Waitomo Glowworm Caves

The guided cave tour in Waitomo was exciting, and the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the caves and the Maori culture. The tour began with a walking tour inside the caves, looking at stalactites and stalagmites, culminating with a boat ride in the caverns filled with glow worms on the walls and ceilings. Out of respect to the Maori people, we didn't take photos in the caves, except in the last area where photographs were permitted. Everyone was quiet and respectful throughout the journey through the caves. One of my most unforgettable nature experience ever.

Great experience. The glow worms resemble micro led blue lights. Food, water and restroom facilities are available on the premises. There is the option of doing the glow worm cave alone or pick a combo of two or three caves. Only one cave has the glow worm.

To set the expectations right: The glowworms might not look same as in the pictures, they are less bright and fewer in number, probably a good camera and the right season gets those views. Having said that, this is still a very good experience, the caves were very nice - the guide explained the stalacite and stalagmite formations, the glow worm life cycle. You are taken in a boat in the underground caves to see the glowworms, they allow pictures at the end of the ride. You can also spot some eels in the water. There is a cafe and gift shop. If you reach early you can go exploring some of the walking trails nearby.

What an incredible experience! Visiting the Waitomo Caves was truly magical. The glowworms were absolutely mesmerizing like floating stars in the darkness. 🌌 The tour was not only breathtaking but also very informative. We learned so much about these fascinating little creatures and the history of the caves. Highly recommended for anyone visiting New Zealand it’s a must see natural wonder! 🌿💫

A must do experience if visiting the area. We did the basic cave tour and it was wonderful. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable, and the glow worm caves were awe inspiring. Loved every minute of it!

I would say if you can make it to waitomo to do this tour you should it is once in a lifetime or twice if you go to Australia. The cave was beautiful steeped in great history and our guide was interesting she had a great sense of humor and seemed to really truly enjoy doing the tour. Im so glad we didnt skip out on this.

Pretty amazing. Otherworldly! Loved the learning and tour. Seeing the glowworms was incredible. Be aware you need to be able to climb in and out of the boat which are pretty big steps both up and down. Ots breathtaking to see these millions of year old rock formations. Highly recommend.

The cave tour was excellent. We booked in advance as recommended. With good humour, our guide provided an introduction to the geological features and the cultural significance of the caves. We were treated to an Irish love song by a fellow tour guest - to show the cave’s acoustics. The highlight was seeing the glow worms. Watching them in near-silence was a delight for adults and kids in our group alike, it was out of this world. There are two walks in the vicinity of the caves (one that takes you through farmland to a hilltop), this was a nice activity before entering the caves.

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves was the first activity on our New Zealand trip, and it was quite the unique experience! This place is about a 3 hour drive from Auckland. We joined a tour to avoid the drive, and overall better deal! You can also come on your own. There's free parking across the visitor centre, which is where you can purchase your tickets and visit the gift shop. Photo op time right before you head down to the caves which you can purchase afterwards! Going into the caves is separated into groups to avoid overcrowding, and you'll ride a small boat later on. The first portion of the tour was walking into the cave, which was equally, if not, more interesting than the glowworms. Seeing the unique rock formations, the water calcification, stalactites and stalagmites, and etc was cool! There's even an area where they call the Cathedral that's the highest point, and they sometimes have special events where performers play or sing in that area for the amazing sound that resonates. The caves portion has many stairs and narrow area, and as you keeping going deeper and deeper, it gets dark. The area where you board the boat is very dark. This is because the glowworms will become disoriented or even die from any bright lights, so no photo taking! The boat ride was guided with a hanging rope, maneuvered by our guide. This was an interesting experience seeing nothing but the light from the glowworms. You might feel "caved in" in some areas, but this portion of the tour was relatively short, and you'll come out of the cave where you can take photos! Overall, this was quite a unique experience, and a must visit while in New Zealand. Our tour guide was awesome. He was very knowledgeable, engaging, funny, clear, and friendly. Everything was clean, organized, and a very well-run tour. I wouldn't mind coming again!

