The tiny village of Waitomo is known as the “Glow Worm Capital of the World.” It doesn’t look like much on the surface, but beneath the town is an extensive network of caves with lakes and rivers running through them, creating a perfect habitat for these strange little glowing bugs. There’s lots to do beyond the incredible caves, and you can spend a fun-filled weekend in Waitomo.
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Is a weekend in Waitomo enough time?
It’s easy to see all the major attractions over a weekend in Waitomo! Whether you’re visiting from Auckland or have dedicated a couple days on a bigger trip around New Zealand, there’s lots of cool stuff to do here. You can definitely see the highlights over a weekend.
Day 1: Weekend in Waitomo
Dive right in and check out the glow worm-y goodness on the first day of your weekend in Waitomo. Tours run as early as 8:30 AM, and the earlier you go, the more likely you are to avoid the crowds. Lots of people book day trips from Auckland and arrive closer to noon.
Visit a glow worm cave (or two)
The main attraction! Glow worms are awesome, but you definitely don’t need to visit every single cave in the area to appreciate them. They’re also not exactly cheap to tour, so I recommend doing two if you can swing the cost, one if you’re on a budget, and three or four if you’re a little glow worm freak.
Important note: Pre-book your Waitomo glow worm cave experiences! Especially in the high season from November to January.
Here's how to choose the right glow worm tour for your travel style:
Black Water Rafting: For adventure seekers! Choose from a 3 or 5 hour experience that involves treading waist-high through cave water, squeezing through narrow passageways, and floating along an underground river in a tube. The 5-hour option also includes some abseiling. Very epic.
Spellbound Glow Worm Cave: This is the best choice if you can only do one experience. It has the most extensive and incredible display of glow worms I’ve seen in New Zealand! The walk is super chill and you get a little boat ride at the end. Note you can’t take any photos in this one, but photographing glow worms is insanely hard anyway.
Ruakuri Cave: This one is super Instagrammable, and wheelchair/stroller accessible. You can take photos at certain points on the tour, and the giant, lit-up spiral ramp leading several stories down into the cave makes for an epic photo. And if you’re realllly committed to getting some great pics, they offer a photography-specific tour where you can bring your tripod for long exposure shots.
Aranui Cave: This one doesn’t actually have any glow worms (except a couple small ones at the cave entrance). So if they kinda freak you out but you still want to visit a cave, this is the one for you. You can take pics to your heart’s content of all the cool stalagmites/stalactites.
Eat at the Tomo Bar
It’s not like there’s a ton of restaurant competition in this tiny town. But we always have dinner at the Tomo Bar when we go to Waitomo. The brisket burger is legit! I don’t really rate their pizza, though. You may show up and find it underwhelming. But it’s the place to be in town — even for locals — according to our black water rafting guides.
Stroll the Ruakuri Bushwalk after dark
You can do the self-guided Ruakuri Bushwalk for free by following the forest trail at night. That’s right, glow worms don’t just live in caves! They live outside in the right (wet) conditions. It’s a short drive from town in the same area as the entrance to the Aranui Cave (not Ruakuri, despite the name).
Make sure you bring a flashlight as it’s literally pitch black out there. As I mentioned, you want a torch with a red light function if possible.
Day 2: Weekend in Waitomo
There’s more to Waitomo than the caves! Not much, if I’m honest… but more. Spend the rest of your weekend exploring the area rather than spending a fortune on cave tours. Better yet, lots of these activities are free.
Mangapohue Natural Bridge
A chill but stunning walk through a canyon that leads to a “natural bridge.” I’ll level with you, the bridge part of this is a little underwhelming. It’s kinda just a big hole in a rock. But the walk is beautiful! If you go beyond the “bridge,” there’s also a nice field with some cool rocks that have ancient mollusk fossils embedded in them.
Marokopa Falls
I think this is the most underrated waterfall in New Zealand. I feel like no one talks about it! But so stunning, a super short 20-minute walk from the parking lot, and only half an hour from Waitomo. A must-visit if you’re in the area if you ask me. We didn’t see a single other person on the trail when we were there, and there’s no parking or entrance fee.
Read more: North Island Map of New Zealand
Marokopa Beach
Drive another 30 minutes past the falls towards the coast and you’ll hit Marokopa Beach. It’s never busy and the view of the mountains from the shore is wild beautiful.
Airstrip Bouldering Fields
A great spot for outdoor bouldering if you’re into that! Bring your crash pad and explore the limestone rocks a quick 10-minute drive from Waitomo.
Big Bird Petting Zoo
A random little farm in Waitomo Village where you can visit emus, ostriches, llamas, guinea pigs, cows, tortoises, kunekune pigs, and more creatures. This is a super family-friendly and budget-friendly activity. It’s also a quaint bed and breakfast.
Where to stay for a weekend in Waitomo
- JunoHall Backpackers: Super close to the Legendary Black Water Rafting Co. and the cheapest option around with dorms around $30.
- Top 10 Holiday Park: BYO tent, caravan, RV, or rent a basic cabin. This is the most affordable place to stay and it’s in a great location across from the General Store and Tomo Bar. You can relax in the hot tub after a long day of glow worm gazing or waterfall chasing. Campsites from around $30/night, cabins from $120.
- Wai Domo Peak: A bougie option with great views and an outdoor tub for a secluded romantic escape. $295 per night.
- Orchard Valley Glamping: This can barely be considered glamping in my opinion because it’s so lush! If money is no object, this is the place to stay. $550 per night with a two-night minimum.
What to pack for a weekend in Waitomo
- A headlamp with a red light feature. You won’t be able to use it during the tours, but if you do the bushwalk at night it’ll help you see the path without making it impossible to see the glow worms.
- A rain jacket. Even if it’s not raining, the caves can be very cold and wet. Drops of water occasionally fall from the cave ceiling, so a little jacket will keep you comfortable.
- A bathing suit. You’ll need this if you’re doing black water rafting for under your wet suit, and the Top 10 Holiday Park has a pool and spa bath. You might also want to swim at Marokopa Beach.
- A camera with long exposure feature. Most smartphones have this feature now, and it’s the only way to get a half-decent photo of these lil worms. If you have something you can use to stabilize the camera as well, like a tripod, that’ll improve the quality.