Hell's Gate Geothermal Walk: Active Geothermal Reserve Tour in New Zealand

Experience the power of nature on the Hell’s Gate Geothermal Walk in New Zealand. Walk among erupting waters, mud volcanoes, and land coral. Get your hands dirty in a healing mud foot pool and learn about Maori carving.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hell’s Gate Geothermal Reserve & Mud Spa - Take a guided or self-guided tour of New Zealand’s most active geothermal reserve, walking amongst erupting waters, an active mud volcano and land coral. Experience getting your hands and feet dirty in our healing mud foot pool or try your hand at Māori carving. You’ll soon discover the legends and myths behind Hell’s Gate.
What's Included
  • Option for either a guided or self-guided geothermal walk
What's Not Included
  • Bathe in Mud Bath & Sulphur Spas
  • Food & Drink
Additional Information

Take a guided or self-guided tour of New Zealand’s most active geothermal reserve, where you can walk among erupting waters, an active mud volcano, and land coral. Get hands-on and try Māori carving, uncovering the legends and myths behind Hell’s Gate.
Complimentary guided tours are available daily. For the latest departure times, please visit the Hell’s…

Location
351 State Highway 30
State Highway 30
Hell's Gate is located just outside of Rotorua's city centre. From the city simply travel east on State Highway 30. At approximately 5 minutes past the airport, you will turn right towards Whakatane. Hell's Gate is 3kms down this road.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(100 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Jessica_w
Oct 4, 2025
Stunning views - This was a great walk with stunning views. Didn’t get to do the craving at the end because is started to storm but that would have been a nice treat.
Review provided by Viator
Discover18002831094
Sep 22, 2025
Hell’s Gate Tour - Amazing experience. Our guide Zee was very knowledgeable and explained us the history of Hell’s Gate. 100% recommend to anyone visiting NZ
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Condwyer020495
Sep 16, 2025
Fun. Educational. Interactive. Brilliant. - Great experience! Our guide was one of the best we've had in New Zealand and a proper local with local knowledge. With a name too long to put in this review. We had a great time and learned so much about the geothermal pools and Māori culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Road60360858821
Sep 13, 2025
Fantastic day out - Great day for a casual walk, carving session and relaxing in the mud baths / hot pools. Would definitely recommend for anyone passing through and have a few hours to spare.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joannbenson17
Aug 27, 2025
Fantastic - Really recommend the guided tour. Our tour guide “with the really long name” was an absolute delight and so informative. We learnt so much about Hells Gate but most importantly, the Maori history and culture. Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mattpg939ni
Jun 30, 2025
Awesome Hells Gate experience.🙌 - Ngati, was our tour guide. His warm inviting personality made us feel both welcome and relaxed right from the start of the tour. But his deep knowledge and passion of and for his culture was amazing. Very informative and entertaining. Thank you Ngati.5 stars bro. Was a pleasure to meet Paul the manager. He seemed so genuine and approachable. Made us feel like Whanau straight away. The pools were divine loved every aspect of the experience. Would go back in a heart beat. 5⭐️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jelliot32
Jun 14, 2025
Excellent guide helped make an exceptional tour - We arrived at Hell's Gate, just a few km outrside Rotorua, at 10.00 - just in time for the 10.30 tour of the site. This lasted 2 hours and was excellent, certainly as good as any tour that we have had over any the Maori operated geothermal sites around Rotorua - and because we love visiting Rotorua, over the years I think we have done them all. The Maori tour guide proved an exceptional communicator: knowledgeable, informative and often amusing - but strictly no worn-out cornball jokes or tall tales that many tour guides rely on as a stock in trade. He also covered Maori cultural uses of the area for cooking, medicine and spiritual, and demonstrated things like the workings of ingenious bird traps. There was a good variety of points of interest during our the tour, including Kakahi Falls, the largest hot-water waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. And of course there was a multitude of pools of bubbling mud or boiling water. Overall, an excellent experience. The cafe here is quite basic but we bought sandwiches that were just fine for lunch
Review provided by Tripadvisor
711lizf
May 12, 2025
Walk & Mud Bath - Amazing experience, Mud Bath at the end was spectacular left my skin feeling amazingly soft. Would definately go again if we visit NZ in the future
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deeky4784sy
Sep 28, 2025
Great trip to Hells Gate - Had a great time. Had been before a few years ago. It was my husband's first time and he also really enjoyed himself. Love the carved wooden tile as a way to remember our trip and time in Rotorua.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Minnie33
Sep 2, 2025
It was a nice walk and the Tour Guide had lots of information . - My husband and I went to Hells Gate, and did the Guided Tour . It was very scenic, the tour guide, shared lots of information with us, and he was friendly . We finished off doing some Carving which was good to do, and our carvings also made a nice little Souvenir to take home with us ! It was a great afternoon . Thankyou .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $26
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).