Was excited to see this and have the experience. Started off great with the tour guide giving insight to the history and guiding us inside the cave. We heard Happy Birthday from another group and thought that was sweet. Only to sing it ourselves to test out the acoustic's. The guide said a few famous singers came there as there is no echo in the main chamber. Once in the boat for the cave ride we got started and all of a sudden heard a loud bang and then a splash. Ummmm....WTH?! More splashing as what sounded like the guide getting back into the boat. Now this all happened in the pitch dark so we couldn't see anything. Not only that, the guide gave zero reassurance everything was ok. Only when another guide on the return path crossed did he say he fell in and gave her something. I was so glad to see the light at the end of this ride and get off the boat. I'm not sure what happened but the lack of communication made the experience more scary than serene.

I am riveted by this spot. Seeing the Glowworm Caves was so amazing. Beneath the rolling hills of New Zealand, these caves house tiny glowworms that transform the cave into a galaxy of lights like stars in the sky. The caves were first explored in 1887 by Maori Chief Tane Tinorau and English surveyor Fred Mace, using just a raft and a candle. If you're in New Zealand, this is an unmissable stop.

The Glowworm Caves were definitely one of the highlights of our NZ trip! It's like floating through the universe once you get on the boat and glide along the deep emerald waters into the pitch black cave. The guide has everyone go quiet so as not to disturb the worms and then suddenly the cave ceiling lights up with thousands of twinkling blue dots! It's so breathtaking it's almost spiritual - you can't help but be in awe of nature. Even the walk down to the caves is magical - descending down through the NZ forests with ferns towering over you and exploring the caverns on the way down. There are several cave "rooms" on the tour such as The Cathedral where they give you a chance to sing with perfect acoustics haha! And the guides do a great job of telling the historical stories of the caves and all about the worms. Most of the guides are direct descendants of the Māori chief that originally explored the caves - they still take great pride in protecting the caves and educating everyone about them. Guided tours are the only way to visit the caves and they do a lot of monitoring and data collecting to ensure the caves/worms stay healthy. There's a little cafe at the entrance with snacks and drinks. The cave tour was part of a day trip we took from Auckland with Auckland Scenic Tours. It was a great way to get to the caves since we didn't want to rent a car and drive it ourselves bc they drive on the left and I was too stressed about it lol! But if you do brave the driving, there are other caves and some really awesome hiking trails in the same area that would be worth exploring.

Truly a one-of-kind experience that I would recommend to everyone. The best way to describe this experience is like you're floating in a sea of stars. You can only experience the glowworms in New Zealand or Australia so do it if you're visiting either countries. You are not allowed to take photos in the caves because it is sacred to the Māori people, please be respectful. The interior of the cave is made of beautiful limestone and well maintained. Witnessing the beauty of the cave and glowworms was surreal and I would strongly suggest that you witness this for yourself!

I can't compare this to other cave experiences in the area but I did enjoy these glowworm caves. Note no photography or videos within deep inside the cave due to the belief that spirits are housed here and should be respected, but the tour guide does give you an opportunity near the exit to get some quick shots as you wish. It's basically a limestone cavern experience for the first half. Then you get taken deep into the cave to see the glowworms hanging and get a quick boat ride to see the "stars" inside. The whole thing doesn't feel long but fit my itinerary well. I'm sure other similar cave experiences may be less touristy but I enjoyed this place myself.

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves are a natural attraction, known for for a species of glowworm (Arachnocampa luminosa) that only live in New Zealand. The 45 minute tour through the caves is $75NZ and consists of two parts, a guided walking tour and a boat tour. During the walking tour you see amazing cave formations such as stalactites and stalagmites, and walk through the cathedral, the tallest chamber in the cave. On the boat tour you can see thousands of glowing lights (the glowworms) on the cave ceiling. You are not allowed to take photos of the glowworms as it will disturb them and your photo will turn out like crap anyway due to the lack of light, but it was nice to just relax and take in the beauty of the glowworms illuminating the caves. Definitely a unique experience! [Yelp collections: NZ/Fiji 2023; New Zealand 2023]

