*Popular Cruise Ship Tour* Bay of Islands and Glow Worm Caves Shore Excursion
4.5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
*Popular Cruise Ship Tour* Bay of Islands and Glow Worm Caves Shore Excursion
By Bay Of Islands Tours
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-110, max of 35 per group
Duration: 5h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Driver/guide
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Chocolate-tasting
- Local taxes
- Bottled water
- Live commentary on board
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Entry/Admission - Haruru Falls
- Entry/Admission - Makana Chocolate Boutique
- Entry/Admission - Kawiti Glow Worm Caves
- Entry/Admission - Manginangina Kauri Walk
What's not included- Food and Drinks
- Start:Traveller pickup offered.
- P3HJ+8V Waitangi, P3HJ+8V3 Waitangi, Northland, New ZealandWe will be waiting at the end of the Waitangi Wharf - where your tender boats drop you with a sign saying "Bay of Islands Tours" If you are staying at a hotel - please list your hotel name when booking so we can pick you up from reception.
Pickup details- Please advise what hotel you are staying at if you require pick up from your accommodation. For Cruise ship passengers: Pick up is at the end of the Waitangi Wharf (where you get off the tenders). Simply keep walking straight and you will come to the "Waitangi Yacht Club" where we will be with our 'Bay of Islands Tours – Shore Excursion' sign ready to check you in. Please aim to be on shore 15 minutes prior to your departure time. To make the most of the day and guarantee your return to the Wharf on time for tender back to your ship, we must adhere to a strict departure time. Please ensure you give yourself plenty of time to tender to shore .
Port pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included ports.- Waitangi Wharf, Te Karuwha Parade, Paihia 0293, New Zealand
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 44648P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- 100% refund will be issued if your ship can't make it into port due to weather conditions.
- If your ship is scheduled to arrive after 9.30am - the tour departure time will automatically adjust to depart 1 hour after your arrival time - you can email to confirm this after booking.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 35 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 44648P1
From
$225.00
per adult
Select date and travellers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- j0hndkent0 contributionsLovely trip to bat of islands from aucklandIt was a long day starting at 830 and finishing at 10 pm. Cindy was or four guide for Auckland and beyond tours. She couldn't have been more helpful ensuring we had appropriate stops and snacks. The boat ride was really nice coinciding with a local music festival that made it interesting.. There were 5 of us in total in a large estate car which worked well. Cindy was also very informative with lots of local knowledge. Although she is new to being a tour guide she was first classWritten 30 November 2024
- telahm0 contributionsGreat tour in Bay of Islands areaGreat tour through Bay of Islands area. Guide was very informative. We stopped at Glow Worms, Kauri Forest some eclectic toilets, a chocolate factory.Written 8 March 2024
- trharper0 contributionsGreat highlights tour - the Glow Worm Cave is not to be missed.Rob was an excellent driver and guide from Bay of Islands Tours for our ~5 hr small group (~25) tour of the Bay of Islands, including the Kawiti Glow Worm Cave, Kauri Wood Workshop, Makana Chocolate Factory, Haruru Waterfalls, and the Puketi Rain Forest. The Glow Worm cave was the best stop including about a 45 minutes guided tour in the beautiful and fascinating cave. The ceiling of the cave was illuminated like the Milky Way by thousands of bioluminescent glow worms. The chocolate factory included a variety of chocolates and macadamia nuts for free tastings. The woodworking gift shop featured exquisite items made there. And the rain forest featured beautiful ferns and incredible monstrous trees. Overall an excellent tour of the local area highlights.Written 6 March 2024
- bob20151440 contributionsWhat an extraordinary and unique and wonderful experienceWhat an extraordinary and unique and wonderful experience Dyson our driver and guide picked us up in the morning at 11am and advised we would be pack at the port by 2pm, times are always important for cruise trip travellers and BOI tours are more than aware of this. The tour itself was surreal once we arrived the caves the Maori family who own and operate the caves were really welcoming provided a fully detailed explanation as to how the caves came about, prepared us with some clear guidance and off into the caves we went with our group lanterns and then having travelled a short distance into the cave we were asked to turn off the lanterns and look up and around. I am not going to provide details as to what was seen as it would spoil your own potential trip all I would say is refer to the title. Thank you BOI tours and DysonWritten 19 February 2024
