Te Anau Glow Worm Caves Tour

Please temper your expectations if you are expecting bright glow that lights up a cavern. Otherwise, a beautiful time.

Amazing amazing amazing Best value tour so far

Was a lovely boat trip across the lake with friendly guides and great commentary as we crossed with history and a laugh.

Worms did not taste as good as they looked, they made my tummy sore and they had a weird texture. I did think the boat ride was cool, but I wouldn’t recommend jumping in the water because they will tell you off.

Amazing scenery on the way to the caves, complimentary tea/coffee, knowledgeable guides, and a really unique and almost surreal experience with n the cave! Overall, this was two hours well spent!

Great morning out with the family - boat across the lake then a tour through the caves. The tour guides were very knowledgeable. The kids loved the hot chocolate at the end.

Booked a morning tour with RealNZ when I was in Te Anau. You leave from the office which is in the centre of town on the waterfront. All the staff are very friendly and helpful. Our guide when we got to the Glow Worm caves was Nathan and he was lovely. As always I advise booking direct with the local company rather than going through a third party site. RealNZ also do trips to Milford Sound. We boarded the boat on time and it is a quick 30 minute trip across the lake in comfortable seats on the boat. There are toilets and a refreshments bar on the boat. When you get to the caves you are split into smaller groups. Sadly you cannot take photos when you are in the caves although you can get some photos of a waterfall on the way out. If you are afraid of the dark, this is not for you. There is also a small tunnel at the start of the tour to get into the caves where you need to walk bent over for about 15 steps - the height is 1.15m. I have arthritis and walk with a stick but found it no problem. There are also hand rails throughout which is great when it gets really dark. You then have to get into a small punt to see the actual glow worms - this is totally in the dark, the punt seats about 12 people. Wear a waterproof with a hood as there are times that the water drips through onto you while you are floating in the darkness through the caves. You don’t get off the punt, but return slowly to the start. Once you have finished in the caves, you are taken to a visitor centre and given tea, coffee or hot chocolate until all the different groups have finished their tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone visiting Te Anau.

Fewer glow worms in the winter months, so that was a bit underwhelming. But the boat ride and walking through the caves was cool.

Best learning experience Good group size Knowledgeable and informative staff

We took the 4.30pm boat across to the caves..25mins. We were split in groups of 12, our guide was Abigail & we were the 1st to ho into the cave. It is low in some spots, we walked through & got on a boat, it is pitch black. We quietly drifted through & saw a lot of gloworms.