Reviews of Waitomo Glowworm Caves. (Museum) in Te Kūiti (Waikato).

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

11545 Reviews

386 Comments

Museum

Tourist attraction

Historical landmark

Tour operator

39 Waitomo Village Road, Waitomo Caves 3977, New Zealand

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Description

Information of Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Museum in Te Kūiti (Waikato)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Monday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Tuesday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Wednesday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Thursday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Friday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Saturday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Sunday

8:30 a.m.–6 p.m.

Popular times

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Reviews of Waitomo Glowworm Caves

B. K. D.

Wonderful experience, Guides to tell about the cave and give instructions. Good service. Restaurant available with in the permises.Boat ride was exciting with pitch black surrounding😬 and glow worms😍. Shops inside with collections. But too costly.

Awesome place.. loved the tour guides.. they were amazing.. guided and loaded through lots of ancient knowledge.. very interesting & eye gazing.. loved it❤️

L. L.

Unforgettable place. Amazing tour of cave and glowworms. Booked online but found not so busy. Fortunately toured with a samll group and a nice guide. Easy to find and plenty of parking...

Loved every moment. It was great to learn the history and how the caves were used in the past by Māori but also how it was cared for. Loved the scientific history as well and how the caves were formed but more so looking at the beautiful glow worms, it was truly an experience. Last but not least our tour guide Christian was awesome! The kids loved everything about our trip to the caves.

New Zealand should be proud of this remarkable natural wonder. After travelling overseas for 30 years there are very few things that come close to competing with this enchanting, spectacular place. Had our own private tour from superb guide Wii had great knowledge and direct connection to the caves through his ancestors. Brilliant day!

Had Glen(n?) as our tour guide, he was very knowledgeable and gave lots of interesting facts about the cave. Due to a historical bad flood in March(?) though, there weren't as many glowworms as there had been before, which is a main attraction for many who come to see it, and it might not look as amazing as it does on the pictures. The boat ride and the cave itself was nice though. Recommend getting the combo deal with Ruakuri Cave as it more than makes up for what you might have missed in the Waitomo Cave.

T. P.

We very enjoyed our experience here once we arrived til we left. We had our own tour guide and boat , which made the tour quite peaceful and not rushed . Loved the glow worms, caves and boat ride. Will highly recommend.

U. B.

Kia Ora, Waitomo Glowworm Caves is a very popular spot in North Island of NZ, this and three more caves have a species of Glowworm which emit light through bioluminescence process. We started from Auckland around morning 08:30 and reached caves parking area at 10:54 a.m. Drive is very nice, its countryside drive once you have crossed Hamilton towards Ngāhinapōuri. We booked our tickets online to reserve our preferred slot tickets else would have to wait sometime in case tickets on spot would get sold out. It get busier during school holidays and weekends. Its entrance is classy and it’s a photographic spot for visitors. Our tour guide name was "Tui" and was brilliant guide, she explained us about how name originated for this place as "Waitomo". Its named after Māori heritage, wai - water and tomo- hole, right from the start of the tour, Tui explained our group at each point the significance and the scientific reason behind the spot, she also sung an awesome Māori song with our group. Once we saw the points inside the caves where calcium formation Loved the glow worms, caves and boat ride Great to know about the history of this beautiful place. In-all it’s a wonderful experience and if it would have an option of 10 stars, I will give 10. Ngā Mihi

It was great to learn the history and how the caves were used in the past by Māori. Loved to know the scientific history and how the caves were formed but more so looking at the beautiful glow worms, it was truly an awesome experience. our tour guide Chris was awesome!. I specially recommend to new visitors if they get Chris as a tour guide they gonna love it. Ohh Chris sung beautiful Māori song as well.❤️❤️

I loved it. It was like walking into a cathedral which had an atmosphere of peace and serenity. It was amazing. This is the first time I have been there but it was truly "awesome". Go if you get a chance. The glow worms were pretty and gliding in the boat was spectacular. I would love to go again one day.

Great tour, amazing tour guides, very informative and fun to learn, family friendly and a very patient tour guide on our trip. Kids had a blast, and loved seeing and learning about the glow worms.

Wi was an excellent guide, very funny as well as informative. It's the third time I'd been but the first for my teens, who loved it. My daughter is mildly claustrophobic but managed fine as it was far more open than she had imagined.

J. G.

Well organized place. Has a designated parking opposite and a tunnel walkway to the ticketing booth. Better not wear your cleanest shoes as the place is often wet. No photography inside, so leave your cameras. Book online ahead of time and be there atleast 30 mins before as the queues on the both get rather long or takes time. Be prepared to pay around $37 for the photo book at the end of the tour which I think is worth it. Good to get em fridge magnets too as a collection.

Visited two times 2015 December and 2021 December. I enjoyed the tour both times. It’s one of my favourite glow worms cave in New Zealand. You can find a lot of glow worms than Te anau glow worms cave, South Island. The guided tour is very informative about cave formation, history and it’s preservation. Photography is banned for safety reasons. I think the ban is good to experience the cave tour .

S. R.

I did all 3 cave tours and highly recommend all, tour guides were absolutely brilliant. A great mix of informative knowledge and humour. Will definitely return. A place photos don’t do it justice. You need experience in person.

We had a truly delightful experience here last week. What really made it memorable however, was the awesome tour guide who is clearly really passionate with fascinating stories and his little gems of life wisdom. Thank you!

Awesome place and great experience a must for everyone.....

Good cave adventure. Needs to be a bit more informative than the basic stalagmites and stalactites discussion. The history was interesting but I felt it could have been a better experience overall

So glad we stopped here, amazing to see these caves but also learn about the local history. So happy and glad we went. Our guide was funny , informative and personable

Certainly not cheap, but I think worth it. The glow worms are outstandingly beautiful and the information about them supplied by the guide is fascinating. Sadly no photos can be taken inside the caves. Amazingly, the caves were not explored until 1887 by a Maori Chief and an English Surveyor. The company claims to be the oldest tourist attraction in NZ.

Magical trip underground. The glow worms were amazing and the tour was well worth the cost.

W. T. (.

Amazing place. Great informative tour. A little dark in places to take good photos but the ones you do take turn out great. Tour guide was amazing. We bungled up our booking and they moved it for free when we went to acquire our tickets a day late. Very friendly staff.

J. I.

I visited with my wife and another couple this past Saturday. This would be our first experience of the Caves and we weren't let down at all!. I would highly recommend this experience and the value for money was outstanding. From the booking, ticket staff to the cafe staff everyone was hugely friendly and made for the experience an even more magical one. Cory our guide was simply amazing, hugely knowledgeable as well as having direct ties to the ancestors of the story of the Cave. Was blown away with the people have visited and the " lights off " experience inside the cave with Cory sharing a song was truly a magical moment. To think such high profile singers have been in the cave and have shared this unique special place was amazing to know. The glowworm experience was amazing and I can't recommend this experience highly enough and we will be back in the future for sure! Thank you again! it's incredible to think we have all of these special places in our own backyard of New Zealand.

Caves are 2 million years old!! What a beauty! The guides Chris and Becks were awesome and informative. Worth every penny. Don't forget to sing at the cathedral in waitomo 😄

My partner and I loved the tour and really enjoyed learning about the history of the area, the caves and seeing the glowworms. Really valuable and special piece of the country. Thanks Tui!

J. S.

Wow! This was a really cool experience. There is so much history with these caves and our tour guide sang to us in the "cathedral" where the acoustics are incredible. The glow worm boat ride, in the dark, was truly a beautiful experience.

Enjoyed it, clean and friendly.

Great tour. Very informative about caves and local area. The boat trip though the glow worm area is stunning.

Step back millions of years and take the tour now. Worth the drive wherever you are now. Not only will you be awestruck but entertained and smile from start to finish.

Simply amazing! our tour guide Wii was outstanding, very knowledgable, great with the kids and gave us so much useful information. Very much recommend to all A+++++++++++++

Had a great time at the caves & its the best time to go now because there are not many overseas visitors so you can get the guide to yourselves!!!

What a wonderful tour this was. Thanks to George who was informative and funny. Our granddaughter was SO excited to see the Glowworms, and loved the boat ride. We did this with the Ruakuri Cave tour, and not disappointed we did both

Wonderful place and interesting experience. Tour guide is knowledge and humor

E. Z.

One of a kind experience yet its one of those attractions that you only need to see once. Booked only the Glow worm caves and we had a great time. The cathedral within the caves looked stunning with the lighting. Did not see glow worms up close as they were up the ceiling. But they were bright enough to make us see a bit around the water or else it would have been pitch black. Tour guides did a fantastic job especially maneuvering the boat. Unfortunately no photos allowed inside.

I visited glow worm caves, beyond mesmerizing. Do visit, specially drive if you have to. If you are a nature lover, you are going to love it! 🤩

Amazing places. We decided to to the triple cave deal for our 15th wedding anniversary, we went to the Ruakuri cave first and we had Max as our guide. He was amazing, greeted us by name, and was really genuine the way he engaged with his guests. His knowledge for the cave is top notch. He has inspired my daughter to be a cave guide too. Next, we went to the aranui cave, where we had Cory. He was down to earth, funny and had a love for this cave, more so because his own ancestors were part of the history. Finally we topped it off with the waitomo cave, where again we had Cory as our host, and it is evident that he and all other hold this place dear. Thank you Max, Cory and waitomo for the great day.

Really friendly knowledgeable guide. Amazing place..so much to see. I just opted for the single cave but many other options that take hours

Really enjoyed our visit. It was reasonably priced, staff were very welcoming and the trip itself was very cool.

The Waitomo cave was great. The tour starts with a little bit of walking and information, covering what it meant to the indigenous people and how they used the cave, through to the tourist industry and what it means today. As with most cave tours, you get standard, but easy walk. What makes this cave different is the small, quiet boat 'ride' in the glow worm cave, kept dark and quiet. Your guide will take you around the cave for a good five minutes, allowing you two enjoy the cave and the moment. The facilities at the cave are very good and there is a cafe available as well. The main caves entrance and ticketing area is only a short walk from Waitomo itself but there is also ample parking. Recommend staying the evening in the town.

Disappointing at not able to take any photos of glowworms Tour was cool as the guide told you about the glow worms and where they came from. You then get on a boat, and are unable to take any photos (even with flash off) until you get out of the cave. Viewing the glowworms at the top of the cave were cool, but it would have been nice to be able to take some photos. The host was funny and entertaining.

Moi was amazing guide, well explained from discovery to history of formation of rocks as well as overview of scientific phenomenon of this glow. Humor and love was part of the guided tour. Wonderful nature hidden underneath the ground, the witness the God’s wonderful creation. Highly recommend to visit, kids will love it.

J. E.

Fantastic view of Glow worms. The visitors center is well maintained with a nice cafe and seating area. The tour begins with a quick intro to the cave - unfortunately in this tour photography is not allowed. Then comes the main part - we get on small boats and glide over water into the dark caves lit only by the glow worms - that light up the top of the cave like they were a million blue stars above us. To be enjoyed in absolute quiet - which makes it even more mesmerizing. It's short but amazing.

