Orakei Korako Geothermal Park & Cave — Attraction in North Island

So much has already been said about this incredible Taupō attraction, so I’ll just add a little extra detail. Everything here is thoughtfully done—from the friendly staff and clear signage to the well-maintained wooden tracks, stairs and beautifully laid out trails. Worth every cent, and absolutely something I’d recommend to anyone visiting New Zealand and the Taupō area.The attraction is very well set up: modern, spotless facilities, a smooth ticketing system, a welcoming comfortable indoor-outdoor café.The short but scenic boat ride powered by the world’s first hydrogen-assisted engine—a brilliant piece of Kiwi ingenuity. The staff truly made the experience exceptional. James, our tour guide and boat skipper, was not only knowledgeable about the geothermal wonders but also passionate about sharing the history of the area. Sophie at the café makes a great flat white, and provided service that was warm, genuine, and friendly. It’s often the people who make the biggest difference, and they certainly did When I asked ChatGPT for synonyms for “amazing,” every word it gave me applied perfectly to our visit here. To the owners: thank you for your vision, dedication, and passion in making Orakei Korako such a memorable experience for us yesterday.

Chat GPT-Here are some alternatives you could use instead of amazing, depending on the tone you...

We visited four different thermal attractions while visiting the region - Orakei Korako, Wai O Tapu, Te Puia and Craters of the Moon. All are interesting and have their own positives and negatives, but Orakei Korako was absolutely our favourite.

I think what set it apart was the peacefulness. We visited in July and, even in Winter, both Wai O Tapu and Te Puia were quite busy. Orakei Korako was much quieter. Aladdin's Cave and the terraces were the highlights of our visit. Having the boat shuttle you over to the island really adds to the experience and makes the whole thing a little more unique. The staff are also lovely and very helpful with information about the park.

There are a number of steps, mostly on wooden boardwalk. Wear good walking shoes. There are no toilets in the park so use the facilities before you board the shuttle.

If we had to recommend a single thermal park of all that we visited, this would be the one. This attraction is very much under rated - possibly as it's a little out of the way and not on the standard tourist route. Absolutely worth the effort to make the journey if you are travelling from Rotorua to Taupo or even as a day trip...

What a fantastic experience and great setup! Definitely worth it! We visited just the other day and did the self-guided walk around the stunning geothermal park area and cave. En-route we realised as we were doing the experience, we can also stay onsite in there carpark for a night in our self-contained motorhome, how awesome and helpful! We decided to stay the night before our experience, and honestly, had one of the most peaceful nights sleep we’ve had on the road ha! Nice level surface, no noisy through road and the stars and view over to the geothermal area was spectacular! In the morning we took a walk into the visitor centre/café, showed a lovely lady our tickets, and hoped on the boat, really quick, easy ride over to the other side. We spent a good hour or so wondering around, taking in the amazing scenery then simply hoped on the boat back over when we were finished. Couldn’t have been more easy. Big thanks to Nikolos and the team for making us feel so welcome and giving us a great time! We highly recommend taking a trip to...