Rotorua to Taupō: A Slow Road Trip on the Thermal Explorer Highway
The 80 km drive between Rotorua and Taupō takes about an hour, but it's worth a whole day. State Highway 5, the Thermal Explorer Highway, runs through rolling farmland and forest dotted with some of the world's most dramatic geothermal sights. The rock stars are the steaming, bubbling and spurting geysers, mud pools and boiling lakes.
At a glance
Distance: about 80 km, one hour without stops
Allow: a full day, or base yourself in Rotorua or Taupō and do it in sections
Best time: year-round. Winter brings extra steam, and Lady Knox Geyser erupts at 10.15am every day
Good to know: most geothermal parks charge entry, so pick two or three rather than trying to do them all
Works both ways: drive it from Taupō to Rotorua just as easily
Before you leave Rotorua
Start with Rotorua's own geothermal valley at Te Puia or Whakarewarewa, both on the southern edge of town on your way out.
Free option: Kuirau Park in central Rotorua has steaming lakes and bubbling mud pools along fenced paths, and it costs nothing to wander through.
1. Te Pā Tū
About 12 km south of Rotorua on SH5, Te Pā Tū (formerly Tamaki Māori Village) runs an evening experience of about 3.5 hours with a hāngī feast, set in a forest pā. It changes with the seasons of the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar. Book ahead, and plan it as a night out from Rotorua.
2. Waimangu Volcanic Valley
Waimangu was created by the 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption that buried Te Wairoa, making it the world's youngest geothermal system. Walk downhill past Frying Pan Lake, thought to be one of the largest hot springs in the world, and the blue Inferno Crater Lake, then take the boat cruise on Lake Rotomahana, where the Pink and White Terraces once stood. Allow about three hours for the full experience.
3. Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland
About 25 minutes from Rotorua, Wai-O-Tapu is the most colourful of the geothermal parks: the orange-rimmed Champagne Pool, the multi-coloured Artist's Palette, silica terraces and the startling neon-green Devil's Bath. Lady Knox Geyser erupts at 10.15am every day, so time your morning around it.
4. Waikite Valley Thermal Pools
Turn off SH5 opposite the Wai-O-Tapu turn for about 6 km to Waikite Valley. Its Te Manaroa spring is the largest single source of 100% pure geothermal water in New Zealand, and its pools are a great excuse to soak away the office blues. There's a campground too.
5. Kerosene Creek
A free natural hot stream down an unsealed road off SH5, just past Rainbow Mountain. It's popular, so go early. Keep your head above water, as with all natural geothermal pools, to avoid the risk of amoebic meningitis, and don't leave valuables in your car.
6. Orakei Korako
Known as the Hidden Valley, Orakei Korako is reached by a short boat ride across Lake Ohakuri to silica terraces, geysers and a cave. It's about 25 minutes from Taupō, a short detour off the main route.
7. Wairākei steam field
As you approach Taupō, follow Wairakei Road up through a maze of steaming pipes to the steam field lookout. Wairākei was the world's second geothermal power station when it began generating in 1958, and the clouds of steam make an otherworldly sight.
8. Craters of the Moon
A 45-minute loop, mostly on boardwalk, through a lunar landscape of steaming craters and stunted vegetation adapted to the heat. It's pushchair friendly, and run by a community trust. Read our Craters of the Moon guide.
9. Huka Prawn Park and Huka Falls
Families will love Huka Prawn Park, where prawn fishing is back, along with an activities park and riverside restaurant under new Tūwharetoa ownership. Then walk to Huka Falls, where nearly a quarter of a million litres of the Waikato River roar through a narrow gorge every second.
Finish in Taupō with our Taupō Savvy Swaps guide, or time a visit to the Aratiatia Rapids dam release.
Where to stay and car hire
Browse places to stay in Rotorua and Taupō on Booking.com. Need a car? Compare car hire across New Zealand on DiscoverCars, with pick-ups at the main airports and towns.
Prefer a guide? Compare Wai-O-Tapu and Waimangu tours from Rotorua on GetYourGuide.
This post includes affiliate links. If you book through them, Best Bits Travel may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
FAQs
How long is the drive from Rotorua to Taupō?
About 80 km, or one hour without stops. Allow a full day to visit a few geothermal parks along the way.
What is the best geothermal park between Rotorua and Taupō?
It depends on what you like. Wai-O-Tapu is the most colourful, Waimangu has the best walk and history, and Orakei Korako feels the most hidden. Pick two or three.
What time does Lady Knox Geyser erupt?
Every day at 10.15am, at Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.
Is there a free hot pool between Rotorua and Taupō?
Yes, Kerosene Creek, off SH5 near Rainbow Mountain. Keep your head above water and don't leave valuables in your car.