A. K.

The place is enchanting and just amazing. The experience of visiting caves was just amazing. The tours are well organised and all the guides are well informed. The tours are available in English and in Chinese on request. They also have good public toilets and nice cafe that you can use while waiting or after the tour. Definitely one of the natural wonder of the world.

When my robotics team traveled to New Zealand this past summer, we stopped at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Although this was a highly recommended stop on our adventure in NZ, I was not sure how my students, ages 12-18, would enjoy such an experience. I am pleased to report that they loved the serene beauty of the caves and the glow worms! I would highly recommend this stop for anyone that is traveling to NZ and hope to return with my family someday! - Dr. Robert Polselli

What an incredible experience in these glow caves. You cannot take pictures inside but pictures don’t do the experience justice anyway. There is a cafe before you head in and you can’t take any drinks or food inside with you in the caves. It’s a short tour starting with a dark walking tour with a tour guide who has a flashlight. We had the great granddaughter of the first explorer of this cave for our tour which was very cool. The boat ride is peaceful and very cool to see the glow worms. They say it’s good luck if they drip on you so don’t be alarmed if you get a few drops on the boat ride! 45 minutes all around. Awesome gift shop after. Got most of our New Zealand gifts here.

Gorgeous place, really well preserved. The people is really nice, the tour guide are excellents. Highly recommended, is that kind of place that you must visit if you are in the north island of new Zealand. You can learn a lot of history, know about the local people and the Maori traditions. 🤙

Had a great tour of the glowworm caves the boat ride at the end was really good. The guide was very knowledgeable and provided a good level of humour throughout the tour. I could imagine the place being packed out when international tourists return. So I would urge New Zealanders to visit whilst it is quieter and help the local businesses.

A very beautiful experience. Although they do request you not to take photos during the tour, which is understandable, so take it all in when you're there! About $54 NZD to get in per person. Great tour guide 'T' gave great explanations and was very patient with our rowdy tour group. After you've done all that there is a little lookout point at the top of the parking lot, its a while away and is up some stairs. But has a beautiful 360 view of the Waitomo area.

Been a long time since I've been here and it's awesome. The guides are very informative and teach about the history of the caves and show how the glow worms catch food. So amazing to see the glow worms. Good to also go afterwards and see Marokopa falls a thirty min drive further down the road.

Namaste! A fascinating place to watch glowing worms with a boat ride in the cave. The Waitomo Glow worm cave tour covers two levels. The upper level has stunning, delicate cave formations and the lower level has a stream, glowworms and the Cathedral, the tallest chamber in the cave. Boat ride follows the stream and gives the magnificent view of glowing worms.

Our tour through the glow worm caves was incredible! I've been through a few before, but this one was the most amazing one I've been to. There were so many glow worms all through the cave it was like being in the stars. Our guide was exceptional. She was friendly, informative and entertaining. She navigated the boat so incredibly well that I thought two people were doing it. I'd highly recommend doing this cave experience and the other two in the area. It was a great day out!

I. T.

Had an enjoyable experience with a knowledgeable tour guide. The tour lasted 45 mins with a boat tour of approximately 10 mins. For the price paid, we expected a longer tour and boat experience. It was a different experience but the cave with the glow worms was quite small. Overall, it was a good experience and one that visitors should go but probably once is enough.

Be sure to ask your tour guide to sing a waiata if no one in your party sings. Great acoustics in the cathedral cavity.

This was a truely amazing experience. I think the price was about $80. You get an hour guided tour underground to view the Stalagmites and the glow worms. You are not allowed to take photos. You have to respect this decision to protect the environment and the amazing scenery you see. When you get to the bottom you climb aboard boats and the tour guide pulls you along with rope. Hard to describe but it is breath taking. Waitamo caves is a must do in new zealand.

I was there today as part of a Hobbiton, Te Puia and the caves tour and the caves were the place that got my anticipation at the beginning but I was a bit dissappointed. The tour was short and the bought ride (place where all the glow warms are) was done quickly and we were told to wait til the end until we are close to the exit to take our photos (the whole point of this tour for me) to find out that at that point there were no glow warm present and the whole tour was a waste. Also the gift shop was crazy expensive. The glow warms are marvellous but the tour was meh.

Best glowworm caves in NZ and compare with AU. And must bring ur partner or family to visit. Guider is friendly and nice. Only u cannot take photos or video in the caves, but doesn’t matter~~

One of our favorite experiences in new Zealand by far. Describing experience from the start. We decided to get there about 2 hours early. If you park at the bottom of the hill of the parking lot, there is a lot of shade for your car and a nice walking trail that heads to a lookout point. It takes about 10-15 mins and has quite a few steps to get there but it has a great view once you do. We didn't take the advice of booking ahead of time however I would recommend doing so if you are coming from a decent drive. From what I understand it can get quite busy there. You will travel with approx. 20-30 others in a group with a guide through the caves. Heads up, you are not allowed to take pictures inside the cave. Only once you reach the end of the tour can you snap a few photos and the guide will let you know when it is okay to do so. I recommend bringing a light jacket as the caves aren't too cold but some people did find it so. You will also enter a 15-20 person boat at the bottom of the cave in absolute darkness where you will see thousands of glow worms. You shouldn't really get wet unless you happen to trip and fall in the water... This tour takes about a total of 45 minutes from start to finish. Good for all ages!

The glow worms caves tour was cool. My wife and I did 2 of the tours offered. The first was of a cave up the road from the ticket office (being at the ticket office 30 mins early or so actually let's you get to the entrance on time). This tour was more of a cave tour with a lesson on glowworms. What made this great was our tour guide Pippin. She was extremely lively and was eager to talk to us about anything she knew about. she made the trip to see the caves worth it. The second tour was of the main cave. Compared to Pippin, our tour guide for this one wasn't great (she was younger and I think she was new to touring people so she was probably just really nervous but still). What made this tour great was the glowworms themselves. There was an incredible display of the creatures in the main cavern, but the biggest let down was we weren't able to take any pictures. Compared to the first tour the second one was a bummer since it was also just another similar, but shorter lesson on glowworms (only without the deeper more elaborate cave tour) and finishing with a single cool display.

D. A.

The inside of the caves are beautiful. The last part where they show glow worms in dark on a boat is quite other worldly. The guide was a great guy who even sang a song for us to demonstrate the acoustics of the cathedral chamber of the cave. Amazing experience. We did the $55 experience of just the waitomo glow worm caves. Photography is not allowed inside the caves. Photos can only be taken at the exit.

A great experience. If you want to visit the Waitomo Caves, go now. You may get some extra time with your knowledgeable guide. Covid-19 has stopped international tourism. Normally, there would be 1,000 to 2,000 tourists going through the caves in one day! The cafeteria is good with a generous mug of coffee and delectable fish, chips and salad. There's a comprehensive gift shop with local Waitomo products, photo services, maps and souvenirs. The Waitomo Caves boat trip will be a trip etched deeply in your memory for eternity. The glow worms share with you that phenomenal experience of eternal light. Geoff Dodd

K. K.

One of a kind place .must visit. The whole journey was lovely . The guides were very entertaining fun witty and informative . It's one of nature at its best moments .the stalagmites and stalagtite formations were nice . Falling short of giving 5 stars cos we felt the boat ride was very short .. and we dint get to see a lot of it cos we expected it to be a long cave. Photography is not allowed in order not to harm the worms and caves which is understandable.

The whole venue itself is amazing, clean organised I took the 45min tour which was good and the tour guide itself was fun and knowledgeable with light humour. Did get many pics as they don’t let you take any photos at all in the caves itself, not even on your phones with no flash which is support disappointing and that’s where they loose a star. So sadly pictures ain’t that great. Once you are in the cave it is very impressive and they do mention some back story on when they found the cave and of course information about the glow worms. Once you are in the main cave to the stream/rive it really does take Ya breath away and it is something special. But apparently we also have the same glow worms in the uk somewhere!!

E. S.

Something unique. Because its kind only exist here in NZ. Been opened to the public for more than 125 years. Better book online for the tour especially during summer. Understand the history told by the tour guide.

M. H.

A special place. Almost spiritual at times. This place is a must see for those looking for native spirituality in New Zealand combined with history and education. A great place to take a family, regardless of the ages of all involved. Stairs can be a bit steep at times and wheelchair accessibility is not available so be prepared. But the differences aren't far at least and you have a nice boat ride out at the end.

Great cave tour. Lots of fun facts about "glow maggots". Be aware that some of the tours do not allow photography. The boat ride was amazing although short.

E. T.

Amazing experience will never forget. But they didn’t allow photography. I was so happy to see the glowworms. They looked beautiful with their lights. The whole tour was 45mins but only around 5-10min were spent on the boat actually seeing there creatures. It is worth the visit I would say. But i wanted more time to view these lights of the worms. $53 for the boat ride, $64 for 1.5 hrs walking tour and $69 for Ruakuri cave walk 2hrs. I feel that the prices are a little higher. I would have been happier if i was offered the tickets at $25 and if i was allowed to take photos.

A. A. A.

Love caves? Especially glowworm caves? This is the best place where you want to be. You can’t take pictures/videos inside. There are cameras everywhere. So you will enjoy the view. They will tell you the history of the glowworm caves first and, then you will ride a boar for about 10 minutes. So quiet 🤫 and so beautiful view. If you want to take pictures then there is other caves where you can see glowworms. Another option is to visit the same cave after hours when you can use your camera for long exposure pictures with camera & tripod for better pictures.

Very fantastic tour but I was really hoping for a longer tour with more opportunity to look around. The cave system was a little small with only a couple main Chambers. The guide was very entertaining and knowledge. No pictures are allowed which I thought was unnecessary and this promoted me even more to take pictures :3

S. C.

Great place to visit, the tour guide was very fun and enthusiastic, you learn quite a bit about the history of the caves. The worms were magical, although you can’t take pics in the caves. Only issue I had was the car park is on a very steep slope (I have a sprained ankle so was a challenge). But apart from that great place.

Just magical. It is so beautiful to see all those Glowworm in the cave. Unfortunately it is not allowed to take pictures in the cave which would add a lot of value to the tour. But I guess even if they would allow to take pictures without flash there would be always someone stupid enough to take a picture with flash... Nevertheless wonderful tour which I can highly recommend

T. A.

Amazing place to walk around or have lunch. The caves themselves are spectacular. Highly recommend spending most of the day here. Can be hot so bring water bottles and sunscreen.

Although we missed the last session we managed to have a look around and it was a beautiful place with an amazing structure.

C. B.

If you go spare some time to do the other caves as it is a little pricey for just one experience. The cave itself is from another world. I felt like in the avatar movie. Surreal. No photography allowed. And jacket required.

The caves were OK. Highly priced for what it is given that you can see glowworms throughout NZ. They also want you to buy their photos from the visitor centre and so all photography is banned (even flashless)... so I took photos to share with you guys. The worms themselves are cool but the first 80% of the tour is not. They spend time asking people to sing in the cave and to look for rock formations resembling people or animals that look like Bob Marley's dreadlocks, elephants, Kiwis, etc. The kiwi was especially pushing it, given that this supposed kiwi look like a melted bag of marshmallows dangling from the ceiling.

Great experience for the family, and our guide was awesome, informative and loud which was good.

