Guided tour

Ruakuri Cave 1.25-Hour Guided Tour

4.7 / 5

141 reviews

Activity provider: THL - Waitomo Caves Group
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    Guided tour

    Ruakuri Cave 1.25-Hour Guided Tour

    Activity provider: THL - Waitomo Caves Group
    Likely to sell out
    Likely to sell out

    From US$ 51.16 per person

    Discover the spectacular Ruakuri Cave, the longest of Waitomo’s underground caves, on a 75 minute walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
    Reserve now & pay later
    Reserve now & pay later to book your spot without any charges today. Learn more
    Duration 75 minutes
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Live tour guide
    English
    Audio guide included
    English
    Wheelchair accessible

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Discover Waitomo’s longest underground guided walking tour as you explore Ruakuri Cave
    • Marvel at unique rock formations, subterranean rivers, and thousands of glowworms
    • Enjoy an intimate and educational experience on a small group tour
    • Learn the history and geology of the cave from a knowledgeable local guide
    Full description
    Explore Ruakuri Cave, New Zealand’s longest guided underground walking tour. Ruakuri Cave offers a captivating blend of Waitomo's most compelling subterranean experiences. Ruakuri Cave has displays of glowworms and is filled with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed over millions of years. Journey down through the spectacular spiral entrance, and marvel at the softly folding shawl-like limestone formations and crystal tapestries. Hear the distant thunder of the subterranean waterfalls and get up close to the glowworms. Major features include Holdens Cavern, named after James Holden who first opened the cave to the public, The Drum Passage, The Pretties, and The Ghost Passage. Your knowledgeable guide will bring the history, features and legends of the cave to life with their storytelling.  Many of the guides are local people whose parents and grandparents have guided in the caves. The experience will leave you open-mouthed, awe-struck and humbled by the sheer majesty of nature.
    Includes
    • Entry fees
    • 75-minute walking tour
    • Local guide
      Covid-19 precautions
      Safety measures in place
      • All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
      Traveler requirements
      • All participants who are over 12 years old must present proof of full vaccination
      • In addition to proof of vaccination, all participants who are over 18 years old must present a government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, passport, etc)

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      Participants

      Date

      Meeting point

      204 Tumutumu Road, Waitomo 3985, New Zealand.

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      Important information

      What to bring

      • Comfortable shoes

      Know before you go

      • A complimentary shuttle bus runs from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves visitor centre to Ruakuri Cave, subject to availability
      • Bookings are essential as numbers on each tour are restricted to 18 people
      • All tours are subject to availability. Pending available time slots, your tour time may be 15-30 minutes before or after the one you have requested
      • Bring comfortable walking shoes and a warm jacket
      • Photography is permitted in Ruakuri Cave
      • Ruakuri Cave has full wheelchair and pushchair (stroller) access
      Customer reviews

      Overall rating

      4.7 /5

      based on 141 reviews

      Review summary

      • Guide
        4.7/5
      • Value for money
        4.3/5
      • Service
        4.7/5
      • Organization
        4.6/5

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      Venue was easy to find and staff were friendly, we did the Ruakuri tour and it was amazing. Touring with a small group makes a huge difference as there isn’t a-lot of room to move at times. Loved the long spiral walk down to the caves, there is limited lighting within the cave and path ways but that made the tour more exciting, make sure you have a good camera as you can not use your camera flash, and trust me you’ll take pics I definitely would recommend this tour to people of all ages and abilities

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      July 20, 2021

      G
      GetYourGuide traveler – New Zealand Verified booking

      Helpful?

      I booked this tour in error. But what an awesome error it was. From the time we arrived until we left it was one amazing thig after another. Pippin was the best Guide. She displayed incredible knowledge. She was really funny and made so sure that everyone was having a good time. 10/10. Will definitely recommend

      November 9, 2020

      B
      Brenda – New Zealand Verified booking

      Helpful?

      We thought we new a lot about the caves when actually we didn’t. Great experience. With no tourists in NZ it was lovely for us to be the tourist. Our guild knew his stuff about the cave he spoke as if it was his own cave which shows me he has so much respect for it.

      October 16, 2020

      T
      Trudy – New Zealand Verified booking

      Helpful?

      Product ID: 122304