Waitomo in the north, Te Anau in the south. For every cave tour: what it includes, where you can take photos and what it costs per person.
Pick a day, or the first and last day you are near Waitomo, Te Anau or Auckland. We check the booking calendar of each cave tour and show which ones still have places.
In the next 7 days, all 6 tours on this page still have places.
Cave: Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Cave: Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo
Cave: Te Anau Glowworm Caves
Cave: Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Cave: Private farm cave near Waitomo
Cave: Spellbound caves, Waitomo area
New Zealand’s glowworms live in caves on both islands. Which one you visit is decided by your route. Here is what each location offers.
The classic New Zealand glowworm stop, about 2.5 hours by car south of Auckland: the classic boat ride under the glowworm grotto, the photo-friendly Ruakuri walking tour next door, a small-group caving trip into a private farm cave, and day tours from Auckland, either combined with Hobbiton or out to the Spellbound caves.
The Fiordland glowworm caves, run by RealNZ on the remote western shore of Lake Te Anau: every visit starts with a lake cruise, and Te Anau is also a base for Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound trips.
Planning the fiords too? Our sister sites cover Milford Sound tours and Doubtful Sound cruises from the same town.
The Te Anau caves in detailFrom the 45-minute boat ride to a full day out of Auckland. Each card opens to the full tour details.
The classic: Cathedral Cave on foot, then the silent boat ride under the glowworm grotto. The tour is kept short, and cameras are not allowed inside.
The classic New Zealand glowworm experience: a guided walk through the limestone chambers of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, including Cathedral Cave, followed by a silent boat ride under the glowworm grotto, with thousands of Arachnocampa luminosa lighting the ceiling above you.
Two things to know before you book. The tour is short (45 minutes) and some reviewers feel the ticket is expensive for that length; go in knowing you are paying for a compact, well-run visit, not a half-day underground. And photography is not permitted anywhere inside: cameras and GoPros stay outside, so the grotto is something you watch, not something you film. If taking photos in a glowworm cave matters to you, look at the Ruakuri walking tour instead.
Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitor Centre, 39 Waitomo Village Road, Waitomo. Check in 30 minutes before the start; the tour ends back at the same place.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
The photo-friendly cave next door: 1.5 hours underground, cameras welcome, wheelchair and stroller accessible. You need your own transport.
The longer Waitomo cave tour, and unlike the boat tour next door it allows photos in selected parts of the cave. Ruakuri is entered through a spiral entrance, and the 1.5-hour tour leads past glowworms, limestone formations and underground rivers.
Ruakuri is also the accessible choice: the walking route is wheelchair and stroller friendly, which the main Glowworm Cave is not. Two practical points: Ruakuri tours start at their own visitor centre on Tumutumu Road, a short drive from the Glowworm Caves visitor centre, and you need your own transport. Arrive on time, too, because latecomers forfeit their ticket without a refund.
Ruakuri Visitor Centre, Tumutumu Road, Waitomo, a short drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves Visitor Centre; you need your own transport. Check in 30 minutes before the start.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
The South Island caves: every visit starts with a cruise across Lake Te Anau. Cameras stay outside; tea and coffee are included.
The South Island glowworm experience, run by RealNZ: the caves sit on the remote western shore of Lake Te Anau, so every visit starts with a cruise across the lake (included in the ticket) before a guided walk and a small-boat ride into the glowworm grotto. Tea and coffee are included.
One note on expectations: a handful of reviews report nights with fewer glowworms than the photos suggest, because a living colony varies. Most visitors rate the trip highly, but the display is nature, not a light installation. Physically, you duck through a low cave entrance and manage steps inside, and part of the visit must be spent in complete silence. The product page rules the tour out for infants, and RealNZ says it may not be ideal for younger guests. Cameras are not allowed inside the caves.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
The no-rental-car day out: guided Hobbiton Movie Set tour and the Waitomo glowworm boat ride in one 11-hour trip with hotel pickup.
The no-rental-car way to see the Waitomo glowworms: an 11-hour day trip from Auckland in a Mercedes-Benz van that combines the Hobbiton Movie Set with the Waitomo glowworm caves. At Hobbiton you get the guided 2.5-hour Movie Set tour, including a drink at the Green Dragon Inn; at Waitomo you take the guided glowworm cave visit with the boat ride under the grotto (around 50 minutes at the caves).
Hotel pickup in the Auckland CBD is included, and the tour runs with a minimum of two participants. The Waitomo camera ban applies on this tour too: photos at Hobbiton, memories in the cave.
Hotel pickup in Auckland CBD is included.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
Small-group caving in a private cave on a family farm: about 2 hours underground, wading, climbing and crouching. Phones welcome, the guide takes photos. Age 12+, own transport.
