Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour
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Te Anau, New Zealand
- 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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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 tour, which starts 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
- Warm up with complimentary tea and coffee
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
- RealNZ | Te Anau Glowworm Caves85 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau 9679, New Zealand
Please arrive at the RealNZ Visitor Centre, 85 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau at least 20 minutes before your scheduled departure.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
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 to an interesting talk about the life cycle of the glow worm 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 glow worm grotto to marvel at the mysterious sight of thousands of tiny glow worms. Learn what feats of nature create the incandescence in the silent darkness.
Afterward, you’re returned by boat across the lake to Te Anau.
Upon arrival at the Cavern House, listen to an interesting talk about the life cycle of the glow worm 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 glow worm grotto to marvel at the mysterious sight of thousands of tiny glow worms. Learn what feats of nature create the incandescence in the silent darkness.
Afterward, you’re returned by boat across the lake to Te Anau.
1
Te Anau Glowworm Caves
2 hours 15 minutes • Admission 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
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Abhijeet_V
We visited as a group of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) and all loved it. The glowworm experience in the caves is magical and the educational video afterward about the glowworm lifecycle was fascinating. The ferry ride also has great views. The guide was entertaining. Highly recommended.
Reviews
4.5
based on 1,108 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Lauren_B, Jul 2026
Great morning out with the family - boat across the lake then a tour through the caves. The tour guides were very knowledgeable. The kids loved the hot chocolate at the end.
C_A, Jun 2026
Fewer glow worms in the winter months, so that was a bit underwhelming. But the boat ride and walking through the caves was cool.
bcripps1, May 2026
Very popular trip. Lovely ride across the lake to the caves. Very well organised with knowledgeable guides giving a full presentation prior to entering the caves themselves. Magical boat ride around the caves in silence so you can really appreciate what you're experiencing. A 'must do' trip. Don't miss it
Kapil_M, May 2026
Very well organized activity. Beautifully presented to get maximum effect. Going onto these beautiful caves with a stream running through it and seeing these millions of glow worms was other-worldly.
Philip_A, May 2026
We have been to many many cavesv worldwide, but have never experienced glow worms before. An excellent tour with small groups, not very commercial at all. Highly recommended.
Jeanne_R, May 2026
Broken up into groups of 12 for the boat ride- and the time actually seeing the glow worms was only about 15 mins
Megan_J, May 2026
So much fun. Informative, enjoyable day for our whole family. Boat ride over had great commentary and caves were equally as interesting in terms of commentary and observing the glow worms. Highly recommend.
Delyth_W, May 2026
Well worth it, better than I could have imagined! The numbers in the cave are limited to about 11 so it’s comfortable and safe. Magical boat ride under a galaxy of glow worms. We did this in silence.
Rashi_V, Apr 2026
It is a must do. Very unique and wonderful.
you may want to go without toddlers and kids as it can get really dark and kids get scared.
maro_K, Apr 2026
Great experience felt a little rushed in the cave but all in all fascinating to see the glow worms and the cave and all the gushing water from the melting glacier
azucco13, Apr 2026
Such a cool experience and well worth it. Informative, drove over 2 hours each way to attend and it was well worth it
Susan_V, Apr 2026
Well run and a very unique experience. We saw a ton of glow worms. They looked like constellations spread out on the cave walls and ceiling. Well worth the money and time.
Heather_F, Apr 2026
Very well organised trip. Friendly guides, easy trip across the lake. Well set up facilities with hot drinks and information about the glow worms. Caves were spectacular and the boat trip through silent dark caves with glow worms magical. Underground waterfall was stunning!
Damon_A, Apr 2026
I thought the Glow Worm experience was great. Our guide was really knowledgable and gave a great overview of the tunnel system
Kate_P, Apr 2026
A lovely cruise over the lake following by an informative tour of the unique isolated caves and a pitch black boat ride viewing the glow worms on the ceiling. Totally unique experience, well worth going to
Alison_C, Apr 2026
Wear a warm jacket, it gets a bit chilly. The staff were really informative and the tour in the cave was really good.
Elaine_B, Apr 2026
Highly recommend this tour. It was very a very enjoyable experience. Loved going on a boat through the cave and being in total darkness and total silence. All there was to see were the glow worms (note: this is only part of the tour)
Tania_K, Apr 2026
Absolutely amazing tour informative staff
Really enjoyed the boat ride over
There were an abundance of glow worms to see
Suzanne_B, Apr 2026
This is an amazing experience, highly recommend
Went on last trip of the day, probably the best time to go
Monica_S, Mar 2026
The cave is so cool and the guides knew a lot about the wildlife and geology. Very interesting to learn about and cool to see.
Bree_B, Mar 2026
It’s was a wonderful experience. My partner and I, didn’t know what to expect but even with small patches of glowworm clusters, it was breathtaking. The silent boat ride allowed you to really take in the scenery!
Kimberly_T, Mar 2026
I was not expecting the glow of the worms to be like fiber optics but it is what it is. Cave was quite nice as well as the dark boat ride.
Ali_A, Mar 2026
A beautiful and informative session looking at glow worms. An excellent activity for all the family to participate in.
Steve_S, Mar 2026
Well organised and very attentive to all participants. We had a lovely day with a smooth crossing and the Captain and mate controlled everything well. Once at the cave the instructions were clear and concise and what to expect was well explained.
Everyone on the tour had an excellent time and it really looked like the staff enjoyed the experience as well.
Julie_B, Mar 2026
Nice boat ride over but seemed to spend more time in a side room waiting for other groups to go before us which cut down the time we had in the caves which seemed minimal. Guide was very knowledgeable but not the experience we expected for the cost. No photos allowed so cannot post any on thus review. Pictures on website don't really reflect experience
Sally_Y, Mar 2026
This was a very interesting tour into the glow worm caves. Be prepared to be in the dark and be able to handle tight spaces. Once you get through the tunnel it is well worth seeing these little creatures.
Grace_C, Mar 2026
Impressive and unprecedented. The tour guide's clarity and enthusiasm were truly exceptional. I recommend everyone to take part in this tour.
Hoa_N, Mar 2026
Excellent tour and very well organized! First time visiting a glowworm cave and our whole family was pleased with the tour! Te Anau is very charming little town! We took a RT bus via Tracknet from Queenstown.
Martyn_G, Mar 2026
Great few hours on this trip from the boat ride to the guided cave tour all first class. Tight squeeze in some places and one very dark walk added to the experience.
Doug_J, Mar 2026
Very nice, streak, and fun adventure. Well worth it. We were lucky to have moderate weather. Though I could se it might not be nearly as enjoyable in stormy weather.
From $77.12
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour
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