Devil's Bath Experience - Private Tour to Wai-O-Tapu & Lake Taupo
Description
Enjoy the surreal landscapes and mysterious appeal of a majestic and active geothermal site on this private day tour from Auckland on a luxurious vehicle. Soak in hot steam, marvel at boiling mud pools at one of New Zealand’s most impressive geothermal wonderlands. Look for the luminous green waters of the ominously named Devil’s Bath. Experience a land of fire and ice, Lake Taupō, a stunning natural cauldron, ringed by beautiful snow-capped mountains, and feel the thrill of cascading waterfalls at Huka falls. Be prepared to have your taste buds tingling, with the chance to try an array of exotic artisan honeys in a special tasting room.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We pickup travellers from most locations in the Auckland CBD location. If your pickup location is not available on the list, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our very best to accommodate your request.
The Bombay Hills are a range of hills to the south of Auckland, New Zealand. Though only a small and seemingly insignificant range of hills, they lie at the southern boundary of the Auckland region, and serve as a divide between Auckland and the Waikato region. directly named after the ship Bombay, The ship itself was named after the Indian city of Bombay (now Mumbai). Bombay Means: a breed of black short-haired medium-sized cat.
We stop to get some great coffee at your own expense and a comfort break before we continue our journey into the Waikato region.
We will also pass through the unique town of Tirau (the corrugated iron sculpture capital of the world) known for its antique shops and animal-shaped corrugated iron buildings.
Named “One of the 20 Most Surreal Places in the World" by TripAdvisor, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland is New Zealand’s most colourful and diverse geothermal area. Thousands of years in the making, this stunning landscape is nestled within a natural bush setting through which self-guided walks take between 30 and 75 minutes. The range of geothermal activity is extensive and includes huge volcanic craters formed by collapsing ground, steaming vents, sinter terrace formations, coloured hot and cold water springs among which is the world famous Champagne Pool. Finish off your experience with a trip to the Mud Pool. A visit to Wai-O-Tapu isn't complete without it! The Mud Pool is located at the site of a large mud volcano that was destroyed by erosion in the 1920's. You'll discover why Rotorua is nicknamed "Sulphur City" here.
We head on to the next stop to Marvel at the breath-taking geothermal scenery, stunning waterfalls and World Heritage-listed forest reserves, as you drive from the south of Auckland located in the centre of New Zealand’s north island lies the largest freshwater lake in Australasia. A land of fire and ice, Lake Taupō, a stunning natural cauldron, is ringed by snow-capped mountains, and surrounded by geothermal ‘hot spots’, such as bubbling mud pools, fumaroles and hot springs, so have your camera at the ready to capture all the amazing sights. Explore the scenic beauty of Lake Taupō waterfront by stretching your legs along one of many lakeside walking trails. Take a step away and enjoy the complete peace and quiet of water's edge picnic spots and elevated viewing areas.
You'll be amazed by the majestic Huka Falls - an incredible waterfall that thunders 11m into the Waikato River below and boasts the title of being New Zealand's most visited natural attraction. This incredible waterfall is the most-visited natural attraction in New Zealand – it’s hard to tear your gaze away from the endless, mesmerising torrent. Experience dazzling views of the falls and river from the pedestrian bridge. Looking upstream from the footbridge over the Waikato River where the watercourse squeezes into the narrow gorge and results in a bit of turbulence.
Rich, full and flavoursome, discover the largest range of honey and honey-based products in Aotearoa. Excite the senses, be tempted by an amazing array of 100% pure New Zealand honey, mead, natural health and wellbeing products and unique gift ideas. A unique taste experience with free honey, mead & liqueur tastings. Live beehive viewings and fascinating interactive displays. Discover health & wellness products, divine honey-based skincare products. Complete your experience by relaxing in lounge or gardens with a coffee or delicious honey ice-cream.
After an exhilarating fun-filled adventure experience at Rotorua & Taupo, it is now time to head back to Auckland to conclude your evening and drop-off at your hotel in Auckland.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear comfortable clothing suitable for the conditions, Sun protection, jacket/warm layer, & any essential personal items
- Easy and good fitness level required
- Being an active geothermal area with uneven terrain, sturdy footwear is recommended.
- Jandals, sandals, flip-flops or high heeled shoes are not suitable.
- You must be able to climb and descend stairs and walk on unpaved or uneven terrain.
- Bring a camera or a phone with camera capability as this is the perfect place to get some great travel photos.
Reviews(8)
Family of 3 from India planning for a holiday destination at New Zealand but clueless on where and how to start with it. Tried various platforms for day and night tours but finally ended up with ExperienceKart for the diverse choices which were customized for us. Starting from Auckland city tour, geo-thermal experiences at Rotorua (Waitamo Caves, Hukka Falls, Wai-a-topu, Lake Taupo and Rotorua) and then finally with West Coast Wilderness Experience (Piha, Mercer bay Loop and Arataki) – a massive gist of experiences lined up scrupulously with ample timelines and flawlessly picked tours foreseeing the weather conditions. Real time traffic updates from the tour operators and smooth road travel made the tour feel more comfortable and plan well ahead for the day. The plethora of information shared about each and every place by the tour guide was sure an unforgettable highlight. To finish it – the first international trip has been etched in our minds by ExperienceKart as a commendable and trustworthy one! One can surely say that this organization is an outstanding and boasts exceptional local expertise from start to finish after witnessing their travel experiences. Just pack your bags, rewind, relax and enjoy!
