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‘s Included
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Food and drinks
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.
Options
Kawiti Glow Worm Cave Tour
Reviews
110 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Bay of Islands Glow Worm
622elisabethm,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Excellent and interesting tour. This is a great tour to do from a cruise ship. Simply walk off the cruise ship , then walk straight ahead to taught club where the tour begins. We were in a small group of about 8-10. First stop is a scenic view, then off to the cave. Very unique and enjoyable experience, Next we were taken to the small town and interesting “toilets” Time for lunch ( we were happy to walk around) or shopping if you opt for it. An amazing end to the tour is the rainforest drive followed by the short hike. Our guide had wonderful information about the trees and plants we were viewing, This tour should be on your list especially if you are in a cruise ship!
Brilliant driver and guide
Jodie L,
Oct 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Small tour which allowed us to go to places the bigger buses could not get to. Very flexible with timing. Very knowledgeable driver and guide. Thanks Derek,
Brilliant Glowworms, Forest Vibes, and Good Times!
Steve S,
Oct 17, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Derek was an amazing tour guide! Our trip started with a 45-minute drive to the glowworm caves, and Derek kept us entertained the whole way with fun and fascinating stories about the local history. The caves themselves were even more incredible than I expected — truly something special! I was a bit worried because I can get claustrophobic in tight spaces, but the caves felt surprisingly spacious and comfortable with sturdy walkways. The little lanterns we had, combined with the glowworms lighting up the caves, created such a magical and open atmosphere. After that, we made a quick stop in a little town where you can grab a cup of coffee or a snack before heading to a stunning forest hike that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. This whole experience was unforgettable, Derek’s knowledge history, plants, trees was unbelievable and I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Bay of Islands!
Beautiful experience
TravelerCGN22,
Apr 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Beautiful! This cave, which is still owned by the Maori, is an absolute must. You must have seen that. Beautiful and very interesting. The section called the Milky Way is the highlight. When you're in, you know why her name is. Toll! Photography is prohibited in the cave. But you can find pictures on the web!
Interesting Kiwi adventure!
Littlesunny,
Apr 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Super interesting experience! An extremely knowledgeable staff… I will do this again and again with guests visiting!
Did not disappoint.
Clark B,
Apr 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Interesting experience. Great views of this fascinating biology. Informative talk by a Mauri Local. Some steps and only a couple of stalagmites to avoid (if you are tall). Tour operator/driver/guide was very informative, and we enjoyed both the experience and his humor. Would do this again.
Our guide was new and not...
mary v,
Apr 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00Our guide was new and not very informative throughout the tour. We sat in the back of the van and asked several times to turn up the volume on her mike but she said she didn’t want to blast everyone. So we missed much of her commentary because we couldn’t hear her over the road noise. The two sites themselves were very interesting, especially the glow worm caves. We had an excellent guide there.
Great experience
ThinThinH3,
Apr 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide Robin is experienced local guide and he is always happy to answer anyone’s questions and make sure we have enough time in each areas. Glow worms cave experience is amazing and walking through Opua rainforest is a little best place to explore with a small group. As tour takes about 3.5 hours and I guess it will be good that if tour includes few other places such as going around bay areas or Haruharu waterfall.
Amazing glow worm viewing! Excellent value.
TerryAReviewer,
Apr 7, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely excellent. No photos allowed inside. Better value compared to the most advertised options near Waitomo. 45 minutes - but the walking is very short. There are several viewing stops.
Glow worm experience unique
Richard B,
Mar 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The glow worm caves were something I have never experienced before and was an excellent opportunity to see nature untouched
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Operated by Mullarkey Tours Limited