Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Short tour and boat ride inside glowworm cave, expensive price.

To start, I want to clarify that we went for the cheapest package: just a 45 minute tour of one glowworm cave for ~$50. We also went in late February which, being summer in New Zealand, may be the height of the tourist season and likely contributed to the crowds.That being said, I would not have opted to experience glowworms through this underwhelming and heavily commercialized venue, in retrospect. I came for an immersive engagement with nature, and my stomach sank as soon as they shuffled us in front of a photographer and forced us to pose with a plush cartoon glowworm.I had read about glowworm caves long before I came to New Zealand and it was one of the primary things I wanted to experience while there. For the advertised 45 minute tour, they led us on foot in large groups of ~50 people into a cave. Other groups were directly ahead of and behind us as we shuffled along trying not to bump into each other in the close quarters. This, in combination with the screaming infants and children present, made it difficult to impossible to hear our guide in the echoing chamber. What we did manage to hear, however, was predominately a feeble attempt at humor, or random bits of trivia designed to flush out the tour. Our guide highlighted various shapes among the stalactites, for example, which he said bore a resemblance to animals or celebrities. He also sang a traditional hymn to demonstrate the acoustics of the cavern, which might have been interesting had we not already heard preceding groups make the same demonstration, and had it not been eclipsed by the incessant peals of screaming children.Walking at a very slow pace, we eventually arrived at a platform where we were directed to look over the rail at the webs created by the glowworms. The angle was awkward and all that we could see were some sticky threads hanging down from a low ceiling beneath us. We then started walking back in the direction we had come, and I was beginning to fear this was the extent of the tour. Fortunately, as we neared the entrance they led us in another direction, and we decended down a staircase to the boats. There was a long delay here as our guide apparently attempted to put all of the infants and children on one boat, but ultimately had to ask the mother of one particularly unhappy infant to leave the way she'd come in. Had this been done earlier, it would have spared many a shattered nerve and eardrum, considerably.At last we were loaded into a boat and drifted into a dark cavern where the main event was finally revealed. This part of the tour met with expectations, and my mood was just beginning to lift as the boat was navigated back out of the cavern and we were directed to disembark. The main event that we had paid to see was restricted to a single small cave which we drifted in and out of in under five minutes. After the torment of being crushed into an echo chamber for nearly an hour with shrill, disinterested youngsters and a young guide groping awkwardly for anything to entertain us with, a brief sip of splendor was not enough to restore the high spirits I'd arrived in.They then channeled us out through a large cafe and gift shop which would be right at home in the mall, further emphasizing that the whole affair was fundamentally a commercial enterprise. Had I the chance to do it over, I would have researched the options more thoroughly, as I understand there are much less exploitative, self-guided alternatives.Still, this experience would have been significantly improved had they instituted an age limit and separated the crowds into significantly smaller groups. Children under the age of ten are unlikely to appreciate the tour, and the excessive amount of money that has been poured into this venue could easily have accommodated a small day-care.It could only have been saved, however, if they had spent more time on the glowworms and charged a more reasonable fee for the proportion allotted to the primary attraction.

A little touristy but still very magical experience on the boat through the caves. Glow worms were sparkling blue and almost true to what you see in the brochures although you won’t be able to take any pictures inside. If you haven’t seen glow worms before this is a must-do in Waitomo. Went once in summer (Dec’17) which was really crowded we had to queue for awhile and again in winter (May) when we had the place to ourselves.

The 45 minutes passed really quickly. The caves were well lit and easy to walk through compared with others. The final boat passage through the glow worm lit tunnel was amazing and as requested by our guide we kept quiet throughout-even the Asians and children - which really added to the whole experiencePerhaps slightly overpriced. Photos not allowed but you can buy postcards cheaply in the shop

This was my first stop in New Zealand and it did not disappoint! A lot of people were complaining about the price $50NZ ($35 US), but seriously, the experience here was priceless!The grounds are pretty neat and they have a full restaurant on premise along with a very cool Maori artwork. A bunch of tourist groups booked their tours ahead of time or online, and you check in a window for that. But, I bought my ticket on-site. There was a tour going in 10mins and you sit in this little “wrangling” seating area waiting for your tour to be called. They have free wifi, so the wait is not bad.You walk down a paved track through the forest into the entrance of the cave. It is still an active cave, so you can get “cave kisses”. As far as stalagmite and ‘tites go, there weren’t any formations that were mindblowing or amazing, but you walk by a few. There are some “cave ghosts” in the forms of different shape and animal profiles that are fun to see when pointed out.Mid-way through the short 45min tour, you congregate in the main cavern around a formation and get the history of the cave. Our guide was the grand-daughter of the original “protector” of the caves and she is Maori, so it was such a treat to hear her sing a Maori song in the cave (when no one from our tour group volunteered). The acoustics are incredible, but I got goosebumps and was brought to tears by the timbre of our tour guide’s voice and the beauty of the song resonating in the cave. That in and of itself was worth the price of admission!The stars of the show, the glowworms were visible in a small smattering throughout the first portion of the cave, but you could really see them when you entered the dock walkway for the water portion.It is extremely dark and getting into the boat from dock was a bit harrowing, but once you are in the boat and being pulled through the caves, it is something otherworldly completely! It feels like you are in some sort of parallel dimension were the universe has condense and you feel like you are looking at the stars from a warped glass. The mass amounts of glowworms are just incredible and because the guide asks for silence, it adds to the feeling of no longer being on planet Earth. It is about 15mins, but it feels long and short at the same time. When you exit the cave to a dock in the forest and you hike back to the visitor center, it feels like what you just experienced was a dream…dotted in little blinking blue-ish white lights!

It was a cool experience, seeing little blue dots shine like tiny stars. The light was faint, however, and the pictures picture the setting a lot more magical. Expensive rates and a not so enthusiastic staff don't really add to the appeal either. I would instead recommend getting more out of the money you would spend here.

The Glowworm Cave is singularly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life. I had my mouth open the entire time we were in a boat. The worm looked like millions of stars on a dark night. Beautiful.

Definitely a neat experience. Most of the tour is just through the caves and about the glow worms. I do wish we were in the boat for a little longer as that was only about 5 minutes of the tour.

Worth doing as the glow worms are amazing. No chances for pictures though. However if that keeps the glow worms safe you can understand. There is a free glow worm cave near by which is worth a visit as well

Worth doing.Staff good. Our guide /boat captain was exceptional. Very educational and entertaining.