The fascinating Te Anau caves system on the western shore of Lake Te Anau offers an underground adventure that charms visitors of all ages. This tour takes you to a mysterious underground world of rushing water before drifting in silent darkness beneath the luminous shimmer of thousands of glowworms.
Following a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau to Cavern House. Upon arrival join an informative talk about the life cycle of the glow worms, the history of the caves, their development and operation.
Next your friendly guide will take you on an exploration of the caves by path and small punt. Observe how the rushing water sculpts the rock formations, before gliding through silent darkness to the glowworm grotto. The delicate incandescence of thousands of tiny glowworms is a magical sight. Return to Te Anau by boat across the lake, reflecting on this amazing experience of nature.
Good tour with cruise and very informative on glow-worms. Very busy tour - lots of people on it, but broken into smaller groups for tour in caves which was good.
Review by: sharronminer, April 2018
Incredible your. Wonderful
Review by: Richard W, March 2018
Couldve been 5 Stars EXCEPT a Patron had a very young baby, far too young to enter an immensely dark cavern that was crying and out of control BEFORE We even left the Visitors Centre. The Staff was explicit that quiet was required in the Cave, yet ALLOWED this less then one year old go on the Tour. The child SCREAMED the entire time, completely ruined our experience. Totally TRASHED IT. The Staff ALLOWED THIS TO OCCUR. We spent our 200 for a very poorly managed Tour- they got that Patrons money and OURS. There needs to be a MINIMUM AGE. The vast majority of Patrons are Adults. 10 had a lost experience, 2000 -so a family of 4 misbehaved
Review by: Carol L, March 2018
This tour was so interesting! It was like seeing stars in the sky but in a dark cave. The only thing I would like to see different is to have a short video on the glowworms instead of having someone speak about it.
Review by: Melinda L, March 2018
Really well done. A highlight of our trip to Nz
Review by: yiting, February 2018
It is very interesting tour.
Review by: atulfca, February 2018
Very well organised trip _br/_ Must do
Review by: Estelle B, January 2018
What an amazing tour. From start to finish, very well organised and informative.
Review by: Ulrik K, January 2018
Rigtig god tur. Virkelig søde guider, flot oplevelse. Der var god tid til at få det hele med, små grupper og god plads. Bar dog lidt præg af samlebåndsarbejde, men sådan er det jo nogle gange når det er en populær oplevelse og der er mange der gerne vil opleve det. Dette ødelagde dog ikke oplevelsen som jeg klart vil anbefale.
Review by: Emily C, January 2018
Great tour! Beautiful boat ride to the cave site. Very interesting brief informational lecture on glow worms beforehand. Once inside caves, amazing glow worms and also rock formations and small waterfalls. Very friendly and knowledgable tour staff. Highly recommended.
Review by: Poi Lin G, January 2018
Tour is amazing !!! Beautiful worm cave !!! The walls of the cave glitter in the dark like stars. It’s beautiful and very Peaceful . We love the tour !!!
Review by: Angela M, January 2018
Amazing. Boat ride, guide were great. The cave was a whole new experience, breath taking. Highly recommend it
Review by: Merril T, January 2018
A great trip. Very well organised and informative. Lost a star as I felt a bit cramped in the boat. I was on the end with nothing to keep me on the seat as people twisted back and forth to see the Glow worms consequently it was uncomfortable for me and I spent mist of the time avoiding falling off t
Review by: David R, January 2018
This is something different. Nice cruise out there. Interesting tour. Don't do if you are afraid of the dark. No photos allowed in the cave. We really enjoyed it.
Review by: Jennifer F, January 2018
This was an excellent tour from Te Anau across the lake to the caves. It was well organised and most enjoyable. I recommend it whole heartedly. Jenny
Review by: Martine L, January 2018
I loved the little town of Te Anau, spreading along the lake, and walking by the lake everyday to go to the Center. _br/_ The crossing of the lake by boat to the low Worm Cave was very nice and the visit of the Cave in a boat very impressive and interesting, with the final little video explaining the life of the Glow Worms._br/_ There are 2 nice good restaurants too in Te Anau and a big shop where you just can find everything you would like to bring back from New-Zealand. I enjoyed too the Backpackers, even though it is at the other end of the lake I had a single room in a quiet aisle, with a window on the fields.
