Home > Auckland > Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Glowworm Caves One-Way Tour
USD $183.00
Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Glowworm Caves One-Way Tour
Auckland, New Zealand
Explore New Zealand’s famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves on a one-way day trip from Auckland to Rotorua! Ride a boat through the Glowworm Grotto, see the Karapito Dam and drive under the Fitzgerald Glade.
Enjoy a scenic tour from Auckland to Rotorua, including a guided tour of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
Leaving Auckland in the morning we travel through the Waikato and King Country regions, passing by flourishing farmland and picturesque countryside. Your experienced local driver guide will provide entertaining commentary and point out highlights along the way, such as Rangiriri, where in 1863 a major battle was fought between colonial forces and those loyal to the Maori King.
On arrival in the small town of Waitomo, take a trip underground with a 45-minute guided tour through the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a series of limestone caves formed over 30 million years ago. Learn all about stalagmites, stalactites and other intriguing rock formations as you walk through the caverns, and finish the tour with an enchanting boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto, illuminated by thousands of tiny glowworms.
Your journey to Rotorua continues, passing through the beautiful Fitzgerald Glade where trees arch over the road to form a tunnel of natural greenery. The tour concludes in Rotorua, a city where you can view geothermal activity, Maori culture, spectacular scenery and more.
The views and scenic beauty throughout the journey from Auckland to Rotorua was no doubt excellent. The bus was comfortable with free Wi-Fi. But signal strength varies on the way depending on availability of tower. Boat journey inside the cave was amazing. But it could have been organised in a better way. Try to be with the group while riding on the boat. I couldn't ride on the boat in which most of our group people boarded as it became full just before me. So I had to board on the next boat. After completing the boat ride, I could find out the bus with great difficulty. However it is worthwhile to avail this journey. I was picked up from my hotel on time.
Review by: Mariana M, March 2018
El lugar es muy lindo, pero el tour lo ofrecen con traductor de Español y no fue así, por lo cual, no entendí nada, si hubiera sabido, no compraba el tour.
Review by: Kristine P, February 2018
Great way to get from Auckland to Rotarua and see some countryside if NZ. Glowworm tour was amazing.
Review by: dolagymarcus, January 2018
I book a lot of tours through viator but this was the worst ever... the bus had no aircon (or windows), no toilet and no wifi like promised. It took 3 hours to the caves and not a single stop even considering the toilet was out of order. Then another 3 hours from caves... in hot weather. A Nightmare
Review by: Christine R, November 2017
Really enjoyed this tour. The driver/guide was very good. He gave us local information on the way to the caves and was very funny and entertaining. I would recommend this tour.
Review by: Grace M, August 2017
Bus Tour guide was amazing- BUT were told that we were VIP at Waitomo Glowworm Caves, that we go ahead of the line and are our group taken separately- WELL that is not the case- they put us with another group and there were over 45 of us, instead of 25. Cave guide made comments several times that group was much larger then normal. The icing on the cake was crying babies that ruined the experience. They were not asked to leave, could not hear the guide, nor had the quiet experience that we expected to have. Very disappointing!
Review by: joeaz1553, March 2017
The bus driver failed to pick up myself and two others at our hotel. The bus depot told us to get a cab which we did._br/_ The driver told us he had screamed at us to board the bus but why would he need to scream since the bus stop was_br/_ only 20 feet from us??? The driver failed to load some people's luggage onto the bus. He made weird and strange_br/_ remarks, especially about Asians. He insisted that trades people in NZ need a University Degree to work in their _br/_ field. NOT TRUE! The Glowworm caves consisted of 45 minutes looking at stalagmites and stalactites and about _br/_ 5 minutes actually seeing the glowworms in the boat. The bus driver was rude, crude and socially inept. Save your_br/_ money, there are plenty of other good tours and good tour operators out there!!!!!!!!
Review by: Sabrina M, February 2017
I felt as the tour was a little unorganised. We left 15 minutes late because people didn't know where to check-in and which bus to board there was more than one. If you only want to get a small glimpse of Waitomo and get to Rotorua as fast as possible this is the tour for you. If you're like me and always want to see as much as possible, it isn't. The 30-45 min guided tour in the cave was good. However, I've visited a few caves around Australia and it didn't impress me the that much anymore. The very best bit of the tour were the glow worms. They are stunning! The boat ride lasts about 5 minutes and it felt like the shortest five minutes of my life because it was soo spectacular seeing the glow worms. I would definitely go back to Waitomo but I would rather book a tour where I get to see more.
