Tokaanu Thermal Pools

What to expect

Tokaanu Thermal Pools is an old-fashioned, low-key bathing complex in the small settlement of Tokaanu, at the southern tip of Lake Taupō. Do not expect a day spa. Expect a modest building, a big outdoor pool, rows of small private pools, a trout stream at the gate and steam drifting out of the bush behind. Locals use it as their regular soak, and it is one of the cheapest places to get into hot water in the central North Island.

There are two kinds of water here, and the difference matters:

• Private pools: Listings describe about a dozen family-sized private pools filled with natural mineral water from the Tokaanu geothermal field, at 102-106°F39 to 41°C. This is the real thermal water, and the operator suggests using these before the public pool.
• Public pool: One large outdoor pool, about 17 by 6 m, of fresh chlorinated water heated to around 97-100°F36 to 38°C.
• Preschool pool: A small pool beside the main one, heated to about 97°F36°C, for preschoolers with an adult.

Renovations were finished in July 2022, and there is a small historic and scientific display on site.

The Tokaanu thermal area and its people

The springs here have been used for centuries. Ngāti Kurauia, a hapū of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, have lived beside the Tokaanu Stream and the thermal area since the 16th century and still use the pools for bathing. The Tokaanu Marae and the Puhaorangi meeting house are in the settlement. Please treat the area with respect: stay on the paths, do not throw anything into the springs, and ask before photographing people or the marae.

Before Tūrangi was built in the 1960s for the Tongariro power scheme, Tokaanu was the main settlement at this end of the lake. In the 1800s the pools were a stop on a stagecoach route between Whanganui and Taupō, with passengers carrying on by steamer from the Tokaanu wharf.

Getting there

The pools are on Mangaroa Street, Tokaanu, a few kilometres north-west of Tūrangi on State Highway 41.

• From Taupō: Drive south on SH1 along the eastern shore of the lake to Tūrangi, about 50 km (31 miles), then turn right onto SH41 towards Tokaanu. Allow about 45 minutes.
• From Tongariro National Park or National Park village: Take SH47 and SH46 past Lake Rotoaira, then SH41 down to Tokaanu.

Turn off SH41 into the village and follow signs to Mangaroa Street. Parking is beside the entrance. You cross the bridge over the Tokaanu Stream on the way in, where rainbow trout are often visible below.

When to go

The pools are open every day of the year except Christmas Day (one listing also names New Year’s Day). Listed hours are 10am to 9pm for the public pool and 10am to 8pm for the private pools, with private pool sales closing at 8pm. Those times come from a listing last reviewed in mid 2025, so confirm on +64 7 386 8575.

Winter is the obvious season. Tokaanu is under an hour’s drive from the Whakapapa ski area and close to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing shuttle base in Tūrangi, and a hot soak after a cold day on the mountain is the main reason many visitors come. Summer brings trout anglers and families to the lake, and the pools are rarely as crowded as the bigger Taupō complexes.

The large public pool closed on 1 June 2024 while new bore equipment and pipework were installed, with reopening expected later that year; the private pools stayed open throughout. Later listings describe the public pool as running, but there is no dated notice confirming it, so ring ahead if you are coming specifically for the big pool.

Prices and booking

There is no current official price list online, and the two published listings differ on private pool prices. Here are both, as published:

	Public pool	Private pool
Adult (16+)	NZ$8	NZ$12 to NZ$14
Child (5-15)	NZ$6	NZ$8 to NZ$10
Senior (65+)	NZ$7	NZ$10 to NZ$12
Under 5	Free with paying adult	Free with an adult

Spectators are free. Twelve-visit concession cards are sold for regular users, and groups of 10 or more can ask for a discount. School groups often visit as a field trip. Single visitors do not normally need to book; pay at the counter.

Tokaanu Thermal Walk

The free Tokaanu Thermal Walk starts on Mangaroa Street beside the pools. It is an easy loop of about 500 m (a third of a mile) that takes 10 to 30 minutes, past steaming mineral pools in sinter basins and bubbling mud pots set in native bush. It is open year-round and is suitable for children with an adult. Dogs are not allowed. DOC’s Tūrangi office is the contact for the track.

Where to stay nearby

Tūrangi, a few minutes away, is the base for most visitors, with motels, holiday parks, backpacker lodges and fishing lodges along the Tongariro River. It fills up in ski season and on Tongariro Alpine Crossing weekends. Taupō, about 45 minutes north, has the widest choice.

Safety notes

• Thermal ground: On the walk, stay on the track and keep children close. Ground near mud pots and springs can be thin, unstable and scalding.
• Head above water: Natural geothermal water in New Zealand can carry the amoeba that causes amoebic meningitis. Keep your head above the water in the private mineral pools and do not let water go up your nose.
• Heat: At 102 to 106°F39 to 41°C the private pools are hot. Keep soaks short, drink water, and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Winter roads: SH46 and SH47 across the plateau can ice up or close in snow; check NZ Transport Agency updates.

Nearby stops worth adding

Taupō has several more places to soak. Taupō DeBretts Hot Springs is a family complex with slides just south of town, the free Otumuheke Stream runs into the Waikato River near the Spa Thermal Park, and Wairakei Terraces has adults-only pools under artificial silica terraces north of town. Closer to Tokaanu, the short climb up Manganamu, a 490 m lava dome east of the settlement, gives a view over the lake.