When to go · Rotorua
Rotorua in May
Mixed month. Outside the best window (All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather). Across New Zealand: Cool and short days; Great Walk huts leave peak season, services thin; good value in the north.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 15°C (59°F)59°F (15°C) / 6°C (43°F)43°F (6°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Low
- New Zealand overall
- Prices
- Low
- New Zealand overall
Verdict
Outside the best window (All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather). Across New Zealand: Cool and short days; Great Walk huts leave peak season, services thin; good value in the north.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
- OctoberGreatInside Rotorua's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather.
- NovemberGreatInside Rotorua's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather.
- DecemberGreatInside Rotorua's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather.
- JanuaryGreatInside Rotorua's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather.
Weather in May
- RotoruaHighs around 15 °C (59 °F), lows around 6 °C (43 °F), rain on about 10 daysHighs around 59 °F (15 °C), lows around 43 °F (6 °C), rain on about 10 days
- Central North Island, New Zealand · Rotorua, Taupō, Tongarirocool
The volcanic plateau is high: frosts and snow on the Tongariro Crossing in winter (guided only then); summer is the crossing season.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · New Zealand overall
- Low
- Prices · New Zealand overall
- Low
New Zealand overall: Cool and short days; Great Walk huts leave peak season, services thin; good value in the north.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Rotorua, side by side.
Verdict
May: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 15 °C (59 °F)59 °F (15 °C)
Jan: 23 °C (73 °F)73 °F (23 °C)
Night low
May: 6 °C (43 °F)43 °F (6 °C)
Jan: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Rain days
May: 10
Jan: 8 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: High
Prices
May: Low
Jan: High
Festivals listed
May: 0
Jan: 1
May: Outside the best window (All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather). Across New Zealand: Cool and short days; Great Walk huts leave peak season, services thin; good value in the north.
January: Inside Rotorua's best window: All year; Dec–Mar warmest and busiest, Oct–Nov and Mar–Apr quieter with good walking weather.
Rotorua: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm layer for the evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket