Great! Well worth it! - We found the whole experience excellent! Lilly our guide, although learning, was wonderful. As was Mr Ray, who accompanied us to review Lilly. We found them to be very friendly & knowledgeable. Really made the walk around the park a treat. The park was better than I thought it would be. Then the mud pool for 20minutes, followed by the hot to cold pools & back again! Loved our day there. Also had lunch. Food was great. All the staff from the reception desk to the locker/ pool staff & cafe staff were all extremely helpful & friendly!

Great tour despite the rain! - Unfortunately we experienced heavy rainfall on the day of our visit. However that did not stop our tour guide from going above and beyond to make the experience as magical as possible (young South African gentleman) he was very knowledgeable and made the experience memorable. Would definitely recommend to other travellers.

A very good experience - We booked online for the Hell’s Gate Experience at a cost of $115 per adult. We went on a Monday afternoon early November. Plenty of free onsite parking. On arrival a member of staff checked our booking, explained the activities. Even though we booked a ‘mud bath’ at 2pm he said it didn’t matter what time. I’m guessing this is because it wasn’t busy. The walk around the geothermal pools is about 2km and takes around one hour to complete. The path is very easy to follow but not suitable for buggies or wheelchairs. The area is unworldly as you see the steam rising from the water, hear bubbles brewing underground and smell the sulphur in the air. Having done the walk we went for the mud bath. The staff are really fun and helpful. You get a large numbered plastic box to store your belongings in. This is then kept secure by staff. You can hire swimwear and towels. You are shown to a pool, which aren’t that big, and in you go. The water is warm the mud is reached by feeling around and you spread it on. Many people then sit on the edge and let the mud dry. Staff will take pictures for you. You get twenty minutes before staff ask you to exit the mud pool. You then shower and can go to a clear warm pool to relax in. Once changed we went to the Māori carving experience. A fantastic young man, who is clearly enthusiastic at what he does,showed us what to do. You choose one of four or five designs, you use a hammer & chisel to cut away on the outlines on the wood. Once done he varnishes your carving which you keep. One issue is how staff know what experience you’ve purchased? It is very easy to have a mud bath, do the walk and do the carving without any checks other than the mud bath. Several people came in to do the carving without any checks. They said they had walked around the geothermal area then were leaving. There is a cafe onsite as well as a gift shop. Overall we had a great time.

Best ever!! - Absolutely fabulous experience. Cannot recommend highly enough. Would definitely do it again next time I am in Rotorua.

A great day - Great experience. The tour guide was very entertaining. The mud spa and spa were very nice to relax in. A great day.

Amazing experience! - Fantastic guide, super interesting to find out more about Māori culture. Mud pools were so relaxing & carving so much fun. Would definitely return.

Interesting and welcoming - Welcoming staff and an interesting place. We enjoyed our visit, especially the mud bath. There is a cafe though it wasn’t mentioned on the website.

Best experience. Loved it. - Did the guided tour and the guide was such a bubbly, happy personality and that made the tour as good as it was. Wouldn't have learnt and heard as much if we had of wandered ourselves. I enjoyed the Maori carving. I did the mud bath, Sulphur spa and cold plunge pool which I really enjoyed. Staff were lovely. The whole experience was great. Loved it.

Culture combined with a Geothermal experience - Visited Hellsgate Late October 2025. We did the guided tour, mud and sulphur pools. All a great experience. Desk staff were very helpful as we had a slight problem with our online booking. Customer service was excellent.

Highly recommend. - Throughly enjoyed learning about the thermal geological history of this place. The wood carving was fun, definitely not something I could make a living from, but enjoyed the experience. Mud spa was really enjoyable and relaxing. Highly recommend.