Great tour guide with so much knowledge. The tour location is amazing and the glow-worms are out of this world. I would highly recommend this tour.





Glow-worms are the highlight of any night-time stroll in New Zealand, and when found in abundance they can be as breathtaking as our clearest night sky. Join our experienced guide on a trip into the native bush to witness this phenomenon for yourself. Learn about the life-cycle of this fascinating insect, experience New Zealand’s wildlife by night and top off this stellar evening by relaxing under the stars. An unique experience for all your senses. Highlights • Glow-worm, waterfalls, wildlife and star gazing. • New Zealand Native Forest - all by the cover of darkness. • Small group, relaxed atmosphere.
In demand: 7 of the next 30 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 10.
Our Nocturnal Glow-worm tour takes 2.5 to 3 hours and includes a 2 kilometer walk. We will depart from Rotorua in a minivan, small group (8 people). Depart times vary depending on season. Once there after a walk through the darkness of native bush you will be guided by the sound of running water. Soon towering banks will rise up around you. Then in this moment turn off your flashlight and you will not be disappointed. Literally thousands of glow worms lite up like night sky, forming their own constellations all around you. At any time of the year it is unlikely that the glow worms will be the only wildlife that you encounter. Wallabies and Possums patrol the area and their rustling, along with the eerie call of the morepork, will provide the sound effects for you night walk. Out of the forest the 'star' gazing is at is best on a clear dark night sky. Come along, soak up the atmosphere and learn about New Zealand's incredible night life.
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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Nocturnal adventure Glow-worm tour lasts about 3 hours. The itinerary has 1 stop.
Prices start at $72 per person for this Rotorua experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 7:30 PM, 7:45 PM, 8:00 PM, 8:05 PM, and 8:15 PM.
It can: 7 of the next 30 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
The meeting point is Outside the information center. I will be in a silver Ford transit mini van. During Summer months pick up times will vary between 7:30 pm to 8:15 pm. We will confirm the exact pickup time once booking is made. Please, check your messages for the exact pick up time. Hotel pickup is not part of this experience.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 8 participants.
Confirmation is sent by the operator within 24 hours of booking.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 760 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Real Rotorua.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Great tour guide with so much knowledge. The tour location is amazing and the glow-worms are out of this world. I would highly recommend this tour.
The guide was fantastic, knew everything about everything. Glow worms were amazing to see.
Stephen was such an incredible guide. He had all these cool flashlights prepared for the glow worm walk and tour. So knowledgeable and super fun. We learned so much, and he knows how to take cool and interesting photos of us in the dark of night. I like how he would direct those of us in the front of the walk to stand around so everyone in our group, especially in the back would hear what he had to say. He was so warm, friendly, kind, knowledgeable and one of the best tour guides when it came to making sure everyone in the group would be able to hear him. That was my favorite thing about him.
Highly recommend! Skip the conventional glow worm tours for this one. You’ll see plenty close up and from a distance, plus a lot more. Our guide (and owner) Stephen has an amazing knowledge of forest life, including plants & trees, which is way more interesting than you may think (at least what I thought 😁) The forest at night is a special place and Stephen is a careful, informative guide. He’s handy with flashlights and a camera so you end up with some great photos to remember your nighttime adventure. It’s also door to door service. Truly a memorable part of our stay in Rotorua.
What a beautiful tour with Stephen! He is a very friendly and very accommodating guide who knows so much to tell about New Zealand and its nature! We learned and discovered many new things, and the trip was more than worth it! Many thanks again to Stephen!
Loved this! Steve is very knowledgeable about everything: flauna, flora, astronomy! Incredible attention to detail! Took great photos for us, and he even gave us hot chocolate and shortbread to warm up!!
Absolutely incredible! We learned so much about the local forest, and the walk at night with the stars was so beautiful. Then we saw the glow worms and WOW, that was the coolest thing! Stephen was a fantastic guide and so much fun to be with. Overall, superb experience!!
I really enjoyed Stephen’s glowworm walk tour! He pick us up directly from our hotel (Millennium in Rotorua), and drove us to Whakarewarewa forest. Along the way to the site, we saw a possum and wallaby passed by! Stephen provided us with all the flashlights, and made sure everyone was okay and safe. He took photos for us too, and pointed us to so many glow worms. By the end of night, the glow worms appeared larger and larger! Stephen is really passionate about glow worms and nature! At the end, he provided us hot chocolate and had also pointed stars to us at the start of the tour, which was as amazingly big and bright! I’m glad I did this over the Waitomo cave tour! I would highly recommend.
Stephen was a great tour guide, he provided interesting facts about the trees, wildlife, and cultural history throughout the tour. We got the chance to see glow worms up close, to take cool pictures of the surrounding area, and see the stars. Overall, it was a unique and great experience.
Yes a very unique experience walking through a native NZ forest at night with all the surprises it delivers. Awesome to hear you enjoyed it too. all the best. Cheers Stephen
We are so glad we chose to book this experience! It was amazing to see the glowworms, and hear about all the flora and fauna in the area. Steve is in amazing guide and photographer! Would definitely recommend booking this tour!!
Thanks for the lovely words . It is always nice to receive such positive feedback which keeps me enjoying doing what I do. Cheers Stephen
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nocturnal adventure Glow-worm tour | 3 hours | 5.0 (760) | $72 | |
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