Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
"One of the 20 Most Surreal Places in the World" Trip Advisor THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN THE MAKING, explore spectacular nature at New Zealand's most colourful natural volcanic area. Walk at your own pace - view the unique Champagne Pool, Sinter Terrace formations, Steaming Ground, Bubbling Mud, Expansive Vistas, Huge Volcanic Craters. The Lady Knox Geyser erupts daily at 10.15am. Excellent facilities at modern Visitor Centre. We are a cashless site, accepting all major credit and EFTPOS cards.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Exploration826854
    9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must visit when in Rotorua!
    Stunning! A must when visiting Rotorua! Not too far from downtown Rotorua. Took about an hour to go through the park, including the geyser. I’ve been to Yellowstone National Park in the United States and while it had similarities, it was uniquely beautiful and well worth my time.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 6 October 2023
  • kylie w
    Sydney, Australia6 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see in NZ
    This is an astonishing place to visit. Well worth the effort. there isn't any point getting there before 10:00am as the safety talk etc all occurs at the Lady Knox Geyser. It doesn't start right on 10am so if you are short on time it's worth planning around this. Some people walked from the entry building to the Geyser which is in a different direction but it's longer than you imagine and most walkers had to grab a lift with one of the passing cars, not a walk for children. We had a wonderful time as a family and even with lots of people in the park it never feels crowded. They didn't have maps available which was a pity, you could take a picture of a map they had on display but that didn't really work. It is ceratinly different to the other geo thermal sites we saw and were really glad we had gone. It's all easy walking and well set up.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 October 2023
  • UdayDesai
    Vadodara, India74 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice Visit
    We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Thermal park. We reached in time for the Lady Knox Geyser at 10.15 am. The best part was the Artist Palette pool during the first loop walk. Lovely colours!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 8 November 2023
  • Pippa H
    London, United Kingdom87 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating geology - must see
    Beautiful and fascinating geology. If you're in the area you should definitely go here to understand more about the geothermal activity in the area and see some beautiful geysers. There are multiple route options depending on how long you want to stay for, although it you have time I would recommend doing the longest one as some of the cooler stuff is at the end, like the green lake.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 November 2023
  • Smoltman
    Courtenay, Canada10,683 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing site
    This Thermal site is indeed a wonderland. The colours of the cauldrons, ponds and lakes are superb. They are constantly changing with the sun and cloud movement. The mist also brings its own intricate designs. A few up and down stairs but not too strenuous. Well worth a visit- we spent over 2 hours here.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 November 2023
  • Stephen N
    Hong Kong, China354 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning & amazing colours of the pool
    It is a stunning and amazing park. Just 3 kms walking distance then you may see everthings including different colour pools in the park. We reached in time for the Lady Knox Geyser at 10.15 am, it's also amazing too. A must go place in north island of New Zealand.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 18 December 2023
  • Trollolo
    Auckland Central, New Zealand140 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the beat geothermal activity parks
    It's our first visit with our 6 year old, and he was so fascinated with the geothermal activity. Lady Knox Geyser eruption was much shorter than what we saw in previous years, not sure of it's to do with pressure underneath but this time around it wasn't very impressive. Nevertheless, there were so many other great things to see, the park is not to be missed.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 30 December 2023
  • mandy b
    Leicester, United Kingdom73 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning geo thermal features
    Fascinating visit to a spectacular geo - thermal park. Starting with the Lady Knox Geyser at 10.15 (arrive well before) then moving around the park and seeing the champagne pool. We had visited Craters of the Moon park the day before and this was far superior. We would recommend it as good value for money.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 January 2024
  • thaisfuncia
    Sao Paulo, SP338 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not be be missed
    It’s an amazing tour. We simply loved the geothermal park. Organized and simple to go around. The geysers aren’t smelly so it’s a great visit in all senses. We loved the champagne pool. Definitely it’s a not to be missed attraction. We took a tour to go there because we didn’t want to drive on the “other side”, but it’s easy to drive yourself over there as well
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 10 January 2024
  • Alison H
    Wellington, New Zealand15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fun, interesting, and very well organised
    This is such a good experience. The pools, craters, bubbling mud, terraces, geyser and green lake are all amazing to see, and the kids loved it (7&9). We got there at 10am so we were in time for the Geyser which is a fun extra. Book online so you can go straight to the Geyser car park, otherwise you have to park and buy tickets at the visitors centre first. The parking is well organised and it was pretty quick getting to and from the geyser despite heaps of people/cars. We walked all the way to the end of the third track. All up we spent three hours at the park and the kids had a good time. We stopped at the cafe/visitors centre at the end for an icecream. There’s a few picnic tables and benches as you walk around the park but heaps more at the entrance. Heaps of toilets. It was fun, interesting, a good walk, and very well organised and easy experience. Highly recommended!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 January 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles8,768 reviews
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Rob A
London, UK38 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The biggest disappointment of our trip. The geyser was a farce as it was activated by a member of staff pouring some powder into the geyser’s opening to induce the eruption which didn’t so much erupt as just froth a bit. Absolute waste of time - I’d recommend going straight to the sulphur pools while the hordes of tourists are watching the geyser show. The pools themselves - relatively ok, not amazing. If you’re in the area and need something to do to kill time then I’d visit here, otherwise I wouldn’t bother in the slightest.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BC
Denver, CO142 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Went this morning to start by seeing the Lady Knox Geyser with plans to then do the 90 minute walk around the thermal features. Should have known what was in store for us when we saw a long line of cars trying to access the parking lot. Then after paying the entrance fee, we had to get back in our car and drive to the Lady Knox Geyser parking. Sat there with several hundred other people to watch a guide put soap down into the geyser to make it erupt. This has happened so many times over the years that the geyser is caked with white soapy residue- it actually looks fake. So after it erupts for a few seconds, theres a mad dash back to the parking lot to jump in your car and drive back down to the 1st parking lot to try to get a spot, then start the walk with several hundred other tourists. If you like crowds, congestion, confusion, and a logistical nightmare, this is the place for you. We chose to leave and instead visit the Waimangu Volcanic Valley which was absolutely beautiful.
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mujer_rebelde
Köln56 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We went there in mid-January. The colours of the geothermal lakes are not as vibrant during the summer months as they are in winter which was a bit of a disappointment. Walkways easy but one section was closed. Quite boring when you have been to Orakei Korako and/or Waimangu Volcanic Valley which both feel much more like natural surroundings. The worst part of Wai-O-Tapu though is the Lady Knox Geysir where hundreds of people gather to see the geysir (after being triggered with organic soap) shoot up 20 metres into the air for up to an hour. By no means! The whole spectacle went on for about 20 seconds and the geysir reached not even half a metre in height. A truly pathetic sight. The whole audience was left stunned about this lame show. Do not go there unless you like to be ripped off. There are much better places around.
Written 24 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kinx81
Vancouver Island, Canada788 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
Bought our tickets online through their website. Easy. That way we could drive straight to the Lady Knox Geyser to see it erupt at 10:15 am. It is prompted to erupt by the workers adding surfactant to the cone, but still a cool display nonetheless. You get about a 5 min talk explaining the history and significance.
Getting back in the car we drove down to the visitor centre to get our tickets scanned and a map of the park. Clean bathrooms, cafe and drinking water fountain to fill your bottles.
The geothermal Park was much bigger than I expected and we enjoyed walking the easy trails to see the different pools and craters. Excellent signage. Make sure you walk all the way to the end otherwise you’ll miss a beautiful lake and small waterfall.
Cafe served a soup and cheese bread deal for $7. Great value. Definitely recommend getting a snack here after your walk.