- 50wendyr0 contributionsRefund on Bay of Islands TourJust a review of the Bay of Islands Tours Ltd. We were on a cruise ship that was to stop at the Bay of Islands and the Cruise ship couldn't make it into port. Contacted the Tour company and they reimbursed us for the trip even though it wasn't 48 hours notice. Cheers to their company.Written 11 May 2023
- jmbMaidstone0 contributionsGreat dayGreat value driver and mini bus waiting for us Garth was great full interesting stories and history of the area.Glow worms caves were special and the cave guides fun . Best we’re the ancient forest I would strongly recommend the whole tour.Written 11 January 2023
- T6477KBwendys0 contributionsBest wine tour in the bayExcellent wine tour with our guides Mat and Chloe. This is the best wine tour in the Bay. We are repeat customers and we will repeat again without a doubt. Recommend you take this tourWritten 14 February 2022
- MountMJo0 contributionsCape Reinga tripWe really enjoyed our trip to Cape Reinga with Matt. We had the van to ourselves. Lots of fun on the sand dunes (could have spent longer here) and visiting 90 mile beach as well as the time at Cape Reinga. Nice not to have to do all the driving and to get the commentary on the way. Good to support a smaller family business too. Recommended.Written 28 April 2021
- robertan2920 contributionsWine tourThe 16th Jan 2021 we kicked off our year with a surprised Bachelorette weekend for a family member this tour was the highlight our group absolutely enjoyed their experience i would totally recommend this tour to wine drinkers and non wine drinkers very educational thank you so much Bay of Island tours we were guided in style the luxury wine tour was an absolute hit we visted the Fat pig, Ake ake and finished up at Marsden Estate they were all so lavish and lovely we enjoyed all the vineyards majority of our group are not wine drinkers but now they're also shout out to our awesome driver Nick the bomb diggity playing our tunes he made us feel at ease & comfortable, playing our type of tunes also entertaining us with his humor highly recommend this tour people. Thank you again BertaWritten 18 January 2021
- SaturnSachi0 contributionsCape Reinga tour - Excellent!Since I can’t go out of NZ due to covid19 pandemic I spent my holidays doing the North Island trip. The last leg was trip to Far North and I’m glad I did the Bay of Island Tours to Cape Reinga. I learned a lot about NZ history and trivia about the towns we passed through along the way. The staff were very responsive when you call and hats off to our tour guide/driver Paul for being so informative, professional and being warm. He made sure everyone were comfortable. This trip is highly recommended 😊Written 9 January 2021
- TrailBlazer5297240 contributionsCape Reinga checked offHighly recommended for a trip to Cape Reinga. A well organised trip that stayed on time. Loved the additional stories that Matt added along the way about the towns we passed throughWritten 29 December 2020
- 665MichaelT0 contributionsBay of Islands wine trailWe did the wine trail tour with Matt as our host and driver. A wonderful experience! Started at Marsden winery, went on to The Fat Pig and Ake Ake vineyards and finished at the Makana Chocolate factory. We were made welcome at each place and there was no coersion to buy. There was an excellent selection and variety of wines to taste. We thoroughly recommend this tour as real value for money.Written 23 December 2020
- TAGroup0 contributionsWine TourAn amazing wine tour!! Matt was a fantastic tour guide, made it really fun. We loved Fat Pig winery.Written 4 October 2020
- 818patrickk0 contributionsCaipe Reinga TourExcellent tour with Matt. He has a great sense of humour and very knowledgeable of the area. Picked us up on time despite the fact I gave wrong address. Comfortable transport. If you are in the area and want a tour would recommend using this company.Written 3 October 2020
- Lockdowntravelling0 contributions0ur Cape Reinga tripMatt the tour operator was fantastic. His knowledge and friendly manner made for a fantastic time on the tour. Would highly recommend this tour operator.👍Written 12 August 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
64 reviews
Excellent
52
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rbcroteau
Los Angeles, CA73 contributions
Feb 2020
If you come by cruise ship this is a no brain er. They are right there waiting for you where the tender dock. it is as indicated a small group tour. Not the big bus you will be getting booking threw your cruise company . The price is also much less then booking the same tour on board the cruise ship. And of course, the tour was great and the tour guide was really good. Enjoy!!!
