Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland is thousands of years old and the most colourful thermal area in Rotorua. It’s arguably the city's most popular thermal wonderland; if you only have time to visit one, you should come here!

On your trip, you’ll see diverse geothermal activity, colourful water, bubbling mud and the Lady Knox geyser. If you are interested in Lady Knox, I highly recommend visiting for the daily presentation at 10:15 am, but you'll need to make sure you arrive by 9:45 am.

Wai-o-tapu is a little further outside of Rotorua than some other parks, but it’s well worth the effort to get there. The park is open 7 days a week from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Entry costs $45 per adult, $15 per child and $105 for a family pass. There is plenty of parking, but no public toilets around the park, so make sure to pop into the Visitors Centre.