Who Runs the Waitomo Cave Tours
Most Waitomo tours are cave visits, and the three big caves are all ticketed by one company, Discover Waitomo. A few smaller operators run their own trips from separate meeting points. This page goes in the order most visitors make decisions: the main caves first, then the combos, then the smaller alternatives and the stops that fill the rest of a day. Dollar amounts are New Zealand dollars at the rates published for 2026, and each ticket has separate adult, child and family prices.
The three main caves
Discover Waitomo runs the caves under a lease from the descendants of Tane Tinorau, the local Māori chief who explored the Glowworm Cave in 1887 with surveyor Fred Mace. The cave opened to visitors in 1889, and ownership returned to the family through the Ruapuha Uekaha Hapū Trust in 1990.
- Waitomo Glowworm Cave: 45 minutes, $85 adult, $39 child, $217 family. The tour is a guided walk that ends with a silent boat ride. Cameras, phones and GoPros are not allowed, and the cave has no wheelchair access. If you have a pushchair, ask the operator before you go.
- Ruakuri Cave: about 2 hours, $122 adult, $46 child, $296 family of 2 adults and 2 children. A spiral ramp leads in, and chairs and pushchairs up to 65 cm wide can take the whole route. Photography is allowed in selected areas only, without tripods or extension sticks. The natural entrance is a Māori burial site, and the route keeps clear of it.
- Aranui Cave: about 1 hour through a dry cave of stalactites and stalagmites, reached by stairs, so it is not accessible. There is no boat ride. Photography is allowed, but formations must stay untouched. Check availability when you book.
Combos
Two caves in one booking cost less than two separate tickets.
- Glowworm Cave plus Aranui, the Twin Cave Combo: $131 adult, $55 child, $284 family.
- Glowworm Cave plus Ruakuri, the Most Popular Combo: $179 adult, $80 child, $432 family.
- Ruakuri plus Aranui, the Top Cave Combo: $179 adult, $80 child, $432 family.
Getting in the door
Plan to reach check-in half an hour before departure. Some pages give 39 Waitomo Village Road, and the Ruakuri page names the Ruakuri Visitor Centre on Tumutumu Road, so follow whichever address your confirmation shows. Ruakuri and Aranui are about a 10-minute drive from the village, which means you need a vehicle. Tours leave from about 10am to 3:30pm, with extra departures in summer, and the ticket site takes cards only.
Smaller operators
Spellbound meets at 334 Boddies Road, Oparure, about 15 km from the village, and asks you to arrive 15 to 20 minutes early. The Glowworm and Cave Explorer tour takes about 150 minutes and visits two caves: the Mangawhitikau Glowworm Cave, with a 20-minute flat-water boat ride, and the Cave of the Spirit. Groups are capped at 12, and tickets start at $109 adult and $38 child. Prams are not allowed. Cameras are welcome and camera stations are provided.
Caveworld is at 23 Waitomo Village Road. Its Footwhistle tour takes about 75 minutes, with a shuttle to the cave and solar-powered LED lights along the path that go off at the river so the glowworms show. Prices start from about $64 for adults, and a booking needs at least 2 people.
Glowing Adventures, which trades as Down to Earth Waitomo, is at 1199 Oparure Road, Te Kuiti. The Off the Beaten Track tour is $219 per person, takes 3 to 3.5 hours, is for ages 12 and over and holds up to 8 people.
Beyond the caves
The Waitomo Caves Museum and Discovery Centre, 21 Waitomo Village Road, shows caves, glowworms, fossils, karst country, Māori artefacts and moa bones. Adults pay $10, seniors $7 and children 4 to 14 enter free with a paying adult. Phone 07 878 7640 for opening hours.
Otorohanga Kiwi House, about 20 minutes away, offers a behind-the-scenes tour at $45 adult and $35 child, on weekdays at 11:15am, for up to 12 people.
Read more: sightseeing in Waitomo and family-friendly activities . For the wider area, see Waitomo Caves .
Operator pages: Discover Waitomo Ruakuri Cave , Spellbound and Caveworld . To compare options, search GetYourGuide for Waitomo cave tours .