Review by: Mitche227, October 2016
Love the glowworm cave. Amazing - you travel inside a boat and see the cave lit up by the glowworms. It was a very convenient way to see sights while traveling to our next New Zealand destination - Rotorua
Review by: Thi Thu Huong H, June 2016
The driver was very knowledgeable and helpful. The cave with glowworms was also amazing but I wish they would have given more time for boating and looking for some souvenirs from the shop.
Review by: ellentoday, February 2016
The caves are gorgeous, and the sweet-and-short-tour gave us a good timing in moving onto our next destination in Rotorua.
Review by: Marlene F, November 2015
Excellent trip altho long. Bus comfortable and caves fun. would recommend,
Review by: Natalie, September 2015
Enjoyed the tour of the Waitomo Caves, although timing was rather rushed. _br/_ Rest of the tour is 'overpromised' - no stop for morning tea. we were just handed a box of fruit before we got on the bus. The driver gave a lot of information, pointing out things to look out for as we drove through the countryside._br/_ No photos to upload since there was no opportunity to take photos.
Review by: Nadia M, June 2015
Very professional, driver was lovely
Review by: Davjo, February 2015
Most enjoyable!
Review by: Isobel M, February 2015
Good way to get from Bay of Islands to Auckland
Review by: Rebecca C, July 2014
Well organised. Driver was comical and everyone seemed to enjoy his chat and sense if humour. Tour was extremely informative and extremely helpful dropping me off at my hotel as I was a solo traveller!! I would definitely recommend.
Review by: Kenneth H, April 2014
The Waitomo Caves are spectacular; the rest of the trip (mostly through charming agricultural lands) could have been seen just as easily by car or local bus and the guide seemed uninformed about the remarkable features of the landscape and native forests in the vicinity. The air conditioner was not functioning and other riders were complaining although it did not seem all that humid to us.
Review by: Peggy B, December 2013
Loved this tour!!!!!
Review by: lindaappo, February 2013
Loved this tour. Glowworm caves not to be missed. Driver was a wealth of information
Review by: Sonya M, January 2013
Very suitable tour. The cave is exceptional. I come from Bulgaria where we have all kind of caves, but this small one with this lights in the dark - great experience. This tour is nice because you can stay for a night in Roturua.
Review by: Jim and Janet, December 2012
Bus trip turns into fun adventure under superb leadership of driver, Paul, and his trainee, Andy. The 5-hour drive flew by as Paul provided facts and stories about New Zealand. The riders played “The Game” to test retention of information provided by Paul and generally entertain the group. The Caves were fascinating. Needed more shopping time and the photos are too expensive.
Review by: a i r, November 2012
overall the tour was good but we only had EXACTLY enough time to do the glowworm caves. we didnt even have 5 minitues to look in the gift shop! i felt rushed and disappointed as we will not be returning.
Review by: Neal F, April 2012
The driver refused to drop me at my hotel despite the fact that I had paid for that service and he dropped everyone else staying in Rotorua. The driver never shut up for the whole journey which was a bit trying after the first few hours. The glow worms were good.
Review by: Neal F, March 2012
The driver refused to drop me at my hotel despite the fact that I had paid for that service and he dropped everyone else staying in Rotorua. The driver never shut up for the whole journey which was a bit trying after the first few hours. The glow worms were good.
Review by: Arlet O, December 2011
Great tour guide and bus driver._br/_
Food not so good though. There was not actual morning tea, they just handed a muffin at the start of the trip. Lunch was not better._br/_
I would recommend people to buy something fresh at the Waitomo Caves for lunch or to take some sandwiches/Fruits with you._br/_
Expensive considering that you only get off the bus for 30 minutes to visit the Waitomo Caves but you get to see a lot of the country side.
