Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves Small Group Tour (One Way)

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Auckland, New Zealand

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

This convenient day trip visits two of the North Island’s most popular attractions from Auckland in a single day, which would be difficult if traveling independently. The small-group, fully guided mini-bus tour takes you to several natural wonders, such as rivers, natural geothermal pools, and glow-worm caves. Your guide will tell you all about the natural and cultural history, to help you better understand what you’re seeing.

Visit two must-see sites in one day: Rotorua and the Waitomo Caves
Learn from your local guide and live commentary on the bus
Entrance fees and snacks are included
Hotel transfers from select hotels are included

What's Included

Small Group & Fully Guided Tour
Entry ticket and fully guided tour - Waitomo Caves
Water available & snacks provided
Luggage allowance - 1 large & 1 small per person

Food and drinks, unless specified
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Optional extras and activities - please select the tour option you want at time of booking

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

- Pickup offered from listed locations only. If your location isn’t listed, please choose your nearest available option & meet us there. - If your accommodation is yet to be confirmed, we ask that you select SkyCity Hotel for now. You can update this later! - Pick-ups begin up to 20 minutes before the tour departure time. To ensure a smooth start, please be ready and waiting outside by this time. - Pick-up locations are carefully planned for each tour and may vary by day. If your pick-up location changes, kindly inform us in advance. - Our guides make multiple stops and may arrive within a 10-minute window. To ensure a timely departure, we recommend being ready 5–10 minutes early, as we are unable to wait for late guests. - You will receive an email with important pickup information the day prior, please read this information.

Operating hours
.6:00 am

Itinerary

Auckland Central (Pass By)

Waikato Region (Pass By)

Otorohanga (Pass By)

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Lake Rotorua

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level

Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund.
Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
Children aged 7 years and below are required to travel in a child safety car seat. You can provide your own or one can be provided for $20 NZD (with 24 hours notice).
Due to the delicate ecosystem within the Waitomo Caves, photography is not permitted inside.
Not recommended for travelers with severe mobility difficulties, a moderate amount of walking is involved.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8

based on 74 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Seamless

Grace_A, Mar 2026

Seamless tour and transport from Auckland to Rotorua. Jeoff was engaging, genuine, and knowledgeable about NZ. He included a couple of fun stops that made it extra special!

Wonderful

Dawn_N, Feb 2026

Very informative guides in the caves and in te puia! The natural beauty is wonderful. Know that photos aren’t allowed in the caves. Our bus driver, Vicki, was excellent—great info and stories, funny, and a safe driver!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Kia ora! It’s awesome to hear that Vicki and the guides added so much to your day. The caves and Te Puia really are stunning, and it sounds like you got the full experience with plenty of stories and insights along the way. Thanks for the reminder about cave photography too—helps future travellers know what to expect! We’d love to welcome you back for another adventure soon. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

It was great! Jeoff was...

Nathania_R, Nov 2025

It was great! Jeoff was an excellent and attentive guide, and we had a great overall experience. Thanks!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Kia ora! Great to hear your journey to Rotorua went so well and that you enjoyed the caves. Sounds like Jeoff looked after everyone with his usual care and attention, which makes the day flow nicely. Thanks for choosing to travel with us and for the kind words. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

Highly recommend

Natalie_H, Nov 2025

We had an amazing driver who was very knowledgeable, and looked after us very well. The trip to the glowworm caves was a memory I will never forget, a beautiful calming experience. Best way to see New Zealand.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Kia ora Natalie! What a lovely review to read. The glowworm caves really do leave a lasting impression and it sounds like the experience hit exactly the way it should calm, beautiful and a little bit magical. Great to hear your driver took good care of you along the way too. That’s the heart of what we want for every traveller. We’re stoked you felt this was the best way to see New Zealand. Whenever you’re ready for more of the country, we’ll be here to welcome you back. Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

Rotorua one way

Thomas_L, Oct 2025

Nice trip from driver grant, talk a lot about north island, was able to answer many questions about new z

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Kia ora Thomas, Thanks for joining us on the trip down to Rotorua! Great to hear you enjoyed the journey and Grant’s local insights about the North Island. He’s a wealth of knowledge and always happy to share more about Aotearoa’s landscapes and stories along the way. We’d love to have you travel with us again sometime. Until then, safe travels and thanks for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

Great day trip

Roxanne_R, Oct 2025

The glow worm caves were beautiful, the geysers were incredible and the drive was so comfortable. Hanoz was knowledgeable, and entertaining!

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Kia ora, Sounds like an incredible day discovering glowworms, geysers, and everything in between! We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the comfort of the journey and Hanoz’s great mix of knowledge and humour — he’s brilliant at keeping the day both fun and informative. Thanks for joining us on the trip from Auckland to Rotorua, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures around Aotearoa soon! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

It was a wonderful...

Xenofon_K, Apr 2025

It was a wonderful experience in the caves but the driving was quite reckless at times... We would have appreciated a little more prudence on the wheel.

Response from Host, May 2025

Kia ora! Thanks for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the caves, but we're sorry to hear about your concerns with driving. Safety is our priority, and we’ll address this with the team once we have some more tour details, so could you reach out to northernops@cheekykiwitravel.com so I can follow this up. We hope to see you on another adventure soon! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

One way to Rotorua

Jennifer_K, Mar 2025

Alfredo was a good driver and gave us good information. We took the one way trip to Rotorua and the geothermal stop was not part of our trip. The caves were good but basically it was a bus ride to Rotorua

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Kia ora! Thanks for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the glowworm caves and found Alfredo’s insights helpful. This one-way tour is designed as a convenient and comfortable way to travel from Auckland to Rotorua with a stop at Waitomo, so we appreciate you highlighting that for future travelers. If you're ever back in New Zealand, we'd love to have you join us for a full-day adventure! We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝

Half day trip!

Ellen_R, Mar 2025

It was a pleasant time spent. The tour description gave the total time of the trip if you include the Te Puia also. We didn’t include the extra and we were done by 1 pm. It was a great way to get from Auckland to Rotorua.

The trip went well exactly as I planned

Bing_H, Mar 2024

Great driver. He was very helpful in anything we need to know. He was very knowledgeable and helpful in helping us.

Great way to get to...

Amanda_H, Dec 2023

Great way to get to Rotorua from Auckland in a comfortable van and see the glowworm caves along the way.

Excellent adventure

Heather_G, Nov 2023

Left on time. Small group. Animated tour guide, Grant. The caves were magical and quiet. Our guide in the caves sang beautifully for us.

Beautiful trip, great guide

Alice_G, Oct 2023

Our tour guide John was excellent - wry sense of humour was great entertainment on a long drive and he had a great depth of cultural and local knowledge and we enjoyed learning Māori words. He had a genuine respect for Māori culture and history which we really appreciated. The caves are fantastic and the drive is very scenic.

All wonderful!

Sigrid_S, Nov 2025

Wonderful tour with Simon! Thanks to Mr. T and the guide at Waitomo for the introduction to Maori culture. Through our visit, we could make a small contribution to the fight for equality. Especially the art school impressed me a lot. Thanks to everyone, especially Simon for the safe ride and the lots of interesting information.

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Response from Host, Nov 2025

Kia ora, Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so pleased you enjoyed the tour and found the cultural insights at Waitomo and the Māori Arts & Crafts Institute meaningful. Simon will be glad to hear you appreciated his guidance and the safe, informative journey. We’d love to welcome you back for more adventures in the future. Until then, safe travels and thanks again for choosing Cheeky Kiwi! Ngā mihi, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 🚌🥝