Waitomo Caves

Why the Waitomo Caves are special
You can take a memorable boat ride that quietly glides down a subterranean river. Illuminescent glowworms attached to the ceiling create a starry-night scene.

Waitomo Caves tips and insights
Tours

• Standard
  This 45-minute tour begins with a guided stroll along a cave walkway. After you visit the stalactite- and stalagmite-rich Catherdral Room, you enjoy the above-mentioned boat ride.
• Adventure tours
  he several-hour-long black water rafting tour substitutes individual rubber tubes for the boat. You silently drift down the dark, meandering waterway. An even more adrenaline-rush tour takes twice as long and involves climbing and rappelling in addition to cave tubing.

Caves
Hundreds are known. The main three for visitors are:

• Waitomo
  The standard tour operates here.
  
• Ruakuri
  It, too, has glowworms. Ruakuri is the leading venue for adventure tours.
• Aranui
  No river, so no glowworms, boats, nor rubber tubes. But Aranui has impressive cave formations.

Getting there
It's a 2.5-hour drive from Auckland. Don't forget to bring good-grip shoes and a jacket.

Location in New Zealand