Glow Worm Kayak Tour
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rotorua, New Zealand
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the night on a kayaking tour into hidden glow worm caves on a lake near Rotorua. Feel safe and secure paddling a kayak with a guide leading the way. Marvel at the constellations of glowing bugs lighting up the rock formations, and the starry skies outside if the weather’s clear.
- Round-trip transfers from central Rotorua are included
- All necessary equipment will be provided, plus a safety briefing
- A fun alternative nightlife activity near Rotorua
- Fun for solo travelers, couples, or friends as you’ll be joining a group
What's Included
- Pick-up & drop-off transfers from Rotorua Information Centre included: 1167 Fenton Street, Rotorua
- All equipment provided, no experience required, perfect for all ages (5+ yrs)
- Incredible Glow Worms experienced by kayak
- A Sunset/Dusk/Night Adventure with Star Gazing (if clear skies)
- Small group tours with exclusive lake access (1 guide per 8 kayakers)
- Experience our Taiao Adventures values, connection, contribution, thoughtfulness to the environment
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup point
- 1167 Fenton Street, Rotorua 3010, New Zealand
Rotorua Information Centre (iSite)
Pickup details
We recommend that you arrive at least 10 mins prior to the meeting time at the Rotorua Information Centre. Once you meet your guide, you can forget about time altogether!
What To Expect
1
Rotorua
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Most travelers can participate
- Children must be accompanied by an adult - A minimum supervision ratio of one (1) adult to one (1) child under the age of 16 is required at all times.
- What to bring:
- For kayaking in summer (November - February) we recommend wearing light-weight clothing. Shorts/pants/leggings for your bottom half and at least two layers for your top half. Water friendly shoes are recommended, but are provided free of charge if needed.
- For Kayaking outside of summer (March - October) please wear warm clothing (thermal if possible). Pants/leggings for your bottom half and a minimum of three layers for your top half (which are preferably thermal, fleece, or wool). Please also bring a warm hat and gloves. During our coolest months you will be provided a wetsuit to wear over your clothes. Water friendly shoes are recommended, but are provided free of charge if needed.
- You are welcome to bring a towel and change of clothes for after your experience (it is not often someone gets wet enough to require these items)
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 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
MichaelJames_F
Fantastic night kayak trip to see the glow worms. The guides were knowledgeable, brought a strong professionalism with the right amount of personality and local knowledge.
This is a fantastic experience and achievable for anyone. Couldn’t recommend them more
Reviews
4.8
based on 394 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Patrick_W, Aug 2026
Amazing! A great night all around. Fantastic worms, stars, and beautiful night on the water A must in NZ
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Stoked to hear it Patrick! Thanks for coming, sounds like you experienced one of our magic winter nights with maximum stars. Kudos for braving the cold, you reaped the rewards!
Jacqueline_E, Jul 2026
Amazing experience- glow worms in nature, knowledgeable guides in their own backyards! Easy kayak and such a beautiful place on the water to watch the stars at night. Highly recommended!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Stunning! So pleased to hear you loved your adventure with us. We sure do love our backyard and sharing it with you so thank you so much for coming to check it out. Hopefully see you again but if not, have the best time exploring more of NZ!
Annalise_C, Jul 2026
Absolutely Beautiful! My partner and I went and it was just us. It was a beautiful "Private tour" with an absolutely amazing down to earth tour guide. It rained a little but turned out to be a clear night seeing 2 different lights the stars and the glow worms. Could not recommend this tour enough. So beautiful!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thanks Annalise, you're a gem. What an honour to host such wonderful people, our guides said you and your partner were a joy to chat to. Thanks for coming paddling with us and creating a memory for us. Hopefully we did the same!
Belinda_J, Jun 2026
This was an amazing experience I very enjoyed it I went in the winter so it was a smaller group which I personally prefer
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hey Belinda, yeah winter time is stunning. Quieter all round and whilst it is cold, it can be absolutely idyllic out there. Thanks so much for spending the evening with us!
Lois_W, Jun 2026
One of the top visitor adventures I’ve ever been on!! Expert-level guides whose narration and friendly banter made it a fun, safe and incredibly memorable experience. Definitely recommend for all levels of experience, even for those with reduced mobility. Guides Ellen and Forrest shared so much local knowledge, cultural insights and ecological details - educational and entertaining too. Thanks for a tremendous evening on the water! 🙏🏽✨
Response from Host, Jun 2026
What an accolade to be awarded! Thank you so much Lois. An absolute treat to host you, the team were raving about the evening they had. Thank YOU for coming, we love that you created a memory with us. All the best!
