Top 5 Wellness and Spa Experiences Near Lake Rotorua

One of the main reasons to visit Lake Rotorua is undoubtedly to rejuvenate and relax in the abundance of hot pools, mud baths, and benefit from water massage therapies. Rotorua area is very well known for its geothermal attractions, a feature that comes with the added benefit of the plentiful spa and wellness activities.

Rotorua city and the lake’s surroundings give you many opportunities to relieve the stress and exhaustion of daily life, and feel revived and relaxed. What can be better than to balance a day of outdoor adventure with some wellness renewal activities?

1 - Try a soak in your own private hot tub at Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua

What can be better than after a day’s adventures to get a soak in a nice steaming hot bath? You can do exactly that at the Secret Spot Hot Tubs Rotorua. Set outside in an idyllic landscape of tree ferns, Secret Spot will give you the opportunity to relax in your own individual hot tub. At night, you can soak in a magical setting of lanterns surrounded by beautifully lit native bush.

Secret Spot Hot Tubs is quite easy to find. Very close to Rotorua City, it is a 2-minute drive on State highway 5 south of Te Puia.

2 - Take a dip in the largest single source of geothermally heated water in New Zealand

You can experience this just a 30-minute drive from the Rotorua city centre, at Waikite Valley Thermal Pools. The most important feature here is the Te Manaroa Spring, which is New Zealand’s largest single source of geothermally-heated water.

Water from the Te Manaroa Spring is diverted into pools of various sizes and with varying water temperatures. The water is then channeled back to Otamakokore Stream. Another great activity you can do here is to walk the Te Manaroa Spring Eco-Trail, which can take you to the boiling springs while admiring germs, geothermal calcite formations, and mosses.

3 - Relax by the lake in hot mineral water at Polynesian Spa

Polynesian Spa is a great way to experience some of the most important things that make Rotorua famous worldwide: mineral pools that are geothermally heated, beautiful views of Lake Rotorua, and wellness treatments that will make you feel rejuvenated. 

Polynesian Spa offers four different bathing areas that cater to different styles and needs of guests: Family pools, Deluxe Lake Spa, Pavilion Pools, and Private Pools. Wellness treatments include massage treatments, geothermal mud therapies, body polish experiences, and facials.

4 - Soak your feet in the Kuirau Park footbaths

For a free experience, you can try soaking your feet in Kuirau Park’s footbaths. Kuirau Park is a public park located in the northern part of Rotorua city. Its walking tracks can take you to areas that boast various geothermal features like boiling mud and hot springs, and there’s also a playground with some really cool equipment. Remember to stay on the paths at all times, as the ground can be unpredictable.

The foot baths are located in some great surroundings, and on a cold and grey day, the steam will swirl around you. There are two foot pools that are covered and one that is not. If you decide to try a hot foot bath, don’t forget to bring a towel to wipe your feet, and remember that the pools are not for bathing in.

5 - Revitalize your body with a mud bath at Hell�s Gate

Hell’s Gate is Rotorua’s first destination spa, and it’s been a popular place for wellbeing and healing for more than 800 years. The most active geothermal attraction in New Zealand, it also features the biggest mud volcano in the country and the largest hot waterfall in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

A unique spa experience, it features many mineral hot springs and smooth geothermal mud. There are three types of therapeutic thermal mud used here: black mud, white mud, and grey mud. Relax in an outdoor mud bath, great for easing joint and muscle pain, unwind in naturally heated sulphurous waters, or cool off in a spring-fed waterfall.