Private Tour: Rotorua and Waitomo Glowworm Caves Experience from Auckland
5.0
3 Ratings
Rotorua
Embark on a private luxury tour from Auckland to Rotorua and Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Customize your experience and explore New Zealand's cultural history and natural wonders.
Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Te Puia - Rotorua is a unique region where geothermal activity is evident from the steam appearing on the hills, parks and the lakefront.
    You will arrive at Te Puia and with a local guide, you will encounter bubbling mud, pools of boiling water and stunning geysers. The Pōhutu geyser is the main attraction. Pōhutu is the largest geyser in the Southern Hemisphere, she erupts once or twice every hour reaching heights of up to 30 meters (100 ft). At Te Puia, you will get to see New Zealand’s national iconic flightless bird, the Kiwi.
    Experience the unique ways Māori adapted to life in Rotorua.
  • Waitomo Glowworm Caves - Waitomo Caves

We continue on to Waitomo Valley, the gateway to the spectacular Waitomo Caves.

Waitomo was one of New Zealand’s original tourist destination. Its popularity has endured and you’ll soon understand why. Lonely Planet calls the Waitomo Caves a ‘must do attraction’.

Under the farmland of the Waitomo area lies a network of caves, sinkholes and underground rivers. The caves were carved by underground streams shaping the soft limestone over thousands of years. Many of the caves have amazing stalactites (an icicle-shaped formations that hangs from the ceiling of a cave) and stalagmites (an upward-growing mound of deposits) built gradually over centuries from minerals contained in water that trickled through the caves. But what makes these caves truly unique are the glow worms, Arachnocampa Luminosa. These little creatures are unique to New Zealand. Thousands of them line the cave walls radiating their unmistakable luminescent light giving you the feeling of being close to a million stars.

During your tour, a local specialist guide provides a fascinating commentary on the Waitomo Caves’ history and geology as you explore the caves on foot and by boat. The gentle boat ride takes you silently down a peaceful underground stream lit only by the millions of tiny glow-worms lining the walls and roof of the cave. A truly awe-inspiring experience.

  • Lake Rotorua - We will then continue our tour of Rotorua, the lakefront, visit the historical and picturesque government gardens and hot pools. (Under maintenance at present).

Our trip to Rotorua weaves together the fascinating geology, rich culture and colonial beginnings of this region that makes it a ‘must visit’ destination.

What's Included
  • Bottled water provided
  • Free on-board WiFi access
  • Lunch included
  • All fees and taxes covered
  • Complimentary return transfers to Auckland CBD hotels & Ports
What's Not Included
  • Breakfast
  • Tea and coffee
Additional Information

This exclusive luxury journey, tailored for couples, offers infinite pauses and personalization to your liking. Within this combined excursion, you’ll experience two of New Zealand’s most emblematic must-see sights. You’ll be immersed in the cultural heritage and natural marvels of Rotorua, followed by an exploration of the mesmerizing Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, home to thousands of captivating glow worms in an underground setting. Witness the majesty of New Zealand’s nature, the result of over 30 million years of formation!

  • The Waitomo Glowworm cave booking would be subject to availability, please check availability with management before booking.
  • Full refund will be given in case there is no availability at Waitomo Glowworm cave or because of bad weather
Location
Te Puia
Hemo Road,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(3 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Sinofheart
Feb 24, 2024
Glowworm Caves - Drive to the cave from Auckland was a bit long, but the driver was friendly and talkative. The glow worm cave was impressive and with seeing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Morganw12345
Oct 5, 2023
Personalized & Amazing - Kris was not only an amazing driver, but an amazing tour guide while driving several hours. He accommodated my food allergy and provided me with an abundance of knowledge enroute to my tour destinations. He was punctual and on time for everything we had planned. He always checked in to see if I needed anything— to and from our destinations. If you want a fantastic, personal trip, I highly recommend Black Car Transfers and Tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lorileonardos
Dec 8, 2022
Book this Private Tour! Parents and 17 year old daughter loved it! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! - We had a limited amount of time in New Zealand and wanted to see as much as we could in a short amount of time. Therefore, we decided to look for a private tour (as opposed to a large bus tour) that could get us to several places in one day. We could not have been more pleased with Kris and Black Car Transfers. We booked online for a tour the very next day. Within 30 minutes, Kris called to advise tickets were sold out for the Waitomo Glowworm Caves listed in the description, but Kris went the extra mile and found an alternate cave tour that had availability. We are so glad we took his suggestion. Ruakuri Caves was incredible! It was a 90-minute walking tour (not via boat like Waitomo) but this one was better for us. You could get close to the cave structures and glowworms (of course without touching them) and could also take photographs there (without flash). After finishing this tour, we headed to Rotorua. The extended cave tour kept us from getting lunch at the intended location (or we'd be late for our Rotorua booking) so Kris asked what we would like to eat and quickly found a wonderful sushi restaurant where we were able to get fabulous food to go. Kris had to pivot several times to make our tour work on such short notice and he impressed us every time! The luxurious car was stocked with water and a multitude of fresh fruit and snacks. The tour from start to finish was twelve hours (with pick-up and drop-off at our Auckland hotel) and we enjoyed every minute!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 4 guests
1
Traveler
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today