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Adventure

Te Anau Glowworm Caves Lake Cruise and Guided Cave Tour

A boat across Lake Te Anau, a walk through the caves and a quiet glowworm grotto.

A 2 hour 15 minute trip from Te Anau: cruise across Lake Te Anau, walk through native forest into the cave system, and see the glowworms in the grotto on a guided tour.

📍 New Zealand ⏱ 2 Hours, 15 Minutes 🔥 Active

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$124 AUD

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Booked with Wanderlust, an Australian travel business based in Byron Bay (ABN 34 636 612 523). We handle your booking ourselves, before and after you travel.

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Overview

The Te Anau Glowworm Caves are a young cave system, around 12,000 years old, on the far side of Lake Te Anau with no road in, so every visit starts with a boat. The walk in is loud with rushing water, whirlpools and an underground waterfall; the grotto at the end is dead silent, with hundreds of glowworms on the ceiling and a small boat to drift under them.

You check in at the lakefront in Te Anau and cruise across the lake on a purpose-built catamaran. At the caves you meet your guide at Cavern House and go through the displays, then it is on foot along paths and steps, ducking under a large rock overhang at the entrance, past sculpted rock and roaring water to the grotto, where everyone goes quiet and climbs into the boat. No photos or video inside the caves: flashes hurt the glowworms and wreck everyone's night vision. Hot drinks are included at the caves before the cruise back.

The whole thing takes 2 hours 15 minutes from the lakefront, with morning, afternoon and evening departures. Check in at 85 Lakefront Drive 30 minutes before your time; check-in closes 5 minutes before departure. It is 8 to 12 degrees in the caves all year, so bring a fleece and a waterproof jacket, and wear non-slip shoes because the walkways are wet and the light is low. You need to bend at the entrance and manage steps throughout. Ages 5 and up.

Why you'll love it

  1. 1

    Catamaran cruise across Lake Te Anau

  2. 2

    Cavern House displays on how glowworms glow

  3. 3

    Walk past whirlpools and an underground waterfall

  4. 4

    Silent small-boat drift under hundreds of glowworms

  5. 5

    A 12,000 year old cave still being carved by water

  6. 6

    Hot drinks included at the caves

  7. 7

    Morning, afternoon and evening departures

Itinerary at a glance

1 Check-in · Te Anau lakefront

Check in at 85 Lakefront Drive 30 minutes before departure. Check-in closes 5 minutes before the boat leaves.

1 Stop 1 · Cruise across Lake Te Anau

Board the purpose-built catamaran for the crossing to the western shore. There is no road to the caves.

1 Stop 2 · Cavern House

Meet your guide and go through the displays on the cave system and the glowworm life cycle before heading underground.

1 Stop 3 · Into the caves

Duck under the rock overhang at the entrance and follow the path and steps past the whirlpools and the underground waterfall. Walkways are wet and the light is subdued.

1 Stop 4 · Glowworm Grotto

Silence from here. Climb into the small boat and drift under the glowworms in the dark. No cameras or phones.

1 Return · Hot drink and cruise back

Tea or coffee at the caves, then the catamaran back to the Te Anau lakefront.

What's included

✓ What's included

  • Return catamaran cruise across Lake Te Anau
  • Guided tour of the cave system on foot
  • Small-boat drift through the Glowworm Grotto
  • Displays and talk at Cavern House on the caves and glowworms
  • Complimentary hot drinks

✕ Not included

  • ✕Transport to Te Anau
  • ✕Meals
  • ✕Travel insurance

Common questions about this trip

  • Where do I check in and how early?
    At the visitor centre at 85 Lakefront Drive on the Te Anau lakefront, 30 minutes before your departure time. Check-in closes 5 minutes before departure and the boat does not wait.

  • What should I wear and bring?
    Non-slip shoes or boots, a waterproof jacket and a warm fleece. The caves sit at 8 to 12 degrees all year and the walkways are wet. Add sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent for the lake crossing, and any personal medication. Leave the camera in your bag for the cave section.

  • How fit or mobile do I need to be?
    You need to bend low to get under the rock overhang at the cave entrance and there are steps throughout, often wet and in low light. Because of the natural shape of the cave the operator says it is not suitable for every visitor, and anyone with limited mobility will find the entrance hard.

  • Can I take photos of the glowworms?
    No. Photography and video are not permitted inside the caves, because flashes and screens affect the glowworms and ruin everyone's acclimatisation to the dark. Photos on the lake and at Cavern House are fine.

  • Is it suitable for kids?
    Children aged 5 and over are welcome. The grotto section requires everyone to stay completely silent in the dark, and the operator flags that this can be hard for younger children.

  • How do I get to Te Anau from Queenstown?
    Te Anau is about 2.5 hours drive from Queenstown. This tour starts and finishes at the Te Anau lakefront, so you need your own transport or a bus to Te Anau; transport is not included.

  • What happens in bad weather?
    The caves themselves are underground and run in any weather. The lake crossing is weather dependent and the operator decides on the day.

  • What's the cancellation policy?
    Cancellation terms for this trip are set by the operator and confirmed on your booking voucher. Refunds mirror the operator's policy, if they can refund, so can we. Wanderlust handles the refund for you, refunds mirror the operator's terms 1:1 (including if the operator cancels) and we chase it on your behalf. Message us for the exact day-by-day terms before you book.

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What travellers say

Reviews from real travellers

Public reviews of the operator who runs this tour on the ground.

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"I really appreciated how smooth and comfortable the ride was, and the cruise was the perfect way to finish the day. I had an amazing time, and thank you for such a memorable experience."
L

Linh L

Tripadvisor review

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
via Tripadvisor
"An incredible journey, the journey to the sounds was fantastic and the cruise was exceptional"
O

Odyssey17618093192

Tripadvisor review

Traveller reviews, source shown on each · shown as excerpts.

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