No photos allowed inside the caves. But it was a fun learning experience! We got to sing at one of the cave and hear the echos! Switch off the light and marvel at the blue glow worms. Nature's museum. The boat ride was so quiet we could hear water drops.

A magical experience! These are the most pristine cavs I've been in. Easy to walk through, even in the low light. The educational part was fascinating and the boat ride was truly magical.

R. N. D.

This is a private property discovered by an English man and now maintained by his fifths generation people more than 3000 members. This is actually a limestone cave beside the river Waitmo. The beauty of limestone caves are wonderful. But the boat ride inside a dark cave where the top roof of the cave was decorated by millions of little star called live glow worm is awesome.

Our tour guide was funny and knowledgeable. The cave and glow worms were beautiful, however the actual boat tour (to view the worms) was only around 10 minutes. I think that I could have given this a miss.

Beautiful people and beautiful caves! I really hope more people come down to waitomo and see these caves. I saw them very early in my childhood and swing them again sparked some beautiful memories..

An astonishing natural phenomenon. Glow worm grotto at waitomo caves are limestone caves formed by natural causes. These caves have water seeping through the ceiling to form cone shaped pillars or columns. When you enter the caves it's dark and the cold water drops fall on you from above, giving you shivers. They give you a boat ride in the caves. As they tell you to keep absolute silence, the silence and the pitch dark feels weird. But when you see the ceiling of the cave you see thousands of worms glowing. It feels like you are seeing night sky filled with stars on a no moon's night. We were told that these glow worms are only found in New Zealand. As they are glowing in numbers there is a little light to see around in that pitch dark. You should visit this place to experience this wonder of nature.👌🏼👍🏻

Took 1 hour to tour this cave. Mostly enjoyed the boat ride watching the glow worms ...unfortunately cameras are not allowed inside the cave.

Caves are really neat! Interesting experience. The only drawbacks were having to wait for the boat and people not following directions regarding photos inside the caves. My photos are at the exit of the tour.

Well worth the trip.These worms are only found in 2 places in the world. I would Try and knock off 3 places with his trip. Be sure to do the Bush walk.coffee is great so was the mushroom fettuccini The last part of the tour while everyone is quiet on the boat and sharing a the glow worms is a meditating state. Really clams you down.

Great tour. I was just disappointed that we couldn't take photos inside the cave. Other caves didn't have this rule, so I can only assume it's because they want you to purchase their low-quality green-screen photos. No thanks! Toilets, cafe, and gift shop were all very nice.

A really beautiful nature phenomenon that was truly awesome to experience. Sad that they take a green-screen picture and paste you on a cave background for an obscene amount of money as only option to get a picture since any type of photography is forbidden in the caves.

Don’t bother taking camera... they are not allowed inside caves. Guide will tell u facinating stories about cave discoveries and history... caves are breathtakingly beautiful ... you have to maintain scilence at any cost... as to not disturbe the bugs...

AMAZING experience. One of the Must do's in New Zealand. Our guide Wi was very informative and funny.kids loved it too. Boat ride was out of the world. Highly recommended.

A guided tour for around NZD 52 per person which included a walk through the caves and a boat trip. Pictures aren't allowed in the caves unless otherwise instructed. The caves and the boat ride are both enjoyable as you can see the glow worms using their sticky strings to catch flies around the midpoint of the walking tour. The only criticism I have is the weird upsell they do with photos. You'll begin the tour by having a picture taken in front of a green screen. By the end of your tour they'll have the pictures printed and waiting for you in the gift shop at the end. They then hand you the photo package and tell you that you can only keep it if you pay for them. I know that other places will do this too but I don't really see why they couldn't just have it up on a screen. Seems like a waste. The photos look as good as any photo will in front of a green screen. If you're touring around NZ, the photos won't be too appealing as you can easily take a much better photo in front of much better scenery.

D. M. C.

If you would like to do the 3 caves allow a whole day... bring some food, any coffee shop in the area is super overpriced. Local guides, funny and super friendly making the tours super enjoyable LOVE IT

Over my expectation! I thought it would be just another cave but Glowworm cave was out of this world. I felt like I was dreaming when watching those glowing ceilings inside the cave on a boat. Must-see for tourist!!

Wonderful place, the perfect place to see glowworms while having some adventure. A perfect combination! The legendary blackwater rafting is legendary indeed. So beautiful, so much fun and adventure. A must do when on the north island of New Zealand! You can also combine this tour with the shire, hobbiton on the same day, as hobbiton is only a few hours driving, maximum. Just a perfect day!

I can't describe how the beautiful surprise that wait at the end of the cave but the price is expensive. The place is crowded so it is better if you book a place before going. I feel that the cave has been modified a lot in order to make it more accesible for tourists but I think it is a must see place because of the worms.

The guide was an extremely charming lady, a proud great great granddaughter of the brave founder who discovered this 🌌 galaxy of Glowworms inhabiting the gigantic Waitomo cave. A quirky story teller who engaged us right from the beginning till the end. A must go place for someone who wants to get away from the worldly troubles and get lost in the surreal galaxy 🌌 of these beauties 💕🐛

Great experience! The cave formations were beautiful and the glow worms were crazy cool. If you can only do one came I recommend Ruakuri. If you can do two do the glowworms and Ruakuri. If you can do all three then do all three.

You will know history of the Waitamo Caves from the very beginning it was discovered, the is Wai=water.and Tomo=earth, hole in the ground or earth. The visitation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 until today what is today. Very educational about the caves and glowworms. Knowledgeable tour guide and entertaining. Great experience for kids and parents, and for everyone.

The beautiful nature it ok short distance to see glow worm after take Boat. Staffs give knowledge during walk. Ms. Wide staff explained to is very good and fun.

The caves speak for themselves, but the amazing friendly staff was great. They were kind and attentive. Our tour guide (I can not remember her name) was a direct descendant of Chief Tanetinorau. She was knowledgeable and kind and true. Her passion was a special part of the tour I'm grateful I could experience.

Went with a school group and it was fantastic. The guide was very knowledgable and made the 2 caves we visited sound magical. You need to ask if you can take photos as not all caves allow.

An incredible experience and currently it is so quiet it's almost like a private tour. Great guides and an amazing story. A must visit for tourists and locals alike.

Very short 45 minute tour. Most people will come here for the boat ride, yet it only lasts for five minutes. If only the tour was made an hour long by adding more time dedicated to the boat ride, it would've been a much better experience. The customer service at the shop was good, but the customer service at the restaurant was absolutely appalling. The closing time was also too early - on the website it says it closes at 4pm, but there are still tours after that time. Maybe due to winter time, they decided to close early at 3.30pm. The noodles on the display came in a cheap plastic takeaway box, with plastic knife and fork. With such an amazing attraction known worldwide with tickets at such a cost, I can't understand why it hasn't been served on even a basic ceramic plate and steel cutlery. Cheaper tickets if nz residents, don't think that was displayed on the website..

We did all 3 the cave adventures. Our first trip was the Ruakuri cave, only 18 people in the group. We had an excellent guide, Dori, whom was energetic, and passionate about caves and geology! This made our 2hr 30min trip 65meters under ground an awesome experience. The glow worm cave was our last trip. I was a bit disappointed. There were nearly 40 people in our group and about 3 or 4 groups in the cave at the same time. It felt way over commercialised. The last part sailing under the glow worms was quite cool.

Beautiful visit! Great guides and knowledgeable. The river was high due to the flooding but still got to go on the boats and see the glow worms right above us. Stunning! Visited during alert level 2 and was nice to have the caves so empty, as I am sure there are normally thousands of visitors.

Very nice place and the facilities are good. Good cafe food too. The guides are awesome in answering all questions. We clubbed with Ruakiri cave which was fantastic.

Very good your! We did the triple cave combo. Started at 11am and finished around 5pm. Lots of walking but breaks between each cave if you space then out right. Lots of history and things to learn!

The 45- min tour is the basic . The introduction alone takes about 2/3 of the time . It is done in detail and highly educational . The boat ride itself is very short but the view is stunning .

A great experience, like nothing I’ve done before. The caves are very interesting, tour guide was informative and the boat ride through the cave was very peaceful, like floating along looking at the stars. I verged on a bit of anxiety about being in a really dark cave but really nothing to worry about and wished I had just relaxed and enjoyed it.

Top place. Funny, cheerful local Maori guides. Covid has nearly killed this attraction. While local Maori struggled, our inept Prime Minister JaSINda Adern gives $3.5million to the Afghanistan Taliban who subject and kill their own!!! Very sad

Very touristy.. A lot of people at a time taken through . Did enjoy the guide he was informative.. Felt very rushed.. No cameras only last 5 min of the tour. The Ruakuri cave experience was part of this combo but preferred that which was 2 hours and we could take photos all the way. The only part I enjoyed was the last 15 min of the boat ride on this experience and the glow worms it was like a starry sky... Beautiful.

I visited this place as part of the Hobbiton set tour. Can you believe that this cave was formed on an earthquake fault? What an amazing 120 year old wonderland this is. This place was first explored in 1887 by local Maori Chief Tane Tinorau. But later there were a lot of conflicts regarding the land and finally in In 1989, it was returned to the descendants of the Maori Chief. Many staff employed at the caves today are direct descendants of Chief Tane Tinorau and his wife Huti. After learning about the history of this place, we were taken on a short boat ride below the caves! It was such an amazing experience. So silent, listening to the sounds of the water as the boat moved and then looking on top to see 1000s of glow worms shining blue light! I am glad to have visited this place and learnt a bit of the history.

We have an autistic child and they were very understanding. Tour was great and just the right length at 45min.

Worth doing, although quite expensive. I would have given five stars but for a couple of little things. One is the signposts and information on the tickets is not very helpful - just go to the main counter, check in and get directions to where you need to be. Two, is the commentary at each of the three caves is pretty similar and it becomes repetitive. But if you want to see all three caves there’s no other way to do it. Third, our experience of the boat ride in Waitomo cave itself was really affected by having two infants in the boat who cried constantly. That part of the tour is supposed to be silent and ethereal. Parents, please don’t bring your infants on this tour. They’re too young to enjoy it but can easily ruin it for other people. I don’t understand why the tour operators don’t have a lower age limit of say 2

Considering the cost and what you get for it, it was ok but not as great as I expected. Been to cave tours where the guide was much more knowledgeable and passionate. The main glow worm cave boat ride was magical, but short. Overall no regrets, but also not fussed to give it a miss next time.

Absolutely breathtaking. A once in a lifetime sort of experience. You won’t find anything like this anywhere in the world. So incredibly beautiful

It was truly an amazing experience to witness the glowworms as we went down the stream on a boat. The caves itself were great, though they weren't as large as the Ruakuri cave. Our guide Turia made it memorable by singing a traditional song in the cave's cathedral, highlighting the astounding acoustics of the place. Would highly recommend the entire experience. Oh, and I am docking one star because you cannot take photos inside the caves, even without flash.

Great tour, amazing place to view the gloworms and the boat ride is a added plus. The visitor centre has plenty of parking and the guides are great. There is also a nice restaurant. Only losing marks because the information was the same across other tours but no reason not to do all of them.

Fantastic, our whānau had the most wonderful time guided by Wi. He was funny and informative the kids and teens thought he was great. Highly recommended.