A small-group trip into a privately owned cave system on a family farm in the Waitomo district, away from the crowds and the developed show caves. After about 15 minutes of preparation and a safety briefing, you walk 10 to 15 minutes through native bush and the Mangapū Gorge to the entrance, then spend around two hours underground: walking, wading through shallow water, climbing over rocks and crouching through smaller sections, with larger chambers and glowworm displays along the way. There are no paved paths or handrails, no boat and no abseiling.
The group is limited to eight people, and caving clothing and boots are provided; afterwards there are showers, tea, coffee and biscuits. Phones and small cameras are welcome, and the guide takes photos of the group that are sent to you afterwards. This is the operator's regular group tour, not to be confused with the same operator's private photography tour. You arrive under your own steam: no transport is offered.
1199 Oparure Road, Te Kūiti (Waitomo district). Arrive 15 minutes early. No transport is offered.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
Glowworms without Hobbiton: a 9-hour small-group day from Auckland to the Spellbound caves, with a boat ride under the glowworms and CBD hotel pickup. Gentle walking; lunch not included.
A glowworm day trip from Auckland that does not go to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves themselves but to Spellbound, a separately run, guided cave experience in the Waitomo area. The day runs in a small group of up to 11: about 2.75 hours by air-conditioned van to the caves, the guided Spellbound visit, a one-hour break in Otorohanga and the drive back. At Spellbound you visit a glowworm cave with a boat ride under the glowworms and a second cave, Te Ana o Te Atua, with the guide explaining the geology, the history of the caves and the glowworms' life cycle.
Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Auckland CBD, bottled water, light snacks, tea and coffee are included; lunch in Otorohanga is at your own cost. The walking is gentle (up to 40 minutes at a time on easy paths, no climbing, crawling or stairs inside the caves), but it is not suitable for wheelchairs or walking frames, and a 40 cm step is needed to get into the van and the raft.
Pickup and drop-off at one of 20 hotel pickup points in the Auckland CBD. You choose yours at checkout.
Taken from the operator's own listing on the booking platform; photo and age rules as stated there.
One tour per wish, chosen from what the product pages say. The table further down has all of them.
Cathedral Cave on foot, then a silent boat ride under the glowworm grotto. About 45 minutes from the Waitomo Visitor Centre; photography is not allowed inside.
Cameras and GoPros may come along on this 1.5-hour walking tour through Ruakuri Cave, and the walkway takes wheelchairs and strollers. You drive to the Ruakuri Visitor Centre yourself.
Pickup from Auckland CBD hotels and a guided visit to the Spellbound caves, with a boat ride under the glowworms. Gentle walking and no stairs inside the caves; 9 hours.
A cruise across Lake Te Anau, then a guided walk and a small boat into the glowworm grotto. 2 hours 15 minutes from the RealNZ Visitor Centre, with tea and coffee included.
Tell us where your day starts and what matters most in the cave.
Question 1 of 2
Question 2 of 2
No tour fits every answer, so here is the closest one.
The no-rental-car option: an 11-hour day trip in a Mercedes-Benz van with Auckland hotel pickup that combines the guided Hobbiton Movie Set tour with the Waitomo glowworm boat ride.
Glowworms without Hobbiton: a 9-hour small-group day from Auckland with CBD hotel pickup and close to three hours at the Spellbound caves, including a boat ride under the glowworms. Lunch is not included.
The classic: a guided walk through Cathedral Cave and the silent boat ride under the glowworm grotto. It is a short tour by design, and cameras stay outside.
The Waitomo cave where photography is allowed: 1.5 hours underground, wheelchair and stroller accessible. You drive yourself to the Ruakuri Visitor Centre, a short drive from the Waitomo Visitor Centre.
Small-group caving in a private cave on a family farm: about 2 hours underground, wading, climbing and crouching. Phones and small cameras are welcome. From age 12, and you get there yourself.
The South Island caves: a cruise across Lake Te Anau, a guided cave visit and the glowworm grotto by small boat. Cameras are not allowed in the caves.
Also a good fit
Off the Beaten Track small-group glowworm cave tour
Book now
Sorted by review count. Tap a column header to re-sort.
