Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga
4.9
250 Ratings
Tauranga
Experience the enchanting glow-worm canyon on an evening kayak tour in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. Paddle on calm waters, relax by Lake McLaren, and witness the mesmerizing glow of the glow worms.
Duration: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Waimarino Adventure Park - this meeting point is also Waimarino Adventure Park Tauranga’s longest established tourism attraction where families enjoy the days activities
What's Included
  • Light refreshments
  • Kayak and equipment
  • Professional guide
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST)
What's Not Included
  • An additional cost of NZ$40.00 per person does apply to Hotel pickup/drop off.
Additional Information

Mount Maunganui and Tauranga are the central areas for this kayak tour - it uses double kayaks on the calm sheltered waters of Lake McLaren. The tour operates in the evening due to the visibility of the glow worms..

Relax on the edge of Lake McLaren with refreshments, while watching the swans and ducks go about their evening’s preparations. Let your guide lead you onto calm Lake McLaren at dusk. Gently paddle into the night and discover the magic of the enchanting glow-worm canyon.

  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required to commence a tour
Location
36 Taniwha Place
Taniwha Place
Meet at Waimarino Adventure Park, and check in for your tour at reception. There is plenty of free parking on site.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(250 Ratings)
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Dannibees
Mar 31, 2024
Magical - Incredible tour. Really well organised and excellent guides. Started off with snacks whilst they were setting up (selection of nice cheeses and crackers, fresh fruit, crisps, drinks etc) and then we set off in our kayaks with the most beautiful scenic views. The glow worms were out of this world and got brighter as the tour went on. Got plenty of time to look at them as them as our guides told us stories about them. Guides were brilliant (shout out to Darragh) and made us first time kayakers feel safe and at ease! Definitely recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianna_s
Mar 12, 2024
A great experience! - We had a great group of people and our tour guides Darragh and another girl whos name i dont recall were welcoming and entertaining. A highlight of my trip so far even if i was looking at 💩.
Review provided by Viator
Erica_c
Mar 12, 2024
Nice peaceful trip to see glowworms - Seeing the glowworms while sitting in a kayak with just a few other people was really special. The guides did a great job with the explanation of the science and also the legends about the glowworms. The equipment was great and they supplied cheese and beverages for us at the start of the trip.
Review provided by Viator
Cjsquirrel
Mar 11, 2024
Great evening active, relaxing adventure, kayaking to the glowworms. Informative and fun. - My brother, sister in law, and I did this evening kayak tour with sime lovelyhad been strangers - we all loved it. Lucy and Darragh were a great team as our guides and helped ensure safety and fun. Highly recommend it - though note wine and cheese others have mentioned is soft drink (lemonade, ginger beer) with cheese and crackers, probably better given it's before the kayaking! Everyone enjoyed our tour, and I'd look at doing it again - especially if they offer me a locals discount lol!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_w
Mar 11, 2024
10/10 would do again! - We had a fantastic time with Lucy & Darragh as our guides! It was simple, it was fun, and we enjoyed the new adventure of kayaking as neither I nor my husband had done it before. The glow worms (which aren’t actually glow worms as we’ve coincidentally figured out) were gorgeous! It was also lovely knowing the science and the Māori knowledge behind them. Thank you for a fun experience we’ll continue to look fondly back on!
Review provided by Viator
X6422wdandrear
Feb 26, 2024
Stars on the sky and on the earth - It was such an amazing experience. We had clear weather, so first we paddled under the stary sky, and then we arrived to the gorge, where many glow worms were luminiscating, like thousand little stars. Our tour guides were extremly kind and helpful. It was one of the top experience of our New Zealand holiday. Highly recomended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Davidgo4159gl
Feb 24, 2024
Glowing paddle tour - The park was beautiful, the tour guides were knowledgeable, interactive,funny and had a great safety ethics. The tour itself was a visual feast and then seeing the glow worms were amazing. The interesting scientific, but unstandable info was great, with humour thrown in. Even our young grandchildren enjoyed it. Some interesting and strange facts about the local bird life made a lot of laughs.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
268vick
Feb 12, 2024
Best night kayaking ever - Best night kayaking experience Amazing glowworm view Safe and cool activity Wonderful sky view at night You will see star river if you r lucky Please go if you visit tauranga
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katja_g
Mar 31, 2024
Very nice but pricey - The tour has been very nice! Great nature, great story's while with the glowworms. Dinner is more a snack (crackers, cheese, pineapple, carrots abd one ginger beer). A star leas because it's too pricey for what it is.
Review provided by Viator
Julie_s
Feb 18, 2024
Amazing experience! Saw... - Amazing experience! Saw thousands of glow worms ! I recommend wearing the fleece provided as I got soaked even with the kayak skirt. Also I would have appreciated the guides explaining more what we were doing.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
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May 2024
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