Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa

Awesome guide, Gntri?, made the whole experience so much better. Being a Mauri and telling culture stores brought the land to life. Waters levels were low, but we were happy happy about for the trails weren't flooded. Kinda of unnerving experience when you think the ground is hot because there is a lava pool a mile or so under foot. Glad there was no earth quake while we're there! Mud bath and pools were great. Would do it again next time we cone to NZ. Provided shuttle was an added bonus as driver recommended a great restaurant for dinner and dropped us there rather than our hotel. Thanks Mike E! Dinner was fantastic.

Visiting Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve and Mud Spa in Rotorua was easily one of the highlights of our entire trip. If you are looking for a unique blend of natural wonder and deep relaxation, this is absolutely the place to go. We began our day by exploring the geothermal reserve, and it felt like stepping onto another planet. The landscape is raw, dramatic, and incredibly atmospheric. We spent quite a while wandering the paths, completely mesmerized by the sights and sounds around us. Watching the thermal activity was intense; seeing the hot springs bubble, steam, and practically "explode" with energy was a thrilling experience that we won't soon forget. It was educational and visually stunning, giving us a true sense of Rotorua’s volcanic heart. However, the absolute best part of the day was the spa and mud bath. After the walk, sinking into the warm, nutrient-rich mud was indescribably relaxing. It was the perfect antidote to travel fatigue. The experience was incredibly soothing, and leaving the mud to soak in the sulphur spa afterwards left us feeling rejuvenated and our skin feeling amazing. I was initially unsure how my child would react to the strong sulphur smell or the heat, but I didn't need to worry. My kid enjoyed the experience thoroughly from start to finish! He was captivated by the steaming vents during the walk and thought playing in the mud bath was the coolest thing ever. It is rare to find an activity that is genuinely relaxing for parents while being entertaining for children, but Hell's Gate manages it perfectly. We left feeling refreshed and full of great memories. I highly recommend this to any families visiting the region!

We loved the Hell's Gate Experience! From enjoying the otherworldly geothermal landscape and beautiful bush walkways to relaxing in the mud pools and sulphur spas, it was a fantastic day out. The Maori carving was also a really nice touch. Our 12 year old artist loved creating her own masterpiece! We spent a little over 4 hours for the full experience (family of four, so sometimes we take a little longer than others!)

We visited Hell’s Gate to celebrate our wedding anniversary and absolutely loved every moment of it. We joined the guided tour on 14/12/2025 at 10:30am, and it truly made the experience unforgettable. Our guide was incredibly informative, energetic, and entertaining, we were engaged the entire time. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch his name, but he mentioned that his grandfather works at Te Puia ☺️ We actually did the Te Puia guided tour the day before, which was amazing as well. Our guide shared so much knowledge about Māori culture, history, and the fascinating backstories behind each geothermal feature, bringing the landscape to life in a way we never could have experienced on our own. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. While you can explore the walk without a guide, I highly recommend doing the guided tour as it adds so much depth and understanding, and you truly won’t regret it. We were a little disappointed that we couldn’t stay for the final geothermal stop as we had to head back to Auckland, but that just gives us a reason to return! I’m already recommending Hell’s Gate to friends and family. A huge thank you to our amazing guide for making our anniversary so special, and to the entire Hell’s Gate team for delivering such an enriching, educational, and memorable experience. This is a place that leaves a lasting impression long after you’ve left!

So interesting to see and learn all about the geothermal pools and activity. Good closed in shoes are best for the walk and take the time to do the guided tour. So much information and knowledge (with a touch of humour)passed onto us. Loved the mud pools, loved the sulphur spas, warning…remove all jewellery that is not pure gold and don’t wear again for 24-48 hours. Includes smart watches. Thank you Hells Gate team, so thankful to each one of you that was part of our time there. Especially loved our wood carving momentum that will remind us of our time with you. Professional and courteous staff which meant we had the best visitor experience possible.

