Waitomo Guides — Which Cave, What It Costs, When to Go
Planning guides for Waitomo: which of the three caves is worth your ticket, what one actually costs, how long to allow, when to go and what to wear underground.
When to Go
The glowworms are there every day of the year and the caves are always the same temperature. What changes is how many people are in your boat.
Read guide →Is It Worth It?
Ten minutes of boat inside a 45-minute tour, two hours from Auckland. Who should absolutely go, and who should genuinely skip it.
Read guide →Black Water Rafting, Compared
Float the same glowworm river the boat tour passes over. Black Labyrinth is 3 hours and a waterfall jump; Black Abyss is 5 hours and starts with an abseil.
Read guide →What a Waitomo Ticket Actually Costs
NZ$81 adult for the Glowworm Caves, and the online price is the gate price. Every Waitomo cave and combo price, and why pre-booking is not optional.
Read guide →What to Wear Underground
The caves hold a steady cool temperature whatever the weather above. Closed shoes, a warm layer, and what changes if you are black water rafting.
Read guide →Which Waitomo Cave Should You Actually Book?
Waitomo has three show caves at NZ$81 to NZ$116. One of them has no glowworms at all. Which to book, by what you actually want from the hour.
Read guide →Looking to book? See the featured ticket →