A Weekend in Waitomo: Two Days of Caves

The shape of a stay

Waitomo works best as one night, or two at most. The plan is a few cave bookings, a drive on Te Anga Road and a stop at the kiwi house on the way home. Dollar amounts are NZD from operator sites in 2026, so confirm the current rate before you pay.

Day one

  • Open at the Waitomo Caves Museum, 21 Waitomo Village Road ($10 adult, $7 senior, children 4 to 14 free with a paying adult).
  • Take the Glowworm Cave tour (45 minutes, from $85 adult and $39 child) and its silent boat ride. Photography is not allowed.
  • Spend the afternoon on either Black Labyrinth (3 hours of cave tubing, ages 12 and over, from $199) or the Lost World Half Day (4 to 5 hours, ages 10 and over, about $650 to $700).
  • Dinner: HuHu Cafe has a village deck, so check its opening hours. A small general store also serves the village.
  • Night walk: the Ruakuri Walk shows glowworms beside its main bridge. Take a torch, since the stairs are steep and slippery.

Day two

  • Pick the Ruakuri Cave tour (from $122 adult and $46 child, about 2 hours) or Spellbound (150 minutes, from $109 adult and $38 child, meeting at 334 Boddies Road, Oparure).
  • Drive west on Te Anga Road to Piripiri Cave (free, short walk and steps, torch needed) and Marokopa Falls (35 m, an easy track). See Mangapohue Natural Bridge only if the DOC page shows the track open.
  • Buy fuel beforehand, since none is sold west of Waitomo. Use Otorohanga, Piopio or Te Kuiti.
  • Finish at Otorohanga Kiwi House, open 9am to 5pm, with keeper talks at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

Beds

  • Waitomo Caves Guest Lodge is a B&B with its own website.
  • Waitomo Top 10 Holiday Park, at 12 Waitomo Caves Road, is about 600 m from the Glowworm Cave.

Busy periods fill cave slots, so reserve tours and beds together. Arrive 30 minutes ahead of each cave tour.

Wet weather

Caves stay open when it rains lightly, but floods can cancel tours. A big flood in October 2025 cut roads between Waitomo and Marokopa, so read operator and council notices before heading out on Te Anga Road.

A third day

If you have another day, Kawhia Ocean Beach is more than an hour away and has a hot water beach. Dig a pool in the sand within about 2 hours of low tide, either side.

Read more: Day trips from Waitomo and romantic getaways in Waitomo .

Planning links: Waitomo District Council walks and reserves and Waitomo Walkway (DOC) . Find stays on Booking.com .