The boat tour wasn't what I expected but it was still awesome! There is a walking tour in another set of caves nearby which was a bit longer. That one was very informative. Tour guide we had was great!

Everybody who comes to New Zealand should take a look at this place. The visit with the local guide was super fun and enriching and being able to see the Glowworms was an absolutely amazing and astonishig experience. This high price discovery is definitely worth your money!

Lot of advertisement for these caves but very ordinary to me. With due respect, i did not like them much. 5 minutes in the caves and 5 minutes boat time to see glow worms and rest all talking. I feel its bit over priced. They should put some light when people get on the boats from steps inside the caves or atleast show the torch. Staff doesn't show much interest too. Its just my personal experience..

Don't miss this. Just off the Aukland-Rotorua highway, these caves are a must on any tourism map. Very well maintained and guided, a visit includes a Silent boat ride. Lovely.

This place is more than amazing. Is magical, everybody have to go and visit. The Waitomo Caves. We'll definitely go back soon.

Very professional and perfect for families. It was my wife's first visit and she loved it. It was cleaner, drier, and with a lot more glow worms than expected. My 3yo loved the boat and she could walk all of the experience. ~1hr time was good for her too. I was very impressed by the guides. They kept the group moving well and created good humour. You really can get close to the glow worms and the lighting of the caves makes them look magnificent.

Must see if you are in the area. Leave about an hour for the guided tour. Don't do it if you are scared of being in the dark. The boat ride lasting about 10 mins will be in complete darkness. But this is the whole point of the tour

We had heard a lot about this experience and were really looking forward to it. It’s a bit out of the way to get to the township and accommodation and food options are limited. Upon arrival we were really surprised at the limited options whilst we waited for our tour. Limited in things to do and limited places to get something decent to eat. My advice is to arrive near to your tour time, have light lunch at the caves, do your tour, from the car park take the walk to the lookout, (about 15 mins each way), head down the Te Anga road to visit the water fall at Marokopa and head to another location for dinner and accommodation. However we choose to stay and booked a room at the Abseil Inn (really a B&B) and had dinner At HuHu cafe. Dinner was excellent and the accommodation was nice, if a bit quirky. I also took a fantastic trail run run early in the morning. From the Inn head up the main road, then follow the signs at the rugby field through the trees to the caves car park, then follow the signs for the nature trail through farmland and wilderness areas to the Ruakuri Cave car park. It’s about 8km return but a nice run with a few small challenges along the way.

Fascinating tour of the cave and glowworms. Gift shop and cafe attached. I thought we would travel more in the boat around the caves but that was just my misperception. It was adequate time to look. The boats took about 10 people per boat. The tour lasted about an hour.

In Waitomo there are three main caves: The Waitomo Cave is the famous one with the boat ride and glowworms. Way too commercial and crowded, cameras not permitted. The Ruakiri cave was fantastic, smaller tour group, much more to see, glowworms, photos allowed, opened about 2006 I think. The Aranui Cave also is great, lots to see, cameras permitted, no glowworms. Spend the day there! Do all 3.

One of my life’s best experience. Magical. Out of the world experience. If you are heading to New Zealand North Island than Waitomo Glowworm Caves experience is a MUST!!

In peak season make sure to get there timeously if you're on a schedule. This place is one of those places you will always remember. A real memorable experience. The tour was a bit shorter than I expected but nevertheless quite beautiful.

What an amazing place to experience the beauty of New Zealand most known caves ! Waitomo Glowworn Cave is a cave full of earth history and especially the famous glowworm cave : Something to see ! It is like looking at the stars at night !

A must visit in north island of NZ, the gloworm is absolute spectacular, never seen anything like it before... The worm only known existed in 2 places, 1 here another in Australia. Cant snap photo in the cave...

Amazing staff and tour, our tour guide was so cool and funny and very informative, 10/10 absolutely loved it.

We were lucky to be able to get on an earlier tour. The cathedral cave was just as I remembered it from many years ago. Helpful staff maintaining a treasure. Loved the big info centre and cafe. We were lucky to do the boat ride. Magical.

Interesting your. The glowworm experience is something you need to experience. The boat ride was surreal. Sorry no pictures of glowworm as photography was prohibited to protect the worms.

Wow! The otherworldly feel of these incredible caves left my family speechless. Our tour guide "Ria" was awesome, and in the "cathedral," she sang a Maori song in such a beautiful voice. She was so warm and knowledgeable. One of my Top 5 places to visit!!! The only negative, which could not be controlled was that someone chose to bring a baby and toddler. Part of the viewing of the caves requires utter silence, and the crying and constant incoherent chatter was quite annoying. Also, be prepared to climb and descend steep stairs in the dark. I nearly tripped a couple of times, so pay attention. No photography is actually inside the glowworm caves, but I was able to get shots immediately outside the caves.

Amazing tour with thousands of glow worms, loved every moment and will do again!

The caves in the Waitomo region are worth the drive. The glow worm cave is excellent especially for children to experience. The entrance to the cave is great right near the ticket purchase area which also has a good cafe on site. Inside the cave you get to see lots of amazing formations and the glow worms with the most enjoyable part is a short boat ride in the dark looking up at many glow worms. The only downside to this tour we found was there was so many people on tour within 15 mins of each other that it was very distracting under ground going from one spot to the next and it felt like you were being rushed along. Highly recommend paying to visit the other caves in the area as they are smaller group sizes and longer exploring.

They said that the glow worms can only be found in Australia and New Zealand, thats why we made sure to visit this place while in New Zealand. We book a guided tour and it was a long drive from Auckland. Upon arriving, we were told on what to expect inside the cave. They designed pathways leading to the cave to make it safer. They also installed lights along the cave entrance. When its time for us to see the glow worms, they were really glowing, but not as bright as the ones in their pictures. We can’t take our own pictures unfortunately. We boarded a small boat and paddled our way inside the cave until the exit.

Definitely worth going. Go for the boat tour first and you'll have a very good idea of what the cave is and it's history. The next would be the Ruakuri Cave. Of course, photography not allowed so no photos of inside the cave.

This was a wonderful tour of caves full of glowworms! The boat ride is where you get to see them and it's just a 5 minute ride unfortunately. The rest is about the caves. If you're in the area, a good place to go but wouldn't go out of my way for it. Too expensive for what it is.

At first, I thought it wasn’t going to be a big deal. I mean, they’re just bio-luminescent worms in a cave, right? But I’m so glad I visited! The tour and the grand finale - the boat in the darkness to see the worms, were great! Yes, there were crowds in November (the season has started) but we were in a nice quiet tour and it was magical. It’s the closest to Avatar in the dark! P.S. Pictures aren’t allowed inside, so you have to make do with some of these from the bush walk, the restaurant and the exit at the boat ride.

Glow warm caves are one of the major attraction in NZ. There are three caves and need to provide at least 3 hrs. Each one 45 min. One cave with small boat ride gives you feeling of glow warms and that should be enough. Enjoyed neatly maintained as per NZ standards. Visual treat

Been there 3 times in the last 4 years, always great. Do yourself a favour after you done at the caves. Drive past going west, over the circle and about 30min later their are few more unpublished secrets. Natural Bridge, water fall, random cave and shies hanging around on a fence... and its all free.

Awsome but gift shop an all surrounding cafes, shut 16 of us in bus trip had to travel back to Otoronga for lunch,

Now is the best time to visit as locals. The last time I visited it was winter and there weren't alot of glow worms to be seen. But there were so many this time

We had our work team day here recently. Alot of us locals had not been to glowworm caves before, so we found it really interesting. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humour. All the staff were very helpful and friendly. Highlight was definitely the boat ride

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand. It is known for its population of Arachnocampa luminosa, a glowworm species found exclusively in New Zealand. This cave is part of the Waitomo Caves system that includes the Ruakuri Cave and the Aranui Cave. The attraction has a modern visitor centre at the entrance, largely designed in wood. There are organized tours that include a boat ride under the glowworms. The name "Waitomo" comes from the Māori words wai, water and tomo, hole or shaft. The local Māori people had known about the caves for about a century before a local Māori, originally from Kawhia, Tane Tinorau, and English surveyors, Laurence Cussen and Fred Mace, were shown the entrance in 1884 and Tane and Fred did extensive explorations in 1887 and 1888. Their exploration was conducted with candlelight on a raft going into the cave where the stream goes underground (now the cave's tourist exit.) As they began their journey, they came across the Glowworm Grotto and were amazed by the twinkling glow coming from the ceiling. As they travelled further into the cave by poling themselves towards an embankment, they were also astounded by the limestone formations. These formations surrounded them in all shapes and sizes. They returned many times after and Chief Tane independently discovered the upper level entrance to the cave, which is now the current entrance. Visitor access improved when the railway was extended to Otorohanga in 1887.By 1889 Tane Tinorau and his wife Huti had opened the cave to visitors and were leading groups for a small fee. Thomas Humphries, (Commissioner of Crown Lands and Chief Surveyor of Auckland 1889 - 1891)[3] did a full study later the same year, noting graffiti had already been inscribed on the ‘most delicate portions’ of the cave, though noting "The natives are now taking great care of the caves", but recommending that government take over the cave to provide more visitor facilities. About 500 tourists visited the cave in the first two years. After years of attempts to buy the caves, the government used the Scenery Preservation Act 1903 and the Public Works Act 1905 to take them over for £625. In 1906, after an escalation in vandalism,[citation needed] the administration of the cave was taken over by the government. In 1910 the Waitomo Caves Hotel was built to house the many visitors. Tourist Hotel Corporation, a state-owned business, took over in 1957. The hotel was sold to Southern Pacific Hotels Corporation in 1990 and, in 1994, they agreed a licence for the caves with DOC and the Māori owners, selling it to Tourism Holdings Limited in 1996. In 1989, the land and cave were returned to the descendants of Chief Tane Tinorau and Huti who comprise many of the employees of the caves today.[4][failed verification] The descendants receive a percentage of the cave’s revenue and are involved in its management and development under the 1990 Waitomo Deed of Settlement.

So so cool. the gloworms light up the caves . Really enjoyed the tour here. Highly recommend ... Must do in nz

The glowworms are always wonderful to see but we head to wait to get in even though we had booked. The boat trip seemed rushed and far too short.

Awesome experience! This is already my second time. The bad side is that you're not allowed to take photos inside. But even though, some disobedient tourists are still taking photos inside.

Fantastic experience of the glow worm at the ending of the visit, feeling under the other world stars. The cave itself is also good.

Guided tour to the cave most of the guide were Maori, the most Fantastic section was the Glow worm caves, no photo or video allowed

D. R. S.

Ultimate experience with the Arachnocampa luminosa, a glow worm exhibiting fluorescence in dark for hunting his own food. It was awesome experience to go inside the dark and watch heavy populations of glow worm. The cave is well maintained and perfect destination for the nature lovers to explore the hidden world of glow worm. Calcite rocks are awesome and still alive and growing.

I visited in the month of June 2018.Waitomo Glowworm Caves is cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand. It is known for its population of Arachnocampa Luminosa, a Glowworm species found exclusively in New Zealand. The attraction has a modern visitor centre at the entrance, largely designed in wood. There are organized tours that include a boat ride under the glowworms. Amazing cave👌👌👌

Guides were very fun and knowledgeable, caves were very cool. Glow worms were like a star filled sky.