Review by: Katherine M, December 2017
We were very impressed by the professionalism of this tour. Everything was highly organised with the large group split into groups of 12 so it felt like a small group tour. Highlights were the boat ride in the glow worm cave and across the lake.
Review by: Danny C, December 2017
it is quite amazing to see that many glow worm in the cave like a stargazing tour.
Review by: KERRIE M, December 2017
A very organised experience. This is something very special that you feel not many people get to do. It was really quite mind blowing and beautiful!
Review by: Gina T, November 2017
Nice trip. Boat ride was fun... Gorgeous lake.
Review by: kathy m, November 2017
The Waitomo caves are larger, but they are also more expensive and service much larger groups. The boat ride across the lake gives you a beautiful different perspective of Te Anau's scenic landscape. Our guide was very informative not only on the glow worms, but the indigenous plant life information I used through out the entire trip across the South Island.
Review by: Thomas D, October 2017
A unique experience.
Review by: Sarah P, September 2017
This was a great tour and more intimate than bigger caves elsewhere. Highly recommend.
Review by: Iona B, September 2017
What a great trip would highly recommend it to everyone, our guide was Thomas and he was great.
Review by: John S, August 2017
We loved this tour. It started with a lovely scenic boat ride and from the first glimpse inside the caves it was worth coming even before we saw our first glow worm. Very well conducted professional tour.
Review by: Kenneth S, July 2017
Amazing. Highly recommended.
Review by: Libra P, July 2017
Professional and friendly staffs. Share lots of knowledge and information about the history of the caves and the life cycle of the glow worm. Excellent for the children as they could learn more about the NZ natures._br/_ We have the best experience .....
Review by: Debmig, May 2017
Great tour! Amazing going through the caves on the boat in the pitch black! :
Review by: Marjorie R, May 2017
It's a much more intimate and enjoyable tour than the one at Waitomo these caverns are narrower and extensive. Definitely do both, if you can, but this one would be my first choice.
Review by: Krystal H, May 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: joghitme, April 2017
It's a wonderful tour!
Review by: Analise O, April 2017
This trip is excellent value with cruise walk. It is difficult enough to explain the majestic beauty of the lake but the most amazing aspect is being in a cave with fast rushing water and then doing a completely silent glide in a boat with only glow worms to light the way. Do it!
Review by: Stephen C, April 2017
This was just amazing. Didn't really know what to expect but the glowworm caves are a must see. The boat left from downtown Te Anau right on time and we had a nice 45 minute trip up lake to the caves. There we had a good introduction to the geology of the area and the life cycle of the glowworms. Absolutely fascinating. If you are in Te Anau and don't do this trip you'll be sorry.
Review by: Pamela H, April 2017
The tour starts with a 20 minute ferry cruise along Te Anau lake to the cave site. I had an evening booking so this became a fabulous start and finish to the glow worm cave experience, with the sun setting over one of the most scenic lakes in New Zealand. The entry to the cave was well organised and group sizes small. The walk into the cave involved fairly even ground underfoot, but some low headroom. It was in almost complete darkness to allow eyes to adjust, but the guide set a steady pace and kept up a commentary on the cave features. No stalactites as in some of the other caves because this is a fairly young one, but some impressive underground rivers. The glow worm caves themselves can only be reached by boat, so you climb in, sit down and drift in pitch dark and silence looking up to the roof of the cave at the constellations of tiny lights. A truly magical experience. On the return to the cave entrance there is an information centre, hot drinks and a video presentation while you wait for the ferry boat back to Te Anau jetty. Not for the claustrophobic or those afraid of the dark but a thoroughly enjoyable and unique experience.
Review by: Yuan Y, April 2017
It was a magic world when you go deep down the cave with all lights out but the flickering blue/green lights glowing above your heads. Let alone the beautiful view on Te Anau Lake. We had to drive over 200km from 6am in the morning to get there, but it was totally worth it!
Review by: rthyagar, April 2017
Loved the guide on the Island.. she was so informative. Overall a great tour. New Zealand was amazing.
