Rotorua

Twilight Kayak Glow worm Tour

Rotorua, New Zealand
Kayak Glowworm Tour

Overview

Adventurous travelers will love this glowworm-spotting tour with a difference. As the sun gets lower in the sky, paddle in a kayak on Lake Karapiro and along the Pokaiwhenua Stream. You’ll see beautiful native plants and bird life, and rock formations that have been naturally carved over centuries. Once the light disappears, you’ll see thousands of glowworms lighting your way. This tour is a fun way to experience some of New Zealand’s best natural attractions.
  • Kayaks, safety gear, and appropriate clothing are provided
  • An ideal tour for active travelers who love the outdoors
  • This late afternoon/evening tour can be done after the day’s activities
  • A fun activity for families and friends traveling together

What's Included

  • Kayak, PFD, Splash Pants/Jackets, Wetshoes

    Meeting And Pickup

    Meeting point

    • 396 Horahora Road, Waikato 3484, New Zealand

    End point

    This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    What To Expect

    Riverside Adventures Waikato

    3 hours Admission Ticket Free

    Additional Info

    • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • You need to have a moderate level of fitness and be able paddle yourself for 1 hour at a time.
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

    Cancellation Policy

    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

    Traveler Photos

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    Featured review
    Shannon_R
    The night time kayak along with learning so much history and biology facts on this tour made this experience so magical. We highly recommend checking them out for the most gorgeous views and fun time.