Eliza_H, Apr 2026
Seeing the glow worm caves was the top of our list for our weekend in Rotorua and this tour did not disappoint! There were 2 families with children aged 10 to 23 and everyone loved this experience. Our guide, Kesha, was knowledgable and engaging. The kayaks were easy to maneuver, with the guide pulling us into the caves. The night sky was perfect so we could easily see the Milky Way and the Southern Cross. Each cave was more spectacular that the one prior. We worried about being cold because it was the fall but wetsuits, booties, and jackets were available to all participants. We all highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, May 2026
Eliza, we couldn't be more stoked to read your review! Thanks so much for taking the time to give us some feedback. Sounds like you got a gem of an evening, hard to beat it out there on a starry night. Until next time :)
Thomas_L, Apr 2026
The staff were very kind, and we got to see so many glow worms. The night sky was also full of stars, which made it such a wonderful experience. The cocoa was delicious too.
Response from Host, May 2026
Ahhh those starry nights... doesn't get much better hey! Lucky you! Thanks heaps for coming paddling with us, have a wicked time in NZ.
sally_h, Apr 2026
My daughter and her husband had an amazing experience. The guide was fantastic. They loved seeing the various locations for the glow worms.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thanks Sally! We love our guides and they love what they do, so pleased to hear you loved the experience with them. Thanks so much for coming!
Yoyo_Y, Apr 2026
7years old kid first kayak, very kids friendly. We loved the adventure. Easy to handle, even with little kids.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Great to hear! Thanks for choosing us to be their first kayak adventure, we think so too! It is such a great place for anyone trying kayaking for the first time and kids always ask awesome questions! Thanks so much for choosing to spend an evening with us.
Leona_M, Apr 2026
This was an incredible experience. Lake Ōkāreka was so peaceful which made the kayak to the caves to see the glow worms very relaxed and enjoyable. Ellen was a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks for coming out with! Sounds like you had a stellar night with Ellen - we'll be sure to pass along the kind words :)
Christina_C, Apr 2026
It was a process to get to the water but once we did it was lovely. Full moon an added bonus. Lake was peaceful & scenic! Glow worms were incredible. A long night but worth it!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much for the five star review - Full moon nights are epic! We aim to make your evening on the water as comfortable as possible by providing optional gear, but sometimes you just want to get on the water already! :)
Erika_W, Mar 2026
Great knowledge, well organised, loved how we got the wet weather equipment, beautiful caves, cute glowworms,
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Erika! We're glad you enjoyed coming out with us to visit the glowworms. We aim to be prepared for anything so that you can sit back and paddle without any worries and take in the magic of the glowworm caves.
Eryn_Y, Mar 2026
What an amazing experience. Definitely a must. We loved that it was a small group at a slow pace so you could just enjoy the paddle. We got beautiful conditions with a glass lake and bright stars. The milky way even made an appearance. The guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. The caves were stunning and the worms put on a show we will never forget. We are so happy with this tour and will talk about for years to come.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Wow Eryn, what a great night! Seeing the glowworms is always magical, but perfect conditions definitely elevate the experience when the stars are out. Thanks for the stellar review - we're honored to hold a place in your travel memories :)
willow_d, Mar 2026
This was a really fun and interesting activity! It is a very easy paddle across round the lake. They bring you in a bus to their base where you have the option to put on water resistant gear (recommend) then get back on the bus to the lake. We gather around and they give us some kayaking and head lamp instructions. All of this is done in a kind and patient manner.
Then you get in the kayaks and paddle to the first cave. There are 3 caves and a short tunnel. In one of the caves our guide Sam, told us all about the glow worms. It was very informative and interesting.
It was really a lovely peaceful experience!
I loved kayaking at night, I had never done that before!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
What a great night! That water gear is a strong recommendation for sure since you never know if/when the weather may turn. Plus, being a water activity, there's always a chance of getting wet! Sam's superb knowledge of glowworms really adds to the experience and we all love pairing our love of glowworms with a beautiful night on the water that is sure to be memorable!
Sidharth_J, Mar 2026
Amazing experience! There was this beautiful gal basically from Scotland; Ellie, handling our group and she was amazing! It was my first time kayaking but she made everything look so simple and explained everything about the Glowworms in great detail. So yes, she was quite smart too. Even gave us a chocolate and hot chocolate in the end. Absolutely amazing experience!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Yay Ellie! She's quite the Scot and we're thrilled she's landed with us for two seasons now. Now that you've gone out kayaking at night, the next time you go out should be a piece of cake by comparison! It's brave to go out on the lake at night, especially for your first time, so thanks for sharing the experience with us :)
Patricia_J, Mar 2026
This was a core memory during our New Zealand trip! Not only were the glow worms magical, but the view of the stars and milky way over the lake is a sight that I will never forget! Our guide Jacob made our group feel safe, and was very knowledgeable about the glow worms and surrounding areas. I would recommend to anyone staying in Rotorua! Kayaking at night is definitely something you'll be telling all your friends / family about when you get back home.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
It's not often you get the chance to go out on the water at night, let alone while illuminated by both the expansive galaxy and glowworms! Jacob's an incredible guide with a palpable passion for kayaking and the glowworms that call Aotearoa home. Thanks for sharing your evening with us :)
Crystal_H, Mar 2026
A spectacular evening with professional guides to ensure the best tour of the caves, to view the glow worms!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Crystal! We love a unique kayaking experience and it never gets old sharing our love of glowworms!
