Family Activities in Waitomo and Otorohanga
Planning a family visit
Most of what Waitomo offers families is a cave tour plus one animal or museum stop. All amounts are NZD from operator sites in 2026, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Cave tours can be cancelled in flooding, so check operator notices before you travel.
Caves with children
- Waitomo Glowworm Cave: a 45-minute tour that ends on a quiet boat ride, $217 for a family. Filming and photography are not permitted. The cave has no wheelchair access, so ask the operator before bringing a pushchair.
- Ruakuri Cave: wheelchairs and pushchairs up to 65 cm wide can do the whole tour. Child $46, family $296 for 2 adults and 2 children. Allow 2 hours.
- Spellbound: up to 12 guests, 150 minutes, a 20-minute boat ride. Best from about age 4, with no prams, at $109 adult and $38 child.
Troll Cave
Waitomo Adventures runs Troll Cave for ages 1 to 14 with an adult, taking 1 to 1.5 hours. It is $180 for a booking of up to 8 people. Children solve puzzles and riddles in a troll’s lair reached by lift.
Animals and museum
Otorohanga Kiwi House opens 9am to 5pm every day except 25 December, with keeper talks at 10:30am and 1:30pm included. Kea, kākā and tuatara live on site. Admission is $29.50 for adults 16 and over, $13.50 for ages 5 to 15, free under 5, $75 for 2 adults and 3 children, and $8 per extra child.
At the Waitomo Caves Museum, 21 Waitomo Village Road, adults pay $10 and children 4 to 14 enter free with a paying adult.
Minimum ages and weights
| Activity | Age |
|---|---|
| Black Labyrinth cave tubing | 12 and over |
| Black Abyss | 16 and over |
| Lost World Half Day | 10 and over |
| Zipline park on Te Anga Road | 7 or 8, set by the seller |
Black water rafting also enforces a 45 kg minimum weight. For under-10s, the boat ride, Troll Cave and the kiwi house are the better picks.
Practical notes
- Arrive 30 minutes before a cave tour.
- Keep children on marked tracks, because limestone country hides vertical shafts.
- The village has a small general store, and no fuel is sold west of Waitomo.
Read more: Animal activities in Waitomo and Waitomo day trips .
Family details: Discover Waitomo Glowworm Cave and Otorohanga Kiwi House . Search family tours on GetYourGuide .