Hell’s Gate has been on my list of want-to-do’s since my last visit to Rotorua in 2021. My partner and I are here for the long weekend, so I finally had the chance to go, and we genuinely LOVED it! After plenty of research online to see what was included in all the experiences on offer, we decided to do it all: the geothermal walk, mud bath and sulfur spas. We spent 2 hours doing the self-guided geothermal walk which was sick - loved the carving opportunity at the end! After a quick bite to eat, jumped in the mud baths that were well kept and clearly maintained with a lot of care. Then lastly into the sulfur spa. Unfortunately, my eyes got a little irritated by the sulfur in the air around the spas, but that didn’t taint the experience whatsoever. Truly a fascinating and fun experience that was well worth the splurge! Heaps of goodies in the shop area too. Side note: I’d recommend taking the lower rated reviews of Hell’s Gate with a grain of salt, as a lot of them have been posted by people who haven’t read the details of the experiences before booking.

A very different experience and happy we went!! We did the full experience. Only recommendation is use an old swim suit or use theirs, please do NOT use your favorite suit!!! Nothing will take the smell out! Also, you can't wear jewelry for 24;hours after the baths. They will explain why!! Your personal items are securely kept in a bin with the staff, we were happy to use this option!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hell’s Gate – Unique Geothermal Experience & Amazing Mud Spa Such a fun and memorable experience! The geothermal walk is incredible — bubbling mud pools, steaming lakes, and some seriously impressive natural formations. The pathways are easy to follow, and the information signs make the whole walk really interesting. The mud spa was the highlight! Relaxing, warm, and such a unique feeling. The sulphur spa afterwards was perfect for unwinding and soaking up the atmosphere. Staff were friendly, everything felt clean and well-run, and the whole experience is great for couples, families, and anyone wanting something different in Rotorua. Highly recommend adding this to your itinerary — it’s a one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else! 🔥🌫️🫧

This place is dumpy and unlike the owner told us, the spas are NOT natural. It's all man made and the mud baths are a joke. The pumps run off of kerosene so you get that smell, too. The mud baths is just another crappy sauna (with geothermal water) and a bucket of mud. There are three other hot pools and one was full of dead bugs. They try to nickel and dime you. A towel rental is $5 and only one was offered so good luck cleaning off after your communal shower with hand soap. Also, the owner tried to upsell us with an additional tour of the place for $25 more RIGHT now or $50 later and he didn't want to take no for an answer. I wish I had paid more to begin with and went someplace nicer. On the plus side, it does feel like Vietnam in the 1970s.

An incredible wonder. If you're into geology this place is a honey hole for us rock nerds. Wear something you don't want to keep because the sulfer smell will never come out. Do the mud bath. Take the long trail. Enjoy every second.

Hell's Gate was such a unique and relaxing experience--definitely a highlight of our time in Rotorua. The geothermal spas were incredibly soothing, and the mud was surprisingly fun. My skin felt so soft afterward. After soaking, we took the walk through the geothermal reserve, which was a great way to round out the visit. It was really cool to see the bubbling mud pools, steaming vents, and all the raw, natural energy of the landscape up close. Highly recommend if you're looking for something that's both relaxing and one-of-a-kind. Where else can you soak in mud and then stroll through what feels like another planet?

My husband and I visited Tarangua but only for about less than 7 hours. We arrived via Holland America cruise line. We have limited time in the city and we decided to rent a car from Riteprice. It took us only one hour to get to Hell's Gate. I Googled the review before coming in here and it had 4+ stars. We went on a Monday morning right before the other cruise passengers arrived. We only have limited time and wanted to see the Okere falls so we decided to do the Walk experience that cost about 40+ new zealand dollars per person. Other than my husband and our parents, there were one couple on the trail. The trail will take about one hour more or less to tour depending on how long you stop at one place. I included a price of the choices of experiences with their costs in this review. They front desk gives you a map of the place that explains each site with their temperature. It is interesting that this place has the largest hot springs falls in the souther hemisphere of New Zealand. After our walking experience, there was a carving station to carve your choice of your design. There were about 5 different design choices. I chose the fern and my husband chose the kiwi. You carve this design on a wooden like coaster. There is a guy at the carving station that gives you a brief description on how to use the mallet and chisel. This is an amazing experience from this place not to mention the wooden coaster souvenir that we get to bring home with us. After the carving station, we dipped our feet in the mud pool. They provide you towels to dry off. There is a rinsing station to make sure all the mud is off your feet. I love this experience.

