New Zealand · WAITOMO TOURS

The 15 Waitomo Tours That Go Early

42 tours  ·  from $47

Some days out are worth rearranging a week for. These 15 waitomo tours are those, each with its cost, its length and the detail that settles it.

Waitomo Caves: Labyrinth Black Water Rafting Experience - Checking in outside Waitomo village
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Waitomo Tours, White Water Rafting

Waitomo Caves: Labyrinth Black Water Rafting Experience

1.Waitomo Caves: Labyrinth Black Water Rafting Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,673 reviews · 3 hours · from $115Our pick

Explore Ruakuri Cave with trained guides such as Evie, Molly, G, and Stacey, scrambling through limestone passages, jumping small waterfalls, and floating beneath glowworms. The 3-hour tour costs $115, includes wetsuits, boots, helmets, tubing, showers, and snacks, and suits active visitors aged 12 and over who weigh at least 45 kilograms.

“This was an incredible Indiana-Jones style adventure. Deep caverns, rushing water, going off waterfalls, and floating through the dark with an incredible ceiling of glow worms. It was more than we expected. Our guides were fantastic and attentive to everyone's needs/fears. Well done! Highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour - Cathedral Cave and the first half of the tour
Glowworm Cave Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

2.Waitomo Glowworm Caves Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,027 reviews · from $50

Walk through Waitomo’s Cathedral Cave, then take a quiet boat ride beneath thousands of Arachnocampa luminosa glowworms. Guides such as Cohen and Corey explain the cave’s geology, Māori connections, and the insects’ strange light. The 45-minute tour costs $50.27, allows no photography, and requires stairs and a 30-minute check-in.

“Beautiful place, awesome experience for kids. Feel like we were in the Jurassic movie where dinosaurs lives there. Awesome 💓”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo Caves: Ruakuri Cave 1.5 Hour Guided Tour - Starting with the spiral entrance
Glowworm Cave Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo Caves: Ruakuri Cave 1.5 Hour Guided Tour

3.Waitomo Caves: Ruakuri Cave 1.5 Hour Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 985 reviews · from $66

Walk through Ruakuri Cave with an English-speaking local guide for 90 minutes. Expect a spiral entrance, stalactites, glowworms, subterranean water, and stories tied to the Holden family and local cave traditions. Photography is allowed, groups are kept small, and the cave has wheelchair and pushchair access.

“Great experience! The cave is absolutely impressive to seem. Was positively surprised by how much we got to see. The tour management was excellent, small group size and absolutely not overrun. Our guides did a great job and gave plenty of information to enjoy the cave even more.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland - Waitomo Glowworm Caves: a quiet underground show
Glowworm Cave Tours, Maori Culture Tours, Maori Culture Tours in Waitomo, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

4.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour from Auckland

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 681 reviews · from $253

Leave Auckland at 6:00 am for Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Te Puia in Rotorua. Expect a small group of up to 15, guided cave and geothermal visits, Māori culture, countryside stops, snacks, water, and hotel pickup from listed locations. Guides such as Ben, Matt, Simon, and Jeoff are praised for their stories and care.

“Good equipment and knowledgeable guides. Tour ran on time until Jeoff decided to deviate from the schedule to see swinging bridge over Waitomo River.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo’s Hidden Gem: Small-Group Off the Beaten Track Tour - Starting at the Down to Earth property
Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo’s Hidden Gem: Small-Group Off the Beaten Track Tour

5.Waitomo’s Hidden Gem: Small-Group Off the Beaten Track Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 431 reviews · from $135Top rated

Join Ash and the Down to Earth team for a three-hour Waitomo caving trip on private farmland. Walk through bush, wade shallow streams, scramble over limestone, and sit quietly beneath thousands of glowworms. Gear, warm clothing, photos, and tea or coffee are included. The maximum group size is eight.

“Excellent tour with Ash, and great hosting by Michelle. Super kind and oh so fun. They provided everything you need. Uneven ground, some scrambling. Excellent!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Black Water Rafting Experience Waitomo Caves Tour - Black Labyrinth or Black Abyss?
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours, White Water Rafting

Black Water Rafting Experience Waitomo Caves Tour

6.Black Water Rafting Experience Waitomo Caves Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 362 reviews · from $119

At Ruakuri Cave, choose the 3-hour Black Labyrinth or 5-hour Black Abyss. Guides such as Lachie, Ricco, Sammy, Leo, and Liv lead you through cold water, tight passages, glowworm-lit chambers, and, on the longer tour, abseiling and ziplining. Wetsuits, boots, helmets, snacks, and hot showers are provided.

