-
travel_explore
Rotorua Explore New Zealand, Australia & Fiji!tune
Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Explore our jade carving studio, meet local artists and choose a piece of pounamu to take home!
Explore our jade carving studio, meet local artists and choose a piece of pounamu to take home!
Highlights
- Choose a piece of pounamu and string it into a necklace to treasure forever
- Explore our carving studio and meet local Rotorua artists
- Learn how we carve jade and see our artists in action
In the heart of Rotorua's city centre, just steps away from the iconic Government Gardens, our skilled artists dedicate themselves to the intricate craft of hand-carving New Zealand pounamu (jade). With passion and care, they invite you to explore the unique stories behind each carving and offer an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their creative process.
Step inside our studio for an unforgettable experience, where you can observe live demonstrations and spend quality one-on-one time with our talented artists. You’ll learn about the detailed jade carving process and dive into the rich cultural heritage and significance of New Zealand pounamu.
For a hands-on experience, you can even try your hand at traditional Māori carving techniques using sandstone to shape pounamu. To make your visit truly memorable, you’ll select your own piece of pounamu and string it into a necklace to take home as a treasured keepsake. Perfect for all ages, our 40-minute tour offers a fun and engaging activity, especially on rainy days!
All prices are shown inNZD ($)
- Adult$39.90
- Child$39.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$34.90
- Child$34.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$39.90
- Child$39.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$34.90 Less than 6 at this price!
- Child$34.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$29.90 Less than 6 at this price!
- Child$29.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$39.90
- Child$39.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$39.90
- Child$39.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$34.90 Less than 6 at this price!
- Child$34.90
- Infant Free of Charge
- Adult$29.90 Less than 6 at this price!
- Child$29.90
- Infant Free of Charge
Authenticated Reviews
Real highlights, tips, and the helpful advice straight from Bookme customers who’ve actually done this experience, summarised with AI support
- emergencyCustomers loved the knowledgeable and friendly staff, who made the experience engaging and informative (12 people said this).
- emergencyMany enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the tour, especially the opportunity to choose a piece of pounamu to take home (9 people said this).
- emergencyThe cultural significance and history shared during the tour were highly praised, making it a meaningful experience (8 people said this).
- emergencyReviewers appreciated the interactive elements, including the use of technology to enhance understanding of jade carving (6 people said this).
- emergencyThe overall atmosphere was described as welcoming and family-friendly, contributing to a positive experience (7 people said this).
- emergencyCustomers felt it was great value for money, with many mentioning the beautiful stone pendants received as part of the tour (5 people said this).
- star_shineConsider bringing a camera to capture the amazing moments during the tour.
Allow some extra time to fully enjoy the experience and ask questions.
Showing all 81 authenticated Bookme reviews
Reine from Australia wrote on 07 March 2026
Enjoyable Family Experience
Very Informative - we learnt a lot about the history of Pounamu. The staff were exceptional and our family thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We really appreciated being able to pick our own piece at the end of the tour.
From Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Kia ora Reine, Thank you so much for your review! We are so glad you enjoyed spending time with us and we hope you love your new taonga ð NgÄ mihi â Mountain Jade
louisianew from France wrote on 04 March 2026
A must do in Rotorua
My friend and I had a great time, the explanations around the green stone and it's importance for Maori people was so interesting. We loved being able to witness the artist carving the stones. We even got a present at the end of the tour !
From Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Kia ora Louis! Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review! We absolutely loved hosting you and your friend, we love that you learnt something new! Ngā mihi - Mountain Jade
emy from United Kingdom wrote on 23 January 2026
Great experience
We really enjoyed this tour, it was fascinating learning about the Jayde and how it’s carved
From Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Kia ora Emy, thank you so much for taking the time to submit a review. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and went away feeling educated about jade. See you again!
Katrina Knight from Australia wrote on 12 December 2025
Amazing experience.
I’d been looking forward to an experience like this while visiting NZ and this did NOT disappoint! The staff were wonderful. Knowledgeable and friendly. We learnt so much about green stone/ Mountain Jade, and other Jade from around the country and world. We received beautiful stone pendants as part of the tour and bought some more pieces afterwards. Fantastic value for money. Highly recommend.
From Mountain Jade Highlights Tour
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear the experience lived up to your expectations and that you enjoyed learning about pounamu (greenstone), Mountain Jade, and jade from around the world. Our team will be delighted to know their knowledge and friendliness made a difference to your visit. We’re also glad you loved your pendants and found some extra pieces to take home. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope your time in New Zealand was truly memorable!
Copyright ©2026 Bookme Limited.
When you see the Qualmark logo, your activity of choice is endorsed by New Zealand Tourism's official quality assurance organisation and backed by leaders in the industry. It's your trusted guide to iconic activities and experiences that are awarded for their exceptionally high level of quality, safety and sustainability.
Qualmark Gold
This award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand. It denotes exceptional customer experiences at the heart of everything the company does. This business is leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world class sustainable visitor destination.
Qualmark Silver
This award is evidence of a sophisticated tourism business that consistently exceeds visitor expectations. Their proactive leadership and management ensure the business's focus on continuously improving their economic, social and environmental performance to create genuine, constantly evolving and sustainable tourism experiences.
Qualmark Bronze
The Qualmark Bronze award recognizes a business that operates with a high level of professionalism, is mindful of its environmental impact, and is dedicated to putting customers first.
Continue with Facebook
nyorgi from New Zealand wrote on 04 June 2026
Must do it Rotorua
We thoroughly enjoyed the Mountain Jade Highlights Tour in Rotorua and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area. The guides were friendly, engaging, and incredibly knowledgeable. We learned so much about New Zealand jade (pounamu), its cultural significance, how it is sourced, and the craftsmanship involved in creating each piece. The live carving and polishing demonstrations were fascinating to watch, and seeing the process firsthand gave us a much deeper appreciation for the skill and artistry involved. We also loved hearing the stories behind the different designs and meanings. It was an educational, interactive, and enjoyable experience for the whole family. We left with a greater understanding of Māori culture and some wonderful memories. A must-do experience in Rotorua. 💚🪨✨