Rotorua to Auckland Afternoon Transfer with Waitomo Glow Worms
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Rotorua, New Zealand
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Make the most of your trip from Rotorua to Auckland with a tour of Waitomo Glowworm Caves, a network of flooded caverns lit by bioluminescent glowworms. Travel by comfortable minibus from your Rotorua hotel to your centrally located Auckland hotel, pausing in Waitomo for a boat tour of the caves. This transfer includes all transport and entrance fees, and numbers are limited, for a more personal small-group experience.
- View the myriad of glow worm lights that make up the Glowworm Grotto
- Admire views of the rural New Zealand landscape without driving yourself
- Make the most of a travel day by doing some sightseeing en route
- Hotel pickup and drop-off mean you won't need to catch taxis
What's Included
- Hotel pickup from central locations - drop off free to central Auckland hotels - sh
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pickup at all central Rotorua locations free of charge and for a small shuttle fee if you are not at central accomodation Guaranteed departure - We do not cancel on the rare occasions we have low numbers. We will travel for one person
Operating hours.12:00 pm
What To Expect
1
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Infant seats are available - all infants will be supplied own seat and child restraint
- Service animals allowed
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- Please note that because of the amount of travel time this tour is not suitable for children under 2 years, as part of the group - It can be booked as a private group tour - please ask TripAdvisor/Viator to contact us for the custom price
- 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
Featured review
Marie_H
We were the only passengers so we pretty much had a private transfer with a stop at the caves! Our driver was excellent and helpful, the caves were awesome too. Had we had more time I’d prefer to do different caves but it was still worth it!
Reviews
4.3
based on 22 reviews
green, Dec 2025
The only interesting part of this entire 7 hours trip was seeing glowing worms in the cave for about 15 minutes. Along the way, the driver only played driver’s role. It was a boring and time/money wasting event.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
This review is so out of tune with all the other reviews, which praise our guides and the tour that I struggle to understand why you found it boring.
I would love to know your date of travel so I can find out who was not doing their job to look after you. If you want you can email us with more details
Kevin_S, Nov 2025
Great driver, glowworm caves are a fun, unique experience. Beautiful rolling hills most of the trip.
Marie_H, Sep 2025
We were the only passengers so we pretty much had a private transfer with a stop at the caves! Our driver was excellent and helpful, the caves were awesome too. Had we had more time I’d prefer to do different caves but it was still worth it!
Ana_B, Mar 2025
beautiful, fun and magical. there are stairs and it is a short time. I recommend it and have done it twice.
Linda_M, Mar 2025
Great way to get to Auckland from Rotorua. Loved the glow worm caves. Many winding roads so take your motion sickness meds if you tend to get car sick.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review!
We're so glad you found our transfer service a great way to travel between Rotorua and Auckland. The glow worm caves really are something special.
Appreciate the motion sickness tip - very helpful for other travelers on those winding roads!
Hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in New Zealand!
Ashley_R, Feb 2025
The pick up and transfer from Rotorua was great. Chris was our driver and is knowledgeable and interesting. Kept us all on time and made a long trip very easy and fun. Waitomo Glow Worms were a little underwhelming, but still very cool and enjoyed the cave and history.
Mary_S, Feb 2025
The guide was a wonderful young man who was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Looking at the glow worms in the cave was like being out on an especially clear night and seeing the stars.
Heidi_C, Jan 2025
This was a transfer to Auckland, a planned stop midway at the cave with glowworms. Worked out very well. Both timewise and interesting, as a break on a 3hr drive.
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Thanks for your review! Happy to hear our Rotorua to Auckland transfer worked so well for you.
Adding the glowworm caves to the journey turns a simple drive into something special. It's the perfect way to make your travel time between cities more memorable.
Glad we could be part of your New Zealand experience!
Paul_P, Dec 2024
Driver was excellent - “Bunty” if I recall correctly. Very kind and knowledgeable with some fun stops along the way. The glow worm cave experience was just OK. It is not as exciting or interesting as I would have thought. It is a great way to transfer from Rotorua to Auckland, however, I would not venture to the caves on their own just for that.
Filipa_A, Nov 2024
Our driver and Tour guide, Pete, was incredible. Told us so many stories and important facts about New Zealand and its history, made the drive feel very comfortable and safe, and most importantly, made it fun for everyone! He even included a quick stop at a bridge that overlooked the dam, and it was amazing to see! The only downside of this drive was the Waitomo Glow-worm Caves tour, which was NOT done by Pete. This tour in specific is in my opinion not worth your time or money. Very short, with little to no explanation about the glow worms or the cave, and you’re not even allowed to take photos - simply because they want you to buy their own. You’re asked to be quiet most of the time and you’re in complete darkness. I believe there are better caves to see. It was a big money grab by this specific company that owns this cave, and very sad to see. But other than that, the trip was great and very very worth it.
