What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Well worth doing

  Tania K,Apr 8, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Absolutely amazing tour informative staff Really enjoyed the boat ride over There were an abundance of glow worms to see

• This is an amazing...

  Suzanne B,Apr 8, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This is an amazing experience, highly recommend Went on last trip of the day, probably the best time to go

• Easy and Wonderful Experience

  jeffmP3033XZ,Apr 7, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  My wife and I did this as our last Viator tour while in NZ and it was a fantastic way to finish off our NZ adventure. This is an easy and enjoyable trip with an amazing experience. We took a number of trips while in NZ with RealNZ and they really put together well orchestrated and executed tours. This was no exception! The meeting place in downtown Te Anau had easy parking with a short walk to the Visitor Center/dock. As with the other RealNZ trips, the boats used are efficient, well designed “Fit for Purpose” and beautiful. Crews are friendly and professional and they are almost always right on schedule. And, let’s just admit it, most trips on a nice boat are very enjoyable! (Weather permitting of course). Our tour started out overcast, and NGL, the top deck in the open was quite chilly; but, one also always has a choice to go down to the lower level and enjoy a comfortable heated cabin seating area as well. And, on the return trip the sun was out and the views of the Fijordlands from the top deck were stunning! After a 30-40 min trip across lake Te Anau you land at the reception center to the caves. This is nice little cozy place where you meet the tour guides, get an overview of the upcoming experience, have a chance to use the restroom and also pick up a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. The group is then split into smaller groups of 12 each assigned to a guide and spaced accordingly for optimal experiences in the caves. You then set out in your smaller group with your guide. The cave experience is amazing! Hard to believe the infrastructure they have put together once you are inside. Sturdy metal walkways, appropriate low lighting and eventually a boat! All in a way that you can take the full experience in optimally. My wife and I laughed how it all felt so much like a Disneyland experience, except it was real! The caves are spectacular, with a clear beautiful stream and waterfalls running through them, viewed from above while you walk the metal track they have installed. You might get some water drops on you from above, it is a bit chilly inside, and some of the overhangs are quite low so, if you are tall, expect to have to duck a fair amount in some cases to get through. And, keep in mind no pictures or lights of any kind permitted while in the caves. At the end of the accessible part of the caves you will need to be very quiet and hope others in the group do the same. Honestly, I recommend avoiding being with others in the group with very young kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love kids, but the glow worms are impacted by noise and light so your experience will be better if the group as a whole can stay really quiet. Upon boarding the small boat in the cave, (tight but manageable fit again if you are tall and how in the world did they ever get that boat in that cave!?) your guide uses hands on a rope to maneuver the boat into the “glow worm grotto” where you will be truly amazed at what you will see. The glow worms putting on a light show you will forever remember. Just so remarkable to learn about and then experience this wonder of nature. For me, a genuinely moving experience. And, the guide gives you plenty of time there and also rotates the boat so everyone eventually gets to see all the parts. After that, you disembark the boat and backtrack to the welcome center. There is a very short “nature walk” option worth taking. All it really is though is a couple of information boards but worth seeing. Then you board your boat for the beautiful return ride back to Te Anau. This really is a wonderfully unique experience which is easily accessible for most and well worth the time and money.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• An absolute must do!

  Familyfoodsnz,Apr 6, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This experience is a definite not to be missed. The tour was exceptionally well organised and professional throughout. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. Every element of this tour had its own wow factor. The boat trip to the caves had magical scenery and interesting commentary. Of note the commentary was only small snippets at strategic points so you could enjoy the view and piece of the lake. At the caves we had a really informative and interesting talk about the caves and the glow worms. The talk had a great mix of humour and information. The caves … WOW! Firstly the work in making it accessible was incredible. The guide again was awesome with a perfect balance of commentary and quiet to enjoy the space. There were plenty of glowworms, but in fact the underground river and caves themselves were spectacular in their own right. The guide did a great job of pointing out and explaining the glow worms threads and the stalactites. The boat trip within the caves was a whole other level of magical. This trip is accessible for all fitness levels. I would highly recommend this experience.