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dleighb
Texas77 contributions
Dec 2019
We had a great time on our tour with our guide, Nick who was introduced to us as “the second best tour guide in the area”. If that was the case, then the first best better look out because he’s going to lose his spot to Nick soon! He was fantastic. While I was disappointed that we couldn’t take pictures in the glow worm caves, one must honor the cave owners’ request, and while we have no pictorial memories, it was very cool to stand in the dark and let your eyes adjust to the faint light from the glow worms. The stop at the bakery/café was a tad interesting. Their meat pies were good, but clean cups, silverware, and napkins were hard to come by. While being allergic to nuts, I didn’t get to try anything at the chocolate factory. We did hit gelato place next door and on Nick’s recommendation tried the salted caramel gelato which was indeed very good. We also bought some wood Christmas ornaments from the wood store and Nick and our group was very patient with how long it took us to check out. Nick provided lots of fun and interesting facts from everything about the kauri trees to why New Zealand meat pies are better than Australian meat pies to the story behind the most northern traffic light in New Zealand. Once home, I tracked our journey on a map and show that we made a decent circle around the area hitting a lot of attractions in just a few hours.
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your detailed review! We really appreciate you taking the time to do that.
We are glad to hear Nick took great care of you as usual and you enjoyed your day out with us!
Thanks again,
Chloe
Written 12 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
JoJo Travels
151 contributions
We had a full day tour with a fun knowledgeable guide however we spent a lot of time in the van and the seats were very narrow. My husband of 6’3” could not fit comfortably in the seat as there is not much leg room and there is a hard drink holder right at knee level. The van was full and the two seats side by side were equal in size to about 1 1/2 airplane sized seats. It was an extremely uncomfortable ride. There is a stop at a chocolate shop and a stop for lunch when it would have been better to have a few more stops at points of interest as we have such a short time off the ship, which is tendered at this location.
Written 21 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your feedback, we’re delighted to hear that you had a fun day!
We’re sorry to hear that the seating was uncomfortable for your husband. We understand the importance of comfort, especially for taller guests, and we encourage our guests to reach out to us in advance so we can accommodate their needs, as we do use a range of vehicles. We often have guests messaging us with their seating preferences for a range of reasons, which we do our best to accommodate.
Regarding the itinerary, we appreciate your suggestion for more stops at points of interest. Due to time restrictions and our commitment to ensuring passengers return to the wharf on time for the last tender, we are limited in the number of stops we can include. However, we value your input and use it when reviewing tours to see how we can create an even greater tour experience for the next season!
Thank you again for your feedback and hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise!
~Rebecca
Written 21 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jean L
Los Angeles, CA36 contributions
Feb 2020
Rick was a wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide. He told us about the volcanic eruptions, and how it had changed the area around the Bay of Islands. He then took us to the glow worm caves that was a natural wonder as we saw how the worms lit up like the caves like the milky way. The formation of the limestone was also quite interesting too. We then went to see the most unusual decorated bathroom in the city, quite interesting. Then off to lunch at the Bakehouse where we tried their famous baked pies. We also saw the huge trees at Okaihau and visited the Waitangi river falls. Rick then took us to a beautiful clearing overlooking the port with a clear view of our ship. It was then back to the ship. It was a very nice trip.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deb C
Montana10 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Enjoyed this tour of Bay of Islands. Probably the best excursion to see the area. Found the glow warm cave very interesting and the guide sang a beautify native song to us.
Written 16 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So happy to hear you had a great tour with us! Thanks for your review.
