Entry

10:30AM

2:30PM

Sun 10 Nov

Mon 11 Nov

Tue 12 Nov

Wed 13 Nov

Thu 14 Nov

Fri 15 Nov

Sat 16 Nov

Sun 17 Nov

Mon 18 Nov

Tue 19 Nov

Wed 20 Nov

Thu 21 Nov

Fri 22 Nov

Sat 23 Nov

Adult$25.00
Teen$10.00

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Teen$10.00

Adult$12.50
Teen$10.00

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Teen$10.00

Adult$12.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$15.00
Teen$10.00

Adult$15.00
Teen$10.00

Adult$12.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$12.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$12.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$15.00
Teen$10.00

Adult$25.00
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

Adult$17.50
Teen$10.00

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Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

A moving experience

Jocelyn Wilson from NZ

A moving experience

Jocelyn Wilson from NZ

A moving experience

Jocelyn Wilson from NZ

Great time for the whole family

Nathan Ross from NZ

Loved it!

Samantha from NZ

Loved it!

Samantha from NZ

Great Trip

Jill from United Kingdom

Great Trip

Jill from United Kingdom

Historical wonder

vivienneb from NZ

Historical wonder

vivienneb from NZ

Historical wonder

vivienneb from NZ

Fantastic

ALISON from NZ

Fantastic

ALISON from NZ

Fantastic

ALISON from NZ

Interesting and beautiful

eileent1 from Australia

Interesting and beautiful

eileent1 from Australia

Family adventure

davidz6 from NZ

Family adventure

davidz6 from NZ

Great Experience - Lots of adventure and Fun :)

Kaylee Shaw from NZ

Te Wairoa Buried Village

krissie from NZ

Te Wairoa Buried Village

krissie from NZ

Te Wairoa Buried Village

krissie from NZ

The buried village visit

Linda Ly from Australia

Amazing Historical Site

Ness from NZ

Amazing Historical Site

Ness from NZ

Amazing

P from NZ

Amazing

P from NZ

Educational with a beautiful walk

arnekat from NZ

Educational with a beautiful walk

arnekat from NZ

Educational with a beautiful walk

arnekat from NZ

Waterfall was spectacular

Jessne Mae from NZ

Waterfall was spectacular

Jessne Mae from NZ

Superb history and a bonus waterfall

janep10 from United Kingdom

Superb history and a bonus waterfall

janep10 from United Kingdom

Superb history and a bonus waterfall

janep10 from United Kingdom

Worth a visit

Karen Willis from NZ

Worth a visit

Karen Willis from NZ

Beautiful grounds

lisaf31 from Australia

Beautiful grounds

lisaf31 from Australia

Great experience!

Kerin from NZ

Happy new yr!

bronwynt2 from NZ

Well worth the visit

dianad9 from Australia

Well worth the visit

dianad9 from Australia

Bit too expensive

annechristinaj from NZ

Bit too expensive

annechristinaj from NZ

Buried Village

Ronell Rohlandt from NZ

Buried Village

Ronell Rohlandt from NZ

Buried Village

Ronell Rohlandt from NZ

Buried village

paulab3 from NZ

Speechless

Stevieanne Edmonds from NZ

Nice history lesson.

Julie Hart from NZ

Buried Village Rotorua

DAVID CUTHERS from NZ

Excellent

Debbie Wilson from NZ

Excellent

Debbie Wilson from NZ

Great fun

Annabelle Borrie from NZ

A little bit of history

amandam26 from NZ

A little bit of history

amandam26 from NZ

A little bit of history

amandam26 from NZ

Enjoyed exploring historical site at our own pace

kirstyw5 from NZ

Enjoyed exploring historical site at our own pace

kirstyw5 from NZ

Enjoyed exploring historical site at our own pace

kirstyw5 from NZ

Well worth a visit

amirap from NZ

Ataahua

Parekawa Turner-Graham from NZ

Ataahua

Parekawa Turner-Graham from NZ

Ataahua

Parekawa Turner-Graham from NZ

Awesome Experience

Serenity from NZ

Awesome Experience

Serenity from NZ

Awesome Experience

Serenity from NZ

Culture high

Rebecca from United Kingdom

Culture high

Rebecca from United Kingdom

Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme

5 Stars

272

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Stars

4.7

348 reviews

The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Read all 348 authenticated reviews for The Buried Village - Archaeological Site and Museum Admission

Showing all 348 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.