This review is mostly for the restaurant although if you want something more than a dumbed down version of pirates of the carribean, go further down the road to Ruakiri Caves - it's much more informative, has cooler looking stalactites and is almost twice as long. The adjoining restaurant is operationally inept. We stood in line for a good 15 minutes before they told us the kitchen is closed because it was 4:00. I looked at my watch and it read 4:00. We pleaded with the kitchen to take our orders, which they did but grudgingly. Not sure what happened with the patrons standing behind us. We ordered mince and chicken and mince pies. Good to hold you over until a real meal, but obviously sodium filled and recently frozen. The roasted veggie salad thing has potatoes, sweet potatoes and other items but mostly flavorless. Chicken tenders also nothing remarkable. It comes with a salad and fries and the crazy thing is they give you a choice of only one "sauce" which includes ketchup for the fries! So apparently unless you want to pay more, you'll have to do without salad dressing or without ketchup for the fries. Well that was pretty much the main reason I am compelled to let people know to steer clear of eating here if possible. Bring snacks or drive into Waitomo for better eating options. That's all

My wife and I were on vacation to Auckland, New Zealand and I took a day tour to Hobbiton and it also included these really cool caves that have glowworms lining the ceiling. You aren't allowed to take pictures inside of the cave, but it is totally worth going to. You start off by taking stairs into the cave and they show you how they catch their food with this creepy string that you see when you turn on the lights in a small section. You then get into a boat and float in silence and star in amazement at the specks of light on the ceiling, it is really cool. I would totally recommend this trip!

We were on a bus tour that took us to Hobbiton, and the caves were the second stop. Pictures are not allowed inside the cave, but they take one of you beforehand with a green screen. You can purchase it afterwards if you would like. The tour guide led us down to the cool (temperature) cave. He explained the history and features of the cave. He also sang a Māori song, to showcase the acoustics of the cave. At the end of the cave, we crouched down and saw silk threads the glow worms use to capture prey. He gave us information about the glow worms before we headed to the main attraction, which was the boat ride through the glowworm grotto. We sat silently looking up at the glow worms above us. It was nice, even though the ride was short. The only thing I would suggest is spacing out each tour group a bit more. I heard the guide before us sing and the guide after us sing.

If only you could take a picture of the wonder inside this cave to share. Alas, you're not allowed to, flash would ruin the experience for everyone, it's too dark inside (and you're on a moving boat), and you're just going to be to amazed. Honestly, I think this is the best experience is all of New Zealand north island. In other words, if you were to do 1 thing in the country, this is it, not Hobbiton, even though that place is super duper awesome also. Obviously do both if you can--many tours offer both experiences on the same day. Their little cafe is pretty good, but just expect the prices to be a little high since it's located in a somewhat secluded place. The Otorohanga Kiwi House is a 15-minute drive away, so consider also seeing some kiwi birds while you're in the area!

First things first: The caves are amazing and the gloworms are phenomenal and unique My review is for the cave tour with boat ride exclusively. And I am sad to report the tour was not great. It was a family friendly tour and it was just repetitive and slow. The portion of the tour when you go on the boat and see the worms is tiny compared to the long cave walk where they show you shapes and shadows typical to any cave. kind of boring and felt like a time filler. I wish you could just see the glow worms on the 10 minute boat ride and save he pain of the introductory talk and bad jokes. If this is the only way you can see the glow worms, do it, but if there are better options and tours, definitely go with those instead.

Cannot praise the company and guides enough. Did the Abyss Five Hour experience. The guides, Callie and Emily, were extremely fun, made sure we were safe and showed us a once in a lifetime experience. The caves themself are cold, wet and magical. It feels like you are floating in space watching the stars. The trek through the caves is a little challenging but there are plenty of rest stops and fun things to do

We arrived earlier than our scheduled tour and was allowed to take the earlier time. The staff were real sweet and seemed very passionate about their work. The young lady explained most of the staff who worked in the company were descendants of the originator of the caves. You're not allowed to take pictures anywhere inside the caves. The guided tour takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The history of the gloworns and how they continue to reproduce was educational and entertaining. All you see are these little lights in the ceiling or on the side of the caves. My favorite part of the gloworms is seeing their long stringy nests like that are hidden. Definitely a place to check out for a quick visit to support the history of the caves.

'Ello chaps! Waitomo Glowworm Caves are located about a two hour drive outside of Auckland, New Zealand. The attraction is most notable for the Arachnocampa luminosa, a glowworm species. Part of the attraction itself is the beautiful drive from Auckland. The boat tour part of the tour is overhyped as it lasts for about five minutes. The majority of the tour is on foot through the cave system, but there are walking stones and a well established and maintained path making it safe and accessible for many different people. The tour itself was interesting and unique and still worth the while. There is a large gift shop and a few cafes on site. I'd also recommend checking out some of the small towns nearby, which we did to grab lunch. Overall, I give Waitomo Glowworm Caves 3 stars out of 5.