Kia Ora Coastal06034407729, Thank you so much for your heartfelt and detailed feedback. We’re truly honoured to have been part of your family’s first international journey and so pleased to hear New Zealand created such lasting memories for you. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed the carefully curated mix of experiences across Auckland, Rotorua, Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Huka Falls, Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland, Piha Beach, Mercer Bay Loop Walk, and Arataki Visitor Centre. We especially appreciate your kind words about the planning, personalised recommendations, smooth coordination, and local insights shared throughout the journey. Creating a relaxed, seamless, and thoughtfully paced experience is exactly what we strive for. Your trust and support truly mean a lot to us, and we’re delighted ExperienceKart could help make your first overseas holiday such a special one. We hope to welcome you and your family back again for another unforgettable New Zealand adventure in the future. Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Karthik with Experiencekart accommodated us on very short notice and provided an excellent guide. Marty was engaging, extremely knowledgeable and clearly loves his country! We had a terrific day and introduction to the wonders of the North Island!
Kia Ora Ann, Thank you so much for your fantastic 5-star review! We’re thrilled we could accommodate you on short notice and deliver such a memorable experience. Marty will be delighted to hear that his passion for New Zealand and deep knowledge helped make your day such a terrific introduction to the wonders of the North Island. We truly appreciate your kind words and would love to welcome you back for more unforgettable adventures across Aotearoa! Ngā mihi nui, The ExperienceKart Team
Really wonderful experience especially if you’re interested in geology and looking to see a lot in a short visit! Loved the wai-o-tapu geothermal park. Definitely the highlight of the tour. Karthik was very knowledgeable and answered all of our qaurstuons!
Kia ora Amy & Nathan, Thank you very much for taking your time to leave us a beautiful 5 star review and we are super stoked to hear that you had a wonderful experience travelling with ExperienceKart and learn about the geology of our beautiful regions in NZ! We look forward to hosting you again and thank you so much for recommending our services!
My family and I were very happy with the services from Experience Kart. My father was sick and could not attend the tour with my mum, myself and my son. However Karthik From ExperienceKart was very informative, helpful, kind and very professional in the tour. And we enjoyed our tour very much. We also love our goody bag of snacks and drinks too. I highly recommend this tour to everyone and excellent work from ExperienceKart.
Kia ora Sabrina, Thank you very much for your lovely comments and kind words. We are super stoked to hear that you had a wonderful day travelling with ExperienceKart and recommending our services. We look forward to hosting you, your friends and families in the near future and until then, we wish you safe travels.
We had the best time during this tour. Our guide Karthik was amazing, he showed us a lot of different places even that they were not expressly included in our tour. We had a wonderful day, full of nature and amazing places to visit. We definitely recommend booking with them. We will come back for sure. Thanks very much again Karthik!!!!
Kia Ora Ana, Thank you so much for choosing to book with ExperienceKart and leaving us a beautiful review of your travel experience with us. We sincerely appreciate it and we are super stoked to hear that you had a wonderful day visiting Rotorua and Taupo. Thanks again also for the lovely gift at the Huka Honey Hive, it was a very sweet gesture and we sincerely thank you for supporting our family business. We look forward to hosting you again and until then we wish you safe travels and our kindest regards.
I had an amazing experience! We had so much fun. Karthik (an excellent business owner / driver / tour guide) was so patient and well-informed. He really made my first trip to New Zealand a wonderful time. He really looked after us going that extra mile to ensure everyone had a good time. The experience was great, we had a small group which allowed for us to take our time. There was a nice snack bag provided for us. I really enjoyed it. He really even think to put a tissue in the snack bag. He also treats us to ice cream at the honey bee shop. This was of the top highlights of our trip to the North Island. Getting up close to geysers shooting water, hot springs that radiate heat and the smell of sulfur, and bubbling mud pools is a bucket list experience. The park has three different paths, color coded on both the map and landmark description signs, so it was easy to navigate. The paths themselves allow for easy to moderate walking and offer overlooks for great views and places to rest. I highly recommend ExperienceKart. I will contact him again when I return to Auckland.
Kia ora Ermelia, Thank you so much for your lovely and kind words and taking the time to leave us with a fantastic review! We feel very humbled by reading your comments and we sincerely appreciate your feedback. We are also very glad to hear that you had an amazing travel experience and we could make your first NZ trip very enjoyable and memorable! We look forward to hosting you again in the near future and we thank you for recommending our travel services with your friends and families. Take care and safe travels!
This was a great tour! Our driver and guide, Karthik, was brilliant... very knowledgeable, relaxed and entertaining. The tour took us to various spots all of which were great to see. Even though it is a fair drive there and back, the van was very comfortable and w were provided with a bag of goodies that was gratefully received. Overall this trip is a must do!
Kia ora Joe & Kaye, We sincerely thank you so much for taking your time to leave this fantastic 5 star review on your travel with ExperienceKart. We are super stoked to hear that you had a wonderful travel experience exploring Rotorua and Lake Taupo on this amazing day tour from Auckland. ExperienceKart offers invigorating and exhilarating travel experiences across NZ and your kind words are a testament of the quality of service we provide. We look forward to hosting you again on some of the other tours! If you would like to explore the Northland region, please do not hesitate to contact us again! Until then we wish you safe travels and kindest regards from all us here at ExperienceKart!