Very well presented. The guide tour is informative and fun. Enjoy lunch and coffee after the tour at the restaurant. Very relaxed and enjoyable!

From Japan:) Great experience. It was dreamily beautiful. Some tourists did not follow the rule that they must not have taken photos, and the light from their cellphones was quite unpleasant in the dark cave. PLEASE follow the rules.

I thought the boat ride in the cave would be longer, instead we just went in circles seeing the same colony of glowworms. However, the glowworms were breathtaking and definitely worth the trip. The sandstone in the cave also made for a unique and fascinating experience.

This was mine and my partners first experience. I love how theres different things you can do. Black water rafting looked fun. We just went for the cave walk. Good experience

Amazing cave tour and guides. Spectacular caves similar to Jannali caves in Australia

Such a stunning place to visit. My children had a blast and learnt so much, not one moment of boredom. We will be back in July to go through the other caves we missed.

A worth visit place to see the wonders of mother nature. With a scene that will make you think that you are looking at the milky way in the sky. Will definitely a worth to revisit and to put in your bucket list.

Stunning caves but everyone MUST VISIT THE RUAKURI CAVES too! the waitomo tour is short, hurried and crowded however for a holistic experience visit the ruakuri caves ! it's beautiful and a longer tour with a smaller group that makes the entire experience so much more worth the trip!

A must see. Went to all 3 caves, sad that you can't take pictures on the Glowworm Cave while riding the boat😕 Ruaraki Cave was the best cave experience coz you get to explore and see what the glowworms really look like upclose. Nothing much to see on Aranui Cave unless you like weta😂

Unfortunately not good as I thought and expected it would be. The photos are better than its actual one. Needs more improvements.

The waitomo glowworms caves are a must see when in NZ. You can take a bus straight from Auckland city bus station. They are strict about using phones inside so no photos of the worms themselves but there's a reason for that! The worms only glow when they are sleeping and it's dark. If any light is present they wake and stop glowing. Had a great time on this tour, the guides are knowledgeable and funny!

Beautiful and unique place. Staff was very friendly as was the guides and shop employees. It's a New Zealand must go, for sure.

Real nature. So many islands to go to..but i just love the sand bar its so big. You can rent a bamboo raft and spend the whole day watching the sand and the blie water

Wow, amazing to see so many glow worms, quite an experience, and with exploring the caves, also our guide sang the Mâori national anthem to the echo of the cave! Well done sir! No photos allowed, understandable as silence and darkness required.

Amazing experience, the caves are definitely worth a visit. Highly recommended!

Á.

The amazing beauties and magic of nature, quite spoilt by the place being overwhelmed with coaches of tourists. Although the tour is nice, it feels like being on a conveyor belt 😔 Probably better visited outside of the summer high season...

It’s an expensive 45mins tour where the boat ride to view the glow worms is lasted only 10mins. Try to read the AA magazine available at i-site for discount code (purchase online only). We just realiZed it after made purchase at the nearby I-site. The discount could range from 10-15% on individual tickets. No available for family tickets. But, it’s an experience of life time to view so many glowworms at once and to understand the history of the cave. The tour guide Steve is quite funny and did well to control the crowd. No pictures and video are allowed in the cave though, so we can only view it one time.

This was an interesting experience. A lot of people are moved through, everything is done in guided tours with a lot of bus groups. Photo and Video is not allowed. I understand why you want to restrict light and flashes in the cave, but there’s not really a good reason not to allow video. Similar to similar style attractions, a green screen picture is take at the entrance and you can purchase pictures at the end that appear to be placed within the caves. The rationale appears to be that if you can’t take pictures or video in the caves, you need to buy the photos in the end.

This was mine and my partners first experience. I love how theres different things you can do. Black water rafting looked fun. We just went for the cave walk. Good experience

Was great. Felt like I had gone back in time. 😎

Was a well run place to go enjoy the worm cave and the boat ride was very cool seeing the glow worm.

Loved the glowworms and it's a really cool cave... Very overcrowded however... Our tour group was about 45 people which was way too many... No one is quiet and it's hard to hear the guide... Our guide was very good though, dry sense of humor but good... And she had a great singing voice... Was totally shocked at how the boat system works... Lastly just wish the boat part was a little longer...

Just amazing! We bought the tickets for Waitomo caves in Black Water Rafting in a good price, booking here. The caves are the most beautiful think I have seen.

Worthwhile trip to see some of the earths wonders below ground. Very good humorous guides make for a enjoyable experience.

Magical, beautiful, historical, other-worldly. Maria, our guide, was fantastic. Highly recommend this place of wonder!

Awesome experience! We almost missed our tour but the guide and other guests were kind enough to wait for us. The caves are truly spectacular and the worms are facinating. It was one of the highlights of the trip, totally worth it. There are multiple options for tours so make sure you pick the best one for you. For us that was the Ruakuri cave which allowed photos and had both glowworms and natural wonders. If you are planning a trip add this stop to your itinerary!

Beautiful caves, well worth the price of entry. At first you might be disappointed that photos aren't allowed, but you'll soon see why when plunged into darkness and allowed to see the glowworms light up the caves...

No photos are allowed in the main caves, so we only have ones outside. was awesome experience and the boat ride through the caves was great. So many glow worms. Guides were very informative too.

Very nice. The glow worms were a magnificent sight, for adults and children. However, the guide was too standoffish and cold for my taste. Seemed like he was saying all the facts and even the jokes that came with them, just as if he was instructed to do... Like he learned it by heart and was dictating. Not a lot of heart. Also, it's a shame you can't take out your camera or cell phone. The place has to let people take photos- and name its regulates (such as no flash photography or sound, like in museums). A little overpriced for the 45 minutes. If not going to any different gloworms sites, take it. Otherwise, do another thing. The photo is after the end of the boat part of the tour.

Great place to learn about the glow worms and the history on how the cave was discovered.

Great funny guide named Cori. The end with the boat ride was amazing. Like a million stars in the sky. An overal great experience and a must see! No photos allowed inside.

Was here 15 years ago I think in late summer? During my summer program. Great experience all those lava look like stars on earth I don't know about it now but back then they are all over the cave ceiling. Would love to share my photo if not because I am bad at taking one and that camera was long lost. Anyway, reccomended place to visit.

It was my first experience of seeing glowing worms in a cave, a special trip. Unfortunately, we cannot take amy photos. But if we did, it would be also hard to capture, very dark there lol BTW, the amount of the glowinng worms is the way more than i thought. Recommended if you have not had that experience before.

We booked our tickets on Klook and got them slightly cheaper. Lovely place to visit, 75% of the tour talks about the cave structure itself and a walk through the cave. Glowworms come slightly towards the end. Great to understand more about how glowworms live and feed. The boat ride was absolutely magical, sitting there in silence gazing up like a sky full of stars. Though Waitomo is quite a drive away from other places, this was thoroughly worth it!

Definitely, it's one of New Zealand attractions that it worth to see. The visitor centre is adequately organised. It is possible to find parking, a restaurant, a coffee shop and a gift shop. I really enjoyed the caves.

Seeing the glow worms illuminate the cave during the boat ride is quite a pretty site albeit short lived. Other attraction is seeing the limestone caves with its stalactites & stalagmites. Ticket fee is slightly pricey at NZD $53 per adult. We used ARRIVAL app 20% discount promo code. Other downside is they don’t allow phototaking in the caves

Touristy but awesome. Narrated walk through a couple of caverns. See glow worm fishing strings. Boat ride through the cave is short, but not to be missed. Very beautiful. When you emerge at the end. Look into the stream for eels. We saw a couple in this area.

It is a must in a NZ trip. Watching glowworms with its blue lights on the roof of the cave is like see a star-plenty sky in the night. It is also very interesting to learn about this unique insect. Sadly there is no chance to take pictures and the boat ride is too short, like 7-10 minutes.

A must-see when in the Auckland, NZ area. Nature in one of its wonders. Not man-made (although man’s ingenuity is evident at how they have made the track down into the caves safe and enjoyable).

Excellent.... Wonderful glow worms... It gives feeling of open sky inside the caves and hundreds of glow worms shining like stars in the sky. Wonderful experience but a bit costly....

The best ever. Whish I had time to do more of the caves. Adventure for the whole day.

We only did the Gloworm cave as we didn't plan that well - you should book in advance. It was a very busy Saturday and I think that probably affected my enjoyment as we were whisked round. I would like to go back and do the other caves on a less busy day.

An amazing place!!! The caves, history and glowing worms are some of the most incredible natural things that must be seen if you visit Auckland.

Staff are friendly and understanding. Although they were understaffed , they were working hard to get things done specially the cafe staff, well done all

Great fun for the family. Informative guide who was a relative of the discoverer of the caves!

Excellent! Highly recommended. Very good tour guide as well.

Great experience, beautiful cave, with a biar ride in the dark as well. Guide was informative and entertaining

Who knew that bugs could be so pretty. This was a great experience and the caves were beautiful and much larger than I thought. Our guide was so friendly and had a great way of telling the caves stories. If you have a small baby I would advice you really think of the others in the group. If you can not stop a baby from crying it really dampens the experience for the rest of the group as silence is key to the caves.

Perfect in every way. The tour guide really knew his stuff.

Had a great time at this place. All the excursions are fun, but make sure to do Aranui and Raukuri.

Such stunning glow worm caves. Probably the best I've ever seen. The people who own and run the centre are amazing. So friendly and knowledgeable and are determined to keep the caves safe and healthy. A tad on the expensive side of cave entries, but worth every single penny. The tours aren't jam-packed like others are, and the boat ride is spectacular. I would highly recommend. I hope to go back for the full Black Abyss experience someday. Thank you to Wii, our guide, for a wonderful time.

Great you definitely should do the two cave tour. Wi our guide very knowledgeable and had a great voice

Can't take photos but a really great experience. Probably not great if you are scared of the dark or caves. Caves are really old and contain a lot of cool stalagmites and stalagtites and other unique cave features. There is also a silent boat ride on a small row boat through the caves where you will see the most glow worms. Cafe, gift shop, and restrooms..

Great place to visit especially the history associated with it was great to know

VISIT: end of February 2020 COMPANY: Auckland Scenic Tours I have always heard of the glowworm caves in New Zealand and was pretty excited to experience. No photos are allowed, so I don't have anything to show for it. It's pretty neat to see all the glowworms and be in the boat with the glowworms. This was an addition to our Hobbiton tour and although it was neat, I am not sure it is a MUST do. I had heard other traveler's talk and this sounds to be one of the best glowworm caves in the area. It was a neat experience, but not on the top of my list from all of the amazing and bucket-list type of activities that we did on our trip!

Great experience and fun time. We went through three caves, one hundred dollars for each person, Ruakuri cave was the best one , we had wonderful time.

Beautiful caves and glow-worms, a must see in everyone's life. The tour was really informative and the guide was really sweet and funny. Loved the experience.

Great to visit while the overseas tours are not here easy parking no queues great cafe & staff are amazing.