| Photo | Tour | What's in it | Rating ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
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Te Anau Glowworm Caves + lake cruise | Lake Te Anau cruise, guided cave visit, tea/coffee, no cameras · 2 h 15 min | ★ 4.7 (3,209) | NZ$ 129 per person | Book now |
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Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour | Cathedral Cave walk + boat ride under the glowworm grotto, no photos · 45-min tour | ★ 4.4 (1,278) | NZ$ 85 per person | Book now |
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Off the Beaten Track cave tour | Private cave on a family farm, small group (max. 8), wading and climbing, phones allowed, age 12+, own transport · 3.5 h | ★ 5.0 (304) | NZ$ 219 per person | Book now |
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Ruakuri Cave walking tour | Guided cave walk, photography allowed, wheelchair accessible, own transport needed · 1.5 h | ★ 4.8 (203) | NZ$ 122 per person | Book now |
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Hobbiton + Waitomo day tour from Auckland | Hobbiton Movie Set tour (2.5 h) + Waitomo boat tour, Auckland hotel pickup · 11 h | ★ 4.8 (202) | NZ$ 450 per person | Book now |
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Spellbound caves day trip from Auckland | Spellbound glowworm cave by boat + Te Ana o Te Atua cave, small group (max. 11), Auckland hotel pickup · 9 h | ★ 4.8 (173) | NZ$ 309 per person | Book now |
Prices load live from GetYourGuide or Viator and already include taxes and booking fees; a cave tour costs at checkout what this table shows. “What’s in it” is a short version of the product title. The full list of inclusions is on each product page.
Taken from the product pages. Where a page does not say, the cell tells you.
| Tour | Cave | Photos | Boat | Start | Children | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waitomo Glowworm Caves guided boat tour | Waitomo Glowworm Caves | No photos inside | Boat under the glowworms | Waitomo Visitor Centre | All ages, infants on a lap | 45 min |
| Ruakuri Cave guided walking tour | Ruakuri Cave, Waitomo | Cameras allowed | On foot, no boat | Ruakuri Visitor Centre, own transport | Strollers up to 65 cm wide | 1.5 h |
| Te Anau Glowworm Caves tour with Lake Te Anau cruise | Te Anau Glowworm Caves | No photos inside | Lake cruise and grotto boat | RealNZ Visitor Centre, Te Anau | Not for infants | 2.5 h |
| Hobbiton + Waitomo Glowworm Caves day tour from Auckland | Waitomo Glowworm Caves | No photos inside | Boat under the glowworms | Hotel pickup, Auckland CBD | Not stated | 11 h |
| Off the Beaten Track small-group glowworm cave tour | Private farm cave near Waitomo | Phones and small cameras | On foot, no boat | Te Kūiti farm, own transport | From age 12 | 3.5 h |
| Spellbound glowworm caves small-group day trip from Auckland | Spellbound caves, Waitomo area | Cameras allowed | Boat under the glowworms | Hotel pickup, Auckland CBD | Children with adult supervision | 9 h |
From the GetYourGuide and Viator listings, checked in October 2026. The photo rules for Ruakuri and Spellbound come from the cave operators’ own websites, the small boat in the Te Anau grotto from RealNZ. The duration is the provider’s figure.
The Waitomo Glowworm Caves tour lasts 45 minutes, and a recurring complaint in reviews is the price for that length. Photography is banned on this boat tour and in the Te Anau caves; you can take pictures on the Ruakuri walking tour and on the small-group Off the Beaten Track tour (all rules on photos & cave rules). The glow itself varies, because a colony is alive, and a few Te Anau reviews describe fewer glowworms than the product photos show. The Waitomo operator recommends booking in advance, which is the main reason to reserve online ahead (see best time to visit). The boat-or-walk decision has a page of its own: Waitomo boat tour vs. Ruakuri.
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
★ 4.4 (1,278 reviews)
“Cohen was a wonderful guide and listening to him sing in the Cathedral Cave was a highlight! The dark boat ride is so magical and you feel like you could spend hours looking around you. Even if you are a little claustrophobic, this tour is the way to see the caves. …”
“An incredible experience. The caves themselves were impressive enough but the glowworms were so beautiful. Our guide Danny bought the tour to life with his knowledge and enthusiasm. A must do experience in New Zealand.”
“in my opinion not worth it. The Cave and glowworm aren't that impressive. Not worth the money you have to spend.”
The praise centres on the guides and on the silent boat ride under the glowworms. Two critical points come up. The tour is short (45 minutes, with the boat section a small part of that), and some visitors feel the ticket is expensive for the length. Photography is banned throughout; the Ruakuri walking tour next door is where cameras are allowed.
★ 4.7 (3,209 reviews)
“The cave was amazing, the glowworms really do look like constellations in the night sky when you are in there. … If you are concerned about feeling restricted in the cave it was not like that, there were places you needed to duck down but the space never felt too confined.”
“It was great. The young tour guide I think Taylor was his name was great, informative and engaging. There were plenty of glow worms seen and we were given good info about the whole experience of the worms and mountain.”
“The ride to the cave, and our guide/s, were really great but the promise of a “glowworm tour” was not. The amount of money we paid for a nice scenic boat road ride with a 5 minute “glowworm tour” was really disappointing.”