“If you have the phobias listed on the discription, do not attend! Other than that it was amazing! Had a nice and adventurous crew and our guides were more than fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo: Guided Eco-Cave Tour - From the family farm to the Mangapu gorge
Glowworm Cave Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo: Guided Eco-Cave Tour

7.Guided Eco-Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 278 reviews · 3h 30m · from $130

Explore private farmland, native bush, Mangapu gorge, and raw Waitomo caves with guide Ash. This 3.5-hour small-group trip includes supplied caving clothes and boots, glowworm viewing, natural rock scrambling, showers, hot drinks, and cookies. It suits fit visitors aged 12 and over who want real caving rather than a paved cave walkway.

“Very private, no crowds, enough time to get the eyes get used to the dark to really see the glowworms yo need to climb over rocks and will have water in your boots... Appropriate dresses are provided”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo Caves Black Abyss Ultimate Caving Experience - Learning to abseil before the 35-meter descent
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Waitomo Tours

Waitomo Caves Black Abyss Ultimate Caving Experience

8.Waitomo Caves Black Abyss Ultimate Caving Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 257 reviews · 5 hours · from $192

You’ll spend five hours underground in Ruakuri Cave, learning to abseil 35 meters, ziplining beneath glowworms, floating through black water, and climbing waterfalls. Guides such as Evie, Xavier, Tim, and Rebecca have earned praise for calm safety instruction. This small-group trip suits fit visitors aged 16 and older who are ready to get thoroughly wet.

“Excellent - very fun. If you like high octane stuff, the abyss is a must (rather than labrynth) - in honesty, I wish it was slightly more adrenaline-packed!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua - Te Puia Small-Group Tour - The early Auckland pickup and Waikato road
Glowworm Cave Tours, Maori Culture Tours, Maori Culture Tours in Waitomo, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Auckland: Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

9.Waitomo Caves & Rotorua – Te Puia Small-Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 223 reviews · 13 hours · from $244

Travel from Auckland through the Waikato to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, then continue to Rotorua’s Te Puia geothermal park. Expect a 45-minute cave boat ride, a 90-minute Te Puia visit, Māori arts, geysers, kiwi viewing, snacks, and commentary from guides such as Liam, John, Ben, and Matt.

“Our trip to Waitomo Caves was terrific! John was a fabulous guide and driver. He added much fun to time in the van with interactive chat and great music. The caves were unbelievable! The sulphuric springs were amazing! Highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

From Auckland: Spellbound, Waitomo Glowworm Cave Small Group Tour - What happens inside the Spellbound Twin Caves
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

From Auckland: Spellbound, Waitomo Glowworm Cave Small Group Tour

10.Spellbound, Waitomo Glowworm Cave Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 166 reviews · from $201

Travel from Auckland to Waitomo with a small group of up to 11, then spend three hours exploring Spellbound’s Twin Caves. You’ll take a short boat ride beneath thousands of glowworms, walk through limestone formations, and have time for photos. Guides such as Aaron, Deane, Ross, and Doug add local stories, geology, and Māori cultural context.

“Stunning experience totally blown away by it. Our guide Dean was brilliant and informative. The natural world in NZ is just amazing”

Check availability →Read our full review

90-Minute Guided Ruakuri Cave Tour Waitomo - What you see inside the cave
Glowworm Cave Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

90-Minute Guided Ruakuri Cave Tour Waitomo

11.90-Minute Guided Ruakuri Cave Tour Waitomo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 154 reviews · from $71

Walk through Ruakuri Cave with a local guide on a 75-minute underground tour, seeing glowworms, fossilized seashells, stalactites, stalagmites, and river-shaped shawl formations. Groups are capped at 16, photography is allowed, and the cave is wheelchair accessible. Bring warm clothing and arrive 30 minutes early.

“Great experience! Glad we read beforehand about the temperature and came prepared with long sleeves. Very knowledgeable guide.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Waitomo Caves 1-Kilometer-Long Zipline Tour - Short lines first, then more height
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours, Zip Lines

Waitomo Caves 1-Kilometer-Long Zipline Tour

12.Waitomo Caves 1-Kilometer-Long Zipline Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 114 reviews · 2 hours · from $83

At Waitomo Caves, guides Rob and Kelly take you through 10 zip lines that build from short, low rides to a 280-meter final run reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour. You handle your own gear under close instruction, hear about Maori history and local geology, and walk to Waitomo Lookout Point for wide views.

“Rob was really reassuring as I have a slight height phobia. He was very patient and safety above all, he made sure we were confident with what we had to do all the way. Thoroughly enjoyed our experience and amazing views.”