Morgan_L, Mar 2026
This was good - travelling solo so I was partnered with someone I didn't know - luckily he was a very experienced kayaker and it was still a good time. The guides made me feel safe, nothing was rushed, and a lot of good info was shared. Would recommend this tour. We were lucky enough to have a very clear night and got to see loads of stars :)
Response from Host, Mar 2026
What a great night Morgan! We love a starry night sky to show off the beauty of the lake and it's always a bonus if you're traveling solo and get paired up with an experienced kayaker so you can sit back and enjoy the ride!
Donna_C, Feb 2026
Fun night kayaking in the dark seeing spectacular Glow Worms! Very easy kayaking so don’t let that prevent you from enjoying this fun adventure.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for coming out with us Donna! We're always thrilled to take out travelers of all abilities and experience levels for an evening with the glowworms :)
Trisha_H, Feb 2026
Wear the water pants they offer you- they keep you dry. This was the coolest experience! Well worth it.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks so much for sharing your tips Trisha! The splash pants are definitely a must since you never know how passionate the other paddler in your kayak may be and the caves can be a bit drippy sometimes so it's nice to be covered. And it's always a plus to come back with dry clothes if you can help it :)
Tn_S, Feb 2026
What an experience! Late night on the lake under a million stars, then the experience of seeing the glow worms in 3 different locations,
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for the five star review! We know our tour nights can be late during the summer, so we appreciate you staying up to witness the magic of the glowworm caves after dark!
Jamie_B, Feb 2026
This experience is a must do, great excerise and convosation along with fun facts about glow worms.
The tour ran super smoothly, the Atmosphere of the lake and the mini glow worm caves was just remarkable.
Also if your into star gazing, with any luck and clear skies you will see the best night sky for stars.
Would recommend even if you go solo
10/10
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks so much for coming out with us! We definitely encourage solo travelers come out with us - you may make a new friend and create some memories while paddling under the stars if you're lucky to glimpse the Milky Way during your tour :)
jerry_n, Feb 2026
I wish this wasn’t required. I wouldn’t leave a review but I would like the photos resent. This is annoying.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Hey Jerry, sorry to hear that was miscommunicated, we definitely don't make leaving a review a requirement. Please flick us an email and we can get those shots to you asap!
Timothy_A, Feb 2026
Great adventure, great star gazing , helpful upbeat staff, great job getting us to the lake and into the caves
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for the five star review! We love our staff almost as much as they love glowworms!
Jon_P, Feb 2026
Excellent guides, frendly and helpfull. A good paddle on the lake, fantastic Glow Worms and caves. Recomend.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks for the five star review and safe travels onward!
Keith_W, Feb 2026
Lovely experience as well as unusual. I have been kayaking many times but never in the dark. The guides were great and the organisation very professional. Plus you get to see glow worms 😁
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Keith! It's often the first time kayaking at night for the majority of our travelers and sometimes even their first time kayaking, so you're ahead of most! Enjoy the rest of your travels :)
Kim_F, Feb 2026
This was amazing. Kayaking the lake at night under the stars was wonderful. Going into the caves and seeing so many glow worms raised the experience even higher. The guides were excellent and very supportive of novice kayakers.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Kim! Our guides love sharing their experience and expertise with guest of all kayaking levels to make the visit to the caves as stress free and enjoyable as possible :)
Heather_E, Feb 2026
We had an amazing time! Ellie was a great guide and just being out on the lake and stargazing was wonderful, but the glow worms were really interesting and beautiful.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thanks Heather! We'll be sure to pass along the king words to Ellie :)
Anita_Z, Jan 2026
Very interesting trip. Great experience. Perfect option in Rotorua. Highly recommended. Enjoyable, fun and very relaxing.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks for coming on tour with us Anita!
AnneMarie_L, Jan 2026
We were able to enter 4 glow worm caves, each one of different character. All of the staff, from the bus drivers to the guides, were very friendly and informative. It was a great adventure and we highly recommend.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thanks so much for the 5 star review! We love our crew and love to hear that your adventure with them was a recommendable one :)
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