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves were a bit of a disappointment. I had these caves on my bucket list for several years and when I was planning my trip to New Zealand, I had to cross this off! I went with a cruise excursion group and I felt completely rushed. It was extremely busy so they were rushing the groups as quickly as possible. We did a walking tour at first and didn't see many glow worms. We then were brought to a boat that led us to the exit. It was a very quick ride (less than 5 minutes) and we did get to see a cluster of glow worms but it is NOT like they show online. I saw many more glow worms at the Kawiti Glowworm Caves. All in all, I'm glad I got to cross this off of my bucket list but I would never come back. Way too much hype.

The worms are beautiful, they mostly shine a blueish green color. Viewed them from the boat. They don't allow pictures inside the cave but they do offer a green screen.

Cool stuff to be seen in the caves. Glowing worms are incredible! The walking tour starts at the top of a really well engineered walkway that drops down slowly into a deep cave. The history of the location is part of the education on the tour. It's a great learning opportunity for everyone, not only about science but the history of the geology and the area. Our tour guide was a lot of fun and we (family of four with one 2 year old) had a great time. Also good for a hot day (literally it's cool in those caves).

It's cool. The explorer came out from me when venturing in these caves that you don't see anywhere else in the world! It's like neon blue lights in pitched black space. It's a bit spooky when the entire lights are off and yet magical! Quite a wonder to be sparkling in blue and living in habitat from the light!

We visited the Waitomo Glowworm Caves on a whirlwind two-day tour of the North Island (we spend the majority of our NZ holiday on the South Island) just a few weeks ago (June 26, 2018). We were on the first tour of the day which was cool; we did not have to contend with a group in front of us - only a group behind us. Our tour guide, George, was funny and knowledgeable. He seemed to have a true passion for the caves and the history of the caves and glowworms. However, I was fairly disappointed with the tour as a whole. While I understand Waitomo suffered a big loss in their glowworms with a massive flood last April, I felt the tour did not live up to the hype or the photos. The glowworms were primarily located on the boat ride which only took place during the last 5-10 minutes of the tour. I thought we would see glowworms the entire tour. Alas, that was not the case. Once on the boat, we were instructed to not talk - we would apparently scare the glowworms? Unfortunately, there were at least two infants on board who could not or would not stop making some kind of noises. Another disappointing factor in this cave was the absence or inability to take photographs, even those without flashes. While I appreciated our tour guide and the knowledge he shared with us (and the jokes!) I felt we could have gotten a more organic experience at a less-touristy spot. With all that being said - to see the neon blue glowworms light up the pitch black space, it's pretty magical and cool :)

The tour guide at the Waitomo glow worm caves was super nice and funny, and an over all nice guy to talk to. The actual glow worm part is shorter than I thought, but they tell you about the history of the caves as you go along to the exit. A nice & tourist friendly place!

This was my first stop in New Zealand and it did not disappoint! A lot of people were complaining about the price $50NZ ($35 US), but seriously, the experience here was priceless! The grounds are pretty neat and they have a full restaurant on premise along with a very cool Maori artwork. A bunch of tourist groups booked their tours ahead of time or online, and you check in a window for that. But, I bought my ticket on-site. There was a tour going in 10mins and you sit in this little "wrangling" seating area waiting for your tour to be called. They have free wifi, so the wait is not bad. You walk down a paved track through the forest into the entrance of the cave. It is still an active cave, so you can get "cave kisses". As far as stalagmite and 'tites go, there weren't any formations that were mindblowing or amazing, but you walk by a few. There are some "cave ghosts" in the forms of different shape and animal profiles that are fun to see when pointed out. Mid-way through the short 45min tour, you congregate in the main cavern around a formation and get the history of the cave. Our guide was the grand-daughter of the original "protector" of the caves and she is Maori, so it was such a treat to hear her sing a Maori song in the cave (when no one from our tour group volunteered). The acoustics are incredible, but I got goosebumps and was brought to tears by the timbre of our tour guide's voice and the beauty of the song resonating in the cave. That in and of itself was worth the price of admission! The stars of the show, the glowworms were visible in a small smattering throughout the first portion of the cave, but you could really see them when you entered the dock walkway for the water portion. It is extremely dark and getting into the boat from dock was a bit harrowing, but once you are in the boat and being pulled through the caves, it is something otherworldly completely! It feels like you are in some sort of parallel dimension were the universe has condense and you feel like you are looking at the stars from a warped glass. The mass amounts of glowworms are just incredible and because the guide asks for silence, it adds to the feeling of no longer being on planet Earth. It is about 15mins, but it feels long and short at the same time. When you exit the cave to a dock in the forest and you hike back to the visitor center, it feels like what you just experienced was a dream...dotted in little blinking blue-ish white lights!