Nice mud bath experience as well as a tour of a geothermal area if you want to pay a bit extra. The staff here really made the experience as the mud bath themselves were not that special and the hot goals actually made my eye sting a bit. I would definitely recommend stopping by if you are going to luge or ride the gondola next door but don't know if this spot warrants going out of your way on your trip

Really neat place to see the geothermal stuff as well as get your natural springs experience. They really ought to warn you how strong the sulfur in the mud is, however! Just walking along the path caused my friend's wedding band to change color. It went from white gold to yellow gold. Eek. We will need to go to the jeweler to see if they can reverse the reaction. After doing the walk through the park we got our things together and put belongings in our "locker" a plastic storage bin that we carried from one tub to another during our time there. An odd concept but felt secure since we could always see it. I loved the mud baths except that we had no idea how acidic it would be. My friend's bathing suit got eaten up by the strength of the acid in the mud. Luckily the mud stains all over my bathing suit were rid of after handwashing them twice, the second time with stain-remover prior to washing. We enjoyed the snacks in the main building after or soak and left with the stench of sulfur fresh in our noses. They did say the sulfur remains in the pores for 24 hours. And they weren't joking! We smelled AWFUL for 24 hours. Other than that it was pleasant and the facilities are really nice. Showers abound!

We did the Mud Bath 1st thing in the morning right when it opened. Here are the 3 reasons why I'd recommend doing it like this: 1. There are less people there so you will have the pools to yourself. You don't need to pay extra for the private rooms 2. We were in NZ in January (summer) so got hot later in the day and you don't want to be sitting in a hot mud bath with the heat beating down on you. 3. You can rent a swimsuit which you should definitely do. I heard a couple of people had to throw out their swimsuits after they did this because the smell didn't go away. When we were there in the morning there were only a few selections of swimsuits available. So if you go in the afternoon you might be out of luck. Also, try to bring a towel from the hotel so you don't need to rent one. We walked around the park too. It was cool seeing all the bubbling hot pools but it was so stinky that we started to get a head ache. I would probably skip doing that next time and just go straight for the mudbath. Skin felt amazing afterwards. Just try not to put any of the mud above your eyes. We ignored their warning and put the mud all over our face and ended up getting some in our eyes when we were taking a shower to wash the mud off. It stung like crazy so just listen to them even though it looked cooler to put the mud all over your face.

Although the sulphur smell was harsh, this was still a great place to check out during our vacation. The mud bath felt amazing. My skin was so soft and smooth after. They offer 10 different packages to choose from. We decided to go with the Hell's Gate Special Combo ($90 NZL) this package comes with park entry, mud bath, and sulphur spa. We got pretty lucky with the timing. After we finished walking around the park, they had a special Haka (Māori war dance) performance. That was really cool to see. I recommend to anyone who comes here to bring a bathing suit to just throw away after. It's just a lot easier to do it that way then to try wash the smell off of your clothes. LADIES - Be aware not to wear make up, cream or sun screen if you are planning to go into the mud bath. This is to prevent any reaction between the makeup or creams and the mud. Also don't wear any jewelry because it will tarnish.

We were on a cruise ship and it was so worth paying a taxi to get there. We loved the hour walk to see the geysers and a beautiful water fall and more. I enjoyed it so very much! Then, the mud on your skin for 20 minutes and you could stay in the hot pool as long as you want. They had baskets to hold your things. Everyone was so very friendly. It is a highlight on our vacation. I highly recommend going here. A++++++++ Enjoyed it so very much!

I recently booked the Twilight Spa Package at this fine establishment. I very much enjoyed the entire experience. When I was ready for my husband to come pick me up, he was delayed by about twenty minutes past closing time due to road construction. The proprietor waited with me inside the building, so that I wouldn't have to wait alone outside, in the dark, alone. He was happy to do so and chatted with me about all that New Zealand has to offer. It's clear this business cares for its customers. I would love to come back!