    Reviews

    5.0
    413 reviews
    Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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    Reviews by Viator travelers.
    Showing 1-10 of 413 reviews
    Great Kayak tour
    Fred_S, Mar 2024
    We really had a great time! The weather was perfect and the guides knowledgeable. Would highly recommend. Thank you
    Unreal experience!!
    Nora_G, Mar 2024
    A fantastic experience! Daniel and Amy, our guides, were great, very knowledgeable about the history of the area. My husband and I highly recommend this activity! Kayaking under a canopy of glow worms and then being guided by the moonlight was unreal. We were lucky enough to have a very clear night and Daniel gave us an interesting talk about the stars! I would definitely do this again!! Loved it!
    Incredible.
    Sandra_D, Mar 2024
    This was so magical. Just do it. Seriously. This is the kinda thing you’ll remember for a very long time.
    the best experience
    Neus_C, Mar 2024
    It was the best experience ever. In touch with nature and with very nice people and very professional. Would totally do it again!
    Glow Worms on the Waikato
    Kirk_F, Mar 2024
    Great experience. Our guide Daniel was very knowledgeable about the area and specifically the river. The tour operator provided everything that was needed. They did a great job on paddling instructions. Beautiful view of the night sky as we paddled back.
    Response from Host, Mar 2024
    Thanks for the review. Glad you loved the tour.
    Excellent tour
    Kelly_R, Feb 2024
    I prefer paddling the river instead of just an open lake; also the open “gorge” was amazing! We floated through a long stretch of glow worms for over 20 minutes. We had a very clear night, the star gazing was incredible. Our guides were so nice and accommodating.
    Response from Host, Mar 2024
    We are so pleased you loved the tour. Thanks for coming. :)
    Magic!!
    Karen_R, Feb 2024
    Of course paddling and seeing the glow worms! It was great to do it in silence except for some rowdy paddlers from another tour.
    Response from Host, Feb 2024
    Thanks for coming. Glad you enjoyed it
    Incredible experience
    Pedro_J, Feb 2024
    Incredible experience, super nice staff and awesome adventure. David the guide, explains everything about nature and stars.
    Response from Host, Feb 2024
    Cheers for coming. :)
    Reviews
    Shirleen_F, Feb 2024
    Awesome experience. Well explanation about glowworm and constellations. Duration of the tour is just right.
    Response from Host, Feb 2024
    Thanks so much for you review. Glad you had a great time.
    Nighttime relaxing
    Shannon_R, Jan 2024
    The night time kayak along with learning so much history and biology facts on this tour made this experience so magical. We highly recommend checking them out for the most gorgeous views and fun time.
    Response from Host, Jan 2024
    Glad you learnt some extra tidbits. Thanks for coming.
    Glowworms and constellations
    Daphne_K, Jan 2024
    It was amazing to see the glowworms in total darkness as we gently floated down the river, and then to see all the constellations (and even a shooting star!) afterwards on the lake was icing on the cake. The guides are very knowledgeable about the history of the land and the ecology of the area and I learned so much about New Zealand and the Maori from this tour.
    Response from Host, Jan 2024
    Glad you loved the tour and learnt some new things too!
    magical
    Konstantinos_Z, Jan 2024
    the kayak ride was even better than I imagined and the glowworms on the return trip were just magical
    Response from Host, Jan 2024
    Awesome! Thanks for coming.
    Memorable experience
    Catherine_C, Jan 2024
    Absolutely amazing memorable experience. The guides were fantastic looked after everyone. Would not be able to able to add any improvements
    Response from Host, Jan 2024
    Amazing. Thanks so much. :)
    Memorable Experience
    Tushar_S, Dec 2023
    A wonderful and unique experience to kayak into a canyon with glow worms. The RAW team made it informative by explaining the history of the dam that lies submerged underneath the lake. We were made to feel very comfortable in our kayaks despite our kids being young. We would highly recommend seeing glow worms through Riverside Adventure!
    Response from Host, Jan 2024
    Awesome! Thanks for the review
    Kayak tour in the rain
    Megan_F, Dec 2023
    Had a great kayaking trip down the river with lots of history and lots of rain. Lofty, our guide, was very knowledgeable of the area and kept our spirits up. Served us a nice little treat at 1/2 way while waiting for it to get a bit darker before coasting back through the canyon to see the glow worms. A wonderfully unique trip!
    Response from Host, Dec 2023
    Thanks so much. Glad you loved the tour, even with all the rain!
    Waikato fun times
    Andrea_T, Aug 2023
    A beautiful afternoon on the Waikato and Po Kai Whenua rivers, safely guided by Daniel. Loved seeing the glow worms along the river, the evening was a little cold at 4 degrees but the extra layers provided by Riverside Adventures made it cosy. I would love the recipe for that drink you provided, it was yum.
    Response from Host, Sep 2023
    Thanks so much for coming along. Flick us an email and we'll let you know the 'secret' ingredients. :)
    Fantastic experience
    Chris_G, Jun 2023
    Great trip, gorgeous views of the lake and then the canyon with the glowworms after sunset. The guides were knowledgeable and entertaining as well as safety oriented. Highly recommend!
    Response from Host, Jul 2023
    Thanks very much for your review
    Better than Waitomo!!
    Judy_D, Apr 2023
    Absolutely glorious!!!!!!!!! We kayaked upstream for awhile and waited until dark to float back. Perfect conditions! There were thousands of glowworms tucked in among the banks of the river. BETTER than Waitomao!! It was beautiful to look at the night skies with stars visible without city lights around. Our guide was so informative about the history of the river and the stars! I have a bad hip and knee and they were so helpful getting me in/out of the kayak. I put this experience right up there with the top I have ever had in extensive travels!
    Response from Host, Apr 2023
    This is amazing to hear!! Thanks for coming along. Glad you loved the experience!!
    Awesome tour!
    MeredythLacy, Dec 2022
    Awesome tour! We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this experience. Moderate level of physical exertion required.
    Response from Host, Jan 2023
    Thanks for.coming along. Glad you enjoyed the tour
    The best was when we all...
    Pinky_K, Apr 2022
    The best was when we all went through the caves , so silent and dark and just the glow worms. They were so pretty and perfect. It was well planned and timed. A very amazing experience. The Raro juice was soooooo good. Kaleb knew his things well, it was also fun and friendly. Thank you for the awesome experience.
    Response from Host, Apr 2022
    Hi Pinky, thanks for taking the time to leave a review. We are glad you had a great time here with us!
    Likely to Sell Out

    From $85.28

    up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

    • 3 hours 30 minutes
    • Mobile ticket
    • Offered in: English

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