After a brief tour and walk through the caves on foot, you are taken to a small boat on the river and in almost total darkness are navigated through additional caves to see the thousands of 'worms' glowing all over the cave walls and ceiling. A must do!

As with many, I came here with an open mind, not knowing what to expect. Yes, there are a lot of advertisements to visit this place, but really how often do you get the chance to check out mother nature's insides? I can see how others may feel it's a bit pricey, but just know your money is helping towards the conservation and preservation of nature's beauty. As well as, to the non-profit organization that manage and care for these caves. Although the tour was short, which can be completed within two hours; Tour guided, eating, and doing the gift shop. It was well worth it, in my opinion. I still felt this was a "once in a lifetime" experience. This wasn't the biggest cave I've ever been in, but it was unique in it's own right. Walking through it, and getting on board for the grand finale boat ride to see the glowworms. And at this point, I wasn't thinking about cost of the tour, or thinking ignorantly like this was a dark room with Christmas lights. Slowly and quietly riding along, I was thinking of my dad who isn't particularly in good health and will probably never experience something like this. As with many other older folks. There were a few elderly people on my boat, and to see them smiling at the end was priceless.

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!

Did the cave tour on the last day of 2022, and it was amazing to see the glow-worms during the boat ride. It is a 2 hour drive south of Auckland and a nice drive through the countryside to reach there - definitely a GPS-routed trip. The cave part was just adequate in terms of length of time in the cave and then the boat ride. Sure, there are no cameras allowed on the boat section, but then if there were cameras flashing you would struggle to get your eyes to adjust to the darkness after someone's phone or camera flashed, and then get to actually see the luminescence - before someone else's flash went off. So I can understand why there is a no-camera-use policy on this tour. There is a green-screen outside (before you start) so they do "take" pictures of you in the cave that you can purchase in the shop at the end.

What a waste of money. Total tourist trap that I am embarrassed to have fallen for. But to be fair, people were pouring in to this place from all over the world. Heads up: NO PICTURES ALLOWED. Not in the caves or during the boat ride. Not that it matters on the boat ride because it's so dark the tiny glow worms won't come out in a picture. How do I know this? Because one of our hotels in Hokitika had a glow worm cave that was free to the public and you could take pictures. But like I said, you can't see anything in the pictures if you are using your camera phone. First you tour the caves, which are neat, but I just happened to have walked through much better caves in Israel and they let us take all the pictures we wanted. Not here. In these caves they were very clear no pictures, with or without flash. The boat ride was very short. It only took us a long time because the boats were backed up from people taking too long to disembark. The worst part was while we were stuck in the boat, YOU COULDN'T TALK, NOT EVEN WHISPER!! I swear, all I did was whisper two words to my husband next to me and the employee shushed me!! It was almost torture to be honest. Save your money. Don't do the cake and boat tour we did. Either find the free cave in Hokitika or do a different tour.

I was a bit annoyed that they do not have many tours available. You'd a huge spot that is in the middle of no where, but you limit the amount of tours they have daily. I was not able to get in a tour even though we arrived early in the morning. But after reading the reviews it looks like we were able to save our money. Apparently no pictures are allowed.

Glad I did the tour. The caves and glow worms are mesmerizing! However, there are no picture allowed and it's because it affects the glow worms. Make sure you wear comfortable non-slippery shoes. I wore sneakers and was still slipping. It is also very dark so make sure you hold on to the rails. The tour inside the cave is longer than when you actually get on the boat to experience the glowing worms but it's enough to satisfy. Looking up at the glow worms is like looking at the sky at night filled with stars. Absolutely beautiful!