  

  

• Magical Adventure: Exploring the Glowworm Caves at Lake Te Anau

  841andrewy,Apr 5, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  For the first time ever, we are experiencing the Glow Worn in a cave. It was a relaxing trip to the Glowworm Caves on Lake Te Anau. The cruise ship staff was really nice and informative. We shall never forget the completely different experience that was offered to us the instant we entered the cave and witnessed the Glowworms' luminous interior.

• Terrific Tour; Not To Be Missed; Well Organized and Implemented; And Fascinating

  gsbpro,Apr 3, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Real NZ, the tour company , appears to have the sole right to enter the cave and do the tourn They must have built all the infrastructure, paths, boats, pavilion etc. ...and did a terrific job thinking it out for the best possible guest experience The guides, boat captain, announcer on the boat were all terrific, but what really made the tour was how this company had arranged and organize the cave viewing in small boats pulled along in the darkness for excellent viewing of the glow worms. After a short cruise across the lake (it was raining on the other side of the lake and had a beautiful rainbow) we arrived to at the area with the cave entrance (we could see the river flowing out of the cave down the sand into the lake). They took very small groups at a time into the cave. I am guessing a dozen, twenty at most. While the first groups went into the cave, the rest of us went into the pavilion where we got some hot drinks and watched an introductory film about the glow worms. I am glad we got to do this first as it really helped us understand what we were going to see (and i took some photos from their film so i had photos of the glow worms and experience since you cannot take photos inside). We happened to be the last group to go into the cave and that worked out very well. The cave is organized with a walkway through the initial part of the cave with the river running through the cave with beautiful rapids and waterfalls along the way. My wife and I both commented to each other that it was the best cave we had ever visited (been to dozens) with the water and rapids and waterfalls (actually reminded us of part of Pirates of the Caribbean. As you walk farther in, the lights are a bit dimmer…so your eyes adjust to the darkness. They do not allow you to take photos …in case someone messes up with a flash. Your eyes really need to adjust to darkness to really see the glow worms Eventually we get to a point above the main waterfall where the water is placid and they have these little boats…with only two rows of seats….each facing out to the side of the boat….back to back. So everyone has a view. (been in a lot of caves and boats for sightseeing...and you all sit in rows facing ahead...and unless you are in front...you miss a lot. Not here. You see everything ...and not just the back of someone's head!) As we left the dock, the boat proceeds very quietly through the water into the darkness …I could not see my hand in front of my face. Nothing. (I assumed the guide was pulling the boat along with a rope…he later told me it was a chain . No motor, electric or otherwise to ruin the experience. They thought of everything ) Eventually we started to see the glow worms. Tons of them. Sometimes they just looked like stars in the sky…other times there were a bunch together so it looked like the milky way creating enough of a glow that you could see your hand…barely. Eventually they turn the boat around, so you get a view of the other side of the cave walls. Once we got back to the dock and out of the boat we started to walk back. Now that we were in the lighted area, the guide showed us some of the glow worms in a crevice. Since it was light, we could not see their glow, but we could see the worms up close and, in particular, all the “silk” threads they spin hanging down to catch flying insects. (not sure if silk is the right word but the glow worms are like spiders in that they spit out sticky threads to catch prey…or other glow worms we were told). The entire experience was amazing and so well planned and orchestrated. They put a lot of thought into the design of the tour, how to present the glow worms, have small groups in a small boat, pulled along by the guide…genius. When I booked this, I was not really sure it was going to be worth it. We were so glad we did it. The experience is not to be missed.

• Great tour

  Diane C,Apr 3, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was a great outing from Te Anau. Nice boat ride, great guides. The underground boat ride and the glow worms were amazing. Two very low areas where you have to stoop.

• Informative

  Fearless52065973716,Apr 2, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  4.00

  The guides were great and it was really interesting to see the glow worms in their natural habitat. A well set up tour and scenic adventure.

• The glow worms are so...

  Monica S,Mar 30, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  The cave is so cool and the guides knew a lot about the wildlife and geology. Very interesting to learn about and cool to see.

• It’s was a wonderful...

  Bree B,Mar 30, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  It’s was a wonderful experience. My partner and I, didn’t know what to expect but even with small patches of glowworm clusters, it was breathtaking. The silent boat ride allowed you to really take in the scenery!

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