The Hell’s Gate Experience – geothermal wonders and mud spa

Hell’s Gate is one of Rotorua’s most dramatic and active geothermal areas, offering a spectacle of steaming fumaroles, bubbling mud pools, and not least, New Zealand’s largest hot waterfall – the Kakahi Falls. Your adventure concludes with a relaxing mud spa – a must-have traditional experience on your tour of New Zealand.

A complimentary shuttle bus runs between Rotorua and the Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve & Mud Spa. The time and place are detailed in your voucher.

Upon arrival, you’ll embark on a self-guided walk through the park, which takes around 1–1.5 hours. You’ll encounter a striking landscape of steaming sulphur springs, bubbling mud pools, and scalding waterfalls – surrounded by the scent of sulphur, warm mists, and crystalised mineral deposits. The path is clearly marked and easy to follow, with information boards and viewing platforms along the way to explain the region’s unique geology and importance to the Māori people.

You’ll pass through areas with evocative names such as the “Inferno Pools”, “Sulphur Crystal Valley”, and “Cooking Pool”, where temperatures can reach almost 100 degrees. A true highlight is the Kakahi Falls – New Zealand’s largest hot waterfall, once used by Māori warriors to heal after battle.

After your walk, a unique spa experience awaits in Hell’s Gate’s natural mud baths and hot springs. The healing properties of the geothermal mud and sulphur-rich mineral waters have been used by local Māori for over 800 years. Open your pores and cleanse your skin by smoothing on the mud, before exfoliating and rinsing off in the sulphur spa. You’ll emerge feeling rejuvenated after this soothing encounter.

Start and finish: Central pick-up point in Rotorua (address and time will be found on your voucher). Please note, you are responsible for your own transport to and from the starting point.

Duration: Approximately 4 hours.

Price includes: Transport, entry to Hell’s Gate, and access to the mud spa.

Remember to bring: Walking shoes, swimwear, and a towel.
It is possible to hire swimwear and a towel at Hell’s Gate for around 5 NZD per item.

Please note: This excursion operates daily except on December 25th.