Tomoko_B, Nov 2024
It was a very mysterious tour. I wish I could stay longer. Drivers were punctual and very nice…………..
Dennis_E, Oct 2024
So convenient! Great drivers and amazing tour of glowworm cave.
Footing is safe, but quite a few stairs, with good hand rails, for mobility challenged individuals.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for your review
We think this is a great way to do a 4-hour journey with hours stop with a great attraction in the middle. Rotorua and Auckland are almost equidistant from Waitomo Caves, and it makes sense to use a tour to transit between the 2 locations.
I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in NZ as well
Shirani_R, Jun 2024
Excellent transport. First driver was new to company but was competent and personable. At the caves, it was a simple handover where I joined a group coming from Auckland and met other solo travellers. The cave tour itself is quite short but still enjoyable. From there, we didn't have much of a break and had the long drive to Auckland. The driver was a fantastic driver and entertainer, though at times I could've done with a little more quiet time. He made sure we were all dropped off where we needed to go.
Response from Host, May 2025
I am glad you enjoyed the day. - Different people want different amounts of quiet time, so my drivers try to judge it to keep people happy
Thank-you for the 5 stars
Stephanie_A, Mar 2024
What a great way to get around the North Island. The drivers, Dallas and Edson were friendly and provided a lot of insight and knowledge during the ride, and the Glow Worm Caves were phenomenal… no photos allowed, so we couldn’t share any. Stunning limestone caves and the experience of the glow worms was awe inspiring. FlexiTours NZ was great!
Alton_M, Mar 2024
Love the transfer options and the choices. This worked well… a little rushed drive to Auckland afterwards.
Wei_L, Mar 2024
Great opportunity to visit Waitomo Glow Worms cave while transferring to Auckland hotel， So much convenient！
Lori_P, Jan 2024
Our guide at the caves was excellent. It was amazing. Wish it was a longer tour. Our guide for transport made us feel a little rushed and drove fast. However he was very accommodating for drop off.
Gilberto_A, Nov 2023
We needed to get to Auckland from Rotorua for our flight back to the USA. The Glow Worm Cave Tour was a nice visit on our way north. We were distracted a bit by some rude loud guests inside the cave. Our bus driver, Edson (correct spelling?) was excellent. He made sure to make our ride as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. We were not interested in seeing Hobbiton as that would have made the trip north much longer. If you are not into LOTR, this is a good way to get to Auckland from Rotorua.
Karen_O, Nov 2023
I would have given this a 5 star except for the fact that the pick up and drop off were not ideal. The pick up was a van that took us to a van which was a bit inconvenient but not terrible. However the drop off was terrible. We were supposed to get back at 7:30 and I didn't get back until 8:15. We had a 15 minute comfort break and two women stayed in the rest stop for over 30 minutes until the driver finally went in to check on them. Since we were late in getting back, the driver was on the phone with his "office" looking for instructions. Getting back into Auckland we drove by my hotel at the Grand (it was 2 blocks away) and all the way to the Wharf where we got out of the van (with my luggage) and had to get into another van to go back into the central part of the city. I was the last one off the new van as he drove other people not from my original van into the central area. When I asked why the first driver didn't drop me off since we were basically at my hotel he said he was just following his "office's orders". Otherwise the transfer and trip to the glow worm cave was enjoyable.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Hi - We subcontract a shuttle company to assist so you are not running around the city while we do a lot of pickups but sometimes this goes wrong.
It is hard for a driver when maverick customers disappear into the toilets - I am sure he made it clear it was a comfort stop. We cannot leave people stranded - and it is up to all induvial on a tour to be considerate so timing works. As far as the order you were dropped off I am sorry if you were the last - and the one way streets and road works make it difficult to get to places which may seem close. The driver was probably choosing the route which had the least amount of doubling back
Erin_W, Mar 2020
This was basically a transfer from rotorua to Auckland with a stop off at the glow worm caves. The caves were beautiful though!
YuenMei_L, Jan 2018
The trip was great because there was a van to pick us up from my hotel in Rotorua and the driver was excellent as he introduced all the famous spots along the way. Besides, he brought us to the hotel in Auckland so we did not need to worry about how to be to the hotel.
From $194.46
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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