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Home > Auckland > Waitomo Caves and Rotorua Day Trip from Auckland
Waitomo Caves and Rotorua Day Trip from Auckland
USD $232.00

Waitomo Caves and Rotorua Day Trip from Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand

See all the highlights of the Waitomo Caves and Rotorua in one day. You'll take a guided tour of Waitomo Caves stalactites and glowworms, and see Rotorua's bubbling mud pools and geysers, and make many other interesting stops along the way. You have the option to end your tour in Rotorua or return to Auckland.

At Waitomo you'll take a guided tour through the long galleries and lofty chambers to view stalactites formed over thousands of years by the constant dripping of water. Your caves tour includes a magical boat ride through the glowworm grotto, illuminated by thousands of glowworms suspended from the cave ceiling.

Next stop is the the Agrodome for a hands-on Kiwi farming experience. You'll see sheep mustering by highly trained dogs, sheep shearing demonstrations and receive an insight into the history of dairy farm milking. Don't miss the opportunity to milk a cow, feed young animals or even be photographed with a huge bull!

Then it's on to the famous Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve to see the renowned silica terraces, bubbling mud pools and unique geothermal vegetation. Exploding from the ground up to 100 feet (30 meters) high is the world-famous Pohutu Geyser, which bursts into life 10-20 times a day and has been a visitor attraction since the early 1900s.

You'll also visit the Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, to see how traditional carvings and weaving record history and customs in the Maori sacred meeting houses.

USD $232.00
Traveler Reviews
Review by:   Duradarshi L,    July 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
We really enjoyed the trip. Rachael's commentary was very informative and very entertaining. Only issue we had was with the vegan food. Vegan can be something better than a salad pack.
 

Review by:   Zippora G,    June 2018 Review: 1 star rating: I do not recommend this
Took this tour because i wanted to visit Waitomo Caves and the geysers in Rotorua. Too much time was spent on the added visits to a farm and a Maori cultural show. We spent too much time on these two additions to the extent that we had just 10 minutes left for the geysers which are the main reason to go on this tour. That is bad planning and ridiculous time allocation. On top of that, the Maori cultural performance was a typical shallow tourist trap where they make the group of visitors choose a chief and dance. Instead of doing infantile things we could have enjoyed the view of the geyser without rush. My time as a tourist is too valuable to risk giving Viator another chance.
 

Review by:   Lakshmi S,    April 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Fantastic experience
 

Review by:   mariana.paterlini.dc,    April 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
It was great. Exacty as it is described here. The bus was perfect, meals tasty, and the places are awesome. Definitely I recommend it.
 

Review by:   philip p,    April 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Another whole day experience, but well worth it. Caves were awesome, the Agridome was interesting and fun could actually feed turkeys and sheep from your hand. We enjoyed the geyser's beautiful landscape, the cultural show, and especially seeing a kiwi. A full not-so-roomy bus made the ride a little uncomfortable.
 

Review by:   Corey B,    April 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Nice tour, great guide
 

Review by:   kj,    March 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Shelley was our driver and guide. She is great. I loved the caves. The cultural center and geysers at Rotorua were wonderful. There was not enough time at Maori cultural center. If you can get a tour thats just the caves and the cultural center do that. The agrodome was not that interesting and took up time we could have had at the Maori cultural center.
 

Review by:   jain.ram.b,    March 2018 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
Not a good tour. Lot of noise for nothing. That trip was not much fun at all. I asked them for vegetarian meals without onion and garlic but they ignored my request for no onion no garlic food. Not much of a chance to go with this company again.
 

Review by:   Suzette W,    March 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A long day but the coach was very comfortable. Starting out at 6.30 with a shuttle to Sky city to transfer to the coach we were given cookies and water to start our trip. 2 hrs to Waitomo and the glow worm caves are magical. Then another 2 hrs to the Agrodome with a packed lunch provided to eat en route. The Agrodome is worth a separate trip but we saw some sheep shearing, herding and had a tour of the working farm. Over to Te Puia geothermal valley and saw a Maori cultural performance, some kiwis in the nocturnal house and the geysers and hot springs. With the 3 hrs return journey it was a packed day but with shortage of time, a very worthwhile trip.
 

