Overview
One of New Zealand’s most beloved destinations is Waitomo, thanks to a variety of unique activities it has to offer. Most famous for its enchanting glow worm caves that bring delight to all ages, Waitomo has to be experienced to be believed. The glow worm caves make for a fitting introduction to the many adventures ahead. You may also want to take advantage of your proximity to Aranui and Ruakuri caves for a great-value add-on option to your Auckland to Waitomo Caves Private Tour. For the more adventurous, there are extreme black water rafting tours to get excited about.
This is how a typical day in Waitomo looks like:
From Auckland, the trip takes about 2.5 hours each way past Waikato’s hilly landscape through idyllic farming towns, forest and mountains.
An hour and a half into the trip, we pause for a quick rest break at the small rural town of Ngaruawahia. We continue ahead further into the Waikato region through some of the most magnificent landscapes that showcase New Zealand’s natural wonders.
On reaching Waitomo, your drive/guide will get your tickets and usher you into your chosen tour.
Glowworm caves including boat tour (45 minutes):
Arachnocampa luminosa, or glow worm, exists only in New Zealand and nowhere else, making this popular 45-minute glow worm cave tour a must-see! Listen to informative commentary provided by expert guides regarding the historical and geological significance of the caves, and marvel at these creatures by their thousands illuminating the caves with their mesmerizing luminescence. Let these thousands of magical glow worms enchant you while enjoying a boat ride and becoming part of cultural and natural history that has spanned more than 120 years.
Float serenely underground on the meandering Waitomo River under Mother Nature’s hypnotic light display in the starry wonderland of the Glowworm Grotto. Look up in silent awe at the constellation of glow worm lights and be enthralled by the serene ambiance created by pinpricks of thousands of living lights that illuminate your subterranean path.
Ruakuri Cave guided tour (2 hours):
Join New Zealand’s longest guided subterranean walking tour and experience another of Waitomo’s most exhilarating underground mysteries in this guided tour of the Ruakuri Cave. The hypnotic spiral entrance as you descend into the cave is alone worth the price of admission, and the cave features you discover as you get up close – delicately folded shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries, to say nothing of the glow worms themselves – are mesmerising in all its grandeur. Listen closely and you’ll hear even the distant rumble of underground waterfalls.
Aranui Cave guided tour (1 hour):
Discover Aranui Cave, an enchanting place brimming with Maori myths and legends. Of Waitomo’s three main caves, it is the smallest and most delicate yet boasting a set of natural attractions all its own. Featuring a natural cave entrance, much of cave life, such as a colony of native New Zealand cave wetas, exists close to this opening because it is a dry cave with no river running through it. If you venture deeper, you will be rewarded with a spectacular assemblage of flowstones, stalagmites, stalactites and decorative formations.
Details
Start: Auckland
Finish: Auckland
Overview
One of New Zealand’s most beloved destinations is Waitomo, thanks to a variety of unique activities it has to offer. Most famous for its enchanting glow worm caves that bring delight to all ages, Waitomo has to be experienced to be believed. The glow worm caves make for a fitting introduction to the many adventures ahead. You may also want to take advantage of your proximity to Aranui and Ruakuri caves for a great-value add-on option to your Auckland to Waitomo Caves Private Tour. For the more adventurous, there are extreme black water rafting tours to get excited about.
This is how a typical day in Waitomo looks like:
From Auckland, the trip takes about 2.5 hours each way past Waikato’s hilly landscape through idyllic farming towns, forest and mountains.
An hour and a half into the trip, we pause for a quick rest break at the small rural town of Ngaruawahia. We continue ahead further into the Waikato region through some of the most magnificent landscapes that showcase New Zealand’s natural wonders.
On reaching Waitomo, your drive/guide will get your tickets and usher you into your chosen tour.
Glowworm caves including boat tour (45 minutes):
Arachnocampa luminosa, or glow worm, exists only in New Zealand and nowhere else, making this popular 45-minute glow worm cave tour a must-see! Listen to informative commentary provided by expert guides regarding the historical and geological significance of the caves, and marvel at these creatures by their thousands illuminating the caves with their mesmerizing luminescence. Let these thousands of magical glow worms enchant you while enjoying a boat ride and becoming part of cultural and natural history that has spanned more than 120 years.
Float serenely underground on the meandering Waitomo River under Mother Nature’s hypnotic light display in the starry wonderland of the Glowworm Grotto. Look up in silent awe at the constellation of glow worm lights and be enthralled by the serene ambiance created by pinpricks of thousands of living lights that illuminate your subterranean path.
Ruakuri Cave guided tour (2 hours):
Join New Zealand’s longest guided subterranean walking tour and experience another of Waitomo’s most exhilarating underground mysteries in this guided tour of the Ruakuri Cave. The hypnotic spiral entrance as you descend into the cave is alone worth the price of admission, and the cave features you discover as you get up close – delicately folded shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries, to say nothing of the glow worms themselves – are mesmerising in all its grandeur. Listen closely and you’ll hear even the distant rumble of underground waterfalls.
Aranui Cave guided tour (1 hour):
Discover Aranui Cave, an enchanting place brimming with Maori myths and legends. Of Waitomo’s three main caves, it is the smallest and most delicate yet boasting a set of natural attractions all its own. Featuring a natural cave entrance, much of cave life, such as a colony of native New Zealand cave wetas, exists close to this opening because it is a dry cave with no river running through it. If you venture deeper, you will be rewarded with a spectacular assemblage of flowstones, stalagmites, stalactites and decorative formations.
