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Outdoor Activities

Ruakuri Cave Guided Tour

Ruakuri Cave limestone formations and guided tour path, Waitomo, New Zealand.
Ruakuri Cave limestone formations and guided tour path, Waitomo, New Zealand.
Ruakuri Cave stalactites and stalagmites on guided tour in Waitomo, New Zealand.
Ruakuri Cave stalactites and stalagmites on guided tour in Waitomo, New Zealand.

Marvel at the captivating beauty of the magical Ruakari Cave with a remarkable spiral entrance and home to thousands of glowworms on this mystical guided tour!

Highlights

  • Stroll through the solar-powered Ruakuri Cave, a natural wonder adorned with glowworms.

  • Venture down the dramatic spiral entrance and witness tiny creatures that make the cave sparkle like a night sky up close.

  • Join the longest underground walking tour in Waitiomo Caves and learn about the myths and legends of the cave from the local guide.

  • With photography allowed, you’ll be able to capture your memories of this remarkable underground world.

  • Did you know? Ruakuri Cave is one of the few wheelchair and pushchair-accessible caves in the world!

Inclusions

  • 1.5-hour guided tour of Ruakuri Cave

  • English-speaking guide of Maori descent

  • Small group of up to 14 people

  • Wheelchair accessible

  • Photography allowed

  • Entry to Ruakuri Cave

Cancellation policy

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

Reviews

4.5
192 ratings
5/5
134
4/5
38
3/5
6
2/5
4
1/5
10
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Guests from Australia, United States, United Kingdom and over 26 countries have loved this experience
Jarrett Cantrekk

Jarrett

5/5

Dec, 2024

Our guide was great - I'd suggest improving the marketing as it was not clear that you had a good glow worm experience, which we had. The implication from web searches is that your tour is cave focused and the other cave is glow worms focused. I have done both and Ruakuri is much better.
Cameron Mayhew

Cameron

5/5

Nov, 2024

All went smoothly , Xavier was very informative. And an excellent guide thru the caves. The tour is very well set up for anyone to acccess.
Gordon Smith

Gordon

3/5

Nov, 2024

The tour and all staff were great. However we a an 18 month old child on our tour that yelled screamed for the entire tour. We were unable to hear the guides commentary a lot of the time and noise was extra loud in cave. Spoilt our entire experince
Lee Graham Howard Soal

Lee

4/5

Oct, 2024

I really enjoyed the Raukuiri tour the most, but I do have to say it was very expensive, maybe offer a discount if people book more than 1 tour. Or better yet a discount to those who live in NZ as we were paying tourist prices to see our own Toanga
Anja Nordell

Anja

4/5

Oct, 2024

I booked the wrong date and the service personal were friendly and accomodated us anyway.Guide was nice and knowledgeable..Group size was ok mit 14.

A dreamy escape to Ruakuri Cave

On this magical adventure, you will discover the spectacular Ruakuri Cave, powered by 100% renewable energy. What’s more, this dreamy experience is open for all with full wheelchair and pushchair access. You will walk down the illuminated spiral entrance to discover unique limestone formations formed over the years and enchanting crystal tapestries. Be sure to have your comfortable walking shoes on since the Ruakuri Cave is New Zealand's longest-guided underground walking tour!

Walk among the stars of the cave

The most ethereal part of the tour is when you come across the magnificent glowworms in a spectacular display. You’ll learn about these beautiful bio-luminescent creatures and the fascinating history of the cave from your tour guide. You can take your cameras out and capture the magical moment with thousands of glowworms decorating the cave like a starry night. Also, hear the thunder and burbles of distant subterranean waterfalls as you explore the underground natural wonder.

What to bring

  • When you visit, make sure you've got a credit card or your phone set up for contactless payments (like Apple Pay or Google Pay).

Accessibility

  • This experience is wheelchair accessible and has pram/stroller accessibility.

  • Wheelchair/stroller width must not exceed 65cm.

Additional information

  • Photography and video are permitted in selected areas of the cave.

  • It's recommended to wear a warm jacket along with comfortable shoes as this experience involves a fair amount of walking.

  • Your voucher will be emailed to you shortly.

  • Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

  • Please arrive at the meeting point 30 minutes before the scheduled time of your visit to avoid any delays.

Meeting Point

  • Meet your guide at Ruakuri Visitor Centre

  • Address: 204, Tumutumu Road, Waitomo Caves 3985, New Zealand

Get Directions to the Meeting Point

Getting There

By Car

  • Take route 'New Zealand State Highway 37' and drive on Waitomo caves road.

By Bus

  • The closest bus stop is Waitomo Glowworm Caves and it is 2.8 km from the destination.

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