Review by: SANDRA B, March 2017
This was great fun - the boat across the lake and then a small boat into the dark caves to see the many glow worms - an amazing and unusual sight! So glad we did this tour. Ideal for children
Review by: Janet R, March 2017
Well organised, very enjoyable and well informed guides.
Review by: Kim S, March 2017
An amazing chance to observe otherwise hidden away creatures who create a spectacle of 'stars' within the cave. The experience was great except for the No Photos policy which I felt was more about keeping people moving than preventing the glowworms from going dark due to noise. I can take photos with my camera using silent mode which I would have love to have done but as it was forbidden, I resisted. In order to get good photos, they would have to be long exposure and that would take time so I am guessing that is why they don't want you to try. They take a lot of people through the caves and need to keep moving so the next group can come through.
Review by: Heidi H, February 2017
Amazing sight that exceeded out expectations. Very effciciently organized our as well - a lot of people but excellent crowd management.
Review by: on_babcock, February 2017
Very nice boat ride over to the Glow Worm Caves great information shared during the boat ride. The Glow Worm cave was interesting and the information session added interesting facts.
Review by: Danamihai, February 2017
A very interesting tour but have in mind that: the cave entrance is one meter high and you have to be able to walk few good meters in that position, have very good non slippery shoes, follow safety instructions. I would not recommend it for kids under 7 years old. I had few times when I regretted as it was very noisy, pitch dark, like in a cave. I didn't know that will walk actually 250 m inside the cave. It is interesting, the company Real Journey built a very difficult scaffolding system inside the cave to walk on for 250 m, an incredible amount of work. The guide is having a hard job to make himself heard in that environment, kudos to them!! Well trained, really appreciate their stamina.
Review by: Lynette W, February 2017
Myself, husband and teenager loved this tour. Enjoyed the trip across the lake, it was misty and moody and cold, but we were prepared, loved walking though the caves and the serenity of floating in the dark under the glow worms. Well worth it.
Review by: Gary B, January 2017
A really good tour - well run and the guides were fantastic
Review by: Taegyu K, January 2017
I was upset with one of the clerksthe oldest one at the Real Journeys office in Te Anau. She couldn't find me on the list and kept asking for my booking number. The lady didn't know that we just need to show our ID. While I was waiting for my trip in the center, I felt asleep. She woke me up and asked why I was there, forgetting that I'd booked the trip. When I reminded her of my trip, she didn't apology for waking me up. Instead, she said, Keep sleeping. I am not telling you about her stupidity and inability to work. It's her attitude. I'm sorry that Real Journey is still hiring his lady.
Review by: Patricia P, January 2017
Large numbers of people do this trip, but it is so well handled that you don't feel herded along at all. The journey there across the lake and through the caves are run like clockwork. Well worth doing, informative and beautiful.
Review by: Amanda, January 2017
Great sights really well run tour enjoyed the whole experience
Review by: Ariana S, January 2017
Amazing experience! There's a quick ferry over to the spot of the cave. Then there is a short informative talk about the glow worms and then the cave filled with glow worms. No pictures allowed to preserve your night vision. On a side note, my husband originally did not want to go, but ended up loving it! Very cool experience.
Review by: jrc26, January 2017
This was extremely professional and came off without a single problem. I really enjoyed the entire trip and the caves were intimate and special.
Review by: Victor J, January 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable experience, start to finish: The ride across Lake Te Anau by catamaran was scenic and smooth. The brief trek through the rainforest to the caves was fascinating. Our tour guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and in control. The caves themselves were amazing--not necessarily for the glow worms. It was thrilling to see a raging torrent of water that is actively carving out a passage to the lake. Along the way toward the section where glowworm habitation was the focus, you could see occasional glowworms twinkling in crevasses in the rocky roof. The guide pointed out and explained geological formations in the caves. After hoofing it for a while, at times needing to crouch a little, we had an in-cave boat trip in complete darkness through a starry sky of glowworms. Then there was a guided rainforest walk and a presentation on the worms. It turns out that they aren't all happiness and bioluminescent light! They can be cannibals, and they emit poisonous and paralyzing droplets along dozens of silk threads to catch their prey. It may make sense that this information doesn't come out until after the tour! Note that, at the departure point, there is a little store that features good buys on such items as possum fingerless gloves.
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