Review by:   Christie G,    March 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A toilet break on the return trip from Rotorua would be appreciated .The trip sights were excellent . John from Sydney.
 

Review by:   provencd,    February 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
What a wonderful day to see the excuisite countryside of New Zealand, plus these two incredible sites. Started with the Waitomo GlowWorm grotto where you descend by foot into these vast caverns under ground. The caves themselves are spectacular, but then you get to board a small boat to visit the glow worm grotto. Thess bioluminescent worms are situated on the ceiling and look like constellations in the sky as there are so many of them. You glide along in the boat in the silent dark while marveling at the incredible site above you. It is like Phantom of the Opera meets the Milky Way- just fabulous! Next was our trip to Rotorua with a stop at Agridome for a sheep shearing demonstration plus we got to hand feed various sheep and deer. We then proceeded to a wonderful Maori village situated on an active geothermal site. The Maori dancers and singers were so delightful in their traditional garb and their voices were beautiful. Enjoyed a wonderful concert of song, dance and traditions. Next came a guided tour of the geysers and mud pots which surround the Te Puia village. Our guide actually lives on site as his family have done for generations so his narrative was especially informational about the Maori lifestyle. This was a great tour and would recommend it highly.
 

Review by:   Stephanie H,    February 2018 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Wow what a fantastic day I had on this tour. It was a long day, but with my limited time in Auckland, it was well worth every penny and every minute. Our coach driver Ben, was a great host/ driver/ knowledge of information. Every aspect of the day was a brilliant experience. Highly recommended
 

Review by:   rickhall142,    January 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This trip is long but very nice in total. Visiting the caves, farm and geyser sights in one day is a challenge. i think there could be less time at the farm and more time to the geysers. Hearing and seeing the traditions of the Maori was very interesting but in total perhaps a bit more than necessary. Good excursion overall.
 

Review by:   Kathryn L,    January 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Fabulous tour! we had a great time! I would have liked a little bit more time at the agrodome. I think this trip was definitely worth the money
 

Review by:   Marilyn B,    January 2018 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
A very long day but worth it. The Glow Worm caves are amazing. The only drawback was having very little to no time to wander in the gift shops fowwing the events. Ben the driver warned us of the importance to keeping to the time frame so you had to be back on the bus at the appointed time or they left without you! That happened to one lady. There was often only 5-8 minutes free time. I am sure the shops would have had some of my money if we had more time.
 

Review by:   anthony,    December 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Great full day tour, New Zealand is quite vast and if you don't have a car this tour allows you to see some fantastic sites in one day. The Maori performance is exceptional, as are the caves and Rotorua. Nice to break the day up with the farm experience which was funny. _br/_ Only con would be eating on the coach - bit of a struggle when you're being driven at 80mph. Overall, enjoyed the day bit pricey but everything is in NZ.
 

Review by:   Rumneet G,    December 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This is a great tour and definitely worth the money. It is a long jam packed day, however our tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable that time flew by.
 

Review by:   Senathirajah R,    December 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
It is a worthy tour. the Waitomo Cave is amazing.
 

Review by:   preeti,    December 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Amazingly good tour! We were spell bound by the glow worms at the caves. The hot geysers in Rotorua were awesome! The guide was a lovely lady who drove us from auckland all the way and back. We had some good on the way lunch and snacks in the evening on the return drive. Thank you!
 