Check availability →Read our full review

The Waitomo Experience : Okohua Glowworm Cave Tour - The walk to the hidden entrance
Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

The Waitomo Experience : Okohua Glowworm Cave Tour

13.The Waitomo Experience : Okohua Glowworm Cave Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 93 reviews · 3 hours · from $136

Explore the private Okohua Glowworm Cave near Waitomo with guides such as Vaughan, Ollie, Christina, and John. Expect two to three hours of climbing, wading, swimming, tubing, glowworm viewing, and optional rock jumping, followed by hot showers and a cedar hot tub. Groups are limited to six.

“We were a group of four friends and were speechless for the entire three hours because of the beauty. This tour is also ideal for those who dislike confined spaces and crawling, as the tour guide shows them an alternative route. It's also ideal for weak swimmers.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups - Te Puia: geysers, Māori arts, and geothermal heat
1-Day Tours, Glowworm Cave Tours, Tour Reviews, Waitomo Tours

Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups

14.Rotorua and Waitomo Caves Day Trip from Auckland -Smaller Groups

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 79 reviews · from $316

Travel from Auckland in a luxury minibus for a full day at Rotorua’s Te Puia and the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Expect a buffet lunch, Māori carving and weaving, geysers, hot pools, kiwi viewing, and a silent boat ride beneath glowworms. Guides such as Edson, Chris, Bunty, and Louise add local stories along the way.

“We loved our adventure from beginning to end. Our guide- Pete- was knowledgeable and funny. Made for an enjoyable day. Learned a lot about the Maori people. Scenery was beautiful. Would recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour (One Way) - The Waikato countryside and the Pirongia coffee stop
Glowworm Cave Tours, One-Way Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Waitomo Tours

Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour (One Way)

15.Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour (One Way)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · from $191

Start at 6 am in Auckland and ride south in a small group of up to 15 people. Your guide shares local, Māori, and natural history on the way to Waitomo, where a guided cave tour includes stalactites, stalagmites, limestone columns, and a glowworm-lit boat ride. Continue to central Rotorua or add Te Puia.

“We had an amazing driver who was very knowledgeable, and looked after us very well. The trip to the glowworm caves was a memory I will never forget, a beautiful calming experience. Best way to see New Zealand.”

Check availability →Read our full review

New in Waitomo Tours

★ 5.0Twin Caves Discovery – Private Day Tour from AucklandFrom $4823 reviews
★ 5.0Waitomo Glow Worm Caves & Te Puia – Rotorua’s Geothermal ValleyFrom $2849 reviews
★ 5.0Waitomo Glowworm Caves In a Private Small Group Tour-Auckland.From $52018 reviews
★ 3.5Waitomo Caves Private Tour from AucklandFrom $2163 reviews
★ 5.0Small Group Waitomo and Rotorua including Te Puia TourFrom $3254 reviews
★ 5.0Private tour from Auckland – Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Zealong Tea & Kiwi BirdFrom $61920 reviews
★ 5.0Waitomo Caves Private Driver for Tour17 reviews
★ 5.0Private Tour From Auckland to Rotorua & Waitomo Glowworm Caves, Small group4 reviews
★ 5.0Waitomo Glowworm & Ruakuri Twin Cave – Private Tour From AucklandFrom $65015 reviews
★ 4.5Private Tour [2 Days]: Auckland to Waitomo Caves, Rotorua, Te Puia & Wai-O-TapuFrom $1,7363 reviews
★ 5.0Waitomo Spellbound Glow Worm Twin Caves Private TourFrom $4659 reviews
★ 5.0Black Labyrinth: Black Water Rafting – Private Tour from AucklandFrom $7138 reviews
★ 5.0Black Abyss: Ultimate Waitomo Caving – Private Tour from AucklandFrom $77517 reviews
★ 3.5Private Tour: Waitomo Caves Day Trip from AucklandFrom $56111 reviews
★ 4.9Rotorua to Auckland – Afternoon Transfer with Waitomo CavesFrom $1856 reviews

Keep browsing

Cruises & Boat Tours267Wine Tours182Geothermal Tours74Scenic Flights128Maori Culture Tours82Walking Tours100
Scroll to Top

Explore New Zealand

Pick a coast, a crater or a cellar door.

On the water

Boat TripsWhale WatchingJet BoatsKayakingSailing Trips

Volcanic country

Geothermal ParksMaori ExperiencesHot PoolsGlowworm CavesRafting

The alps

Glacier ToursScenic FlightsHelicopter TripsStargazingGuided Walks

Food and wine

Wine TastingsFood ToursBreweriesGin DistilleriesDining