Waikite Valley Hot Pools

The basics

Although the open-air baths at Waikite Valley Hot Pools are human-made (no natural mud-pool bathing here), they’re fed entirely by the Te Manaroa Spring, which gushes into the Otamakokore Stream. The waters are full of minerals and surrounded by nature, and many people find that bathing there is good for their body and mind.

Most visitors go to the pools independently, but you can join a tour to Waikite Valley and sometimes other hot springs in the area, including Waiotapu Mud Pool and Hell’s Gate Mud Bath.

Things to know before you go

• Private pools can be booked for 40 minutes.

• To avoid driving back to Rotorua or Taupo after your soak, consider staying at the campsite attached to the bathing complex. Guests get free entry to the general pools.

• A small on-site café serves basic snacks, ice creams, tea and coffee, and beer and wine. Note that it closes a couple of hours before the rest of the complex.

• The pools are family-friendly and accessible to wheelchair users.

How to get there

The pools are about 17 miles (28 kilometers) south of Rotorua. If you’re driving, head south from Rotorua on State Highway 5 until you reach the junction with Tumunui Road, after about 7 miles (11 kilometers). Follow this road the rest of the way to the pools.

When to get there

The pools are open daily from late morning until mid-evening. Last entry is 1 hour before closing time, but note that the first pools start to drain about 45 minutes before closing, so it’s best to arrive earlier. The hot pools are especially soothing in the colder winter.

Central Rotorua hot pools

If you’d like to visit a hot pool closer to town, there are several options within Rotorua city. Polynesian Spa is a luxurious spot offering massages and treatments, Wai Ariki is in a beautiful location overlooking Lake Rotorua, and public Kuirau Park has thermal foot baths that anyone can enjoy for free.