The best experience till date. It has a same setting of seeing the stars in sky but only difference is that everything is in a cave. Too good

Very special site seeing experience. There are many experience you can choose ranged from free cave to black water rafting. I did the normal boat tour and black water rafting. The Black Water Rafting is definitely worth! The unique way to observe the glowworm. The guides are super friendly and good sense of humor. They did a great job protecting us and introducing all the way. Prebook before you go, they are quite popular.

Had a good few hours at the caves. We only did the main cave so cant comment on the other caves. Had a good meal at the cafe on site. Pricing not to bad. Well worth a look, kid friendly

Awesome!! It's beautiful and we learned a lot! The staff are friendly and always willing to answer the questions. Nice experience and great trip!

Awesome tour done by Moe, a 5th generation tour guide full of of history and insight

Amazing experience with true local guides. I got to sing Pokarekare Ana in the caves to an audience! Magic

Was a well run place to go enjoy the worm cave and the boat ride was very cool seeing the glow worm.

Amazing experience and great if your short on time as its only 45mins ish. My favourite one of the 3 cave tour. The boat ride was something i wont forget. Tour guide was very good! Im not a fan of crowds but it wasent to bad. A group is around 16ish people.

Alfee the guide (hope I spealt that right) was very knowledgeable and friendly the kids loved her. The boat ride was very enjoyable as we were lucky enough to have a very quiet group. Love native New Zealand, so much to see and discover.

The Glowworm Caves tour was amazing, and great for young kids (our 5 year old loved it). The boat trip out was a highlight.

Amazing. We did the short tour and it was absolutely stunning. Great guide, and not too crowded.

Nice smal tour. Guide is nice and you finish with a local ceremony tea

SUCH a great experience. Our guide (George) was charming, funny, experienced and informative. The tour was a lovely mix of history, science and personal stories. I would warmly recommend this, although keep in mind general tours are not exactly designed for kiddies under maybe about 8.

Amazing experience and such knowledgeable guides. Thoroughly recommended

One of my best experiences in NZ. Glowworm caves are truly natural wonder. The last boat ride blew my mind. Calmness, Peace and beautiful. The other two caves are also good with beautiful limestones and Glowworms.

Fantastic 45 minute cave tour, seeing caverns, rock formations and a boat ride on the subterranean stream, viewing hundreds of glow worms above.

Glow worm in cave you get chance to see them walking in dark cave and then boating in dark cave with glow worm hanging on cave upper potion

Definitely worth a visit, guides were informative and the experience was magnificent

Did ruakuri and boat tours...both have its own plus, but do both if you have time. Ruakuri gives you more historic background, while boat tour shows you the glow maggots better. Black water tour seems interesting with rapelling and water activities, will do that next time.

А.

It was the greatest experience I had in a long time! Quiet, peaceful, freshing, dark, magical and charming!🔥🔥🔥

Very unique experience. Our guide was great. Loved the boat ride through the cave.

We really enjoyed our tour with Chris who was very educated and knowledgeable about the cave itself. Due to the small size of our group we got quite a lot of our questions answered and really understood the importance of keeping the cave clean and not touching anything within the cave. Overall well worth the money and highly recommend paying a visit

Good experience, learnt a lot. Looks amazing inside the caves, and staff were very friendly.

Had an awesome time today looking at the titiwai with Moi our excellent host. Enjoyed the history lesson on the caves and the people who discovered them. The boat ride was nothing short of magical.

Nice place for the whole family. The whole trip is about 45mins, the boat trip is about 5mins.

This cave experience is very good. The boat ride is serene! It’s reasonably short but highly informative and the guide was very good.

Amazing experience. The our tour guide was also very excellent giving us all the explanations and answering all of our questions

Despite the masses of people, the glowworm caves are a great place to visit. If you really like caves, do one of the other tours as well.

Must watch... 😊, one of the most visited places in New Zealand. It has night walk as well

This is the most beautiful thing that I saw ! It's awesome, everybody is quiet and you can admirate the caves ! You have a visit before the glow worms where you can see the normal cave but when you are on the boat .... All the roof is blue, it's like stars in the sky, like the Harry potter roof !

Amazing natural Arunui Cave millions of years old Sea Rocks. Just love it

Amazing experience. We did the Glow Worm cave and Raikuri Cave. Liv our guide was fantastic.

A wonderful tour, great for kids.

The caves are beautiful and the glowworms were amazing, but the guide kept on turning the torch on the glowworms, so you couldn't see them anymore. Leave the torch off a bit more, especially in that one spot where the most glowworms are.

Now is the time to go with no overseas tourists.The guide was very friendly and informative leading us through the underground limestone formations with stalagmites and stalactites.Absolutely amazing.The cathedral is the tallest chamber and choirs hold events here. Towards the end is the silent boat trip with glow worms lighting up the overhead cave like Christmas lights. There are very clean toilets and a cafe . The visitor centre allows you to browse with gifts for sale and friendly helpful staff. A must see into our very own underworld.

Super touristy (in a good way). And that 5-7 minutes in the boat with glowing starts above, really Wow! Just wish it was longer. Pretty pricey for such a short trip.

I've never lived such an amazing experience like this. Was really amazing to see lots and lots of glowworms in the cave in a completely dark environment. You'll have to take a boat and it's not allowed to use cameras nor touch the rocks inside the cave.

Unique and novel experience. Enjoyed the every minute of the visit.

I think photographs could be included in the price, because you are not allowed to take yours. However, it's a nice trip

Was such a lovely experience. Our tour guide/host was lovely. Forgot her name but she was awesome & patient with our bunch of children and very friendly :) I would definitely go again. Kids loved it too!

So we drove down from Rotorua, took us about 3 hours to get there however the drive was simple and relaxed. The drive did have few good locations so we did keep stopping on the way. There are many stores where you could purchase variety of tickets and tours for the caves. we went to the information center and bought the tickets rather than getting them online. We could choose the time we would like to go as they had few slots vacant. They have many tours during the day. However the online method will save some time. They also had a store selling souvenirs so if you visit the center that is a bonus. The cave entrance had a bunch of people waiting to get in when we arrived, nothing really to worry as we were escorting into a group according to the one we selected. We entered with a guide who briefly spoke about the history of the caves and the people who discovered them, he also spoke about the species of the glow worms. The caves as described were spectacular, they really had the glow worms shinning above us, which looked like a night sky with million stars. We took the boat tour which i recommended, during again is beautiful as the glow worms are clearly visible and shinning above you. Overall a great Experience.

great place for a visit did both caves value for money and experience guide talking about the history of the 2 cave great acoustic in the main cave and pure silent in the cave with the boat ride in darkness until you come to the opening of a cave and quick walk to eating area.

The glow worms were amazing as were the caves no photos allowed though

The guides are knowledgeable and friendly, your tour doesn’t feel rushed and the caves are just magical. Toilets and other areas are clean. The cafe is basic but sufficient. The gift shop has some very neat items.

Waitomo caves, is a very special place. But Ruakuri is Spectacular, and having the guided tour was amazing. If your lucky enough to get Mike from Utah, you will appreciate the tour even more so. Mikes knowledge, passion and respect for Ruakuri was articulated beautifully throughout the whole tour. Mike thankyou for showing us the amazing fossils, and supporting us to take photos. The highlight was being allowed to sing and karakia within the caves. Loved and appreciated Ruakuri immensely. Beautiful way to spend a spontaneous day out with your Whanau....

It's ethereal! When I looked up and saw the cave covered in emerald light, I felt like I was floating in the galaxy and then the river reflected everything just a beautifully. The silence and the slow rowing almost made me feel like every thing around me was motionless except for the lights emanating from the glowworms. The respect for environment and love for nature could be felt. Amazing experience.

Brilliant experience, would recommend. Going through the caves on a boat in silence makes the experience! Also recommend visiting one of the other ages there, they do combo deals, which are resonable

Ticked that box but don’t feel the urge to visit again. I came to show some overseas visitors. The caves are impressive especially the cathedral. There were not that many glow worms for what was meant to be glow worm tour. The short boat ride did give a small display. Some guides lacked knowledge. When one was asked where the river flowed to the answer was the car park. The queuing at the entrance before the tour was disorganised with the line being confused with people standing and sitting in the confined space. They could take a note of how Hobbiton does it so well. There were complaints of que jumping as the que was so poorly defined Our orders at the restaurant took three attempts to get a simple milkshake and smoothie correct. Must see for visitors but would not go out of my way

Was good but a bit dark for people that can't see well in the dark and you were not allowed to take photos which is a shame

Wish I could of spent more time here. Really unique cave experience and great tour guides. Would do again.

It's been so long since I've been here and it was as amazing as my first. Great guides and amenities but the stars of the show never disappointed. Loved it

We visited the Aranui Cave, what an awesome sight, unbelievably beautiful. Our your guide We who has generational ties to the cave did a great job.

I just can say there is heaps of glowworms. Walking underground is amazing, hearing about the history behind this place and Maori culture. Don't miss try to sing in the cathedral if you have a good voice

Unfortunately cannot take pictures inside the cave. It is just astonishing the things that exist in nature - was like looking at a sky full of stars in the cave.

It was an absolutely spectacular experience!! The feel and aura of the place was remarkable. Two pieces of feedback: 1) The tour guides should really tell on those tourists who keep on talking and trying to take photos. It was rather irritating to have people around you constantly chatting. 2) Tourists should be advised to take a light jacket as it can be pretty chilly in the caves, and there might be droplets falling from the stalactites.

The glowworms were cool but the guide was a bit of a downer and tried to force someone to sing and then blamed the fact that nobody started singing on technology. Still cool tho.

We all Loved the caves - enjoyed the information from the tour guide The group we were in Sang 'Happy Birthday' to my Grand Daughter in the Cathedral Cave - that was one of the Highlights for her as she turned 6 today - Thankyiu

Perfect family getaway to experience the wonders of nature not far away from Auckland

It's a unique experience... These prehistoric caves are dark, damp and eerie just like the cave in HP6! Glowworms glitter in the dark and it feels like you are gazing at the milkyway!

Amazing views and interesting tour guides. Note if you are taking waitomo cave boat trip you will spend most of your time in the cave without glowworms and only about 10 minutes in the boat. Still amazing though. Please, please listen to the tour guides and be quiet! A lot of tourists are ignoring this and ruining the experience.

45min will fly. Genuine guides who are ancestors from the Maori who discovered the caves. Super well conserved and well respected.

Good value, if you get a guide called Chris, you'll have a good time

Amazing and unique experience I totally recommend it. Never seen something like it.

A must do. I loved the caves and boat ride. Great commentary by our guide Tui. A basic but nice cafe. Well stocked gift shop

Amazing place filled with rich history and great sights...

Fantastic time here, even more so that it was super quiet. Our guide was awesome and the caves was great. I'm glad my first experience here was during border lockdown. Will come back and do the other two caves some time soon before the hoards of tourists come back that the place is built for. I feel sorry that they must not be getting the traffic they're used to but we really appreciate it. Nice to see other kiwis enjoying the tours too. Kiwis get in quick before the hoard come back, everyone and everything is lovely here!

Quite expensive but this is something you don't get to see every day. Friendly and very knowledgeable tour guide, bit of humour too. Well organized and accessible for people with reasonable mobility, including those who walk with a crutch

Simply superb, outstanding and fantabulous. The guide Wee was awesome with great sense of humour and vast knowledge about the caves. Its MUST SEE place, the caves are one of its kind in the world. The boat ride was great, inside the caves its stunning.