Two patterns run through the critical reviews. First, most of the 2 hours 15 minutes is the lake cruise. The boat ride inside the glowworm grotto itself is short, and several reviewers feel the price is high for the time spent in the cave. Second, the display is a living colony: after heavy rain there can be noticeably fewer glowworms, and flooding cancels trips entirely. The guides and the lake crossing are praised even in the critical reviews. Book this as a Fiordland outing with a glowworm finale, not as a long cave expedition.
★ 4.8 (202 reviews)
“Adil was an amazing guide - fun, considerate, and thoughtful throughout the trip. Knowledgable about NZ and threw in fun facts along the way. Activities itself were fine and standard, the tour guides there were friendly and lively. Would recommend Adil to all NZ travelers!”
“It was a wonderful trip and well worth the cost. ANDY our guide, was excellent. He was a careful driver and a very knowledgeable guide. … The van was very comfortable and clean. Highly recommend this tour. The lady who answers the phone line at Auckland and Beyond Tours was somewhat impatient and abrupt.”
“van ride was extremely uncomfortable. they cram way too many people in there.”
Recent reviews of this day trip are almost uniformly positive and centre on the guides. The critical reviews document three things worth weighing: it is a long day in a van with a lot of driving for around 50 minutes at the caves, full departures feel cramped, and heavy rain can cancel the cave portion at short notice. One reviewer reports being offered a substitute stop rather than a partial refund. Complaints about the vehicle itself and a theft at the car park date back several years and have not recurred in recent reviews.
Taken from the GetYourGuide pages of the cave tours. Long reviews are shortened (marked with …) but not reworded; reviewers appear with first name and country only.
We list the glowworm cave tours you can book at Waitomo and Te Anau and describe each one by the same points: time underground, photo rule, access and how you get there. If you book through a link on this page, GetYourGuide or Viator pays us a small commission from its own share, and your ticket costs the same.
Photos, tour length, children, cancellations, and which of the two caves suits your route.
In practice your itinerary decides, not your taste: Waitomo is on the North Island, about 2.5 hours by car south of Auckland, and Te Anau is in Fiordland on the South Island, next to Milford Sound. Both show you New Zealand’s glowworms from a small boat in the dark. If your route passes both, Waitomo is the shorter stop with the photo-friendly Ruakuri cave next door, while Te Anau wraps the caves into a longer outing with a lake cruise. There is no need to travel across the country for one over the other.
Not on the two classic tours: photography is banned inside the Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour and cameras are not allowed in the Te Anau caves. The exceptions are in the Waitomo area: photography is allowed on the Ruakuri Cave walking tour, and the Off the Beaten Track small-group tour into a private cave welcomes phones and small cameras. If pictures matter to you, book one of those. Wherever you go, expect the glow itself to be something you watch rather than capture: it is faint, and the caves are dark.
The Waitomo boat tour lasts 45 minutes, the Ruakuri walking tour 1.5 hours, and the Te Anau trip takes 2 hours 15 minutes including the lake cruise each way. The Off the Beaten Track tour takes 3.5 hours, about two of them underground. The day tours from Auckland run 9 to 11 hours because they add the drive and, on the Hobbiton combination, a 2.5-hour movie-set tour.
It depends on what you expect. The tour is 45 minutes, priced per person, and some reviewers feel that is expensive for the length. It is a fair point to weigh before you book. What you get is the Waitomo glowworm grotto, seen in silence from a boat, in a cave system with more than 130 years of visitor history. If you want more time underground, the Ruakuri walking tour next door doubles the duration and allows photos.
They can. The Waitomo operator recommends booking in advance and calls pre-booking essential. Booking online ahead of your visit secures a place on the departure you want.
The Ruakuri Cave walking tour at Waitomo is wheelchair and stroller accessible via its spiral entrance, which makes it the accessible glowworm option in this comparison. The main Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour is not wheelchair accessible, and the Te Anau caves involve a low entrance and steps.
At Waitomo, children are welcome on the cave tours: under-4s go free but need to be booked, quiet is needed during part of the tours, and Ruakuri takes strollers. The Off the Beaten Track caving trip starts at age 12. In Te Anau you duck through a low cave entrance, manage steps and stay completely silent for part of the visit, and the product page rules the tour out for infants. Check the product page for child rates and age notes before booking.
Every tour on this site offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. One exception matters: on the Waitomo boat tour and the Ruakuri walking tour, arriving late or missing your slot forfeits the ticket without a refund. The policy shown at checkout on the GetYourGuide or Viator product page is the binding one, so give it a quick look before you book.
Any departure works: it is always dark inside the caves, so, as RealNZ puts it, you see the glowworms on every departure, and the Waitomo caves are open daily. Weather still plays a part: reviews report fewer visible glowworms in Te Anau after heavy rain, and flooding has cancelled trips there.
All tours from both islands in one table, with photo rule and duration.
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