Ruakuri was quieter and more intimate than we expected. It ended up being our favourite of the two caves, and the guides at both were excellent.
Jenny C. · Couple · February 2026
Waitomo Caves Twin Cave Tour: Glowworm and Ruakuri
From $289 per person
- Duration11 hours
- At the caves45 minutes in the Waitomo Glowworm Cave and 90 minutes in Ruakuri Cave (operator's stated tour lengths)
- Departs fromAuckland
- Group sizeMax 16
- Operated byExperienceKart
- CancellationFree up to 24 hours before
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure — book now, decide later.
Two hours and a quarter underground, which is three times what any combination day trip on this list gives you. The Glowworm Cave with its boat in the morning, then Ruakuri — longer, quieter, entered by a spiral ramp, and the one cave here where you may use a camera.
Two hours fifteen below ground
Forty-five minutes in the show cave, ninety in Ruakuri.
The boat through the Grotto
The full glowworm tour, exactly as the standalone ticket runs it.
Ruakuri’s spiral entrance
A man-made drum of ramp that spirals down into the rock instead of stairs.
Cameras allowed in Ruakuri
The only tour here where you can photograph a glowworm yourself.
A coffee stop on the way
Built into the drive south rather than squeezed out of it.
Max 16 travellers
Small enough that the guide is talking to you rather than at a bus.
Forty-five minutes in the Glowworm Cave
The morning cave is the classic one and the tour is identical to the ticket sold on its own: the walk in through the upper chambers, the stop in the Cathedral for its acoustics, then the boat pulled by hand through the Glowworm Grotto with the lamp off and the group silent.
No cameras. That rule belongs to this cave and this cave only, which is the whole reason the second half of the day exists.
Ninety minutes in Ruakuri
Ruakuri is the longer walk and it is entered through a spiral ramp built into the rock, so there is no stairway at the door. There is no boat. What there is instead is time: an hour and a half on foot past formations, underground rivers and glowworms, with a guide who is not working to a 45-minute clock.
Photography is permitted here. Travellers who do both caves in a day often say Ruakuri was the half they remember — fewer people, more space, and a camera in their hand. The caves compared sets the two side by side.
The road down, and back
Return transfers from central Auckland are in the fare, with a coffee stop on the way south. The vehicle is a temperature-controlled minibus with Wi-Fi and an escort travelling with the group throughout.
One traveller notes that a small group means more time being driven between the caves than a large tour would spend, and that the day finished earlier than the listing suggested. Both are fair; neither is a complaint about the caves.
Both caves, in order
Pickup is from named Auckland CBD hotels. Backpacks and large bags stay on the bus at both caves.
- Hotel pickup in Auckland CBD
- Coffee stop en route south
- Waitomo Glowworm Cave guided walk, 45 minutes
- Boat ride through the Glowworm Grotto
- Ruakuri Cave spiral entrance and walk, 90 minutes
- Return transfer to Auckland CBD
Who it suits, and who should book something else
Book it if
The caves are the reason you are travelling, not a stop inside a longer day. You want to photograph a glowworm yourself. You would rather see two different caves than one cave and a film set.
Choose something else if
You want Hobbiton on the same day, or you are travelling with someone who cannot manage stairs and uneven ground for two hours. The Hobbiton and Waitomo day trip pairs the Movie Set with the same 45-minute cave tour.
What’s included
In the fare
- ✓ Guided 45-minute Waitomo Glowworm Cave tour with the underground boat ride
- ✓ Guided 90-minute Ruakuri Cave walking tour
- ✓ Guided return transfers from Auckland
- ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off in Auckland CBD
- ✓ English-speaking tour escort throughout
- ✓ Temperature-controlled minibus with Wi-Fi
- ✓ Refreshments and water on board
Not in the fare
- ✗ Breakfast
- ✗ Lunch
- ✗ Dinner
Know before you go
- Cameras: one cave yes, one no: Banned in the Glowworm Cave, welcome in Ruakuri. Carry the camera and use it in the second half.
- No bags in the caves: Backpacks and large bags are not allowed inside either cave. Leave them on the minibus.
- Stairs and uneven ground: You need to climb and descend stairs and walk on unpaved surfaces. Ruakuri's entrance is ramped; the routes inside are not flat.
- A warm layer: Two hours and a quarter underground at a constant cool temperature. Bring a jacket you can walk in.
- Minimum numbers apply: The departure needs a minimum group. If it does not run you are offered another date or a full refund.
- Do not touch the formations: The operator asks it directly: skin discolours limestone, and the damage does not come out.
Both caves
More photos on the booking page
What travellers said about the twin-cave day
Great caves, but with a small group you spend a lot of the day being driven between them. The listing said seven and we were back in Auckland by four.
Justin P. · Couple · January 2026
A long drive, but seeing both the Waitomo and the Ruakuri caves in one day was worth it. The glowworm cave was everything it promised, and Ruakuri was the surprise.
Terri O. · Couple · January 2025
Questions about this trip
Which cave has the glowworms?
Both do. The Glowworm Cave shows them from a boat with the lamp off; Ruakuri shows them along a walking route where you are allowed to photograph them.
Can I really use a camera?
In Ruakuri, yes. In the Glowworm Cave, no — cameras and GoPros cannot even be carried in. That split is the reason to book this day rather than a single-cave tour.
Is this too much walking?
Two hours and a quarter on foot underground, with stairs and uneven surfaces. If that is more than you want, the 45-minute cave tour is the same first cave and nothing else.
How much of the day is driving?
Auckland to Waitomo is two and a half to three hours each way, and the day runs eleven hours in total. A coffee stop is built into the southbound leg.
Is lunch included?
No. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all excluded, though refreshments and water are provided on board. Bring something or buy at the stop.
Check dates and prices
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, so a provisional date costs nothing to hold.
Read next: which cave this reaches · hours and check-in · access and mobility · Waitomo Caves Tours for every tour.