• Need to know

    Need to know

What You Need To Know

All the useful information you need to know to prepare for your visit to Waimangu Volcanic Valley.

Waimangu is open daily 8.30am to 5pm

 

Last Admission Times
(1 hour later in January)
1.30am – Full Walk & 3.40 Boat
3.30pm – Highlights walk, Walk
LAST ENTRY 3.30pm

 

What to bring and wear

Flat walking shoes, camera, comfortable clothing, rain or sun protection as necessary, and a baby pushchair (with sturdy wheels) if needed. Take water with you.

For Hiking, good walking shoes with treaded soles are necessary.

Interpretation

At Waimangu Volcanic Valley we recognise that many of our visitors do not speak English as their first language. Accordingly, our visitor guide sheets for the Waimangu Valley walk/hike and Lake Rotomahana Boat cruises are also printed in the following languages:
Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, Hebrew, Russian, Slav, Hindi, Portuguese, Chinese

As well, we have Basic Fact Sheets printed in the following additional languages:

Czech, Swedish, Hungarian

There are several interpretation signs along the walking path. These are in English.

Food and drinks

There is a selection of hot and cold food and drink available to purchase and enjoy in the Café. The café is a licensed premise. Any alcohol purchased from us must be consumed at the cafe within the licensed premises. We do not allow BYO alcohol.

You are welcome to bring your own food and drinks (except alcohol) to enjoy at one of our picnic areas in the valley. Please do not bring your food into the café area.

Wheelchair Access

Waimangu staff will meet you on arrival to assist you with arrangements. Please allow a little extra time for this.

We will help you access the safe, flat areas of the walking track where you will see many of the geothermal features. Please note: The Inferno Crater and the Mt Haszard Hiking trail are not suitable for wheelchairs.

Wheelchairs must be lightweight and able to fold up to access the shuttle buses and the Lake Rotomahana boat. For safety reasons, we cannot provide access to motorised wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

Our shuttle buses do not have wheelchair lifts. You must be able to transfer from your wheelchair up steps onto the shuttle bus.

To board the boat, you must be able to climb up several steps and step across an open space, above the water, between the boat and the jetty.

Wheelchair users must always be accompanied by at least one experienced wheelchair handler during the visit.

Please feel free to contact us for further information or specific details.

Safety while in the Valley

You are responsible for your personal safety while visiting Waimangu.
Read the safety instructions on the guide sheet

Stay on the path at all times.
Supervise children at all times.
Do not damage any feature or structure.
In an emergency, go to the nearest bus stop and wait. Phone 07 3666137.

Environmental safety

Plants must not be picked or harmed in any way
No samples of any type may be collected
No stones or sticks to be thrown
Geothermal features must not be broken, walked on, dug, scratched or damaged in any way.
Graffiti is unacceptable
Collect and deposit all rubbish in the bins provided

Safety while on the Boat

You are responsible for your personal safety while on the boat cruise.
Take care while boarding or leaving the boat
Please read the safety information on page one of the Boat Guide sheet.
Obey the instructions of the Captain at all times
Do not go onto the front deck without the Boat Captain’s approval
Ensure children are supervised at all times
Stay inside the Boat handrails at all times.
Take care when moving around the boat and jetty.
Report any concerns to the Captain as soon as possible

 

  • We stopped in for a quick coffee having seen the sign on the highway. The coffee was great and the quiche and muffin were fantastic. While eating we read the details of the Valley walk and decided to stay and see what it had to offer. Leave plenty of time, don’t rush it, we left at just after 10am and just caught the 1:10pm boat trip around the lake. What an unbelievable walk, really good information on both the brochure and on boards at…

    Andy
    Hatherleigh, United Kingdom

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  • We had a great trip here - very organised walk with lots of information and fascinating views of the craters. The boat trip on the lake was very relaxing and timed to allow us to catch the bus back up. We had a good lunch back at the…

    Penny
    Brisbane, Australia

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  • I hiked the whole of Waimangu Volcanic Valley down and back up again. It's located near Rotorua-where I didn't go because it's too touristy and overcrowded- and that place is just so impressive and wonderful to tramp through...fantastic vapor whirls on the magnificent colorful lakes...great ferns with thousands of different shades of green.....amazing viewpoints to look down into the valley...awesome hues of ever changing volcanic terraces in…

    Thomas Rhöse
    Google Review

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  • A must-go in Rotorua, where you'll explore a stunning scenery of ferns and volcanic rocks and…

    Simone
    Brasillia

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  • A peaceful quiet walk in the rain. We came here on a rainy day, as there wasn’t much else to do outside when in rains in Rotorua. Staff was nice and walked us through the bus stops and how everything worked there. We paid the additional $5 to rent a heat thermometer gun (not sure was the actual name of it is). It was cool to see how hot the water was getting with the temperature gauge. This was a good place to go when it rains. The walkway is…

    Spring
    Texas

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  • We were fortunate to visit when there were no crowds and walked the valley in almost complete isolation which added to the mysterious and prehistoric feel. Everywhere we turned was a feast for the eyes. Our teenage son only wished we could have spent more time there. If you appreciate nature, enjoy an easy hike, want to see something unique Waimangu is for…

    Dianna
    Tokyo, Japan

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