St Benedict’s Caverns are described as ‘the prettiest piece of known cave in New Zealand’ and features a 100m-long, 40m-high cave teaming with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone.
Waitomo Adventures’ trip is a must for people who come to Waitomo to see spectacular caves. It involves two abseils down a 60m-deep shaft, a zip line ride and a bit of caving.
This Spellbound Tour involves rafting on a regular raft (not in an inner tube) through the breathtaking Mangawhitikau cave system. It is less touristy than the more popular tours of the main Waitomo Glowworm Cave and you can take photos in this cave. Spellbound even operate a longer version of the tour specifically for photographers taking time exposure photos with a tripod.
It is one of the cheaper ways to see the glowworms, but it’s not as much fun as more expensive adventure-focused trips.
Waitomo’s Lost World abyss is one of the lesser-visited parts of the Waitomo cave system but is totally worth it. It is a big cave, it can take 20-minutes just to abseil in and once inside the cave ceiling is usually at least 50m above you.
Waitomo Adventures operate three different tours into the Lost World abyss ranging from Lost World Through the Window where climb down a staircase to the more challenging tours that involve abseiling into the 100m-deep abyss.
All three options let you explore vast caverns where you can see fossils, waterfalls and lots of glowworms.
It is a unique experience with small groups (usually no more than four people at a time).
Although the first two options are dry tours, it is best to wear something that dries quickly like shorts or chinos (not jeans).
Lost World Through the Window was developed by Waitomo Adventures as a way to experience the Lost World without abseiling. It involves entering the cave through a sinkhole known as The Window and descending down a staircase towards an elevated platform where you ride a zipline before climbing through the Spider Hole. Allow four hours for the Lost World Through the Window tour.
The original four-hour Lost World adventure involves a 20-minute 100m abseil before exploring the cave system and returning to the surface via a 30m ladder. This is a popular option and the small group sizes mean that it is best to book the tour prior to arriving in Waitomo.
The Lost World Epic is the more extreme seven-hour version of the Lost World tour. Like the standard trip, it starts off with a 20-minute 100m abseil but this is a wet tour where you don a wetsuit and explore the Mangapu streamway.
Ruakuri Cave is New Zealand’s longest guided underground walking tour. Although not as impressive as the Waitomo Glowworm Caves, many people consider this a much more intimate experience as you get many of the features of the main caves – glowworms and limestone formations – but without the tour groups, and unlike the main cave, it is no problem taking your camera inside Ruakuri Cave and it is even accessible by wheelchairs and prams.
Ruakuri Cave is a two-hour experience with 1½ hours underground.
The Northern Explorer train stops in Otorohanga en route between Auckland and Wellington.
The station is on Wahanui Crescent just a couple of blocks behind Otorohanga’s main street.
Otorohanga railway station is the closest train station to the Waitomo Caves.
InterCity Coachlines stop in Otorohanga on their Auckland–New Plymouth and Auckland–Palmerston North routes with direct coach services to Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Ohakune, Palmerston North, Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti and Wanganui.
Coaches stop opposite the Waitomo District Council offices at the corner of Wahanui Crescent and State Highway 3.
InterCity Coachlines stop in Te Kuiti on their Auckland–New Plymouth and Auckland–Palmerston North routes with direct coach services to Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Ohakune, Otorohanga, Palmerston North, Te Awamutu and Wanganui.
Coaches stop outside the i-SITE Visitor Information Centre on Rora Street and some coaches also stop outside Tiffany’s Tearooms.