What a delightful way to spend three hours! Found this spot online and decided, since I'm celebrating my hubby's birthday, should get the best package available: the Tikitere Experience which includes guides walk, carving, twenty- minutes mud bath and then semi-private sulfur hot spring. Perhaps timing is important. I could imagine it gets busy on weekends. We started with the interpretive walk. While you can walk the track on your own self-guided tour, I think the tour guides provide so much value to the experience. Our tour guide was great- he provided many stories and had a lot of knowledge about the sulfuric waters. The private mud bath space is small and includes a shower. The interior is a bit rough to sit on. The experience is still awesome. Make sure the mud supply in bath is stocked. Ours was low but satisfactory. At one point I got quite dizzy and had to get out of the water. My skin felt awesome after! The semi-private bath was actually private thanks to good timing. There are changing rooms and showers. While I enjoyed the mud bath and sulfur waters- which will leave you off-gassing for 24-48 hours, I think the value is surprisingly in the interpretive walk. Witnessing the magnificence of nature is priceless.

If you're in Rotorua, Hell's Gate is a must do activity!! Reviews online were mixed for this experience and I'm not sure why as I thought it was fantastic and well coordinated. It's about 20 minutes outside of town. They do not have Wifi therefore they are not getting 5 stars. I did the combo pack of park walk, thermal pools, mud pools. That's really the best experience offered! They do have private pools but you do not need to feel as though that's the better option, get in with the others, you'll meet loads of fun people all experiencing something new together and it's exciting!! One tip I was given is do not wear your own swimsuit as it will stink and basically be ruined due to the sulphur smell. I've never rented a swimsuit before but I did here and I'm glad I did because that smell is no joke. Do the walk first!! The park only takes about 45 minutes to walk through, the restrooms are only at the from by the cafe. I found this park to be way more beautiful than Te Puia! There are loads of geothermal views of the pools and the only warm waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Once you've had your quick walk go to the pools for a dip in the warm water to relax. Then hop into the mud pools and go wild!! They give you a portable locker that is large in size but easy to carry to keep your belongings dry. They say there is a time limit on the mud pools but honestly no one made us get out and you have more than enough time in there that you might actually get out a little early. The cold pool is extremely cold. There are showers to get the mud off. Read the rules as you aren't supposed to wear jewelry for 24 hours or it will tarnish. Other than that enjoy!!!

Was so great! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had a fab time. We went at 6pm so not too many kids around if that's the sort of thing that bothers you. We did the "Soothe Experience" and thought it was worth every penny. Some people are complaining about not getting the full 20 min in the mud spa- don't know what they're talking about. All the facilities were very clean and the staff was very welcoming.

Pros/Cons: Interesting and enjoyable walk to see all the bubbling hot pools! A little nervous since they recently had a Volcano erupt off the coast on White Island. We bought the most expensive one that included robe/towels and fully private room with Mud Pool, the mud to slather all over you, and your own shower. Adjacent to your private room are the 2 Mineral pools that are Semi-Private, just wish it had been for Adults only! Also, they said 20 minutes covered in mud but girl came knocking on our door 10 minutes early to get washed up and shower mud off and get out! She was nice but we felt cheated after paying a HIGH price then not to get our full 20 minutes worth covered in Mud! Afterwards, you walk over next door to the 2 Private Mineral Pools. There was only one other couple when we arrived so it was peaceful and serene until later on a family with a loud kid came into the pools. They should actually have a family pool and an Adults only pool area separate from each other especially for the high prices they charge! Also, pool needs to be clean from all the bugs in it more often. To make matters worse when I was about to rise off in the Mineral Pool restroom (this shower is a huge comfortable restroom with sinks ,mirror, shower, long bench to set your stuff in - not same shower as Mud room shower) the only other shower they have and change into dry clothes the shower was plugged up and they closed it down! I had to shower in this tiny shower in another area which was uncomfortable and I was rushed because the family with a ton of kids was waiting right in front of me! The entire spa area needs to be upgraded and add showers and toilets, facilities should be looked after better, the full 20 minutes should be given to customers. Other major problem is that it's not calming when your in the pool trying to relax when there are loud annoying kids around and busy traffic right over the fence from the pools! The not private pools (which is less expensive) are in the not noisy side of the spa. They should have put the private more expensive priced pools and mud baths in the quite side of the spa! Do not recommend coming here. Overpriced and too Noisy. Spa areas need a lot of updating. They thankfully have a snack area where you can buy burgers, sandwiches, etc. Food was decent. I would recommend eating after your mud/mineral baths, not before as you might get a stomach ache. Little souvenir shop is good bought skin care products.in this Private room

