Twilight Glowworm Kayak Tour – Lake Karapiro
Recommended by 99% of travelers
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Rotorua, New Zealand
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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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
- Food and Drink
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 362 Horahora Road, Piarere 3484, New Zealand
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Riverside Adventures Waikato
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- 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
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Zoe_Z
Never done a kayak before and the first time was both tiring and fun. The lake view was so beautiful and I saw many glowworns glowing like stars. In the night there was also silver river in the sky and kayaking under the silver river was unforgettable. Our guide was very interesting and knowledgeable, I learned a lot from this tour. I highly recommend this!
Reviews
4.9
based on 522 reviews
Elizabeth_S, Apr 2026
Magical river trip at night! Experienced guides, safety conscious, gorgeous paddle at dusk and in the dark. Glow worms + starry narrow canyon sky + light reflected on the water = an unforgettable experience.
Tania_P, Apr 2026
Easy paddle with spectacular views, great host with lots of local historical knowledge.
The best viewing of the glowworms!
Peta_S, Mar 2026
Our family loved this experience, seeing the glow worms was magical. Neil, our guide was great with stories of the past and really practical on his safety talks.
My only recommendation for improvement would be to drop the extra charge for the seat supports and just build it into the price of the adventure because everyone wants them!
Melanie_H, Mar 2026
We had a wonderful time. Would strongly recommend this tour. The ladies running the tour were exceptional!
KaiLi_C, Mar 2026
The tour itself was great. The location is easy to find, there is plenty of parking, and they provide everything you need (dry bags, splash pants, and a safe place to leave keys, wallets, etc.). The glow worms were incredible as well—being out on the water under the starlit sky with the glow worms above was an amazing experience.
Overall, the tour was fantastic. Unfortunately, as a solo traveler I was given a single kayak, and the particular one I received was much slower and harder to maneuver than the double kayaks and even the other single kayak. While others were able to glide easily through the water after a few paddles, my kayak had almost no glide and wouldn’t go straight without constant effort. I had to paddle constantly to stay anywhere close to the group. This made it basically impossible for me to take photos without holding everyone up significantly. It also made what I expected to be a leisurely tour feel like a lot of exertion.
The guide even commented that the kayak I had required more work than the others because it was so difficult to keep a straight path, which was very validating since it seemed like everyone was having a much easier time.
Again, the tour itself was an amazing experience and the glow worms were truly incredible. I would suggest going with a partner so you can use a double kayak, or speaking up if you notice you’ve been given a shorter, wider kayak that may require more effort to paddle.
Karen_H, Mar 2026
Well organised, informative, friendly operators. Fantastic experience...............................
Brad_K, Mar 2026
Kayaking in pure darkness with millions of sparkling glowworms on canyon walls is pure magic! This kayak experience is a 10/10. Thank you, Mackey for a great birthday 💜.
Hilary_M, Mar 2026
This tour is delightful from start to finish and I thoroughly recommend it to you. Its such a memorable trip, very carefully and safely run with all the gear you could possibly need supplied so we were all warm and comfortable throughout our time on the water. Even the delicious snacks (at the half way stage of the trip)are carefully considered and out of the ordinary! the journey back is indescribable and mustn't be explained for fear of spoiling the surprise!!! I thoroughly recommend this adventure to anyone who can lift a paddle!
Michael_P, Feb 2026
This was a mixed ability tour with some participants never having kayaked before which was a surprise when part of trip is of course in complete darkness. Nevertheless, we were all safe and we did experience the glow worms in the gorge as we traversed it.
Manuela_R, Feb 2026
I did it the second time. Forst with a friend and then with m. Son and both times it was amazing and i enjoed it so much.
Toby_L, Feb 2026
Excellent instructors. Felt safe throughout the experience. Guide helped us since we were lagging behind and we never once felt as a burden. Would recommend that they just furnish back supports to everyone without the extra charge.
Paul_F, Feb 2026
Wonderful night kayak. Very safe, good leaders. Remarkable glow worm canyon nite show. A very fine experience not to miss.
Ali_C, Feb 2026
Bring warmer clothing put on once the sun goes down.
We spent 3 weeks traveling from AU to NZ, doing various tours at different locations along the way. This tour was by far our favorite. The experience was well managed, the tour guide did a great job balancing information and activity and the glow worms were magical with the open star filled sky above.
Heidi_R, Feb 2026
It was awesome. Very unique experience. So beautiful and peaceful. Much better than seeing glow worms in a cave. Like being transformed to another magical world.
Cheyenne_M, Jan 2026
The staff was super friendly and helpful. They provide you with everything you need, shoes pants and coat. The kayak trip was not too long and very scenic. We got to see so many glow worms on the rocks at night fall. I loved this experience very much. Highly recommend!
Aria_N, Jan 2026
This was the highlight of our trip. The staff were absolutely fantastic, they could not have been more helpful or welcoming to everyone. We had a fabulous time and would go back in an instance if we could.
Debbie_E, Jan 2026
This was so much fun! Just amazing floating down the canyon at dusk. We had great weather and great time for all of us (2 adults and 2 teenagers).
Lis_N, Jan 2026
Such a fun evening experiencing the magic of the glow words and the history of the area we were in.
