Tripadvisor
The surreal beauty opens your mind and invigorates your senses to release your own inner harmony and sense of tranquility. Enjoy viewing unique volcanic features as you walk at your own pace along well-defined tracks. Relax in the first-class Visitor Centre, home to our Gift Shop and Café facilities.
Opening Hours Map Directions Travel Times Parking What Else
Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland is a cashless site. All major credit cards and EFTPOS is available
Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is open daily – 365 days of the year including all Public Holidays.
Lady Knox Geyser show starts at 10.15 am. If you have purchased a ticket online go straight to the Lady Knox geyser.
Alternatively, ticket purchases are available at the visitor centre. It is advised to complete your ticket purchase by 10am.
Allow at least three hours to see everything and truly savour New Zealand’s most colourful geothermal park.
From Rotorua
Travel south along the Thermal Explorer Highway (SH 5) towards Taupo for 27km (20 mins drive) until you reach the Waiotapu Tavern. Turn left opposite the tavern and travel 2km to reach Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
From Taupo
Travel north along the Thermal Explorer Highway (SH 5) towards Rotorua for 53km (40 mins drive). Turn right where signposted and travel a further 1km to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
Allow extra traveling time during the summer months.
| From | To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Wai-O-Tapu | 257km | 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Matamata | Wai-O-Tapu | 96km | 1 hour 16 minutes |
| Tauranga | Wai-O-Tapu | 93km | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Whakatane | Wai-O-Tapu | 120km | 1 hour 31 minutes |
| Rotorua | Wai-O-Tapu | 31km | 27 minutes |
| Tokoroa | Wai-O-Tapu | 78km | 56 minutes |
| Taupo | Wai-O-Tapu | 52km | 37 minutes |
Return Transport (to Rotorua)
Geyser Link Shuttle: Phone 0800 000 4321
Thermal Land Shuttle: Phone 0800 894 287
Intercity Bus: Phone 07 348 0366
There is ample parking at the site of the Lady Knox Geyser and most people are parked within a walk of about 100 metres to the geyser arena.
The visitor centre also supplies parking areas for visitors which is well sign posted. At peak times, staff will guide you to parking areas.
Special needs parking is located at the front of the Visitor Centre.
There are no toilet facilities in the main park. Please ensure you use toilet facilities available at the Visitor Centre before entering the park.
There are plenty of photo opportunities so it is a good idea to ensure that you have fully charged equipment and plenty of space on your memory card.
Our comprehensive guide map provided with your ticket contains a great deal of useful information about the features within the park. There are currently translations available in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Czech.
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