Duration
3.5 hours
Type
Guided Tour
Group Size
8 People Max
Difficulty
Moderate
About this Private Tour
Our private “Off the Beaten Track” glowworm experience is designed exclusively for your group—perfect for families, friends, or small teams wanting a more personal connection with Waitomo’s untouched cave systems.
With your own dedicated guide, you’ll move at your group’s pace as you explore caves in their most natural state. No crowds, no rush—just space to slow down, take in the surroundings, and enjoy the incredible glowworm displays in complete privacy.
This is raw nature at its best: no handrails, no artificial lighting, no paved walkways. You’ll scramble over boulders, climb small hills, and wade through shallow streams as you journey deeper into the caves. A moderate to good level of fitness will help you get the most out of this immersive adventure.
Tour Highlights
Rated #1 on Tripadvisor
We’re TripAdvisor’s #1 rated activity in Waitomo, with hundreds of 5-star reviews from travellers who call our glowworm caves the highlight of their trip to New Zealand.
Glowworms Off the Beaten Track
Forget the crowds and commercial tour buses. Our small-group cave tours (max 8 people) take you off the beaten path to where glowworms shine brighter in their natural surroundings — an intimate, unhurried experience that lets you truly connect with nature.
The Waitomo Cave Tour Nature Intended
Venture into private caves hidden in the hills of Waitomo — untouched, unspoiled, and alive with glowworms. This is caving as it was meant to be: immersive, awe-inspiring, and a little bit magical.
Small Cameras Welcome
You’re welcome to bring a small camera or phone to snap a few memories — something most glowworm tours don’t allow. Our small-group approach helps protect the glowworms’ delicate habitat, and our guides capture great shots of you beneath the glowworms too, which we’ll send after your tour.
Family Run Caving Adventure
You’ll be welcomed into our farmhouse for some proper Kiwi hospitality. Our family has lived in Waitomo for over 100 years. We grew up exploring the incredible glow worm caves and pristine native bush on our family farm, and now we love sharing our piece of
paradise with new friends.
How To Find Us
Down to Earth is located at 1199 Oparure Road, Waitomo District.
If you enter our official address (1199 Oparure Road, Waitomo District or Te Kuiti, depending on your GPS), it might take you past our entrance—about 500 meters too far!
We’re not sure why, but most GPS systems struggle to find us. So, trust our signs over your GPS when you get close!
Approximate Travel Times
We’re a small team, so we don’t offer pick-ups, but the Waitomo Information Centre can help with transport options.
- 25 min from Waitomo Caves Village
- 20 min from Te Kuiti
- 25 min from Otorohanga
- 1 hr from Hamilton
- 2 hr 40 min from Central Auckland
- 2 hr 30 min from Auckland Airport
- 2 hr from Taupo & Rotorua
Do this tour!
This tour was super intimate, 6 people total! Definitely off the beaten track which we absolutely loved. Every one was engaged and we got to wear the coolest caving gear EVER. We were able to take our time, ask questions and witness just one of natures MANY wonders!
- Ron S
Amazing experience.
Hands down one of the best vacation tours we've ever been on. Ash, our tour guide, was funny, kind and patient. Our daughter is hearing and visually impaired and he took the time we needed so that she could experience the caves with the rest of the family. They were amazing from booking through check-out.
- H Lebsack
Fun & funny
Highly welcoming, engaging, warm & funny before and after a great adventure....a great experience for those new to below ground adventures. You will certainly enjoy the adventure and Ash's supportive and warm sense of humor.
- Kevin D
An unforgettable experience!
Excellent, and highly recommended - Small group tour (maximum is 6-8) with Ash, an experienced guide who is very friendly and helpful. Seeing the underground cave system was both humbling and awe-inspiring; the glow-worms looked like constellations.
- Samuel
Just amazing!
Super friendly staff, small group and not crowded It was just an amazing experience and we would do it again. Thank you for a great day!
- selimsbai
Really magical!
We did the tour a couple of hours ago and are still buzzing - what an experience!
It was worth every penny. If you are thinking about doing a glowworm tour, do this one!
- iSimon U
Can’t recommend this excursion enough!
If you are thinking about booking this trip - DO IT! It was such a unique experience. Our tour guide Ash was so fun, really made the whole day so memorable. The glow worn caves are insanely beautiful inside and the fact that you actually get to hike/climb all inside the caves as opposed to a little boat ride makes it even more worth it.
- Y Drabin
Magical!!
We loved exploring the caves with a small group. We saw eels and lots of glowworms!! We learned so much!! Thank you!
- Deanna P
1000% Worth It!
This is a piece of culture that you will struggle to find elsewhere, it is untouched inside the caves and gives you the opportunity to explore and experience as the family did over the last 100+ years, I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has been looking for a unique and exciting experience.