Review by:   Carrie L,    December 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
This tour covers some great area, but rest assured it is a LONG day. The waitomo caves were beautiful. Be prepared that you are not permitted to take pictures inside the caves. They have a nice gift shop with photos, however. I was expecting a little more from the farm experience. The description stated that we would get to milk a cow, and this was not offered. You have the opportunity to see a farming shearing a sheep and feed sheep all around you. The tour ends with a visit to the geysers and hot springs at a local park. These were beautiful. Crowded space, but big area. There is a kiwi bird inside a hut they are nocturnal and this was interesting to see. The park also includes a Maori show and ceremony. Very unique experience. The park at the end of the tour has a fantastic gift shop, so make sure you have time to go through,
 

Review by:   Kathryn D,    November 2017 Review: 1 star rating: I do not recommend this
Poor tour! 25 minute late pick up in the morning so the day started with the tour running late. Large bus with no leg room for my 6'2 husband. This is a long all day tour with lots of hours spent on the bus. At our first stop some of the passengers were getting off with their luggage. During this exchange the driver of the bus they were changing to drove off with the luggage compartment keys for our bus so we all were back from visiting the caves sitting on the bus waiting for the keys to be returned. We waited over 50 minutes for this to happen. So now we are way behind schedule so the rest of our tour was extremely rushed. I FELT LIKE I SPENT THE WHOLE LONG DAY ON THE BUS AND WAS NOT ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME AT THE REST OF THE STOPS. The caves are awesome so I would suggest you find a smaller tour group company that just goes to the caves.
 

Review by:   David S,    November 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Excellent tour. Wonderfully led. The bus driver was an excellent host with stories and pointing out places of interest. I am glad I went.
 

Review by:   Nita,    November 2017 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
This is a good tour. We got to see the Glow Worms, sheep shearing, Maori ceremony, and hot springs. The cons were that too little time was spent at each location. A very tight schedule was run and we barely had time to see things. The trip started at 7:30am and returned to Auckland at 8pm. At each stop, we were given less than 1 hour and at one stop only 45 minutes. The food was very light so we were starving by the time we returned to Auckland. No time at all was given to grab a bite at any of the stops. There is a lot of time spent riding on the bus and the driver babbled the entire time. If I had it to do over, I would book with a small, local vendor or pack my own food to take along.
 

Review by:   Kaveh K,    November 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Definitely a full day of interesting activities and places to visit
 

Review by:   Leendert v,    October 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Long but great tour, very well organised. The driver Ben had a great sense of humour, was very informative and considerate. The nature of the visit to the Agrodome is quite different from the caves and geysers, so I would not have minded to skip that, leaving more time to spend at Waitomo and Rotorua which offer more than there is time for during the trip.
 

Review by:   Shannon,    October 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
A long, but soooo worth it, trip! Rachel our coach driver was great--kept us fed, hydrated, and informed! The sites are quite incredible and special! Don't miss it.
 

Review by:   highsmithbj,    October 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
My daughter and I took this tour on September 19, 2017. We loved it! Yes, it is a long day since we did the round trip tour. Some people chose to spend the night in Rotorua, which made their day a little shorter. We needed to return to Auckland. The driver was wonderful and I wish I could remember his name. Both lunch and dinner sandwich meals were included and plenty of water bottles. We saw the Waitomo glow worm caves, the Agrodome, the Maori culture center show which was wonderful and included with our tour, and the geothermal areas of Rotorua. It was a great experience!
 

Review by:   Ronald S,    October 2017 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
The tour is VERY long, be prepared. Bus picked us up at 645am and we got back at 8pm. The glow worm caves are very interesting and a unique experience that I'm glad to have seen, but it is a long bus ride for a short time in the cave. The sheep shearing demonstration and ride around the farm was pleasant and interesting to learn about. Again another long ride continues to Rotoruaro to the Maori celebration and the geyser. We didn't see the geyser blow while we were there - obviously it's not predictable. It was a 3.5 hour ride back to Auckland after the geyser. Our guides at the caves, the farm and the geyser were fantastic - really knowledgeable and very friendly. The greeter gave us diffferent stickers which our bus driver had to correct but that was the only error. The bus was comfortable and clean.
 

