Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

WaioTapu

736 Rankers Reviews

703 Face-to-Face

7 Geothermal

5 Waiotapu

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Nature's never had so much to say

Information

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Thousands of Years in the Making. A Wonderland of Stunning Geothermal Activity

"One of the 20 Most Surreal Places in the World" Trip Advisor

Explore spectacular nature at New Zealand's most colourful natural volcanic park. Walks through this unique geothermal area take between 30 and 75 minutes and provide a wide range of amazing photo opportunities at features including the world famous Champagne Pool, naturally coloured hot and cold springs, steaming ground, expansive vistas, huge volcanic craters and sinter terrace formations. The natural bush setting, the Lady Knox Geyser erupting daily at 10.15 am and the nearby ever active "Mud Pool" add other dimensions to the experience. The first class Visitor Centre incorporates cafe and retail facilities, and there are picnic areas and plenty of parking. Wai-O-Tapu is situated just 20 minutes drive south of Rotorua, or 40 minutes drive north of Taupo on State Highway 5.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Commercial organisation

Location

North IslandRotorua RegionWaiotapu

Categories

  • Activity__volcanic_geothermal_attractionsGeothermal

Business Times

Opening Hours:

Open every day including all Public Holidays:

April-October: 8:30am-5:00pm (last admission 3:45pm)

November-March: 8:30am-6:00pm (last admission 4:45pm)

Christmas Day: 8:30 am-5:00 pm (last admission 3:45pm)

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-38.3558259976154

176.366321945191

Latitude
-38.3558259976154
Longitude
176.366321945191

Reviews

    • Get there early to get the views to yourself.
    • Our favourite thermal region.
    • Lady Knox Geyser was disappointing.
    • It was nice to see.
    • Amazing colours and good pictures guaranteed.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 119
    16%
    9/10 187
    25%
    8/10 228
    31%
    7/10 121
    16%
    6/10 49
    7%
    5/10 16
    2%
    4/10 8
    1%
    3/10 4
    1%
    2/10 3
    0%
    1/10 1
    0%
  • 0.5/5

    The price is at 45$ per person

    Reviewed 6 months ago

    Sanja's avatar

    Sanja

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Beautiful landscape, truly amazing colours.

    Must do for every tourist in the Rotorua area. Nice, clean park, good pathways, not too crowded (can imagine in summer you will be queuing a lot for a good picture!).

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Very nice park!

    A lot of hot pools (colourful, stinky, bubbly) and we saw the Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15. Also we went to the mud pool nearby, what was also cool to see.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    NETHERLANDS
    Jeny Smolders's avatar

    Jeny Smolders

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice walk.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    IRELAND
    Rado Hank's avatar

    Rado Hank

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice place to see many effects that the geothermal activity has on the landscape.

    Maybe a little expensive for a self guided walk but you can grab some information from the flyer. The staff presenting Lady Knox Geyser is very friendly and knowledgeable.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    Takeru Yonahr's avatar

    Takeru Yonahr

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    Very interesting and lots to see on their walks around the park.

    If you go at 10:00am you can see them induce the geyser to erupt but it makes it very busy at this time. As expected, quite smelly!

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Matt McCloskey's avatar

    Matt McCloskey

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    This area is so sweet and so beautiful.

    The money is not wasted.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    GERMANY
    Michael Bley's avatar

    Michael Bley

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Super interesting park showing thermal activities.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    GERMANY
    Florian's avatar

    Florian

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    Cool experience but geyser only goes off in the morning - alternative times.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago and experienced in March 2017

  • 3.0/5

    Disappointed to find out the Lady Knox Geyser did not erupt naturally.

    The park was interesting but busy from the rush after seeing the geyser. Would recommend trying to visit early, before the geyser. Quite pricey too.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Jessica Freeland's avatar

    Jessica Freeland

    Customer

  • 0.5/5

    The price is at 45$ per person

    Reviewed 6 months ago

    Sanja's avatar

    Sanja

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    Very interesting and lots to see on their walks around the park.

    If you go at 10:00am you can see them induce the geyser to erupt but it makes it very busy at this time. As expected, quite smelly!

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Matt McCloskey's avatar

    Matt McCloskey

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Very nice park!

    A lot of hot pools (colourful, stinky, bubbly) and we saw the Lady Knox Geyser at 10:15. Also we went to the mud pool nearby, what was also cool to see.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    NETHERLANDS
    Jeny Smolders's avatar

    Jeny Smolders

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    Cool experience but geyser only goes off in the morning - alternative times.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago and experienced in March 2017

  • 4.5/5

    Beautiful landscape, truly amazing colours.

