Duration
3 - 5 hours
Type
Guided tour
Group Size
Up to 8 guests
Difficulty
Moderate
About This Tour
This is Waitomo after dark — when the forest quietens, the caves become even more atmospheric and the glowworms reveal themselves well beyond the cave walls.
Glowworms don’t just live in caves — after dark, they spill out into the surrounding forest, lighting up cliffs, banks and vegetation around our hidden cave entrances. It’s a side of Waitomo that few visitors get to see, and one that really comes alive when the forest falls quiet and the surrounding light disappears.
Your guide will talk through what you want from the experience — whether you’d like to focus on photography, adventure, or something else — and tailor the route, pace and time spent at different locations around you. With up to five hours available, there’s plenty of time to pause beneath the glowworms, explore different parts of the property and simply soak up the atmosphere without feeling rushed.
Thanks to the thousands of native trees we’ve planted, the areas around our cave entrances have become a thriving habitat — not just for glowworms, but for a range of native plants and wildlife that depend on this unique environment.
We provide all the specialist clothing and equipment you need to keep you safe and comfortable. All that’s left is to decide what kind of after-dark adventure you want.
Tour Highlights
Experience Waitomo After Dark
See the caves and forest transform as daylight fades, shadows deepen and the glowworms become more prominent. The changing light adds a completely different atmosphere to the experience and creates unique opportunities for photography.
Glowworms Beyond the Caves
After dark, glowworms can be seen around our hidden cave entrances, lighting up cliffs, banks and vegetation — a side of Waitomo that daytime visitors rarely get to experience.
Shape the Experience Around You
This is a fully private, tailored tour. Focus on photography, choose a more adventurous route, slow things down, or combine a little of everything.
Cameras Welcome
Phones and small pocket cameras are welcome. Larger cameras, tripods and other photography gear can also be brought on this tour, provided everything fits securely into a backpack so your hands remain free while moving between locations. If photography is your priority, your guide can allow more time for setting up, experimenting with long exposures and capturing the scene properly.
Up to Five Hours to Explore
With 3 to 5 hours available, there’s more time to pause, explore different locations and enjoy the atmosphere as night settles in.
A Thriving Night-Time Habitat
The thousands of native trees we’ve planted around our cave entrances are helping create a richer habitat for glowworms and other native species — giving you a glimpse of how the landscape is changing as it’s restored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the After-Dark Tour different from your daytime tours?
The Ultimate After-Dark Glowworm Cave Tour begins as daylight fades, giving you the chance to experience the caves and surrounding forest as the landscape changes into night.
Glowworms don’t just live inside the caves — after dark, they can also be seen around our hidden cave entrances, lighting up cliffs, banks and vegetation. The tour is completely private and can be shaped around photography, adventure, or a combination of both.
What time does the After-Dark Tour start?
Start times vary throughout the year because the experience is timed around sunset and changing light conditions. We’ll confirm the best start time for your booking based on the season.
Starting around dusk allows you to watch the landscape change as daylight fades before experiencing the caves and forest in full darkness.
How long is the tour?
Allow between 3 and 5 hours for the experience.
Because this is a private, tailored tour, the exact duration depends on what your group wants to focus on. Photography groups may spend longer setting up and capturing particular locations, while more adventurous groups may choose to explore more of the cave system.
How physically demanding is the tour?
The physical difficulty can vary depending on the route chosen for your group. You’ll still be exploring completely natural caves and terrain, which can include uneven ground, rocks, hills and shallow underground streams.
A moderate level of fitness, good mobility and reasonable balance are required. If you’re carrying photography equipment, it must be securely packed in a backpack while you move between locations.
Is it safe to explore the caves after dark?
Yes. The tour is led by an experienced guide and you’ll be provided with all the specialist clothing and equipment needed to keep you safe and comfortable, including a helmet and headlamp.
The caves themselves are naturally dark regardless of the time of day, so the main difference after sunset is the surrounding forest and cave entrances. Your guide will lead you throughout the experience and adjust the route to suit conditions and your group.
What is the best time of year to take the After-Dark Tour?
Glowworms are active year-round, so the After-Dark Tour can be enjoyed in every season.
The main difference is when darkness falls. Summer tours start later because of the longer daylight hours, while winter brings earlier sunsets and quieter visitor numbers around Waitomo. Your start time will be adjusted to make the most of the changing light and after-dark experience.
