Bay of Islands Glow Worm Caves & Scenic Shore Excursion

Name: Bay of Islands Glow Worm Caves & Scenic Shore Excursion
Price: 225 NZD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.51 (317 reviews)

Overview

Available languages

English

5 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Create lasting memories on this half-day tour of the Bay of Islands from your cruise ships arrival at the Waitangi Wharf.

The Bay of Islands is a popular tourist destination in New Zealand. This guided tour shows you an abundance of breathtaking picturesque views giving you plenty of fantastic photo opportunities. The area is often referred to as “the birthplace of New Zealand”, due to the past events that took place there. These historical events led to the shaping of New Zealand.

Your tour will include a Bakery/Café stop for you to grab a coffee or something to eat “on the go”. Your Bay Of Islands tour guide will instruct you on where to catch the shuttle buses back to the tenders should you wish to stay in town longer once your tour ends.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Public transportation options are available nearby

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time

100% refund will be issued if your ship can't make it into port due to weather conditions.

If your ship is scheduled to arrive after 9.30am - the tour departure time will automatically adjust to depart 1 hour after your arrival time - you can email to confirm this after booking.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Paihia Harbour

See the Paihia harbour as we drive through

10 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

Haruru Falls

View the waterfalls

15 minutes • Admission Included

What‘s Included

Bottled water

Driver/guide

Chocolate-tasting

Air-conditioned vehicle

Port pickup and drop-off

Live commentary on board

Local taxes

Food and Drinks

Options

Bay of Islands Glow Worm Caves & Scenic Shore Excursion

Pickup included

Reviews

4.51

317 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

224

Visiting Waitangi
Regina H,,Jan 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Driver, Dyson, was unhurried , knowledgeable and friendly. Each stop we made was exceptional with the cave an education into the world of glow worms and Māori history.
Bay of islands shore excursion
66Lefty,,Jan 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great shore excursion! Pickup from the tender wharf. Knowledgeable guide,Dyson, showed us the area and gave plenty of information about KeriKeri and surrounding areas. Haruru falls, Glo worm cave was very interesting, stopped at a chocolate store, and local made wooden items store. Return to wharf with plenty of time. Great day, thanks again Dyson
Incredible Day
Lori A,,Jan 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a great tour guide/bus driver. He kept us informed along the route about the areas we were going through and the tour we were about to experience. He was knowledgeable about the area and history of the Glo Worm Cave. He also was enthusiastic about the Kauri Trees preservation and their history.
Dyson our driver was very...
Myrna A,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Dyson our driver was very informative and his commentary was interesting. Falls were great as were the glow worm caves. Also seeing the Kauri forest was worth it.
Go fo it
Roseann F,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Even though it rained all day we still had a great time and excellent driver. Dyson was patient, educational and helpful.
The guide was very...
Eddie S,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
The guide was very informative and the caves were amazing very different to anything we had seen before.
This is a great tour and...
Andres R,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This is a great tour and the caverns are magical. The tour guide was friendly and explain every question. Very knowledgeable
A little disappointing
Kevin B,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
We have done many shore excursions and were somewhat disappointed in this tour. While the logistics of being picked up and returned were fine, our guide did not really engage with us like guides in the past (and especially compared to our guide on a Viator excursion the next day). There was a little bit of commentary, but nothing in depth. We realise that it was a public holiday, so the normal food option was not available. This was part of the booking. However, it seemed like organising somewhere for a quick bite was last minute. The tour was supposed to include a visit to a chocolate factory, but this did not happen and no mention was made. Once again, probably because of a public holiday but no provision made. The Glow worm part was busy but fine. We saw the sites but did not come away thinking that it was a fantastic experience, which we did with our two subsequent excursions.
Worms ok
Iris S,,Dec 27, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
Yes it became rainy at end of day… it was just basically the glow worm tour. No chocolate which I think was in the description of tour. Just not much bang for buck. Toilet was waste.
Disappointing
Samantha B,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00
An extremely expensive excursion of what consisted of a visit to the glow worm cave. We understood that being a public holiday somethings might be closed but we didn't get to see or do anything else. Our driver was great and friendly however it would have been much cheaper to get a cab to the caves independently.