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  • Things to do in Waitomo
  • Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Guided tour

Waitomo: Ruakuri Cave 1.5 Hour Guided Tour

4.7 / 5

310 reviews

Activity provider:THL - Waitomo Caves Group
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Guided tour

Waitomo: Ruakuri Cave 1.5 Hour Guided Tour

Activity provider:THL - Waitomo Caves Group

4.7

310 reviews

Likely to sell out

From US$ 53.34 per person

Likely to sell out

Discover the spectacular Ruakuri Cave, the longest of Waitomo’s underground caves, on a 1.5-hour walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide.

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
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Duration 1.5 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
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 locals whose parents and grandparents have guided in the caves. The experience will leave you awe-struck and humbled by the sheer majesty of nature.

Includes
  • Entry fees
  • 90-minute walking tour
  • Local guide

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Participants

Date

Meeting point

Ruakuri Cave is situated in the Ruakuri Scenic Reserve, Waitomo. Waitomo Glowworm Caves are just over 2 hours south of Auckland, 1 hour south of Hamilton, and 2 hours west of Rotorua. There is plenty of free outdoor parking at the Ruakuri Information Centre.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes
  • Jacket

Know before you go

  • If you are late or miss your scheduled tour time your ticket(s) are forfeited and non-refundable. New bookings will incur the full tour cost and due to high demand and limited capacity tours are subject to availability
  • Photography is permitted in Ruakuri Cave
  • Ruakuri Cave has full wheelchair and pushchair (stroller) access
Likely to sell out

From US$ 53.34 per person

Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
Reserve now & pay later to book your spot and pay nothing today
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Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 310 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.8/5
  • Value for money
    4.3/5
  • Service
    4.7/5
  • Organization
    4.6/5

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Star rating:

The Ruakuri Caves are extremely impressive and much more worth seeing than the Waitomo Caves. The variety of stalactites and stalagmites in all their forms are absolutely fantastic. I've been to many cave systems but this one is unique. The guide was very personable. Dress warmly - it's cold in there, even in summer!

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January 6, 2023

G
GetYourGuide traveler – SwitzerlandVerified booking

Helpful?

A very interesting guided tour through a great stalactite cave. It's not an extraordinary experience because we have caves like that here, but we definitely recommend it. Annoying are the guides, who are very nice but chatter in a hurry during the explanation and therefore have no consideration for the different nationalities. If you don't have a perfect command of the English language, you can unfortunately only partially understand it. I observed that almost all participants felt the same way.

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December 12, 2019

G
GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

Helpful?

The Ruakuri Cave with its entrance into the cave is an adventure. The cave itself and the tour are great. You see a lot and get just as much explained. Yes you can also see fireflies some of them are even right in front of you. But there are not soooo many or probably not as many as I expected from the advertising and pictures. So when you are there you should definitely not miss the caves. But afterwards I would rather have booked the Kombi Waitomo Cave (boat tour / no photography allowed) + Ruakuri Cave (walking / taking photos / wheelchair accessible) to get a bit more of the money. In our group there were about 18-20 people which is too much for my taste for the money or in general. (Katja-From Germany)

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May 18, 2019

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GetYourGuide traveler Verified booking

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Product ID: 122304

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