Went to the glow worm cave this morning and it was really incredible. The tour was about 45 minutes and we got there about 15 minutes early. We parked in the car park directly across from the cave entrance, then walked uphill to get to the cave. There are several places to eat around the caves in addition to vending machines on the premises. Didn't try anything as it all seemed over priced. The tour was roughly 30 people, which seemed to be the average. I wore a shirt-sleeved shirt and jeans and was perfectly fine. The tour started with the cave area, where you can see a few glow worms. Later on, you can easily see the glow worms' nets they cast in order to catch food. They only need to each once a month! You could feel every woman in my group immediately become jealous of glow worms. The boat is the very last part of the tour. The boat is loaded from back to front. If at all possible, get a seat towards the back. I was in the front row middle seat so I had a great view of the employee guiding the boat (via ropes overhead). While in the boat you need to be totally silent. - No photography or videos while on tour - There are plenty of postcards of the glow worms in the gift shop - No talking while on the boats - Definitely bring shoes you can walk well in, there are quite a few stairs and not much lighting

What a disappointment and total waste of a day. There are tons of people, it's super crowded and the staff is all related. The biggest disappointment was that they did not even let my husband and me sit together in the boat (which lasts about 4 minutes) - we were rows apart. We kept saying we wanted to sit together and the guy was like 'it's ok mate, it's ok' actually MATE, no it's not ok we paid hundreds of dollars and we should be able to sit together. I hated the whole experience because of that. There are plenty of glow worm caves in the area that are much closer and reasonably priced. Avoid this place - total rip off.

We stopped by this place as a part of Hobitton itineraries. I had no knowledge about this place and rather wished that this wasn't included. Just wanted to get to Hobitton ASAP. But boy, this place was magnificent and so mystical. Too bad I couldn't take pictures but these glow worms looked so beautiful. It was like natural planetarium. If you are on the way to Hobbiton from Auckland, you should not skip here!!!

The glow worms were spectacular and stunning. This was one of my top things I wanted to do during my time in New Zealand, especially after seeing beautiful photos online while I was planning my itinerary. However, I would be hesitant to recommend visiting here. The explanation behind the poor rating was because of the duration of the tour that you are actually in the cave system. The tour group I was in was too large for the guide to manage and felt super impersonal, which ultimately ruined it. Overall, it seemed like a tourist trap capitalizing on a natural attraction. We spent roughly 5-7 minutes under the glow worms in the boat, and photography was not allowed (understandable). If you are heading through Waitomo, stop by and check it out if you have the money. But I would not recommend driving 3hrs one way from Aukland to solely see the glow worms, like I did.

It was my 2nd time seeing the glow worm cave. It costs $51 NZD and is around 2.5 hours drive from Auckland. Upon arrival, there are plenty of parking spots. You get brought into a cave for a bunch of introduction and history behind the whole cave. The tour guide was able to crack a few funny jokes which made the crowd laugh. In the cave, you're not allowed to take photos which sucks. After 30 minutes of history and chit chat, you get to go load onto a boat in which you experience around 15 minutes of going through the ( smaller than I remembered ) cave. I was able to see a few bunch of glow worms but was expecting more. You eventually get led out of the cave on the boat where you load off and end the tour. The second time, it didn't feel as appealing. I wanted to average my 5 star on my first visit and my 3-star rating on my 2nd visit for an average of 4 stars. Recommended for those who haven't been. The second time around, it's just the same stuff, different day.

In A Nutshell: -The Waitomo Glowworm Caves is definitely worth a visit if you are on the North Island of New Zealand. -The drive from Auckland is about 2 1/2 hours and very pleasant. -Once you arrive, the parking lot is small, but I had no issues finding a spot. -The main cave is the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Waitomo translates to "water" & "sinkhole" in the Maori language. -This cave, along w/ the majority of the support staff (i.e. kitchen, guides, etc...) are actual family members of the Maori cave. -As you enter the cave, you will see many stalactites (ceiling formations) & stalagmites (floor formations). -You eventually get on a boat and will see hundreds, if not thousands of glowworms hanging from the ceiling. -Glowworms only live in caves, they have a short life cycle. -The first 9 months is as a larvae, where they emit a light due to chemical reaction. -They use a long sticky thread to trap flying insects and reel them up to eat once caught. -They are only adults for a few days, where they have no mouth or stomach so they can only mate in short period of time then die. Overall, this was a very educational experience not only about glowworms, but the Maori people. They can sing very well, especially in the caves!

