Te Puia & Hells Gate incl. Mud Spa Experience Private Tour
Description
On this comfortable private day tour from Auckland, experience a land where myth and legend come to life, where the earth boils, mud heals, and steam disappears into the clouds above. Soak in hot steam, marvel at boiling mud pools and watch a geyser erupt in spectacular fashion at one of New Zealand’s most impressive geothermal wonderlands. This land has the power to heal and excite anyone who meets it, just as it’s done for centuries. Come and discover New Zealand’s most unique geothermal experience at Wai-O-Tapu thermal wonderland and Hell’s Gate mud spa. Your body and soul will feel revitalised after this soothing experience.
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.
Situated five minutes from central Rotorua, Te Puia is an iconic destination for visitors featuring the world famous Pōhutu geyser, Māori cultural performances, live Kiwi birds, boiling mud pools, native bush and the national school of wood carving and weaving. Feel the warm welcome of Māori guides from the moment you walk in. Explore the unique Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, home to the world famous Pōhutu Geyser, which erupts up to twenty times a day, and up to thirty metres high into the air. Explore the boiling mud pools and the boiling waters which are still used to cook in. Discover the distinctive flavours and unique preparation of our traditionally cooked Māori hangi. This experience includes an extended tour of Te Puia, an interactive weaving experience, plus a traditional Māori Hangi buffet lunch infused with indigenous flavours and a Māori concert.
Within a short drive we move to our second destination where you will have a devilishly good time at Hell’s Gate mud bath and sulphur spas. Get down and dirty in a mud bath or unwind in a Sulphur spa overlooking a spectacular geothermal landscape, before cooling off in a beautiful spring-fed waterfall and plunge pool. Featuring hot-water lakes, New Zealand’s largest mud volcano and the largest hot water waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere, the Hells Gate Valley is the place to be for an indulgent experience that is almost sinful. Being the only geothermal mud bath in New Zealand, Hell’s Gate spa is a truly therapeutic experience. The healing properties of the geothermal mud and sulphur mineral water have been used by local Māori for over 800 years. You can slather yourself in the warm geothermal mud before jumping in the sulphur pool, with minerals that help to clear and detoxify. This amazing landscape will captivate your imagination as it bubbles with heat and history.
After an exhilarating fun-filled adventure experience at Rotorua, it is now time to head back to Auckland to conclude your evening and drop-off at your hotel in Auckland. We can also drop you at your accommodation in Rotorua if you are staying locally in the region.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- 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, walking shoes, sun protection, jacket/warm layer, bring a camera & any essential personal items.
- This is a guided walking tour and sensible walking footwear is recommended.
- You must be able to climb and descend stairs and walk on unpaved or uneven terrain.
- If the guest has had or is suffering from any of the following medical conditions, we strongly advise that they seek advice from their doctor prior to using the geothermal pools.
- The mud baths are suitable for children over the age of 2.5 years, whereas the Sulphur spas are suitable for children over the age of 6 months.
- All infants must wear bathing suits or disposable nappies whilst bathing.
- Please remove all jewellery before entering the pools as Hell’s Gate accepts no responsibility for tarnished jewellery.
- For the bathing experience, guests can choose to bring their own bathing attire and towels or hire these items from Hell’s Gate at a small cost.
- Tours are suitable for people of all ages and average fitness. Our scenic walks are short and optional. Please let our guide know at check in if you have any fitness concerns.
- The mud bath experience is controlled to a maximum of 20 minutes on the basis of safety.
- Hell’s Gate have swimwear for both males and females for sale, subject to availability.
- Being an active geothermal area with uneven terrain, sturdy footwear is recommended. Jandals, sandals, flip-flops or high heeled shoes are not suitable.
- Easy and good fitness level required.
- It is important that children (as well as adults) drink water while bathing in order to keep hydrated.
- If the guest has had or is suffering from any of the following medical conditions, we strongly advise that they seek advice from their doctor prior to using the geothermal pools. The list of medical conditions below is not an exhausted list but serves to highlight some of the main medical conditions where the geothermal pools may not be advised: Pregnancy, Low or High Blood Pressure, Mobility Problems, Active or Under Active Thyroid, Verruca/ Warts, Heart Conditions, Epilepsy, Skin diseases/disorders, Diabetes, Metal Pins/ Plates, Claustrophobia, Ear Infections, Cancer, Recent Surgery, or Sulphur Allergies
- Lengthy immersion in the hot pools may cause dehydration and fainting. Please remain hydrated at all time by drinking the water available in the spa facilities and inform staff immediately if any discomfort is felt. When exiting the pool, take care and use the handrails provided
- Both children and adults need to be comfortable with the heat, and Hell’s Gate recommends taking regular breaks to ensure overheating does not occur
- Guests are advised to shower before entering the pools in order to remove any makeup, sunscreen or other products applied to the skin as we cannot confirm what is in each product and therefore if a reaction with the Sulphur will occur.