Do I need previous caving experience?
No. You don’t need any previous caving experience or technical skills.
There’s no abseiling, ziplining, swimming or specialist caving equipment involved. Your guide will show you where to step, help you through trickier sections and keep the experience moving at a steady, supportive pace.
You do need reasonable mobility, balance and confidence moving over uneven natural terrain.
Why is the minimum age 10?
The minimum age for our Private Waitomo Glowworm Cave Tour is 10. Guests need the confidence, mobility and ability to follow their guide’s instructions while navigating uneven ground, shallow water, rocks and tighter natural passages.
Because the tour is reserved exclusively for your group, your guide has more flexibility to adjust the pace and provide extra support for younger adventurers where needed.
What should I wear and what gear do you provide?
We provide all the specialist clothing and equipment you need to keep you safe and comfortable during the tour, including your helmet, headlamp, thermal leggings, fleece jacket, woollen socks and boots.
You’ll change before heading underground, so your own clothing and footwear can stay clean and dry. Your supplied boots will get wet along the way — that’s all part of the adventure.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel your Ultimate After-Dark Glowworm Cave Tour up to 48 hours before departure for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours and no-shows are non-refundable.
For full details, including third-party bookings and cancellations due to weather, see our Cancellation Policy.
Still have questions?
Visit our full FAQ page for more information about what to expect, what to bring, getting here and preparing for your tour.
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
Slip, Slide and Away through the Glow Worm caves at dusk!
This was a fun and unique experience. Getting all dressed up in their clothes and galoshes and then wading into the tunnels at night was such a treat. I would totally recommend this tour over anywhere you sit in a boat for 20 minutes. We spent 3+ hours in god's magnificent wonderland, full of glowworms and other critters!
- Michael W
Absolutely wonderful!
So much more than the typical Glowworm tour. Truly unique, fun, and memorable. Highly recommend for anyone fun and adventurous!
- Mike Skupien
Beat the crowds with this unforgettable experience
It was amazing to traverse through the cave system and experience something so untouched by humans. The glowworms were awesome, but the experience as a whole was exceptional The pictures don’t do it any justice and seeing the glowworms whilst sat in the dark is so surreal. 1000000% recommend.
- Kirsty B
A super organic experience
Exploring the caves with Down To Earth was just that -- a super organic experience without the tourists and the hype. We absolutely enjoyed every minute splashing through the caves with Ash and learning about the culture of the area -- and the glow worms! We appreciated that they provided everything we needed -- clothes, gear, boots -- to head underground.
- Valerie Ross
Real Caving + Glowworms
Wonderful caving experience with a small group of six. The guide, Ash, was very supportive, helpful, friendly and full of info. It is gorgeous country and the cave and glowworms were so cool. Ash took some great pics and emailed those which was wonderful because most of my glow worm pics did not come out in the dark.
- Milaura S
I cannot recommend this tour highly enough
We had the most amazing tour of the caves with Ash. The caves and the glow worms are magical, and Ash is such an informative and entertaining guide. His passion for the caves and the environment is infectious. It was such a privilege to experience it all.
- Pete
A brilliant and very memorable experience.
Ash was an excellent guide, and with only six people in the tour group there was plenty of time to chat, and help in the trickier bits of the cave if needed. Full kit is provided, so no worry about your own clothes. This is much more of a "caving" experience than we had expected - a bit of scrambling and gentle squeezing. But it all added up to a much more special adventure. And the glowworms are beautiful.
- SianOnTour
Very very fun!
Would do again. Small groups allow for a better tour with a better connection. Nice to sit around the table outside after the guide, having a chat to ash and the rest of your group. Very accommodating. Love your work Ash.
- Damien Pringle
Do not miss this!!
Easily the best thing we've done in New Zealand so far. This is a proper caving experience, so you need a decent level of fitness, strength and balance as you'll be walking through a river, scrabbling over boulders in the dark etc. but oh my goodness is it worth it.
- Heather H
Easily the best glowworm caves tour in New Zealand
Ash was an amazing guide, very informative, friendly and great fun! The location is stunning, easily one of the nicest spots we have ever been in. The trek through the caves was challenging at times but all worth it in the end for the prize of seeing the amazing glowworms! A truly authentic experience.