Review by: Arlet O, November 2011
Great tour guide and bus driver._br/_
Food not so good though. There was not actual morning tea, they just handed a muffin at the start of the trip. Lunch was not better._br/_
I would recommend people to buy something fresh at the Waitomo Caves for lunch or to take some sandwiches/Fruits with you._br/_
Expensive considering that you only get off the bus for 30 minutes to visit the Waitomo Caves but you get to see a lot of the country side.
Review by: Marco Antonio E, October 2011
The trip from Auckland to Rotorua via Glowworm caves was brilliant. The driver was very helpful. altogether would recommend to anyone.
Review by: Francis P, October 2011
Very good indeed. The Waitomo cave trip is a "must see" for your North Island visit, and the commentary by the Great Sights coach driver, Peter, on the trip to Waitomo was useful, if a little quirky (and none the worse for that)!
Review by: James L, July 2011
Good start to our trip
Review by: Karen S, May 2011
Expensive for what we got. I'm sure some if not all the "glow worms" are in fact LED lights as the worms would be too disturbed by all the tourist activity to glow as they appear to do. Driver was helpful
Review by: James L, January 2011
Good start to our trip
Review by: Janice B, Australia, July 2010
We brought a buffet lunch but that was changed to lunch on the bus which was a not very nice at all & water to go with it the driver was new we think as was shocking to listen to talking to us plus people were later to board so driver was in a bad mood right from the start had been looking forward to the trip but was not happy about the outcome
Review by: ANNETTE L, May 2010
very nice places we saw
Review by: Anonymous, United States of America, March 2010
This was very interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable. The bus was very comfortable and we enjoyed the sights on our way to Rotorua.
Review by: , March 2010
This was very interesting and our guide was very knowledgeable. The bus was very comfortable and we enjoyed the sights on our way to Rotorua.
Review by: Salvatore T, January 2010
A nice trip! The glow worms and cave were really awesome! It is a nice way to see one of the major attractions and also get from one place to another. I don't recommend having the lunch included. We did it because we weren't sure if there were any other options. The place that you stop at for lunch sells things a la carte and the buffet was not worth the price!
Review by: ANNETTE L, Australia, November 2009
very nice places we saw
Review by: Anonymous, United States of America, August 2009
A nice trip! The glow worms and cave were really awesome! It is a nice way to see one of the major attractions and also get from one place to another. I don't recommend having the lunch included. We did it because we weren't sure if there were any other options. The place that you stop at for lunch sells things a la carte and the buffet was not worth the price!
Review by: Salvatore T, August 2009
A nice trip! The glow worms and cave were really awesome! It is a nice way to see one of the major attractions and also get from one place to another. I don't recommend having the lunch included. We did it because we weren't sure if there were any other options. The place that you stop at for lunch sells things a la carte and the buffet was not worth the price!
Review by: Anonymous, United States of America, April 2009
The tour guide did an excellent job, the caves were not what I had expected, if I had the chance to do it over I probably would've gone black water rafting instead.
Review by: Justin C, April 2009
The tour guide did an excellent job, the caves were not what I had expected, if I had the chance to do it over I probably would've gone black water rafting instead.
Review by: Triin S, August 2008
I really liked the caves, even though they were strongly crowded.
Review by: Huei-ju T, August 2008
I was very impressed by the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The two drivers were very humorous and kind to us. Yet I was a little disappointed at the lunch.
Review by: Triin S, Estonia, February 2008
I really liked the caves, even though they were strongly crowded.
Review by: Huei-ju T, Taiwan, September 2007
I was very impressed by the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. The two drivers were very humorous and kind to us. Yet I was a little disappointed at the lunch.
Review by: Clare B, United Arab Emirates, September 2007
The cave is interesting and the glow worms look really good, but it only took about 45 minutes to go round. Convenient way to get around the country though.
Review by: Don O, United States of America, June 2007
I was really surprised by the glowworms. This is definitely worth a visit.
Review by: Pamela B, United States of America, August 2006
The tour was overpriced and very disappointing. Even though we got to Rotorua an hour earlier than scheduled, the bus driver refused to drop us off at our accommodation because it wasn't a standard drop off location.
Review by: Anonymous, August 2006
The tour was overpriced and very disappointing. Even though we got to Rotorua an hour earlier than scheduled, the bus driver refused to drop us off at our accommodation because it wasn't a standard drop off location.
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