Glow Worm Cave Tours in Te Anau
Highlights & inclusions
1. Select date
September 2026
2. Select participants
Highlighted reviews
A lovely boat ride over Lake Te Anau and very interesting and informative tour of glow worm caves.
What you can expect
Sequestered beneath the mighty mountains on the shores of Lake Te Anau is an intricate network of underground caves, glowing with thousands of glow worms.
Your adventure begins with a scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau aboard a specially built vessel. On the western shores, explore Cavern House’s informative exhibits before your knowledgeable nature guide leads you into the caves in a small group. These 12,000-year-old caves are still being shaped by the river flowing through them, creating limestone tunnels, whirlpools, sculpted rock and an underground waterfall. Deep inside, board a small boat into a silent grotto illuminated by thousands of shimmering glow worms.
History of the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves The Te Anau Glow Worm Caves remained undiscovered until Lawson Burrows located them in 1948, inspired by ancient Māori tales. Today, the caves are known to form the lower part of an enormous cave system stretching towards Fiordland National Park.
Location
What you need to know
- Cruise across Lake Te Anau
- Guided glow worm cave tour with informative commentary
- Departure Times Daily
- 9am, 11:30am, 3:15pm (Nov - Apr)
- 10:15am (Oct only)
- 2pm, 4:30pm, 5:45pm, 7pm, 8:15pm (Oct - Apr)
- 9:30pm (26 Dec - 28 Feb)
- Allow up to 2.25 hrs
- Regular departures between 10:15am - 7:00pm from Te Anau (additional 8:15pm departure in summer)
- Departs from the ReaNZ lakefront visitor centre Te Anau
- Operates daily all year
- Does this Glowworm tour depart from Queenstown or Te Anau? This tour departs from Te Anau and unfortunately, transport from Queenstown is not available
- Can the Te Anau Glow Worms go ahead on a rainy day? The Te Anau Glowworm tour will go ahead in all weather. The only time the trip may get cancelled is due to high river levels inside the caves
- How fit do yo need to be for Te Anau Glowworm Tour. Is there a lot of walking involved? You don't need to be particularly fit for Te Anau Glow Worm Caves, it's a sightseeing trip so the group moves at a glacial pace and it's not a particularly long walk. There is some uneven terrain and stairs so as long as you were comfortable with that.
- Do we need to know how to swim for the Te Anau Glowworm Tour? No, you do not need to be able to swim for the Te Anau Glow Worm Caves, you do not enter the water. You go on a small boat for part of the tour, which is the water is very calm and still.
- Is Te Anau Glow Worm Caves accessible for wheelchair? Te Anau Gowworm Caves is not wheelchair accessible, there are ramps most of the way in the caves but they may be hard to manoeuvre. There are steps towards the end of the tour and you also climb into a little boat in the dark which is tricky at the best of times.
- Some bending is required at caves entrance & steps are involved
- No film/photography permitted inside caves
- Please wear non-slip shoes/boots & bring a waterproof jacket, warm sweater/fleece jacket, sunscreen/ sunglasses, insect repellent & camera
- Child rates apply (5-15yrs)
- Infants under the age of 4 travel for free, however, are not permitted in the caves. There is a cafe on the other side of the lake after the boat ride where you can wait with your infant while your partner visits the caves & you can then swap as the cave tour is always split into two groups
- Change your booking up to 24 hours before the start time of your experience
- Changes are not permitted within 24 hours of your experience
- Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
Recent reviews
A lovely boat ride over Lake Te Anau and very interesting and informative tour of glow worm caves.
The Glow Worm caves were just magical as was the caves themselves with rushing water and underground waterfall. The boat trip down Lake Te Anau to the caves set the scene on a delightfuil experience. A tour not to be missed.
