Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour
Overview
Available languages
45 minutes
Mobile ticket
Be amazed by the thousands of magical glowworms above on this 45-minute group guided tour, as you glide silently by boat in the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Many of the current guides are descendants of the Maori chief who originally explored the cave and can share with you the remarkable history of the area. Guided since the late 1880s, this is the original, iconic New Zealand attraction.
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Bring comfortable waking shoes and a warm jacket
You must check in 30 minutes before the tour departs .
Due to high demand and limited capacity, if you are late or miss your scheduled tour time your ticket(s) are forfeited and non refundable. New bookings will incur the full tour cost and are subject to availability
No photography allowed
Not suitable for those who have difficulty navigating stairs
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Discover your moment of magic in the Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour. Known as one of New Zealand’s best natural attractions, take a boat ride through the glow worm grotto, marvel at thousands of magical glowworms and become part of over 130 years of cultural and natural history.World renowned and a magnet for both local and overseas visitors, the Waitomo Glowworm Caves occupy a high placing in the New Zealand vacation wish-list. The glow worm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as the expert guides provide informative commentary on their historical and geological significance to the region. Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a must see for any traveler. Enjoy the world famous boat ride under thousands of magical glowworms and become a part of over 125 years of cultural and natural history. Walk through the majestic Cathedral Cave famous for its spectacular formations and acoustics. Marvel at Mother Nature's light display as you glide silently through the starry wonderland of the Glowworm Grotto. Meander underground along the Waitomo River and gaze in silence at the myriad of glow worm lights that make up the Glowworm Grotto. As you enter this galaxy of tiny living lights, you'll immediately experience a serene ambience and be fascinated and intrigued by tiny glowworms that light your way.
What‘s Included
Local guide
GST (Goods and Services Tax)
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Options
Waitomo Glowworm Cave
Waitomo Glowworm Cave Tour: Be amazed by thousands of magical glowworms above, as you glide silently by boat in the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
Reviews
1,048 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Stunning natural beauty
marktraynor,,Feb 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00The caves are truly and out of this world experience. They are like looking up at the stars while being under the ground, a great way to spend the afternoon with family
Magical Glowworm Experience ✨
Bea R,,Feb 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00An impressive cave system with so many glowworms – it truly feels magical. The formations inside are stunning and the atmosphere is unforgettable. Our guide was knowledgeable, fun, and engaging. He explained everything clearly and even sang in one of the chambers to demonstrate the incredible acoustics – his singing voice was beautiful and made the experience even more special. A wonderful and memorable tour that I highly recommend!
Something you should do...
Julie E,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Something you should do if visiting or you haven't done it yet as a NZer. Kids and adults will love it.
Very unique experience...
Albert E,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very unique experience seeing the glow worms and caves. Our guide was great, incredibly enthusiastic and informative.
Great experience
PRATEEK K,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Must visit place. The tour guide explained it really well, which made our experience more memorable.
Entertaining
Jo D,,Feb 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Zeplin was our guide, he was knowledgeable/informative and funny. Caves were amazing, no photos to be taken, even though some still try to take pictures. Please listen to your guide and not ruin it for the rest of the party.
Disappointing
gusmU4067BT,,Feb 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00We had really looked forward to this tour given the novelty of seeing the glow worms, but it felt like a tourist trap. They accurately describe that the tour takes about 45" and that there will be a boat ride to see the glow worms, however, it seemed that the majority of the tour was spent telling you what you could and couldn't do and the boat ride was approximately 5" in total. Not being able to even videotape the glowworms contributed to the disappointment. You can see glow worms for free throughout New Zealand, so I would skip the cost of this tour.
Interesting Tours, and a Unique Experience
Tom42532,,Feb 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00We actually did two cave tours back to back - Waitomo Glowworm Cave (50 minutes) and Ruakuri Cave (90 minutes). Both were interesting, but with 20/20 hindsight, doing one and not both would have been fine. Both caves are beautiful, and in both cases we had knowledgeable and friendly guides. The glowworms are interesting, but not as dramtic as the photos on the tour provider's website.
Surfing
karinpD8571GW,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
2.00I think the popularity of this place exceeds the truth. It is a cave like there are thousands of others in the world (and the prettiest) with stalactites and stalagmites. The guide says don't touch them, but he does touch them. He did not want to sing in the "cathedral" because he sang badly. In addition, you need to have a certain level of English to understand everything. They've been operating this place for generations but it's a lot of publicity for what it really is. The glowworms are at the end in a boat in complete darkness. This looks a lot like my Christmas electric garlands. You can't take pictures or talk....Disappointing!
Glowworms amazing - but I felt like I was herded through
Jodi A,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00They pump tourists through here like you are a herd of cattle. Mary Francis was our guide. She talked so fast and was hard to understand. We were in a group of about 20 going from Station to station in the cave. Often she started talking before all of us got there. And then the guide in the group behind us talked so loud it was hard to hear her, especially when she sang. The second part of the tour was in a small boat on the water in the cave. The glowworms were amazing to see - it looked like we were looking up at lots of small blue stars. I’m glad we did it, but the overall experience wasn’t great. Also, you couldn’t take pictures until the very end, and then the boat was moving so the photos didn’t turn out as you had to hold still for 3 seconds.
From NZ$81.00
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