We went for the $105 package. As a result of "staff shortages" their was no narrated tour, no Maori carver, no carving and the "eatery" was closed. The self guided walk was interesting but I would give the mud bath a miss, the facilities are spartan.

I wanted to get the private mud bath and mineral bath but luckily, the front desk girl said we should take a look at both public and private sides before choosing. Good thing or this probably would've been a poor review. The private mud bath was sad, just a little bath cordoned off and a small mineral pool under an awning that you still had to share. The public side was much prettier as it's in the open and of course much bigger. They renovated recently, so it's very nice. The grounds were nice, it's all very similar but not something you see everyday so I enjoyed walking around. I wish we could've gone down to the hot waterfall, that would've been cool. I don't often get sunburnt but did here from walking around so i suggest you wear sunscreen. I forgot to bring a swimsuit so that's why I was considering the private bath but they actually rent out bathing suits for $3. I don't know how sanitary that is but the suits looked fine and they say the sulfur smell is hard to get out of your garments so it was nice to be able to borrow it and saved me from having to buy one although The Warehouse had some cheap ones. They don't want you to have any make-up, creams, etc. on your skin before the mud bath so they have you shower if you need. They don't have lockers but give you plastic tubs to put your items in and then they make you keep it with you. I thought it was a little odd but it wasn't too bad since there was no other people there. I can't imagine what it would look like when it gets busy and there's tubs everywhere. The mud bath was nice and warm but like another reviewer said, it's more like a silt bath. Not thick like I thought it would be. It was ok. The mineral bath was nice and the attendants bring you ice water periodically. It was a nice relaxing thing to do and while it is a bit overpriced, it was a nice way to end the day. I would definitely try to plan it so you end the day at the baths. They have a twilight option too that looked nice.

I don't think I would recommend anyone to this place, and instead, I wished I ventured out to another geothermal place in the area. There are many many natural geothermal pools in this area, and there are many signs leading you to them. I picked this place because it is on Yelp, and I didn't want to be disappointed, but I was disappointed that I didn't venture out to another place. About this place, its pools are very small. You have to pay for towels ($5 each) even though you are paying at least double compare to other places. The security guard are watch you and monitoring you constantly- uncomfortable. They will give you a large plastic container to put your stuff, and you must carry with you at all time- inconvenient with slippery floors. By no means I feel this place could be better than any places around this area, as this place is very simple, ordinary, and uncomfortable. Try somewhere else, and no need to make a special trip out here.

A little pricey at $35/adult, but really pretty cool. Lots of bubbling and steaming mud pits and lakes. There's even a free mud foot bath, so you don't have to pay for the spa experience to touch some hot water The whole place is steamy and smells like rotten eggs, so if that's going to offend you, this isn't the park for you.

As my month long trip in Australia/New Zealand was coming to an end, I couldn't think of a better way to relax and recoup than to have a spa day in the mud baths of Hells Gate. I would not call this a luxury spa, but I definitely enjoyed my experience. We did the mud bath and sulfur spa for NZ$75 a person. They only allow you to stay in the mud for 20 minutes for safety reasons, but you have all day access to the sulfur spa. The combination of both exfoliates your skin really well. My skin was so soft afterwards and my body totally relaxed. Facilities were clean. Changing rooms/showering areas are kind of out in the open, but again it is not a luxury spa. The attendants were friendly and helpful. They didn't provide any towels or shower products, so bring your own or you can rent them too. Total amount of time spent: about an hour and a half (unrushed). Could've stayed for 2-2.5 hours but we had to drive back to Auckland that day.

The staff was accommodating and helpful - taking care of us every step along the way. The mud bath was soooo much fun. So were the steam sulfur pools. And on top of all that the views were of a beautiful volcanic landscape. Highly recommended and worth every dollar!