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff who made the trip memorable.
Stephen_W, Dec 2025
We enjoyed the whole experience and the glow worms were beautiful in the gorge. We were given waterproof trousers, tops, shoes, dry bags for phones and clothes and lots of insect repellent was freely available. There’s a toilet on site which I’d recommend using as we were out for over 3 hours. A lovely pit stop half way to learn about the area, share a snack and listen to the night sounds - perfect. Our only criticism is that there were far too many people on the tour. We couldn’t hear what the guide was saying on the water as so spread out and despite being told to ‘paddle up and ask me’ it was impossible. We were told to take the paddling easy but some people seemed to think it was a race and the guide even said they’d given him a challenge to keep up. It did slightly spoil the experience and we kayak fairly regularly but could spoil it for those focusing on keeping up.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks so much. We are glad you enjoyed the tour overall, and had a good time. We do understand it is very busy at this time of the year and large groups are more difficult to handle. I will remind the guides to ensure it's not a race and to make sure everyone can hear what is being said. Thanks for bringing this up.
Hanne_v, Nov 2025
Really great tour with beautiful scenery and a knowledgeable guide. Gave us all the kit necessary and discussed the wildlife we saw. The glow worms were absolutely beautiful
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour and the beautiful scenery. Our guides love sharing their knowledge It’s wonderful to hear the glow worms were a highlight for you. We’re delighted you had such a great time.
Melissa_M, Oct 2025
Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, so was it wet? Yes. Was it cold? Also yes. Was it atmospheric AF to drift in the river in the dark while the bioluminescent worms shine around you like a constellations of stars so close it feel you can touch them? Heck yeah. It was part planetarium, part Pandora in Avatar views in the dark with the blue lights of the glow worms twinkling around us. Even if it was cold and wet and hard to paddle in the wind (we really got unlucky with the weather there for a bit) how often can you say you’ve kayaked around black swans in a river over what used to be a giant hydropower damn? Do it. It’s pretty cool. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable and kept us safe and have clear instructions and gave plenty of facts of those nerdy-inclined.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
This is awesome! Thanks for taking the time to write a review! We are so stoked you still had a great time despite the weather! We definitely think it's still worth it and are so glad you agree!
Caroline_B, Jul 2025
This was a magical trip! The kayak up river was fun and beautiful but the trip back down in the dark to see the glow worms was truly magical! So peaceful and amazing! Also, our guide was so helpful with my son, who is vision impaired, making sure he was safe and comfortable as well as close up viewing of the glow worms. I really appreciated it!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks for joining us. We are so happy you both had a great time on the tour.
Moeava_T, Jun 2025
To see the glowworms, I tried the Waitomo tour, with the caves. I much preferred seeing them through this kayak tour. We go up the river before nightfall, on the way, we meet wild geese and the guide tells us a little about the history of the Waikato River. We cross a breathtaking canyon then we stop for a snack accompanied by a hot drink, before leaving again when night falls. There, we let ourselves glide with the current, crossing the canyon again, in complete darkness, little by little the glowworms appear, a magnificent spectacle.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
This is awesome! We are stoked you loved the tour! Thanks for coming along.
Zoe_Z, Jun 2025
Never done a kayak before and the first time was both tiring and fun. The lake view was so beautiful and I saw many glowworns glowing like stars. In the night there was also silver river in the sky and kayaking under the silver river was unforgettable. Our guide was very interesting and knowledgeable, I learned a lot from this tour. I highly recommend this!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Awesome! So pleased you enjoyed your first kayaking experience.
Dusti_B, May 2025
This was an experience of a lifetime and we’ll treasure it always. Jess was an incredible guide and knew every bird by sight and sound, every tree and so much information about the glow worms and the area. She even pointed out constellations on the beautiful, starry night and we could see the Milky Way. Riverside Adventures could have canceled on us because we ended up just having us two on this particular random late fall day tour, but they didn’t and we are so grateful!
Response from Host, May 2025
Thanks so much. Glad you were still able to come along and enjoy the tour.
Michelle_W, Mar 2025
The evening kayaking trip was unique and just as promised in the photos! The company provided everything needed for a comfortable experience.
Steve_H, Mar 2025
The scenery was fantastic and we loved coming back in the dark, as there were more glow worms than anticipated. It was a clear night and stars were great. The guides were very knowledgeable, fun and friendly.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Glad we managed to exceed your expectations. :) Thanks for coming.
Natalie_D, Feb 2025
Amazing experience kayaking down the water in the dark! I loved it! Guides were super informative and helpful. And the views were stunning.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Awesome to hear. Thanks for your review.
Annette_A, Feb 2025
No kayak experience required. Guides were excellent instructors and knowledgeable about the area and glow worms. We saw so many glow worms! Was amazing!
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for coming along. Glad you enjoyed the tour. :)
Karen_H, Feb 2025
Very professional as everything was well organised and instructions were well explained so we understood everything at all times and crew were constantly checking we were ok. The tour was interesting and informative and the glow worm viewing was spectacular.
Response from Host, Feb 2025
Thanks very much. Glad you had a great time.
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Twilight Glowworm Kayak Tour – Lake Karapiro
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