    Must do for every tourist in the Rotorua area. Nice, clean park, good pathways, not too crowded (can imagine in summer you will be queuing a lot for a good picture!).

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Nice walk.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    IRELAND
    Rado Hank's avatar

    Rado Hank

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice place to see many effects that the geothermal activity has on the landscape.

    Maybe a little expensive for a self guided walk but you can grab some information from the flyer. The staff presenting Lady Knox Geyser is very friendly and knowledgeable.

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    Takeru Yonahr's avatar

    Takeru Yonahr

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    This area is so sweet and so beautiful.

    The money is not wasted.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    GERMANY
    Michael Bley's avatar

    Michael Bley

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Super interesting park showing thermal activities.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    GERMANY
    Florian's avatar

    Florian

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Incredible two hour walk through a geothermal area near Taupo.

    Lots of information and facts available on boards throughout the walk and the scenery is amazing.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    Daisy Hoopers's avatar

    Daisy Hoopers

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Very well maintained, good information, bit pricey.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    BELGIUM
    Lisa Obers's avatar

    Lisa Obers

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Well explained and maintained park through geysers, mud holes, volcanic crater landscapes - expensive but well worth it.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

  • 5.0/5

    Well marked, enough parking spaces, well maintained.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    CZECH REPUBLIC
    Helna Saumanova's avatar

    Helna Saumanova

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    By far the best geothermal park in the Rotorua area, the artist palette, craters, lakes and devils bath are really colourful, simply amazing.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

    SPAIN
    Kristina Nunoz's avatar

    Kristina Nunoz

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    Beautiful, a bit expensive for a backpacker.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

    FRANCE
    Adrien Lupin's avatar

    Adrien Lupin

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    The Thermal Wonderful was absolutely beautiful but a little bit too expensive.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

    SWITZERLAND
    Philip Grant's avatar

    Philip Grant

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Good range of geothermal activity.

    Champagne Pool was brilliant. Lots of walks - self guided and well signposted. Watched the Geyser but only lasted a minute or two and was overcrowded.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Rebecca Tavernor's avatar

    Rebecca Tavernor

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Awesome landscape, nice loop track, a little crowded and expensive.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

  • 5.0/5

    Good value activity and not overcrowded.

    Unlimited time to spend there and at no additional cost. Great facilities, brochure for free and in many languages.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

    FRANCE
    Lucile's avatar

    Lucile

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice walk, nice park.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    INDONESIA
    Elli's avatar

    Elli

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    A typical tourist thing to do, but what a beautiful park!

    Especially the Champagne Pool is very impressive, it feels like you are on a different planet!

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    BELGIUM
    Jet Henmans's avatar

    Jet Henmans

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice to see one of the most active volcano areas in the world.

    Beautiful colours, lots of information, not too long to walk.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    NETHERLANDS
    Jaymi's avatar

    Jaymi

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Well organised and set up treks through a geothermal area with daily showing of a geyser erupting.

    Easy to find and friendly staff.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    IRELAND
    Philip Sheridan's avatar

    Philip Sheridan

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Everything in a small space - perfect for families - a well laid out and varied park with some astonishing sights and smells!

    Take a baby carrier and backpack to reach it all.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Suzannah Hill's avatar

    Suzannah Hill

    Customer

  • 3.5/5

    Too crowded with the induced geyser.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    NETHERLANDS
    T Geelen's avatar

    T Geelen

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    It was a really nice area with a lot of different scenic views.

    But because the geyser sprouts at 10:15am sharp, it is very crowded (also at the walk after).

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    NETHERLANDS
    Maaike's avatar

    Maaike

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful, Lady Knox WOW; the green lake impressive and Champagne Pool was beautiful.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    NETHERLANDS
    Gretha's avatar

    Gretha

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Nice to see but very touristy.

    Geyser is induced to go off. Beautiful area however.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    NETHERLANDS
    Wouter Bleckmann's avatar

    Wouter Bleckmann

    Customer

  • 3.0/5

    Disappointed to find out the Lady Knox Geyser did not erupt naturally.

    The park was interesting but busy from the rush after seeing the geyser. Would recommend trying to visit early, before the geyser. Quite pricey too.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Jessica Freeland's avatar

    Jessica Freeland

    Customer

  • 4.0/5

    Wai-o-Tapu was really nice, 75 minutes of walking.

    In the beginning of the walk it seemed kind of dull but it got better and was really nice.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016

    FINLAND
    Joonas Lehtomaki's avatar

    Joonas Lehtomaki

    Customer