Review by:   Kinga I,    September 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This tour was amazing!
 

Review by:   Jessica A,    August 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This tour is awesome even in the rain I highly recommend this you will not regret it. The caves are absolutely beautiful and the geysers were so awesome to see and the views were stunning the Maori performance was really cool too it was a long day but the drivers were awesome keeping us _br/_ entertained
 

Review by:   Jeanne G,    July 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
We only had one day to explore the North Island, so we chose this full day tour of Waitomo Caves, Agrodome, Maori Cultural Centre and Rotarua. It was terrific .... very long day ... but the coach is so comfortable with climate control and tilting seats. Ben was our driver and he did an outstanding job! The coach has wifi, and you can reserve a particular seat, but not necessary. Greeted with a warm smile and fruit cup before setting off to the Caves. Arrived at Caves at 11.20, and that tour is interesting. ... kids will especially like it. Picnic lunch on bus while we drove to Agrogrow. Sheep shearing and sheep herding a treat. Feeding animals is always fun. Rotarua city looks very interesting...I would have liked to spend the night to explore more. Apparently it's an option to spend an overnight in Rotarua, but we didn't know about this ahead of time. Maori Cultural Center very fun and new construction will provide more interest. The geysers and geothermal mud flats are fascinating. Would loved to have booked a spa while there ... perhaps next time. Five o'clock saw us back on the road for the long, dark ride back to Auckland. Let's face it, it's a heck of a long day ... but at least YOU didn't have to drive for 12 hours, can't say enough about Ben's driving ability, commentary and pleasant sense of humor.
 

Review by:   Julie C,    June 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a very full day, but worth every moment. Would highly recommend. Great Bus Driver.
 

Review by:   pamelavago,    June 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This tour was amazing!
 

Review by:   Ada T,    May 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Fantastic day trip. Managed to see a number of highlights on the one day. For the amount of experience and the length of the trip, the money spent was worth it. Even the lunch provided was better than expected...they catered for my dietary requirements and it was delicious. Provided plenty of bottled water too.
 

Review by:   NeeNeeFay,    May 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a super trip. Figure it is going to be a long, tiring and worthwhile day. We selected the trip because of the glow worms, and they were fantastic. Our guide, who had a lovely voice, even sang to us in the cavern. However, we enjoyed the Agri-farm stop equally well. This was a surprise, because we've had similar experiences, but the staff, cleanliness, and genuine love of their jobs and animals brought joy to all of us. A highlight was feeding an ostrich! The Maori cultural stop and thermal geysers was interesting as well, but felt crowded. Our bus driver Rachel kept up an entertaining and helpful monologue enroute. Plan this trip after you've had a good night's rest - it was worthwhile.
 

Review by:   Thomas S,    March 2017 Review: 2 star rating: It was OK, but could have been better
First, the Waitomo Caves made this day for us. IT was an incredible experience. Our primary goal for this trip was to learn more about Maori culture. The Agridome visit was a total waste of an hour and a half that could have been spent in Rotorua. If that wasn't bad enough, our driver did us a favor and gave us a non scheduled tour of Rotorua. We really wanted to spend more time at the Te Puia Cultural Center, but we literally had to run through the highlights after arriving right after the beginning of the dance performance and did not have time to peruse all of the exhibits. It is a 12 hour day and we would not do it again with this company.
 

Review by:   jjdk62,    February 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Overall it was a good day, a long but very entertaining day, our bus driver was full of fun facts and stories. _br/_ Disappointment was in being constantly rushed, we started the day late and it seemed we were always running late to get to the next stop, had no real time to browse or shop at any of the ports for souvenirs. The lunch provided was nice enough, afternoon tea was not what was stated was just a smaller version of lunch! Considering the price we paid for the day....Meh!
 