Locals should get out and check out these beautiful sights in our own backyard! We drove from Hamilton and also enjoyed the Waikite hot pools afterwards, about 6 km away.
Written 25 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

D&M
Perth, Australia444 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
Thought we would make sure to get here well in advance of Lady Knox Geyser’s 10.15am performance. Well hundreds of others had the same idea and there was a scramble for car parks and perfect positioned seating around the geyser. I wondered how Mother Nature makes this geyser blow at the same time every day until I was surprised by a staff member dumping some sort of soap stimulant into the spout of the geyser to get it to perform. No exactly what we we’re expecting??? Was disappointed waiting all that time for about a 3 minute performance. Moved onto the thermal park with all the crowds which was a little more interesting. A very well laid out land with easy access to the thermal craters, pools and lakes. Our favourite was the mud pools. Soft sludgy bubbling mud making all sorts of funny and disgusting noises. Could have sat there for an hour watching nature make these pools of mud bubble. This was well worth seeing. Overall a good experience but not better than Waimangu Volcanic Park.
Written 13 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue E
Yukon, Canada221 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
The walk through the pools was very interesting with good interpretive signage. The actual geyser and mud pool was a bit of a let down. The geyser was filled with soap flakes which did add to the effect and smelled better than sulphur. The gift shop was excellent but the service at the cafe was glacially slow. Educational experience that was well worth it. Important to note that if you booked online or you have a coupon from your tour company you should check in with the visitor center for before you see the geyser. You should allow yourself enough time for that. Parking is limited both at the geyser and at the visitor center around 10a.m.
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Valerie
Willenhall, UK69 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
When we arrived around 3pm paid money to get in, only to be informed the geyser was not open only open morning. I was sad that we were not told before payment.
We went around I have to say it was incredible to see the craters and try to understand how they happened. I got around with my elbow crutches ok.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend you go and see for yourself.
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raech
Rotorua, New Zealand318 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
10.15am is Lady Knox time! Purchase tickets before driving to Lady Knox geyser. Leave Rotorua by 9.10am to get your tickets from the Wai-o-tapu visitors center, then drive back to the geyser, park and walk. Or buy your tickets online, then drive directly to the geyser, and show the park attendant your ticket on your phone. The geyser is not in the main park - it’s down a different side road. We encountered long traffic queues and only just made it. Definitely visit the whole park afterwards. The coffee at the cafe was average. Take water with you if it’s a hit day. We did the full walk and were there for 2 hours! Worth it!
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chiara
19 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020 • Couples
Make sure you get there when it opens to enjoy a coffee at the café before the visit (the barista made me one of the best coffee I ever had in my life, thanks lovely:) and to experience the blowing of the Lady Knox Gayser at 10am. It was really interesting to listen to the stories behind it narrated by one of the lovely staff members for us. The park is well kept and you can experience different geothermal activities (not only the champagne pool but also the impressive colours of the oyster pool, the fluo green lake, the different shapes created by the blow holes and many other things). I didn't give 5* just because I think the price for the entrance could be a little bit cheaper. Thanks team!
Written 3 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelsaroundUSA
Cambridge, MA100 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
If you've been to Yellowstone, Lassen, or the geothermal areas in Iceland, this is similar. There are 3 different loops that can be combined to allow you to visit quickly or a bit slower. I recommend doing all of them. There are some steps, especially on the third loop. Lots of different types of geothermal features - mud pots, springs, steam vents, colorful pools, etc.

Great gift shop at the start of the trail. Also, recommend visiting the mud pots a few minutes north of the main area.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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WAI-O-TAPU THERMAL WONDERLAND (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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