Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour & Opua Forest Walk
Overview
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
This tour is for Cruise Ship customers and all members of the public staying in the Bay of Islands.
We visit the Kawiti Glow Worm Caves, the Hundertwasser Toilets and take a leisurely 30-minute walk through the Opua Forest. All tours are approximately 3 hours long and leave from the Waitangi wharf at 9.30 am on Cruise Ship days. On other days the tour leaves from the Paihia I-site at 9.30am.
The price includes Cave entry, and the Maori guides are members of the family who have owned the attraction for over 400 years.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Kawiti Glow Worm Caves
Our destination is the Kawiti Glowworm Caves where a local Maori guide will lead you through underground caverns to see the glow worms and tell you how the caves came to be found. Your 30 minute guided tour will follow a wooden boardwalk (with handrails) through a 200 metre limestone cave system. Once inside, you will see thousands of glow worms spread across the ceiling surrounded by breath taking stalactites and stalagmites.
Kawakawa Public Toilets by Hundertwasser
Then, a short drive to Kawakawa, location of the world famous "Hundertwasser Toilets" one of the few public toilets seen as an international work of art, designed by the expatriate Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, features the use of recycled materials from the local community.
What‘s Included
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Food and drinks
Options
Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour
Reviews
130 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We enjoyed this tour!...
Anonymous,,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We enjoyed this tour! Kamal was a wonderful, informative guide. His communications were timely, kind and helpful. This tour includes many highlights like beautiful Devenport, the worm cave and beautiful rainforest. I recommend this tour!
Poor comms - glow worm and forest worth visiting but not the toilets!
Caroline D,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Glow worm experience was worth doing and tree walk but this could have been condensed into a half day tour - adding a trip to ‘toilets’ felt like the trip was being strung out and not a place worth visiting - also poor communication with the time of start of the trip - told to arrive for 9:30am start but then on arrival advised it would be 11:30am!
Glow worms glow
Monica J,,Feb 1, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very interesting walk into the caves with fantastic guides. You are up close to the glow worms with excellent information about the history of the area and glow worms.
Loss of an hour waiting for Tour
stacyg805,,Jan 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Unfortunately we wasted an hour after arriving at the Cave for our tour. I wish the tour guide could have rearranged the time, so we could have done something else during that time period. When we arrived, we were told 15 mins which then turned into an hour. It seemed the Cave place was confused or understaffed. The walk in the forest was great and a lot of fun. I feel we could have spent more time there, or doing something else.
Kawiti glow Worm Cave
oldleftcoastdude,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00If you have limited time, this is the tour to take. The walk in the rainy forest is an experience that you must have when you visit the Bay of Islands
Beautiful Bay of Island area with crowded Kawiti Glow Worm Cave visit and interesting Kawakawa Hundertwasser experience
JanaCapri,,Jan 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Bay of Island tour visiting Bay of Islands golf ground where was Maori treaty signed and Kawakawa city with Austrian architect Hundertwasser toilets. Key point of the tour is Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour, however this cave is small and they take too big groups inside with not sufficient time between the groups which is causing delays of the visit. Also it is not possible to make photo of cave inside, but they sell postcards which can be used as memory. Another point was Opua forest walk which is not long walk with ferns forest, but it was raining and the walk was not interrupted...
Beautiful Bay of Island area with crowded Kawiti Glow Worm Cave visit and interesting Kawakawa Hundertwasser experience
Jana K,,Jan 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Bay of Island tour visiting Bay of Islands golf ground where was Maori treaty signed and Kawakawa city with Austrian architect Hundertwasser toilets. Key point of the tour is Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour, however this cave is small and they take too big groups inside with not sufficient time between the groups which is causing delays of the visit. Also it is not possible to make photo of cave inside, but they sell postcards which can be used as memory. Another point was Opua forest walk which is not long walk with ferns forest, but it was raining and the walk was not interrupted...
New experience of glow worm
Vivi K,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00So amazed with the magical glow worm, didnt believe it was worm but it is, thanks to the local guide for being so informative and to our tour guide: Holger
Bay of Islands glow worm cave.
John S,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Easy pick up and drop off at ship jetty by a friendly driver.. Audio speakers in mini bus was a bit hard to hear over road noise.
Great experience
Traveler50505668624,,Dec 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very informative, friendly guide. A good length tour with lots of variety. Included admission fee to all experiences. The bus was very comfortable. Lots of fun even for my 7 year old son.
From NZ$240.00
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Operated by Mullarkey Tours Limited