Review by:   Patricia L,    February 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Very long day, but well worth visiting. The coach driver was very informative and kept us entertained for much of the travelling. The seats in the coach were not comfortable enough for a long trip. It was a nice touch to get fresh fruit on loading onto the coach. The Waitomo caves were great and a wonderful experience. The Rotorua visit was very good, especially the Maori culture show, this however was spoilt by some ingnorant people standing up and taking photo's and video's even when they had been asked not too._br/_ This was a great way to get a flavour on New Zealand in our short stay.
 

Review by:   Nuo Si L,    February 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
So happy to see so much of Auckland in just one day, this trip was extremely well planned and I would definitely recommend to others :
 

Review by:   Randall S,    January 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Great experience! Very convenient to book:hotel pickup and drop off, meal and snacks provided and even bottles of water so even though the day is long and time is limited at all stops, you are kept fed and hydrated. It is a long way for one day, we could have spent most of one day at each stop, but if you want to see the best of everything in one day, this is a good choice.our driver was Kenny, and he was delightful. Staff at all stops were very nice as well.
 

Review by:   susan h,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
This was a great tour! I was concerned it would be too long, but the time flew by. The visit to the caves was fabulous. The caves were beautiful and the glowworms breathtaking. I've been to other glowworm caves, but this was by far the best. The visit to the agrodome was fun. We watched a sheep shearing and a herding demo by the sheep dog. We also got to feed the sheep. Next was a visit to a Maori village,where we saw a very good show and then onto the geysers, which were at the peak of their eruptions. Along the way we passed beautiful landscapes.
 

Review by:   prasanna.gowda,    January 2017 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
It was a good trip.
 

Review by:   Judy R,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
It was a great tour and certainly did not seem like 13 hours. The time went by quickly but we had enough time in each of the destinations and enjoyed each one thoroughly. Would highly recommend it to anybody our tour guide was named Ben and he was very informative and pleasant. The bus even had Wi-Fi
 

Review by:   Erik A,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
The coach ride was comfortable, the commentary from Rachel was informative and interesting, and there was enough food provided to keep us satisfied. I can highly recommend this trip.
 

Review by:   Jennifer V,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
Our day trip to Rotorua from Auckland was great. Our 4 year old son loved the bus tour and the glow worms. Pick up was smooth and stressfree. Kenny our driver made the trip fun and interesting.
 

Review by:   Katie M,    January 2017 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
It's a long day, but the tour packs in so many great experiences. The tour is exactly as described. Our guide was funny, friendly and informative. Highly recommend!
 

Review by:   Curt P,    December 2016 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
Glow worm caves were fantastic but time spent there was limited and photography was not allowed. Agrodome experience was superficial. They gave a quick and messy sheep shearing demonstration followed by a lackadaisical sheep dog herding demonstration. The sheep were so conditioned to performing that they did not need the guidance provided by the sheep dog. The geothermal mud pools and geysers of Rotorua at Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Reserve were fascinating and worth the trip. The Maori Arts and Crafts Institute could have been an interesting experience but a lot of the views of the stage were blocked by rude tourists who had to stand and photograph every minute of the performance. While the trip was a decent value for the money it was a very long day.
 

Review by:   Eng Eng N,    December 2016 Review: 3 star rating: Worth doing
I guess it depends on whether you are a seasoned traveler. If you don't travel much, then you should find this fascinating. If you travel much, it is rather underwhelming. As for the Waitomo Caves, please be prepared that the real glowworms are not as bright as the picture. The only real highlight is probably only the Agrodome sheep farm portion.
 

Review by:   Tess H,    November 2016 Review: 5 star rating: Highly Recommended
The tour was great the sceneries on the way to both the caves and the farm were awesome and Kenny did a great job on commentary the whole way!
 

Review by:   Brandon T,    November 2016 Review: 4 star rating: Recommended
Really long day of bus riding easy 8 hrs and about 5-10 mins of time between tours so you can't be late. But overall great tour, definitely worth the price for tickets, food and transportation, esp for those not willing to drive on their own.
 

All Traveler Reviews...

USD $232.00
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