We were told about Hell's Gate before we'd even left Australia. It's a 'must do' if you're going to Rotorua. Make sure you book in advance if you're thinking about having any treatments done. We were hoping to have a body scrub or massage but were unfortunately turned down as they were short staffed and we hadn't pre-booked. $75 will get you into the baths. Do due safety requirements you are only allowed in the mud baths for a maximum of 20 minutes but after a quick rinse off in a cold shower you can spend as long as you like in the sulphur baths. BEWARE - make sure you remove all your jewelery before jumping in because the minerals will make it change colour (silver will go black). I'd also recommend having a couple of showers at home/hotel afterwards and scrubbing yourself as hard as possible because the smell of sulphur/rotten egg will stick in your pores for days. You can go to Hell's Gate just to take a stroll through the geothermal park if you wish (the baths and treatments aren't a requirement) but it's definitely somewhere to check out if you're visiting the area.

It can be a little overwhelming in Rotorua as everyone seems to offer some kind of geo-thermal experience. But Hell's Gate is a good one and well worth spending the money to go. The main attraction is its mud.it has lots of itand it's hot! Walking around the main site is interesting with lots of good photo opportunities (bubbling mud, steaming, waterfalls etc). But what I guess most people come for is the mud baths. You can book spa treatments plus private baths and a spa. But if you don't fancy immersing yourself head to toe in mud (and spending a few quid) then just try out the footbath which is free. You can roll your trousers up and squidge your toes around in the mud - it feels so good on your skin!

The sulfur Springs and mud bath was very unique. It was a nice spa day, here are some tips which no one tells you: Do not wear any jewelry, and wear a bathing suit that you don't care about as the sulfur in the mud will destroy it. you will continue to sweat out sulfur for two days, so do not put your jewelry back on until 48 hours later. That includes white gold, gold, silver. The hospitality was great, do not overdo it in the mud. It has very high sulfur and acid and although good for extracting toxins from your body, it Will destroy anything that touches the mud, and the sulfur smell will soak into your clothes. A unique experience. my ring did not touch the mud, but it tarnished just from the fumes. Do not bring any jewelry or wear it while at hells gate and 48 hrs after.

My husband and I had such a great time. We purchased the Ultra-mud package. From the geothermal spa to the mud bath... An all day event was a sweet as deal. The Miri-Miri massage soothed and brought us to a grand level of relaxation.

This place is awesome. My husband and I are really into geothermal sites, so we were excited about the walk. A groundskeeper even stopped by to tell us a few Maori legends as we walked around. We also did the mud bath and sulphur soak it's been two days, and I still smell a little like sulfur, but it was an awesome experience. I'd have stayed longer I'd we didn't have more activities planned that day!

Loved soaking in the mud pools & even though it was a bit stinky, enjoyed the sulphur pools as well. They ran out of hot water the first evening we went, so had to go back the next morning. Definitely recommend because, well.....you just HAVE to soak in the mud. Wish there had been a more private (and warm) place to change.

Amazing! Such a cool experience. Done it twice now and would go every week if i lived locally (and had a bit of money!). 15 yr old boy gave it a thumbs up too! Such fun, really relaxing, and I have soft skin for days after. Nice staff. Can be a bit cold at night but not a bother! Make sure you wear dark or old togs though!

This natural Spa was less expensive than others, though we found NZ generally expensive. The staff were polite, helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the hot springs and the mud pool and were left squeaky clean once showered afterwards. It took courage to get into the cold plunge pool but after several trips from hot pool to cold plunge you felt invigorated. A good way to spend a few hours with scenic area surrounding and walk included.

I went here a few years ago - what an experience! We started off having a guided tour of the geysers (there were only the two of us so it was like our own personal guide!) and the guide really knew his stuff. Then we both had a half hour full body massage wow! I'd never had a massage before, this was amazing (and they even steered clear of my toes like I asked!). Then we went into our own personal mud bath! Didn't really like the cold shower afterwards but I know it was good for me. Then we were in the spa ohhhh! Go here and enjoy yourself!