Generally, I like it The stalagtite and stalagmite, and everything. Wasnt something that special. Pretty small cave. About the glowing worms. I was a bit disgusted by it. Until we rode the boat... It looks like we were gazing at the stars. A bit hazy feeling, and lost in a moment. Beautiful... But it was shorter than i thought. I thought we were gonna see more of the glowing worms, but it was only at 1 big area befire the exit. A bit too expensive for such a short exp. But worth a try

This was a very cool sight, and it was very interesting to hear about the worms. After the ride/drive through a pretty region of rolling hills to reach Waitomo, you join a group tour to access the small, but interesting, cave via a short walk on a paved, covered path between hill and forest. Do not expect an extensive cave tour! The tour inside is primarily focused on giving guests an introduction to Waitomo and the glowworms and then getting the guests to the boats to really see the worms. The friendly, lively guides are full of information. The silent boat trip was very cool -- in the pitch dark, the worms were like stars in the sky, and it was peaceful floating mostly silently beneath them. (One note: My wife felt a bit disoriented in the boat, between the dark, the glowing points of light, and the spinning around as the boat moved through the cave. 'Just something to be aware of.) I enjoyed the experience, but I think I expected more after the hype I'd heard for years. In particular, more cave time and/or a longer boat trip --. I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to visit here though, and I would recommend it. One additional thought: For most of the world, the glowworms here are a unique sight; however, in New Zealand there seem to be at least a few locations where you can see them. This added entertainment as the staff at Waitomo took great pride in praising their own better-known location over the others.

Definitely worth the day trip to check out these worms. They illuminate the ceiling like stars in the sky as you move through the cave. The history is interesting as well, including every worker there being related to one of the founders of the cave. I will note that you are not able to use your camera until the final push to the exit of the cave. This is to no disturb the glowworms in addition to helping preserve the limestone.

I was really excited for this tour, probably more than anything I planned to see on the North Island. But what a let down. The caves themselves are absolutely magical - 5 stars. There's something truly enchanting about the soft calming blue glow emanating from the worms. But you really can't enjoy it on this tour. You sign up and pay at the window. They assign you a tour time and tell you to show up 10-15 minutes early. It would be awesome if you could go in groups of two and enjoy the caves with the company of your significant other, but that's not an option. They're trying to make as much money as possible so they send through as many people as possible at a time. They somehow cram about 20 people in a tiny tin boat. The tour guide lays down the ground rules first - no pictures whatsoever, no talking so you don't startle the worms, stay inside the boat at all times, the usual... The pictures wouldn't come out anyway since it's so dark, but they won't even let you whisper to your partner, plus knocking elbows with strangers takes the enchantment away real fast. The tour guide said a couple things about the caves as we approached the darkness but we couldn't ask questions since NO TALKING! The worst part was how short it was, I was expecting a 30-45 minute ride through the caves but I swear we went in one end and out the other into daylight in under 20 minutes. I can check it off the bucket list but man, hugely overpriced for this tour of Nazi New Zealand.

Worth seeing? Yes, if you're close to it. Must see? No. I decided to visit the caves while in New Zealand because it's on just about every flyer and advertisement you come across. It's quite a long journey from Auckland, around 3 hours one way! Tickets are a little on the expensive side too, $50, and the tour only runs about an hour. When you get there you check in and go on a guided tour of the cave. The cave was pretty basic, if you can imagine a cave. After the cave tour, you go on a short 5 minute boat ride to see the glow worms. Although it's cool, I wouldn't say it was amazing. Just imagine a bunch of Christmas lights in a dark room. That's about it and then it's over. I wouldn't recommend the cave if you're in a time crunch and want to see other things in the country. 3 out of 5 stars for me!

Whoa!!! This place was awesome and well worth the two hour drive out from the city. We found this tour that was included with the hobbiton tour. The tour inside the cave was very informative. If you are claustrophobic or scared of the dark/have trouble seeing in the dark I suggest not going on this tour. No photos or video allowed of the glowworms since light disrupts them. Hopefully I can make my way back to this area for some black water rafting!