Good value for money, but shame no picture's was allowed, seriously don't think taking photos would affect the caves they have been there for 100 of years

Incredible to see the light made by bio luminescence from these fungus gnats. A superb experience!

A lovely array of environmentally friendly gifts. And just a magical place to visit and makes you feel very conected with the Tangata whenua of old end of present day. It's eerie and warm and comfortable

Small group with a knowledgeable guide (George Clooney) who was very entertaining as well. The caves were remarkable and glow worms beautiful. One of our group sang in the cathedral cave with good acoustics.

Stunning. Friendly staff and likeable and knowledgeable guides. Easy to find. Good parking, but note that it's a steep walk from parking to entrance. The cave is both beautiful and beautifully maintained, it never seems dangerous or like you might fall. A few places that you have to bend. But just a bit. Nothing too taxing. The boat ride in the dark to see the bulk of the worms is really wonderful. Boat is stable and the seats were dry. Highly Recommended.

Went there as a first group of the day. Good timing. Nice experience. Shame we aren't allow to take any photos inside

There are no words to describe this magical place. Our tour guide was so well informed and our group learnt all the history of the caves

Had an amazing trip here, probably the best of the holiday. Definitely do the boat cave trip. We tried the combo which included another cave for a walking tour. Both were good but the boat part was just so relaxing. Like nothing I have seen before.

Best ever caves attraction. No camera allow in the glowworm cave

Garth was a great guide. Thanks for sharing your wonderful taonga

The glowworm caves are a cool experience and the guides are very friendly and experienced in their field. The walking tracks are accesible for people of all ages and walking abilities. It was an allround nice and interesting experience.

One of my highlights from my trip in New Zealand was being able to experience the glowworm caves and the guide was very knowlegable!

Nice place to visit but the ticket price is higher in comparison to things to see. Most importantly the guide speaks a lot rather than showing the cave.

Small group tour is a must! We did a tour with Spellbound and the whole experience was great.

It was an interesting experience. Worth the visit. I've been in caves before, so not that unusual but still worth visiting to see a local cave and it's ecology. Our guide was great - very knowledgeable and had a fantastic singing voice. Also the set up was quite ecologically sensitive so that makes the experience even better - wouldn't want to participate in something that is damaging the environment we are meant to be admiring. Overall a great experience

We visited the Waitomo and Ruakuri caves. It was totally worth visiting both, as they are quite different. The caves are awesome, and the tour guides were quite good. =) You can easily do it as a one day trip from Auckland and back.

Stunning, great experience overall

Very fun, you get what you paid for, the tour is very interesting. My guide was funny and gave learning opportunities too. We felt very safe in the caves at all times. Would defiantly suggest others to come.

Friendly guides showing off a great natural taonga.

Great to finally visit, we visited a few years ago, but it was packed with tourists so there were no tours available. Sadly COVID has meant no overseas tourists, so if you want to see this great kiwi attraction...now is a good time to do so. 100% recommended.

Very cool experience! You can't miss this. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but the guides were very knowledgable and gave us a great tour. I wish we would've done the tubing or other activities, but our schedule was packed and we didn't have time. Guess we'll have to go back!

Amazing experience! A bunch of tourists were nuisance but overall went very well. Guide was very informative and did try her best to have minimal chatter in the caves. Boat ride is a bit of short span, thankfully our group was divided into two. Photos are not allowed and with the level of darkness around its not possible to click photos using your phone and it's impossible without a tripod for a professional photographer (Bulb Attachment setting) so rather spend some quality time with your partner under the glowing cave rooftop! We had our own share of tourists secretly clicking pictures and at a couple of occasions using flash photography!

Great tour with very informed guide! The caves and glowworms are astonishing. Definitely worth checking out. Attracts a lot of tourists who may not care about respecting other people on the tour. Maybe they could have an 18+ tour after a certain time for people who don’t want to get caught with loud kids and disrespectful adults.

Absolutely beautiful. Our guide was very knowledgeable and presented with a lot of fun, it was easy to see his genuine connection to the caves. No photography allowed in the caves for good reason, but the staged photos they do for you are good and the book they come in provides great information.

The tour guide was great, she was funny and kept us well informed of our beautiful surrounding on the tour. My son and I were in complete awe, we loved the experience and will definitely return when we next hit up Waikato for a holiday or weekend escape. Best to go when there aren't so many tourists apart from that this place is great.

I was very apprehensive at first as I was told stories of other glowworm caves not being any good. But this was breathtaking. You walk through the caves with your guide and then you get onto this boat in complete darkness, and they pull you along using a rope and then all you see is hundreds of glowworms and it's so beautiful. I would recommend this tour to everyone!

Good and a must visit place in Hamilton .Be prepared for the cold caves . The guid lady whom we had was friendly and superb .

Took our kids for a birthday treat and they loved it

Place for : education Worm? Euuu... no!! But what about glow worm? What is a glow worm? How is their life cycle? What does it look like? How to find one? Some of these answers will be found when u visited waitomo glowworm You will be guided to explore, see, learn and experience the formation process of this cave, and at the end of the journey tourists we be guided to experience a nice night sky inside the cave

A great experience with family and other visitors enjoying the large underground world of limestone and glowworms, guided and narrated by a personable Maori who used humour to foster rapport (loved it) . Could have spent more time in some places just soaking up the ambience and experience...

What an experience. Waitimo caves are totally worth the hype. Great experience and great people. They explain everything so well. The boat ride is just awesome. Definitely worth visiting.

Most of the tour is about the cave and its formation. Only the last 10 mins actually board a boat to see the glow worm.

Really enjoy taking the kids and overseas friends and family to Waitomo to soo the Caves and the area.. Staff are more than helpful and great knowledge. We all soak it up.

MOST POPULAR COMBO: Glowworm Caves + Ruakuri Cave (Late January) //Glowworm Cave: (Be aware, no photography on this part of the tour) The only reason I give this four stars is this portion of the package. The cave area is massive and well lit, but also crowded and loud at times. As you get to the boat (where you see the incredible amount of glow worms) the rule is absolute silence before and on the boat. Many people had a hard time adhering to this rule so there was a lot of shushing. Boat ride lasted only about 10 minutes but the worms were spectacular. Only reason for four stars was the wait to get on the boat and the crowd management. //Ruakuri Cave Walk: (photos and video allowed) Excellent tour with detailed discussion of the history - not only of the caves but of the Maori people as well. Tour guide was very friendly, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor. Says to bring a jacket but it wasn't that cold (though I am from Wisconsin). Walking through this cave system was like none other I've visited. There are a couple spots where you must duck through and step around beautiful features (this added an extra fun side to it). There were many different types of rock and caves throughout the walk. Detialed, up close view and lesson on the glow worms. Since pictures are allowed, this was an incredible part of the walk to record and very educational. Group size is limited to 18 which was great! Kept it quite personal the whole way. This cave tour was well worth the price and I would highly recommend!

Amazing once in a lifetime experience! Fun, entertaining and educational.

The guides we're excellent. It was cool to see & learn about the caves & the glowworms. Unfortunately it's a bit overpriced for what was very much a tourist attraction. You are in a large group & you cross paths with other large groups in the caves too. The boat ride was way too short & it was distracting when other empty boats would come past. You just went back & forth in this very small body of water & the light from the finish was so bright. Recommend doing if you're older, with small children or aren't looking for any kind of adventure. Wouldn't recommend for anyone wanting an authentic experience. I went through a different company & paid approx $150 for a few hours which was definitely worth it.

Our guide was so good that the tour was one of the highlights of our holiday. Actual time in the boat is short, but rest of tour was still super interesting

Should buy tickets prior to the entrance but totally worth it

A must do

I really enjoyed it and it was a beautiful cave and absolutely stunning seeing the glow worms! For me and my friend it was the first "proper" guided tour/ group we'd done (we'd previously been driving ourselves around NZ) and I did feel there were a lot in a group and a lot of groups going through together so felt a bit cramped at times and slightly rushed through.

Mesmerizing experience, down in the caves, seems u are taken altogether to a different world, simply beautiful!!

An amazing experience! Great staff and the caves are beautiful. The tour was great with great knowledge great humor and really made you feel welcome. We had a guide called George and he really made the trip. Couldn't recommend enough.

We did the boat tour through the caves and they had way too many people in the group (40+). We could hardly hear what the tour guide was saying and couldn't see passed all the people at the glow worms and rock formations. Because our group was so large it took 3 boats to take us through the cave and therefore we spent more time sitting and waiting in the boat than we did on the boat ride through the caves. Aside from this the caves are spectacular and the boat ride was incredibly unique. Glad we did it but didn't enjoy it as much as we could have if it was a smaller group.

Tour was amazing the guide was funny and informative

Fantastic cave complex. The main cave can be quite a bit crowded. The two smaller caves were great to visit with a very knowledgeable guide. Really great experience with the glowworms in total darkness after they switched off the light.

Awesome place to visit. Magical

It was much better on the picture. Some parts of the cave were pretty. For very unknown reason u can't take any pictures or video inside ( at all even w/o the flashlight). Even though they have their own lighting. U will spend no more than 5 minutes on the boat and it will be in circles. Very much over priced and over rated.

Definitely would recommend to go to Waitomo area, but not sure if would recommend the main cave that has a boat attraction, usually have heaps small kids that make the experience not good as could be. It should have a minimum age, otherwise you can't enjoy the cave sounds without listening to kids crying. After visiting the Ruakuri cave, the waitomo glow-worm cave (the main one) was boring for us, the senior instructor was not entertaining, just wouldn't recommend this cave. The Ruakuri cave was the best we visited, the lady instructor was so entertaining, no crying kids and we were able to take photos.

It was a surreal experience to witness the glowworms in the cave. First the guide took us inside the cave, explained us a bit about the cave formation, and the why those worms glow and their life cycle. Post that, they make you sit in a bit and take you through the dark cave. You lift your head up and get amazed by these beautiful creatures. You can't take photos inside the cave and hence just enjoy the experience and store them memories in mind. It was indeed a surreal experience!

Amazing natural wonder destination. WAITOMO in Maori language means 'Wai' - Water, 'Tomo' - Entrance or a Hole. Millions of years old place. Do visit the place. The caves are very interesting and the glow worm boat ride is mind blowing. If the liquid falls from the ceiling on to your head, its considered good luck. Spot the brightest one thats the hungriest glow worm. The cathedral part of the cave stays at a constant 14 degrees C all year around! The caves are also called The glow worm grotto.

The walk through the Waitomo glow worm caves involved going up and down steps with a few breaks in between when the guide was explaining things. The walk was followed by a slow boat ride in darkness to admire the glow worms. Using cameras, phones or lights was not allowed. Taking photos was allowed only after we exited the caves. Overall, the visit to the caves was close to 45 minutes.

Worth every penny - an incredible experience with an interesting and quite sad narrative. A must see - so far quite a natural highlight of the North Island for us!

We did the common Glowworm Caves tour. What you see inside the cave is amazing, but it’s a short experience

So beautiful experience and better than I expected! Though it is a bit pricy, it worth experiencing once.

