Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

Overview

Available languages

English

7 hours

Mobile ticket

Join Auckland & Beyond Tours for an unforgettable Waitomo Glowworm Caves experience! New Zealand’s unique “Arachnocampa Luminosa” glowworms light up the Waitomo Grotto, creating a mesmerizing scene. We’ll start by picking you up from Auckland CBD, followed by a scenic 2.5-hour drive through South Auckland and the Waikato region, with stops for photos along the way.

Upon arrival, you’ll have 30 minutes to browse the Gift Shop or enjoy refreshments at the Waitomo Homestead. Then, embark on a one-hour guided tour through the Glowworm Cave, where your guide will share the cave’s history and details about the fascinating glowworms and rock formations.

Finish your tour with a serene boat ride along the Waitomo River, silently marveling at the glowworms’ ethereal light. After your Glowworm experience, we’ll return to Auckland via scenic roads.

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Specialized infant seats are available

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Infant seats must be requested at least 24 hours in advance (extra charges apply)

A minimum of 4 people is required for the tour to operate

Cancellation Policy

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

What‘s Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges

WiFi on board

Bottled water

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Auckland City Center

Snacks

All entry tickets & guided tours

Air-conditioned vehicle

Professional driver/guide

Gratuities

Lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

What To Expect

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

- Guided tour at Waitomo Glow Worm Caves including boat ride

1 hour • Admission Included

Options

Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

Pickup included

Reviews

4.69

29 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fabulous experience!
Exploration616858,
Nov 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our guide and driver, Adil, gave us very interesting information on the history of New Zealand and entertained us with lots of stories and little added extras. An excellent guide who really made the trip special! We would give him 11/10. Jan and John Carson
A great day on the road
Departure26659180615,
Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I was so lucky to get all on my own on this tour with my guide Stephen. He showed me so much more than was sceduled on the tour.
Beautiful sight to see the glowworms in the dark!
Akshay K,
Nov 7, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Seeing the glowworms in the dark caves is a truly surreal experience. A must do in Auckland! Jon was professional, kept everybody cheery, on time and helped make it a great experience!
Good trip !
Flyer27425286271,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We visit Waitomo cave in Nov 2025, the trip is amazing with driver Jon accopanied us all the way from Auckland to Waitomo. He was super helpful & friendly, shout out to you Jon. The quantity of the worms at the time we visit was quite low but in overall it is an anazing experience!
Beautiful sight to see the glowworms in the dark!
kakshay92,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Seeing the glowworms in the dark caves is a truly surreal experience. A must do in Auckland! Jon was professional, kept everybody cheery, on time and helped make it a great experience!
Great stories
julienMdutra,
Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Dave is a special guy. What a great opportunity is great stories through him. Thanks a lot. We got the road to waitomo caves and certainly were well succeeded
A must-see site
lises353,
Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
Incredible experience but quite short. Out driver was great, very knowledgeable but drove very fast on the twisty roads!
Lukewarm Glow
BigJazza904,
Aug 11, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
It’s pleasant and well organised but not worth the money. Consolation is the local economy / Maori community benefits. Nice cafe. Friendly staff.
Excellent Tour Guide "Mr. ADIL"
ita d,
Jul 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Car is very clean & comfy. Our tour guide name ADIL is super duper friendly & kind. He explained about new zealand history clearly, complete & informatively. We got a surprise bonus feeding the ostrich on the way to waitomo. It's very nice. Aso, I'm asking about kiwi fruit plants & he stopped by the fruit shop & shown me how the plant is. I'm very happy & highly appreciate ro Mr. ADIL. You're the best. Thank you for the super experiences
The caves twinkle like stars
289chuckf,
Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It’s a 3 hour trip to the caves, We left our hotel very early, there was not much sightseeing as it was dark. Chris kept us informed of the sights we couldn’t see until our return trip. We stopped for snacks and restroom break at a small bakery. The caves are something you don’t want to miss.