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New Zealand
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Waitomo
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Tours & Activities
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Off the Beaten Track - Glowworm Caving Adventure Tour in Waitomo
3 h
Included
- See the caves just as nature intended. All caving equipment and warm clothing including: thermal top, thermal pants, fleece top, shorts, gumboots, socks, helmet and headlamp. A local guide with a deep connection to the caves and a wealth of information to share. Tea, coffee, and a snack. An email with awesome photos of your adventure. Proper Kiwi hospitality!
- Entry/Admission - Glowing Adventures
Not included
- We can not pick up or drop off. There is no public transport so you will need to have your own transport to 1199 Oparure Road.
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Minimum of 2 people per tour.
- Maximum of 8 people per tour.
- Minimum age is 12 years.
- Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult.
- This tour is not suitable for elderly people or anyone with mobility difficulties as it involves climbing over boulders, walking up hills and wading through streams with rocks underfoot.
- A reasonable level of fitness is required.
- Tours may be cancelled in case of flooding. In the unlikely event that your tour is cancelled, you'll receive a full refund.
Features
Sport
60%
Adrenaline
60%
Cultural
35%
Tourism
30%
Reviews
This tour turned out to be way more than we expected - but in a great way. Kingey took us down into the caves and into areas that we would have never ventured without his excellent guidance. It was a true adventure and we loved every minute of it. The glow worms were beautiful to see.
I would highly, highly recommend this tour! The staff was great and we were provided all equipment needed for caving. Because it was a small group, we could really enjoy the caving experience, see the glow worms up close, and enjoy the "starry" view in peace and quiet. Go on this tour!
Loved this experience! I would recommend this company to everyone. It's a family run operation on private land. The small group was perfect. We moved faster than some people in our group but our guide took care of both parties. Our tour guide was informative and funny and even took pictures of us and sent them to us afterwards. So thoughtful! They give you everything you need helmet with headlamp, clothes to keep warm in even though you can look quite silly, appropriate footwear for wading through water, a place to rinse off afterwards, and coffee/tea and cookies upon return. I read reviews of other people not thinking the glow worm experience was worth it because they weren't that bright, but that was definitely not the case here. It was amazing to sit in complete darkness with tiny bright lights everywhere.
My fiancé and I both agreed that this was the highlight of our trip. We saved the glow worm tours as one of the last activities on our 2 week New Zealand vacation and I'm so glad we went with this tour opposed to the more advertised Waitomo Glowworm cave tour companies. We did the Tongariro Crossing 2 days before and while it was fun we were disappointed at how touristy it felt because of the sheer number of people on the trail. This glowworm tour was the complete opposite! There were only three people in our tour group total-Me, my fiancé, and a young man from Germany. Our tour guide was the great grandson of the original land owner who discovered the caves. They supplied all the clothing and everything we needed and since this is a real caving experience and you get dirty crawling through tight spaces they even have a shower facility to clean off once you are done with the tour. They also put out cookies, tea, and coffee on the deck after the tour and we got to talk with them all about the area and region. It felt like going to a friends house for an afternoon of caving! I would recommend this tour and company to everyone visiting New Zealand! The only downside is that the Glowworms don't photograph well but that just means they are more special because not everyone gets to see them in all their glory unless they go in person!