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Things to do in Waitomo go underground. Glide by boat beneath thousands of glowworms, walk through limestone caves with stalactites and cave weta, or tube, abseil and zipline through Ruakuri Cave on a black water rafting trip. Coming from Auckland? There's a day tour with return transport. Book one for yourself, or give it as a gift.
Waitomo is New Zealand's caves region, with limestone caves to walk, float and abseil through. The Waitomo glowworm caves are the best known, but there's also the Ruakuri Cave, the Aranui Cave and black water rafting trips. Here's how to choose, and how to get there from Auckland.
The Waitomo Glowworm Cave tour is a boat ride beneath thousands of glowworms and a walk through Cathedral Cave, which is known for its acoustics. Local guides share stories of Māori culture. It takes about 45 minutes, and the cave stays at 14 to 15 degrees all year. Choose adult, child or family tickets. Photography isn't allowed in the cave, to protect the glowworms.
Ruakuri Cave is a two hour guided tour with a dramatic spiral entrance, built to safeguard a wāhi tapu. Inside you'll see shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries, and glowworms up close. Choose adult, child or family tickets. The cave is a further 10 minute drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Cave visitor centre, and a shuttle runs but may be full in peak season, so check each product page for transport details.
The Aranui Cave guided tour is an hour of white, pink and brown stalactites, stalagmites and flowstones, with an easy forest walk and a chance to see native cave weta. The family ticket covers the whole group. You'll need your own transport, and photography is strictly forbidden on the family tour.
For something more active, black water rafting is a Waitomo original. The Black Labyrinth is three hours of tubing, climbing and leaping off underground waterfalls in Ruakuri Cave, billed as New Zealand's original black water rafting trip. Choose the Black Labyrinth Waitomo caves tour or the three hour Black Labyrinth tour, which has a minimum age of 12. Tours depart Thursday to Monday.
The Black Abyss adds a 35 metre abseil into the cave and a zipline through the dark before cave tubing beneath the glowworms. The Black Abyss half day tour has a minimum age of 16, and the five hour Black Abyss tour runs on Saturdays and Sundays. Both are beginner level, with water temperatures likely to be 10 to 14 degrees. See more canyoning and caving and abseiling and rock climbing.
Coming from Auckland? The Waitomo glowworm caves day tour with boat ride includes return transport and a boat ride through the Waitomo River and Grotto. It runs every day except Christmas Day, and needs a minimum of four people. For more day trips, see the Hobbiton tours.
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Not in the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, which doesn't allow photography to protect the glowworms. Photography is strictly forbidden on the Aranui Cave family tour, and the rules vary at Ruakuri, so check each product page.
The Waitomo Glowworm Cave, Ruakuri Cave and Aranui Cave all have child or family tickets. The black water rafting trips are for older kids, with a minimum age of 12 for the Black Labyrinth and 16 for the Black Abyss.
The water is likely to be 10 to 14 degrees Celsius, so expect it to be cold. Both the Black Labyrinth and the Black Abyss are beginner level, with guides and equipment included.
The Waitomo glowworm caves day tour includes return transport from Auckland and a boat ride through the Waitomo River and Grotto. It needs a minimum of four people to run.