Free Things to Do in Rotorua

Free things to do at a glance

Free geothermal sights

Kuirau Park

A free, always open thermal park on the edge of the city centre. Paths circle a steaming lake past boiling pools, bubbling mud and vents releasing steam straight out of the ground, most of it just metres from the footpath. Barbecues, a playground and paddling pools make it an easy stop with kids.

Sulphur Point

A geothermal walking and cycling area on the lakefront beside Government Gardens, with steaming ground right next to the path. It links naturally with a walk through the gardens and along the lake edge.

Pohutu Geyser from the Pohaturoa Track

Pohutu is Rotorua's most famous geyser, and the paid way to see it is through Te Puia or Whakarewarewa. The free way is the Pohaturoa Track, also called the Pohutu Geyser Lookout Track, a 3.7km return walk to a public viewpoint across the valley. The view is more distant than from inside the parks, but you still see it erupt, and mornings are the most reliable time.

Waiotapu Mud Pools

Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland charges entry, but the Waiotapu Mud Pools just off Waiotapu Loop Road are free to view from a boardwalk platform. Expect plenty of bubbling grey mud and a strong sulphur smell.

Free hot pools

Kerosene Creek

About 35km south of Rotorua, Kerosene Creek is a natural hot spring where a warm stream runs over a small waterfall into a pool surrounded by native bush. The water runs consistently hot and there is no charge to soak. There are no facilities, and the roadside car park fills on weekends.

Hot 'n' Cold

A hot thermal stream and a cold freshwater stream meet either side of a small bridge off Waiotapu Loop Road, about 31km south of town. Small dams create shallow pools, and you can move toward the hot or the cold side to find a comfortable temperature, which is why some visitors prefer it to Kerosene Creek. The streambed is uneven with sudden drops, and there are no toilets, changing rooms or formal parking.

Kuirau Park foot baths

Free public foot pools near the playground in Kuirau Park. No booking and no entry fee. Bring your own towel.

Hot Water Beach, Lake Tarawera

At the end of the Tarawera Trail, geothermal water seeps up through the sand at the lake's edge, so you can dig your own warm pool. The beach is free, but getting there means walking the trail, around 16km one way, or paying for a water taxi.

Maurie Kjar Memorial Swimming Pool Complex, Kawerau

Kawerau is about 55km east of Rotorua, roughly 45 minutes to an hour's drive, and its geothermally heated public pools are free to enter. The complex sits opposite the Kawerau i-SITE and includes a 25m pool, a 5m pool, a spa pool, children's pools and a water park.

Safety in natural hot pools: keep your head above the water in any natural geothermal pool, since untreated thermal water carries a small risk of amoebic meningitis. Take your rubbish out with you.

Free walks

• Redwoods Circuit: a 3.4km loop through the Memorial Grove redwoods and tree ferns, passing a small blue spring.
• Okere Falls Track: 3km return past three waterfalls on the Kaituna River, with views of rafters on the rapids and a swimming hole partway along.
• Blue Lake Circuit: an easy lakeside walk around Lake Tikitapu, with swimming spots along the way.
• Lake Ōkāreka Walkway: a flat 5.2km return walk along the lake and through wetlands.
• Rainbow Mountain (Maunga Kākaramea): 6.8km return to the summit, or about 1km to the crater lake viewpoint.
• Mt Ngongotaha Jubilee Track: a steep climb through native forest to the 757m summit. There is no view at the top, but the easier Nature Loop Track from the same car park has a lookout over Rotorua.
• Hongi's Track: a historic Māori track between Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoehu, passing a sacred matai known as the Wishing Tree.
• Twin Lakes Track: a 2.05km circuit through native forest with glimpses of two small lakes.
• Mokaihaha Track: a 2.1km circuit through old growth forest. Muddy after rain.
• Tarawera Trail: around 16km one way along Lake Tarawera, ending at Hot Water Beach.

Free glow worm spots

• Te Auheke Track: a 1.7km forest loop to the Cascade Falls glow worm dell. Bring a torch, switch it off at the falls, and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust.
• Blue Lake Circuit: part of the track passes a glow worm dell, and the lake is a good stargazing spot on clear nights.
• Okere Falls Track: glow worms can be seen along the track after dark.

Free mountain biking and cycling

Whakarewarewa Forest has more than 100km of mountain bike trails through redwood and native forest, free to ride at every skill level. Bike hire costs extra. The 51km Te Ara Ahi Cycle Trail starts at Government Gardens and heads south through geothermal country, and is also free. The first stretch to Whakarewarewa Forest works as an easy short ride.

Free culture and history

• Government Gardens: formal gardens, lawns and rose beds on the lakefront, free and always open. The Rotorua Museum building at their centre has finished its earthquake strengthening but is still closed while exhibitions are developed, with a full public opening planned for 2028. It is still worth seeing from the outside.
• Ohinemutu: a lakeside village that is still home to a Māori community, with St Faith's Anglican Church at its centre. It is free to walk through, but it is a living community, so visit quietly and respectfully.

Free markets and evenings out

• Rotorua Night Market: Thursdays from 5pm to 9pm along Tutanekai Street between Hinemoa and Haupapa Streets. It runs roughly October through February, weather permitting. Entry is free, with food trucks, craft stalls and live music.
• Kuirau Park Saturday Market: Saturdays from 7am to 1pm. A community fundraiser run by the Rotary Club of Rotorua North since 1988, with produce, plants, baking, honey and crafts.

Free places to stay overnight

Rotorua Lakes Council runs three free freedom camping sites. All three are for certified self-contained vehicles only, with no tents, and a maximum stay of two nights per month.

• Government Gardens (Hinemoa Street): 17 spaces in the middle of town, no facilities.
• Hamurana Reserve: 10 spaces on the Lake Rotorua shore, with public toilets, a drinking water tap and a food prep area.
• Trout Pool Reserve, Okere Falls: 5 spaces with a composting toilet.

The rules tightened on 7 June 2026, so check the council's freedom camping page before you park up.

No longer free: Hamurana Springs

Hamurana Springs used to be free but now charges entry, so older guides listing it as a free walk are out of date.

A free day in Rotorua

Start with a walk through Kuirau Park and a soak at the foot baths, then walk Sulphur Point and Government Gardens along the lakefront. Spend the afternoon on the Redwoods Circuit or the Pohaturoa Track to see Pohutu, then finish on the Te Auheke Track for glow worms after dark. With a car, swap the afternoon for the drive south to the Waiotapu Mud Pools, Hot 'n' Cold and Kerosene Creek.