Travel specialist New Zealand In Depth has launched a new Māori cultural programme featuring Indigenous storytelling, sacred site visits and starlit kiwi spotting. Olivia Palamountain reports

A series of new Māori cultural experiences have launched through travel specialists New Zealand In Depth, offering guests the chance to immerse themselves into the spirit and culture of the Indigenous people of New Zealand.

From tribal homestays to starlit kiwi-spotting, geothermal bathing and traditional ocean foraging, this  programme offers a huge variety of authentic encounters with New Zealand's Māori communities.

The 12-night itinerary, priced from £2,500, responds to growing global interest in indigenous tourism, currently valued at US$ 6.08 billion and projected to reach US$ 17.81 billion by 2032. At the award-winning Kohutapu Lodge, guests stay in lakeside cottages overlooking tribal lands and ancient forestry, participating in cultural activities including weaving, haka lessons and nighttime eel fishing.

Visitors learn to prepare traditional Hāngī feasts (whereby food is cooked on heated rocks buried in a pit oven, called an umu), experiencing the authentic smoky flavours of traditionally cooked meats and vegetables.

A highlight includes accommodation on Kapiti Island, one of New Zealand's most important nature reserves, operated by a Māori family business since 1820. Here, visitors experience nighttime kiwi-spotting before retiring to glamping tents or cabins, falling asleep to native birdsong and kiwi calls.

The journey continues to Orakei Korako, a thermal wonderland featuring active geysers, boiling hot springs, jade-green waters, and one of only two geothermal caves globally.

Guests then join the Ancestral Footprints Cultural Tour around Mount Tarawera, exploring former Māori settlements and the famous pink and white terraces along Lake Rotomahana.A unique sunrise experience awaits at Maunga Hikurangi, the Ngati Porou people's sacred mountain. Travellers ascend under starlit skies to view nine Māori carvings depicting the legend of Maui, the demi-god who slowed the sun.

"Māori culture is deeply rooted in spirituality and tradition," explains Paul Carberry, founder of New Zealand In Depth. "The ancestors arrived before 1300 CE, bringing with them a vibrant culture that continues to shape the island's identity."

The experience concludes with a special ocean adventure led by Deon Muir, former Waikato Chiefs player and Māori All Blacks captain. Guests fish across the Maketū bar, learn traditional cooking techniques, and enjoy cultural storytelling over a feast.

The package includes accommodation, car rental, guided tours, and cultural experiences, though international flights are additional.