About
Location :
Added by Jopie, at 25 January 2017
Opening Hours
- Monday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
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15 Reviews
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20 December 2017
Get educated on limestone in general, formation of stalactites and stalagmites, glow-worms. Seeing the glow of the worm is quite amazing. No photos allowed though. Anyway, no loss, it's so dark one will definitely need a tripod and a very long exposure for the glow to be captured.
Note: there are other operators that allows cameras, such as Spellbound.response / report this review -
17 December 2017
Worth doing, although quite expensive. I would have given five stars but for a couple of little things. One is the signposts and information on the tickets is not very helpful - just go to the main counter, check in and get directions to where you need to be. Two, is the commentary at each of the three caves is pretty similar and it becomes repetitive. But if you want to see all three caves there’s no other way to do it. Third, our experience of the boat ride in Waitomo cave itself was really affected by having two infants in the boat who cried constantly. That part of the tour is supposed to be silent and ethereal. Parents, please don’t bring your infants on this tour. They’re too young to enjoy it but can easily ruin it for other people. I don’t understand why the tour operators don’t have a lower age limit of say 2
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12 December 2017
It's very good time for the family or even if you are on a trip. It's a great price and an experience you don't want to miss. The worms are so fascinating it's almost magic. Overall the experience I would rate 8/10
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03 December 2017
A classic tourist type destination. Lots of waiting around before you actually get too see what you came for - the glow worms in the dark. Still it is a surreal experience to glide through the water in the dark with these magical creatures on the roof. Check out one of the many local walks to make the trip to this part of NZ worth it. Recommend Ruakuri which has tunnels and a lookout into a cavern.
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30 November 2017
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!response / report this review -
14 October 2017
Absolutely breathtaking. A must go place! You may be able to find better deal on tickets online prior to going. The day we went we were glad that we booked online as all tickets for that day were sold out.
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09 October 2017
Only in this part of the world! So definitely a must-see.
A super nice tour if you get a small group. I went during the off-season and can't imagine enjoying myself if the tour was full.
Don't expect to see it like the postcards. They glow, but they don't illuminate the space around it. You can't take photos on this tour.
Boat ride is super cool.
If you also do the Ruakuri caves, you can take photos there (except at the glowworm areas).response / report this review -
03 October 2017
Definitely come visit the Glowworm Caves if you're coming this way. It's a relatively short day trip as it's only about a 2 hour drive from Auckland, but well worth seeing. If you're more adventurous do the Black Water Rafting.
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17 September 2017
From Japan:)
Great experience. It was dreamily beautiful.
Some tourists did not follow the rule that they must not have taken photos, and the light from their cellphones was quite unpleasant in the dark cave. PLEASE follow the rules.response / report this review -
13 September 2017
The caves are really, really cool, the glowworms are amazing but it was just a bit too crowded when we were there. It has rained a lot and the tours had to use the same way in and out of the caves, which made it really quite tight and hard to enjoy the walking parts. The boat ride was amazing though. Would still recommend it to everyone. Call ahead and make sure the caves are open and not flooded and if the tour can finish via the river that will releave a lot of the crowding issues.
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02 May 2017
A little expensive I thought, but there's no doubt that it is an amazing experience. After touring the cave system you get into a boat and go through a cave filled with glow worms. It's a pretty special experience.
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22 April 2017
Amazing experience. I have never seen glow worms before and I absolutely loved it. Definitely a must see if you visiting Auckland.
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20 April 2017
Amazing and unique experience. We did the basic tour to the glowworm cave. It includes a guided walk through the cave and explanation of the rock formations and geology of the place. Looks spectacular inside. Ends with a boat ride in complete darkness where you look up and all you can see is thousands of glowworms. Lasts about 45 minutes, easy to moderate effort and our young children, 5 and 7, were able to complete this and have fun!
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23 February 2017
Don't come with a tour group and if one arrives while you're there, stay away as much as possible. In fact, just plan to come only during the quiet periods as they pack each group with too many people.
The guides are lovely, but know very little of the caves or any of the formations.
The caves themselves were beautiful, but when you're being pushed around or having camera torches shone in your face by crowds of people who've been told to keep all lights and torches off, it diminishes your enjoyment of the experience.
There are other places to see glow worms. I wouldn't recommend driving this far out of your way to see them.response / report this review -
01 February 2017
These caves are amazing! Our guide was phenomenal, very informative and funny, and the boat ride was so relaxing and just plain gorgeous. It's astonishing to see all of the glowworms, everybody loved it. Highly recommend this place and if I'm ever in that area again I won't hesitate to visit again.
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