Which Rotorua geothermal park should you visit?
Where to go if you want to find a balance of natural wonder and serenity in Rotorua.
the orange and turquoise champagne pool at wai o tapu is one of rotorua’s most iconic sights
Rotorua is built right on top of a geothermal system which sends steam up through storm drains, and makes mud bubble in public parks.
The geothermal activity simmering away in the area around Rotorua is a huge draw for the small North Island town. You’re probably planning a visit there hoping to see a geyser, or maybe a colourful pool of acid, or steaming cliffs.
I will warn you that all of the geothermal hotspots in Rotorua are quite small. These aren’t massive, sprawling areas of activity, but generally a few cool things to see concentrated in one area.
Steam rising from a lake in Waimangu Volcanic Valley
It’s hard to put this into words, but I would say that after leaving Orakei Korako the last time I was there, I felt like — “oh, that was really cool.” Not stunned into silent awe, not bowled over by beauty, but satisfied.
When people tell me they have been to Yellowstone, I often tell them to keep their expectations in check. Our geothermal areas are cool, but they aren’t on the same scale.
As always, with my recommendations, my advice skews towards the activities that are oriented toward nature and away from anything over commercialised.
I’m very much of the opinion that even if you’re looking at something stunning, it’s hard to enjoy it if you’re jostling shoulder to shoulder with dozens of other tourists.
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kuirau park, in the centre of rotorua, is free to walk around and features steaming pools and even thermal foot baths
A FEW TIPS RIGHT OFF THE BAT:
You can often find deals for visiting Rotorua’s geothermal attractions on BookMe — I recommend taking a look if you want to visit multiple parks while sticking to a budget.
MY TOP PICKS FOR WHERE TO SEE GEOTHERMAL ACTIVITY IN ROTORUA:
Orakei Korako is a little bit of a hike from Rotorua town, but it’s the quietest option and has naturally occurring geysers (I was lucky enough to see one go off).
Hot pools — my favourites are the more rustic ones, like Lake Rotoiti hot springs which you can reach via kayak.
See geothermal activity in Rotorua for free, right on the edge of town
Walking to Sulphur Point on Rotorua’s lakefront, at sunrise
Steam rising in the early morning sunrise, right on the lakefront in Rotorua
If you’re on a budget, short on time, or just don’t fancy trekking to one of Rotorua’s geothermal parks, you can just go for a walk around town.
Sulphur Point, on the lakefront, gives you the chance to walk right alongside steam vents and mud pools.
I enjoyed a walk around the lakefront in the early morning, with the first rays of sunlight lighting up the steam rising from around the shore. The trail isn’t long, but you will see boiling mud and steam coming from vents – it’s cool to see such active geothermal activity so close to the town.
Another option is to go for a walk around Kuirau Park is an easy thing to do when you first arrive in Rotorua. The park itself isn’t the most scenic, but it features a few steaming hot pools and there is a small area where you can bathe your feet in the thermal waters.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley is my favourite of Rotorua’s geothermal parks
The Inferno Crater at Waimangu Volcanic Valley is mostly hidden behind a curtain of steam
Waimangu Volcanic Valley is a very pretty slice of nature.
A gentle trail leads past several geothermal features, including Frying Pan Lake, the largest hot spring in the world
I would say that the main thermal pool used to advertise Waimangu — the sky blue Inferno Crater — was a bit of a disappointment. If the steam had cleared, I’m sure it would have been pretty, but I mostly saw a thick wall of white cloud.
The steaming shore of Frying Pan Lake
The brightly coloured silica terraces at Waimangu Volcanic Valley
At Waimangu, you can see all of the things that make the geothermal parks around Rotorua fascinating. There are brightly coloured terraces, steaming cliffs, and hot water boiling right out of the ground.
I also spotted two wallabies on my walk — they are a very invasive species, but it was a fun quirk of the place nonetheless. Keep your eyes peeled.
MY TIPS
I went relatively early in the morning (around 9.30am) on a summer’s day, and it wasn’t too busy. I also caught some beautiful morning light shining through the steam
Wai O Tapu is the most visually stunning park, but also one of the busiest
wai o tapu
Wai O Tapu is mostly famous for the Champagne Pool, which is a well of boiling geothermal liquid about 65 metres across.
The rim of the pool is bright orange, while the steaming water is a gorgeous deep green. It is very striking.
There are a few other colourful pools on the walk around Wai O Tapu.
the bright green lake at wai o tapu
The main downside to visiting Wai O Tapu is that it is very crowded. It’s not a huge park and there is a steady stream of people in and out, so you’ll be filing along behind others.
MY TIPS
If you decide not to go to Wai O Tapu, you can still go to the Wai O Tapu mud pool, which is free and right by the road. It’s essentially a big pit of boiling clay, but it’s quite cool to see.
Another free but cool little stop is the hot creek right beside Wai O Tapu. You can go for a little swim in the naturally thermal waters, if you don’t mind taking a dip under a bridge (it’s really not that bad).
Orakei Korako is a lovely quiet option
orakei korako doesn’t have the champagne pool, but it has plenty of colour and some pretty impressive silica terraces
Orakei Korako is pretty far off the beaten track (it’s around 50 minutes from Rotorua) but if you don’t mind the drive, it’s a stunning spot.
The difference is palpable even at the entrance to the respective parks.
The last time I was at Wai O Tapu, I had to dodge and weave through a crowd of people just to get to the bathroom.
At Orakei Korako, in contrast, I sat on the verandah overlooking the water and enjoyed a peaceful little break.
To get to the geothermal area at Orakei Korako, they ferry you across a river. Something about that just feels adventurous and cool.
Once in the park, the walk only takes 1-2 hours, depending on how long you want to look at things.
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this helped you decide which geothermal park to visit in Rotorua.
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a freelance travel writer from New Zealand with bylines in National Geographic Travel, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and more.
I’ve travelled up and down beautiful Aotearoa and I love sharing my recommendations for the best places to visit in New Zealand.
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