Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour
- 45 minutes
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
Be amazed by the thousands of magical glowworms above on this 45-minute group guided tour, as you glide silently by boat in the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Many of the current guides are descendants of the Maori chief who originally explored the cave and can share with you the remarkable history of the area. Guided since the late 1880s, this is the original, iconic New Zealand attraction.
Inclusions
What's included
- Local guide
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
What's not
- Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Itinerary
Discover your moment of magic in the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. Known as one of New Zealand’s best natural attractions, take a boat ride through the glow worm grotto, marvel at thousands of magical glowworms and become part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history.World renowned and a magnet for both local and overseas visitors, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves occupy a high placing in the New Zealand vacation wish-list. The glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as the expert guides provide informative commentary on their historical and geological significance to the region. Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveler. Enjoy the world famous boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 125 years of cultural and natural history. Walk through the majestic Cathedral Cave famous for its spectacular formations and acoustics. Marvel at Mother Nature's light display as you glide silently through the starry wonderland of the Glowworm Grotto. Meander underground along the Waitomo River and gaze in silence at the myriad of glow worm lights that make up the Glowworm Grotto. As you enter this galaxy of tiny living lights, you'll immediately experience a serene ambience and be fascinated and intrigued by tiny glowworms that light your way.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.4
- 5790
- 4239
- 3119
- 255
- 140
Ratings come from 1,243 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5It was amazing! very...
It was amazing! very informative and beautiful to see the cave formations and of course the glow worms.
3Not worth the price.
Less than 1/2 the glow worms compared to the photos. Short 15min. Short walk of cave. Pity no video can be taken.
2Not kid friendly
Not kid friendly for kids below 6. They expect kids to not say a word and shushh the whole time. Its a good experience if its just adults if big kids. But not worth the stress with little kids
5Amazing Tour guide !
My daughter became said she felt sick, we decided to tell our tour guide we are going back. We waited for a group to come down the stairs and there was another tour guide just behind the group the behind by himself. I let him know “sorry we need to go back up the stairs cause my daughter is feeling sick” , he said the fastest way to go out was actually on the boat. He quickly took us on the boat to enter out the caves and we managed to catch the Glowworms at the same time and didn’t miss out ! Thank you soooo much I think he goes by the name “bubba” , anyways bro you are a life saver ! Much aroha to you and the crew !
5Fun tour!
Very informative tour through some cool caves and got to see a ton of glowworms. Our tour guide, James, was really nice and knowledgeable! We enjoyed him a lot!
5Extraordinary experience...
Extraordinary experience to see the glow worms. Friendly tour guide who explains the journey well and enjoyable .
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Drive through the Waitomo Village parking located on the righthand side. Please use walkway under road to access building. Departure Point: Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitor Centre Address: 39 Waitomo Village Road, Waitomo Dates: Daily
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 23 travellers
- Operated by
- THL - Waitomo Caves Group
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Bring comfortable waking shoes and a warm jacket
- You must check in 30 minutes before the tour departs .
- Due to high demand and limited capacity, if you are late or miss your scheduled tour time your ticket(s) are forfeited and non refundable. New bookings will incur the full tour cost and are subject to availability
- No photography allowed
- Not suitable for those who have difficulty navigating stairs
How it compares in Waitomo
- Its from-price is 60% below the median of the 13 experiences we list in Waitomo.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 1 of 13.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Waitomo
Waitomo is a village in the King Country, on limestone hills riddled with caves, where glow-worms light the cave ceilings.
Waitomo sits in rolling sheep country in the northern King Country of the North Island, about an hour's drive south of Hamilton. The name comes from Māori words for water and hole, and the limestone hills under the farmland are riddled with caves. In the best known of them, the Glowworm Cave, boats glide beneath a ceiling dotted with the blue-green lights of a glow-worm found only in New Zealand.
Top-ranked sights in Waitomo: Ruakuri Cave.
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