Hells Gate Geothermal, Mud & Sulphur Spa
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
Bound for Rotorua (appx 1.5hr), enjoy an array of our all inclusive snacks & bottled water, sit back and take in the many beautiful scenic views.
Take a geothermal walk which takes between one and one and a half hours, as well as Māori carving. Then bathe in our world-famous mud baths and soak in the sulphur spas and cool plunge pool.
TIME PERMITTING WE WILL MAKE VARIOUS OTHER STOPS AT LOCAL HIGHLIGHTS
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Comfortable footwear is recommended
Bathing at Hells Gate is not recommended for pregnant travelers
What To Expect
Hell's Gate Geothermal Reserve & Mud Spa
Take a self-guided interactive geothermal walk before indulging in geothermal mud and sulphur waters, experiencing the healing properties local Māori have been using for centuries. It’s a Rotorua experience you’ll never forget. Includes geothermal walk which takes between one and one and a half hours, as well as Māori carving. Then bathe in the world-famous mud baths and soak in the sulphur spas and cool plunge pool. The mud bath has a time-limit of 20 minutes once a day for health and safety reasons. The minimum age for the mud baths is 2.5 years of age, whereas for the sulphur spa is 6 months of age. Children must be aged 12 and over to participate in the carving. Your swimwear and towels will have a sulphur smell to thereafter your experience and will need to be cleaned thoroughly. We recommend using old swimwear, or if you have any concerns to hire or buy from Hell’s Gate, subject to availability.
Government Gardens
TIME PERMITTING ONLY: Rotorua Government Gardens - Originally known as Paepaekumana, the local Māori iwi (tribe) gifted 50 acres of land to the Crown in the late 1800'a 'for the benefit of the people of the world". At the Government Gardens you'll see the Wangapipiro Rachel Pool which is known for its therapeutic water which has antiseptic properties due to its alkaline content.
What‘s Included
Bottled water
Snacks
Lunch
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Options
Hells Gate Incl Glowworm Cave
Redwoods Glowworm Cave: Prepare to be enchanted by our newest attraction – a breathtakingly beautiful 70-metre eco cave with 1000s of real glowworms
Hells Gate Geothermal, Mud & Sulphur Spa
Reviews
9 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Horrible experience. Very unprofessional staff.
Spencer S,Apr 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00Left my jacket there and they tried to extort $40 to send it back to me even though it was a $20 jacket. Also, I would not advise anyone to go into those sulfur pits as you will never get the smell out of your clothes or nostrils. I wish I was joking but it's true.
Impressive
Anonymous,Feb 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very informative and nice tour with impressive experiences. Hell gates and glowworms are both worth visiting.
Tour Operator Lied
Diane T,Jan 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
2.00The tour operator was very unorganised. We were told to join the tour but were not told that this would leave us no time to experience the actual mud bath which is what we paid to experience. The tour operator then lied to us and said that she received notification from cruise liner that we were with advising that the ship was leaving earlier and rushed us to leave. When we got back to our ship, we found out that the ship was leaving at the scheduled time. We then realised that the tour operator lied to us as she wanted to leave early.
Our guide was great and...
Teresa M,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was great and the mud bath was great but we felt rushed because the only lunch available was a very slow snack bar at Hells Gate. I recommend the tour incorporate a quick lunch before instead of the garden stop so that the soaking time isn’t rushed. Otherwise 10/10
Mud and Majesty
Marsha19692019,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic trip. What a great time. The lakes and scenery were amazing. I really enjoyed walking through the redwoods. Messina was a great guide and the geothermal pools were breathtaking. The mud bath and spring soak were very cool
Great experience
Quinn B,Jan 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable. She made stops along the way to enhance our experience and explained all the beautiful things we were seeing. The spa itself was also something really neat to do. Highly recommend.
Glorified Taxi
Randi M,Dec 6, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00No information upfront on what to bring and what to expect. No overview before the trip began. Very difficult to plan and anticipate anything. Glorified taxi service at best.
Can’t miss experience in Tauranga
Leo,Nov 22, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00As a cruise passengers this was an amazing experience to see beautiful vicinities of Tauranga and Rotorua and experience Hell’s Gate geothermal wonders and mud spa. Comfortable vehicles (Mercedes Sprinter Van). Our guide Greg was very energetic and knowledgeable and everything went smoothly and efficiently.
Hot mud and glowing worms
Kevin J,Nov 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Hell’s Gate mud bath was fun, glow worm tour was interesting. Small group size made it very enjoyable.
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