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
124 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
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.
Reminds me of those wonderful firelfies we had back in the Midwest!
CarlEaston,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an unexpected treat on our journey through New Zealand on our way to Paihia. We'd heard about Glow Worms, but had no idea what they were, and to be honest, it sounded a bit tourist-trappy. But we were totally wrong. This small family-owned cavern was quite the pleasure to tour and learn about these little creatures. The cavern had three areas totally populated with these light green iridescent glowing worms. It took a while for our eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once we got adjusted, they were all over the place! They TOTALLY remind me of those wonderful fireflies we used to chase and collect back in Mason jars on those special warm mid-western nights in Wisconsin, except these weren't moving about or touchable. The path was a well constructed wood-framed route with several small flights of stairs. Clearly not handicap accessible and should be avoided by anyone that can't do stairs. The guide was informative and pleasant. You exit out the back of the cavern and take a rather rugged path (moderate climb) back up and over the small hill that the cave runs beneath. Again a bit difficult for those with walking issue. But all in all, it was totally a pleasure and one of the most fun stops on this adventure so far. We highly recommend it.
The cave was good but...
Jo G,,Dec 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
2.00The cave was good but people should know that it can become crowded when a lot of tours this results in close contact also waiting time when crowds
This was a great tour....
Steven H,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a great tour. Our driver Bill was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of great information.
Great all round tour of key sights in Bay of Islands
katefA6538HC,,Dec 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Cruise ship tour in early December 2025. Small bus / van with 9 of us on board. Liked the glow worms and forest walk. Ingrid our tour guide was fantastic! She shared lots of great knowledge with us. Also met some of the other Mullarkey tour guides taking other groups. They were all down to earth, friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend Mullarkey Tours.
From NZ$240.00
Want a private experience? Upgrade to a private tour
Related Experiences
Operated by Mullarkey Tours Limited