Gorgeous, just gorgeous. Lots of street signs to help you find the caves, and an i-Site nearby to help you along your way. I paid for just the regular tour, not the upgraded one as I'm a little claustrophobic. I was aearly for the next tour time, so I grabbed some tea and a scone at the cafe by the entrance. Our tour guide was fantastic, even singing for us in the "Cathedral. The caves are beautiful and he was really knowledgeable. Once we got in the boat a hush fell over our group as requested, and we were pulled across the water to see all the glroious glow worms. The tour took about 34-40 minutes and only half of that was in the boat but I LOVED it.

The glowworm caves are truly unrivaled. When planning our itinerary for New Zealand I remember being worried that these may just be a tourist trap and totally not worth the cost. My friend and I decided if we were going to do it, we were going to do all of it. It was 93.00 per person for three caves and definitely worth it. The three cave guided tour is really the way to go. Each cave is so different I can't imagine missing any of them. The first, Aranui cave, is the smallest but had such a neat little entrance surrounded by trees and rocks. The maintenance of the natural entrance really added to the whole experience. There really weren't any glowworms here, the cave formations though are amazing. The second cave, Ruakuri, you spiral downward and go deep underground. Here you see a few glowworms, but nothing to make a big deal about. The rooms in this cave and all the walkways are super fun. The final cave, Waitomo, has huge rooms with both amazing formations and lots of glowworms on the walls and ceiling. The magical ending is really the clutch though. They get you in a little boat and float you down a little stream in the cave where the ceiling just glows blue from all the glowworms. You exit at the original cave entrance. In each cave there were wonderful tour guides that told the story of the caves' discovery and each was incredibly knowledgeable about the formations in the cave and the vegetation outside. It was truly a treat to learn from them. I definitely recommend this experience and would not leave New Zealand without it.

This was on my bucket list and I'm so glad I got to check it off!!! Before going, I saw pictures and thought to myself that there was no way that the worms could look like that. But when I got there I was in awe! To start, they take everyone to get wet suit and water shoes. This is because the tour I did we'd be getting to go in the water. You're also given a helmet with a light so that you can see where you are gojng in the cave. Next, everyone gets in a car and get driven out to the water. Everyone then needs to pick a water tube that fits them. The guides will then take you to a small river to show you the proper way to jump with your tube in to the water. This was really important for this tour. We all practiced and then everyone got their tubes and we headed down a little trail and in to a cave. We stopped at a big part in the cave and took a group picture. Next, we finally got to use our tube. Everyone laid in their tube as the instructor pulled us down the river. And in a few minutes, we saw the worms!!! But we were told that the glowing substance was actually from their poop lol As more started to appear as we headed more down the river, everyone turned their head lights off and it looked like a bunch of turquoise stars! With in the ride, we hadd have to stop and one-by-one we jumped with our tube in to the water. When they asked for vollunteers to go first, I was the only one who wanted to go lol I did it with out a problem. And we pretty much did this the whole tour which ended up being a couple of hours. After the tour, they fed us with toast and soup which was perfect after freezing our buns off in the water lol

The glow worms are incredible: eerie, strange, beautiful... My only regret is not booking the tubing tour.

This was a neat experience! We did this on the day we drove from Lake Taupo up to Cape Reinga (don't do this...literally took a few days to get rested) and it was the nice break we needed. We went only a few months after the caves were flooded, so the glow worms supposedly weren't as abundant as usual but had they not told us this we would of never known. It's amazing how bright it got in the main cave! Sadly no photography inside, so leave your cameras at the door!

Really was looking forward to this excursion, but ended up being a HUGE disappointment. Glowworms are nothing like the pictures you see floating around the Internet, plus, you can't take ANY pictures inside. Had we known this was a tourist trap, we would not have gone.

Very very very disappointed. A group of us drove 2.5 hours from Auckland to get to the caves only to be told by the cashier we cannot go in because of the cave conditions (temperature / people / co2 etc). The cashier told us this does happen often. Nothing wrong with wanting to preserve the cave. The sad thing about this was that I was on the waitomo caves website only 2 hours ago and there was no mention (if it was it was well hidden) of the site temporarily closing because of conditions. This is a blind spot on behalf of Waitomo management and at the very least a daily / hourly update on cave conditions / opening. If we knew this would have been the case, we would have rescheduled and not waste our day. They lost out on hundreds of dollars on entry fees, we will not be returning.

It was a waste of money! It looks nothing like online !!! That's why they don't allow filming and photos inside