Have been here before in 2018. Been again in 2021 and did the glowworm and Ruakuri cave tour. Both the guides were special in their own way. Chris in glowworm was funny and kept us entertained throughout the trip. On the other hand Pip in Ruakuri has a voice of an angel. She sang whilst we were going down on the ramp, it was just magical to listen to and also coz she grew up there and her family's been there for ages, she had wealth of knowledge about the cave. Plus is u can click photos in Ruakuri. Ruakuri cave is wheelchair accessible which is good to know, not sure how safe though as it is a long tour to wheel around. The other two caves aren't unfortunately. I'd say we were pretty lucky as we didn't have big groups and group of 50s turning up (thanks to Covid). It was a small group. We paid 119 for accomodation and 2 cave tours which I'd consider a good deal for me. I'd definitely recommend the Waitomo tour.

So gorgeous. The highlight of my trip to New Zealand. Wish the boat ride through the caves was longer. The tour guides there were also very charismatic. I've never laughed out loud during a tour before :)

An amazing day 3 caves in one day and a magnificent 45 minute walk too. Ana our boat guide was very composed even with our late noisy arrivals 🤣 managed to get some awesome photos. Fantastic amenities

The actual cave when you are in the boat is breathtaking like a prettier night sky but the boat trip is only five minutes long. Understandable though when it's so busy. Unfortunately our experience was a bit hampered by a large tourist group who felt some particular need to cut in front including one particular individual who decided to turn his phone flashlight on and spoke very loudly to his partner even after we were just briefed that loud noises and lights cause the worms to turn the lights off. It's definitely worth the money but I'd advise the business to have a clearer mandate that if you break the rules consistently then you will be ejected from the tour.

Spectacular place that all who visit NZ should make the stop for a half day. Boat tour is classic and a must, but I also really enjoyed the Cave walk. If I had the time I would have also done the Blackwater rafting as it seemed amazing. Next time.

The tour itself was fine. Our guide was knowledgeable and fun. However the tour itself is stretched fairly thin. You are there for the worms and that boat ride, which is amazing, but I feel for the fifty or so dollars per ticket they could have extended the initial cave walk. It is a fun experience, but perhaps you could try one of the other walks to get a greater experience from the trip.

I thought it would just be a cute thing to do but it ended up being an amazing part of my trip that I will recommend to anyone that makes their way to New Zealand. I wish I could have enjoyed more time in there but I did enjoy the guide, the experience and the ride through a dark cave.

Such an amazing place! The guide (Mya sorry for the spelling) was very knowledgeable. Would definitely visit if you're in the area as it is spellbinding!

A short visit but definitely worth the hype, it's so cool they guide you through on a boat and you can see the glowing larvae in person. I believe it's short because they are careful about the levels of CO2 in the cave and get a ton of visitors. If you want more cave trekking, I suggest getting a bundle with another cave in the area.

The boat ride, which is only the last 5 minutes of the tour, to see the cave ceiling covered in glow worms is amazing and worth the entrance fee. BUT, while I understand the need for silence, not all foreign visitors seen to understand and young kids certainly don't, perhaps restrict under fives. The other caves nearby offer much better examples of formations.

Well all I can say about this attraction is Wow. Will appeal to kids and adults. A well thought out and educational day out.

A fascinating place to visit, but tricky to describe (partially because you can't make photographs in the caves). The experience really centers on a 10-minute stretch where you're on a small boat in the quiet dark cave, surrounded by many thousands of small glowing lights. It's a bit like being in a planetarium, but (for me, at least) far more profound. It's worth the trip. (Go early, if you can, however - the crowds will be less.)

The 45 min glow worm tour was good . The tour guide was very informative and helpful in explaining the history of the cave. Although the only highlight for some would be the glow worms at the. End. The longer tours might be more interesting

Very cool place, but was also very crowded when we were there.

Wonderful new entrace building (11 years old, since the old little building burnt down) and sizeable cafe. Caves themselves are a lot easier to go through, since they've paved almost the entire area. Unfortunately, this makes it feel almost too civilised. The glowworms had a breeding spree during the lockdowns though, so there are plenty of glowworms when you cruise through in the boats!

Totally amazing experience to go through the caves. A once-in a lifetime experience

Got the popular combo deal. Glowworm Cave + Ruakuri Cave. Definitely worth checking out.

I remember Waitomo caves before the big flash restaurant and shop. It's a pretty impressive building but the entrance to the caves are the same. It was a fantastic trip through, we went in the last viewing of the day and our lovely guide spent a little longer than usual in the larger cave . We were able to soak up the ambience and experience the serenity of the caves for a slightly extended period. The caves are very well cared for and it is well worth the visit.

This was one of my highlights in New Zealand so far! We booked a tour with “Spellbound” and couldn’t wish for a better tour guide to explore this scenery with. The group size was also awesome with just ten people in it. We were in two caves and it was just amazing and magical! A day to remember!Very clean and well maintained. The guide knew alot of info. The only thing is the boat was the highlight of the tour but it only last about 2 min. Maybe if you allow the tourist to take video without flash or light would make it 5 stars drifting through the caves on a boat while gazing up at the galaxy of gloworms. A universe under the earth. The staff are lovely and the setting is very special. I thoroughly recommend it.

My second time doing this tour and a must if your in the area. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and we all had a fun afternoon learning about glow worms and the history of the Waitomo caves. I highly recommend the black water rafting.

This is must see attraction. The tour is both interesting and awesome. I have pretty serious visual issues so I am very glad to have visited before losing my sight. My family thought the tour was inspirational and the right length.

This place was super cool and is truly a one of a kind experience. The caves are on Māori land and as such is owned and operated by Māori staff. First you get a tour of the caves where the glow worms are not. The guide explains the history and evolution of the actual cave. Then you get a quick lesson on what Glowworms actually are and how they survive before you board the boat to go down the river inside the cave. On the boat you must be absolutely silent to truly enjoy the beauty of the “starry night.” It was a somewhat romantic experience and would be a great place for a date or proposal. The only major downside is that you are not allowed to take any pictures while you are on the boat so we can’t really share this magical experience with our friends and family back home. I guess they’ll just have to go and experience it for themselves.

Beautiful cave and it was great to know the history behind it, also seeing the glowwarms and learning more about them.

Doesn't disappoint with how many glow worms you get to see 😀 A very high end professionally run tour.

Well make your you have planned this place properly. It takes quite some time to complete the guided tour of the caves. While you are on in the caves no phones are allowed. This was by far the biggest I have seen in North Island. There is another on way to bay of island. Absolutely mesmerising experience at this place. Take the full package and enjoy the beauty of nature. The photos here are the other attractions of the glowworm caves

The tour guide was great, but unfortunately there were too many groups in the caves at the same time. Felt quite crowded and loud. Still a fascinating place, but would benefit from capping numbers of tourists.

Really cool experience. It's pitch black in parts of the cave, where you cannot even see your hands in front of your face, and the glow worms light up like tiny blue lights. Looks like you're looking up at a starry sky at night. Noises in the cave echo and are amplified, which is fine, but kids can be loud. Experience would have been better if they implemented an age restriction or had groups broken up by families with young children vs. everyone else. The boat ride was the best part, but maybe 10 minutes max.

Too touristic for me, but amazing experience seeing the worms. No photos or videos from inside are possible to do.

Much fun, and a cool experience. Learning a lot about the caves and seeing the glow worms was so much fun!

Amazing experience - Maria was a very knowledgeable and funny guide and even sang is a song in the cave (beautiful voice!). Seeing the glow worms was breathtaking - floating on the boat in the silent dark to see them was a surreal experience. Unfortunately the tour was slightly ruined by a few very rude guests - they kept touching the cave walls (after being told that ruins them), taking pictures, and talking loudly during the boat ride. The poor guide tried telling them to stop but they blatantly ignored her. I’m not sure what can be done about tourists like this and it’s not the fault of the guide or the tour company, but there should be some way of stopping these guests from ruining it for the rest of us.

Just turned up on a rainy morning. Very easy tour. Don't go if you or your children are afraid of the dark because you turn all lights out. No photos. We enjoyed it and recommend it to others.

We did the standard glow work cave tour which last 45 minutes. The cave was like most others until you get to the end of the tour where your group gets on a boat in the darkness and you experience the amazing glow worms. This part of the tour was brilliant. The tour guide was really informative and funny.

amazing.Wemariki our guide was the man!

Fantastic experience. The glowworms cave was magical. Seen glowworms before, but not on thia scale. It was like another world

You cannot take a picture inside of the cave. I was overwhelmed by the lights of glowworms. Definitely recommend this place. 👍

It was amazing have told all my friends and family if they hadn't been its a must do we are going to go back and do the 3 hour tour in the next few weeks.

This place is magical. Go early, grab the first tour if you can to avoid the crowds and disturbances. The lights from these little insects made me misty-eyed. George was a great guide! I regret not singing in the cathedral when I had the chance. Maybe next time.

If your interested in caves or seeing glow worms then you will love it. We were only expecting to just be given a tour of the glow worm cave itself but were walked through some caves prior to boarding the boat which was a nice extra. Tour guide was entertaining and friendly and shared some nice insights into local culture.

This was one of my favorite outings in NZ!!! I learned so much and the caves are special and thrilling!!!! The guides were super helpful and cared about our safety as well. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny, and so considerate of both the old and the young.

Thoroughly enjoyed the tour, very informative guide. Highlight was learning the history of how this place came to be, the pioneers behind it and cruising on the boat through the glow worms...with wonderful company :)

Great and easy way to experience the caves....we’ll guided paths, easy walk (a few stairs to navigate) and a very relaxing boat ride to see the glowworms and exit the caves. Tour guides are all related to the first discoverer of the caves and the commentary is nicely balanced between humour and fact. All in all a good experience - Adrenalin junkies may want to consider other options in the area.

Amazing and unique experience. We did the basic tour to the glowworm cave. It includes a guided walk through the cave and explanation of the rock formations and geology of the place. Looks spectacular inside. Ends with a boat ride in complete darkness where you look up and all you can see is thousands of glowworms. Lasts about 45 minutes, easy to moderate effort and our young children, 5 and 7, were able to complete this and have fun!

I felt as if the tour was too short. Best part was the boat ride however we are told not to talk or take pictures but it's hard for the guides to actually I force the rules. If you want to see glow worms this is definitely the tour but your time will be limited. Also felt the group was a bit large which made it sometimes hard to hear the guide and or see what she was pointing to. Overall though I would recommend because the glow worms are just so beautiful.

Expect a light cave tour then everyone gets onto a sailboat for the main glowworm portion. The latter part was my favorite - it's done in near silence. If you really enjoy caves, get a combo tour with Ruakuri or other nearby cave. I've done that in the past and found it well worth it. Couple notes: Parts of the cave are quite slippery and very dimly lit. Also, no photography allowed. In our group, a couple was called out for photos when it looked more like they were using their phones for footing and light.

Short (+/-45 min) tour of the glowworm caves. Funny guide who includes the guests as much as possible while still being informative. Ends with a 10/15 minute boat tour in which you'll actually see the glowworms in a dark cave. Unfortunately you can not take pictures due to the owners wishes. Still worth the money!

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39 Waitomo Village Road, Waitomo Caves 3977, New Zealand

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