Te Anau

Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

Badge of ExcellenceTe Anau, New Zealand
Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour
  • 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

See the glowworm caves of Te Anau on an underground adventure sure to charm visitors of all ages. An informative guide joins you on the 2hour and 15 minute Te Anau glowworm caves tour, starting with a cruise across Lake Te Anau. Then marvel at the shimmering illumination of thousands of glowworms as you glide through the quiet darkness of this magical underground world.
  • See the glow worms and beautiful rock formations on this tour from Te Anau
  • Enjoy a return cruise trip on Lake Te Anau
  • Friendly and informative guide

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

Multiple departure times means this tour can fit easily into any itinerary.

What's Included

  • Lake cruise on Lake Te Anau
  • Complimentary Tea & Coffee
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 85 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9600, New Zealand

    Please be sure to arrive 20 minutes before your scheduled departure.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your informative guide at the tour office to begin your 2 hour and 15 minute tour of the Te Anau glowworm caves. Start with a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau before continuing underground to the cave system, located on the lake’s western shore.

Upon arrival at the Cavern House, listen an interesting talk about the life cycle of the glowworm as well as the history of the caves. Your guide leads you on an exploration of the caves by footpath and small punt along the rushing underground river.

Observe water-sculpted rock formations and drift into the glowworm grotto to marvel at the mysterious sight of thousands of tiny glowworms. Learn what feats of nature create the incandescence in the silent darkness. 

Afterward, you’re returned by boat across the lake to Te Anau.

Te Anau Glowworm Caves

2 hours 15 minutesAdmission Ticket Included

Lake Te Anau (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Infant seats available
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Children aged 0-15 must be booked with at least one adult.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 72 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.

Traveler Photos

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Featured review
Joffy_S
I was not sure about this when I booked it as photos can be faked to make it look more appealing then it should be. But from the time my wife and I got into the boat everything was nothing less than memorable. The crew was fantastic. Lots of information shared about gloworms and their habitat which was great. The caves looked beautiful with the water flowing all around it. The highlight when we were in the cave on a boat in total darkness, no sound around you and all you can see are those beautiful light shining like stars in the night sky. We got to see a decent clusters of gloworms which made the experience magical. I would recommend this experience any day. Unsure if you find the same amount of gloworms all year around but it was a great experience overall.

Reviews

4.5
646 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 646 reviews
A great activity for everyone!
Tamara_S, May 2024
A great activity to do for everyone! Our tour guide, Jess, was great and really enjoyed sharing her glow worm knowledge with us. The beauty of the cave with the water rushing through was amazing and then the boat ride through the serene water to see glow worms was a once in a lifetime experience!
Glowy wormy
Azila_R, May 2024
Wonderful. Absolutely recommended. We booked a few minutes before the tour started. The boat was comfy and clean with plenty of seats. The tour guide at the cave was really good we learned alot of new things about the glow worms and the caves ecosystem.
Majestic sights, both big and small
Jiso_P, Apr 2024
An experience like no other with great guides like Heath to make it all even more so memorable with his wit and his expansive knowledge. The boat ride to the caves from the main shore is a gorgeous appetizer till you get to the caves. Just brilliant. My wife and 7 year old daughter really loves it as well.
A great afternoon out!
Gab_W, Apr 2024
A great tour! Enjoyed both the boat trip across the lake and the cave adventure. Friendly and knowledgeable guides.
Glow worm traaty
Assunta_C, Apr 2024
Interesting trip all guides were great fun and full of knowledge. Great afternoon out! Highly recommend
Best glow worms in NZ
Luisa_B, Apr 2024
Nice boat ride through the lake. The best part was the glow worms, they were spectacular and the guides were very knowledgeable. Cool little row boat to see them. Caves are easily accessible.
Like a fun and creepy Disney ride
H_F, Apr 2024
My partner and I enjoyed the glow worm caves and couldn’t help but compare it to a slightly creepy Disney ride - haha! The tour sees you enter a dark glow worm cave, always accompanied by a tour guide and in a small group. We felt safe at all times. You get to view glow worms in for about 10-20 mins in groups of about 10 people. It was great fun and something we had never done before. I think the tour would be suitable for families, though children would need to be comfortable with being in the dark and listening to all of the guide’s instructions.
Very little time actually...
Emily_H, Apr 2024
Very little time actually seeing the glow worms and we’re not able to take photos which was not stated on the information about the tour
Glowing Experience
Christine_W, Apr 2024
The glow worm caves were amazing! Informative tour guides ensured that we saw all of the best bits of the caves and the glow worms. The punt ride was fantastic.
Thoroughly Enjoyed!
Philip_B, Apr 2024
Wonderful experience starting with a fun cruise across the beautiful lake, then a quick educational experience, and finally the amazing walk and boat ride through the glowworm cave. Had a fantastic time
Perfect
Ian_M, Apr 2024
Seeing the glow worms was amazing, the guides were brilliant, they explained everything and looked after us really well.
Amazing
Viralkumar_P, Apr 2024
Beautiful experience, must to do. My both kids loved the experience. Worth staying in Te Anau and experience this.
Excellent
Geoffrey_B, Apr 2024
Ferry Ride across the lake and then fascinating Cave walk and boat ride in the dark cave to see glow worms.
Fascinating
Morag_H, Apr 2024
Seeing the glowworms was amazing. Staff were very informative and friendly. Would recommend this activity to everyone.
Magical
Angela_D, Mar 2024
The boat ride in the dark was fantastic, the glowworms looked like stars on a clear night. The information was insightful
Fantastic tour
BRENDA_T, Mar 2024
The caves were amazing and the boat ride through the caves was equally as amazing. We were very lucky to see dolphins and a rainbow across a couple of the waterfalls, stunning.
Must see in NZ
Andre_K, Mar 2024
The experience of seeing these little creatures in real life was amazing. The caves & critters are natural, and not man made like some other attractions of this type, and the guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.
Don't make this one a priority
Patricia_Z, Mar 2024
Not really many glow worms to see here. The cave and the information was interesting but seeing the glow worms was so so. That said we had a funny, interesting tour guide!
Superb.
Shari_M, Mar 2024
All of it. Enthusiastic guides. Beauty inside and outside the caves. Protection of the resource by the guides. Boat captain’s professional demeanor. Tea/coffee. Informational talk. Boat ride with commentary.
Super excursion
Eileen_G, Mar 2024
Super experience. The caves were spectacular in themselves . The glow worm bit was magical . The staff were all super . Really enjoyed the talk after the cave explaining all about glow worms . It was informative and amusing . Overall a great excursion that we would recommend
...

From $73.16

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

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