- It is important that children (as well as adults) drink water while bathing in order to keep hydrated.
Reviews(8)
We had a great time. Dibs was an excellent tour guide! From the goody bags on pickup, to cleanliness of the car, great information about the area along the drive, well-timed stops with photo opportunities, and perfect timing for the Lady Knox geyser eruption… the trip was planned and executed well. The self guided tour of the geothermal wonderland and the mud spa did not disappoint either. It was a lot of car time—but the stops and Dibs guided chatter made it go pretty quickly. We definitely recommend!
Kia Ora Crystal, Thank you very much for taking your time to leave us a lovely 5 star review and we sincerely appreciate your comments especially "the trip was planned and executed well" and "From the goody bags on pickup, to cleanliness of the car, great information about the area along the drive, well-timed stops with photo opportunities, and perfect timing for the Lady Knox geyser eruption". We thank you sincerely for being our guest and choosing to book with ExperienceKart. We strive very hard to provide exceptional services to our guests and your lovely review just says it all! We look forward to hosting you again in one of our 80 different tours!
The private tour was nice as we could move at our own pace. However the mud spa experience seemed rushed and only allowed you 20 minutes in the mud spa itself. However this time limit is not set by the tour company
Kia Ora Travell, Thank you for your feedback which we appreciate sincerely. We hope you enjoyed the private tour and the greatest benefit is that you venture at your own pace. The 20 minutes limit for the mud spa is set by Hell's Gate for your own health and safety. We wish you safe travels and look forward to hosting you again.
We had a wonderful time on the Wai O Tapu & Hell's Gate tour. Karthik was a fantastic and very knowledgeable guide who went well above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. The tour itself was amazing...definitely a "must do" while visiting New Zealand. Highly recommend this tour company!
Kia Ora Dena & Matt, Thank you so much for taking your time to leave us with a glowing 5 star review of your recent trip to Rotorua. We are stoked to hear that you had such an amazing day travelling with ExperienceKart and we look forward to hosting you again soon. Until then we wish you safe travels and kindest regards!
They had friendly staff. The mud bath experience was fun. It was an exciting feeling to rub mud onto our bodies.
Kia ora, Thank you very much for taking your time to leave us with a review. We are stoked to hear that you had such an amazing time!
We had a nice 3 to 4 hours at the facility. You start with the walk around the thermal areas. If you follow a decent guide map and take your time allow about an hour and a half Max. We were almost alone and you cannot really get lost. The thermals were fabulous and had much variety. We avoided the 10.30am group walk tour as there were about 30 people and you loose the ambience of watching nature without a slow crowd. The map has plenty of info for the well signed points of interest. We then did the mudbath and spa experience. It was very relaxing and there are showers and you can hire a towel. Staff were very friendly and don't be put of by the sulphur smell. It's nothing that bad and after a shower or two you will be all good. Overall it is a 3 in 1 experience that was worth the cost and effort.
Kia Ora, Thank you very much for your lovely feedback. We are so glad that you had an enjoyable experience! We look forward to hosting you again in the near future!
A great experience with the added bonus of seeing some great geothermal activity during the walk around. The pools and facilities were all clean and the staff were all very helpful. We rented towels. There are showers with soap to wash off in at the end. The mud pools were a great experience. We went with teenagers but would also be great as a couple. There were about three mud pools so we got to have one to ourselves.
Kia Ora, Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. We look forward to hosting you again in the near future!
Highly recommend Started off with Guided Tour with Mark definitely a must do . Came away with more knowledge of my country 👍❤️ Finished off with relaxing in Mud Bath and spa omg Heaven 🥰 Definitely going back again 💕
Kia Ora Ivris, Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. We look forward to hosting you again in the near future!
This was an wonderful experience with a perfect mix of sightseeing and activities. A big shout out to my guide Karthik from experiencekart for going the extra mile to ensure an amazing experience. thanks guys and I will definitely be booking more tours from you guys in the future. Cheers
Kia Ora Brendon,, That is so lovely to hear that you enjoyed the tour and we look forward to having you on our tour again in the future! Cheers, Karthik