Written 16 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debby G
Charlotte, NC64 contributions
Jan 2020
Our guide Rob, who was part Maori, provided enjoyable commentary and a delightful day exploring his native part of New Zealand. The Glow worms were so interesting - have never seen anything like them before. Lunch stop in KeriKeri was a good resting point and a nice spot to visit with Rob and other guests. This trip's size is much more manageable than the full size coach buses that are part of most cruise excursions. I think we had 15-16 people.
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your kind review. We are so glad to hear Rob made your day in the Bay of Islands memorable and comfortable.
Kindest regards,
Chloe
Written 1 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jacquie T
1 contribution
Nov 2022
We booked this tour because all the excursions on our trip were sold out. We were a bit nervous about booking outside of the ship but it was a great experience! After disembarking from the tender, we were able to find the tour host right away and join the tour. It was nice to travel in a smaller group. Rob was a wonderful tour host! He was flexible and responsive as well as friendly and funny. We really enjoyed the Glo Worm cave. We were the first group to arrive and we had a great experience! The Kauri forest was also great. Rob brought us to a number of great locations to explore. I highly recommend this tour!
Written 1 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review. We are so pleased to hear you had a great day out with Rob.
Thanks again,
Chloe
Written 5 December 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lindaeck
Orchard Lake, MI84 contributions
Just finished our island tour of the Bay of Islands. So enjoyable! And our tour guide, Garreth, was the best! He was so knowledgeable, not only of the tour sites, but of so much of the history of New Zealand. And when I asked about the waterfalls after our last scheduled stop, Garreth added the Haruru Falls to our tour! Thank you! Wonderfully photo op. I highly recommend this tour for all cruisers to the area!
Written 19 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much to taking the time to write this lovely review. We are so pleased you had a great day with Gareth!
Written 21 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Anand-Sara R
3 contributions
Jan 2020 • Solo
Our tour guide was Nick, and he was amazing. He was kind, accepting, funny, warm, and created A family of travelers while we were together. I was sad to part ways. I highly recommend Nick as a tour guide.
Written 20 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your positive review! We are pleased to hear Nick took great care of you and the group while on tour and helped make your day memorable!
We appreciate your recommendation!
Kindest regards,
Chloe
Written 1 February 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Robert K
1 contribution
Jan 2023 • Couples
We mostly enjoyed our tour. It was nice to have a guide drive and navigate. We could have used more time at 3 of the stops. We felt rushed and the driver nearly left customers several times. It was scheduled to be 5.5 hours and ours was 45 less. We could have used that extra time at the stops. The driver did make an extra stop at a lookout of our cruise ship which was nice!
Written 16 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to review our tour. We apologise that you felt rushed on this day. It's certainly not how we intend to run our tours. Our drivers main priority is to get passengers back to the ship on time and occasionally the last tender time is changed on the day last minute and we have to adjust the tour timings during the day. We are glad you enjoyed having a guide drive and navigate on the day and we hope you learned a lot about the history of the Bay of Islands.
Thank you!
Chloe
Written 23 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Does the tour take you to Waitangi treaty Grounds.
many thanks
Written 24 July 2022
Ellen
Wellington, New Zealand
Are you able to book this tour if you are not taking a cruise ship or do you have similar tours that are not shore excursions?
Written 8 July 2019
Hi there,
I have 2 quick questions:
1) Our ship is scheduled to arrive at Waitangi Wharf at 8.00am and depart at 5.00pm. Can you please confirm that the tour's timing will correspond to these said departure and arrival times?
2) I note that the tour's pick-up location is at the Waitangi Wharf Port. We are travelling with an able but elderly guest - how difficult is it to locate the pick-up point from the ship, and how long is the walk from the ship to the pick-up point?
Thanks in advance for advising!!
Written 8 July 2019
Hi. I was traveling alone and on my first ever cruise. The tour operator was very helpful and waiting at the end of the wharf . The glow worm caves were fine with guides both at the front and rear. I am over seventy and as able to folllow the tour ok. On continuing into the walk it was quite steep but the guides waited and were very patient while until I was ready to carry on. I am quite fit for my age. The caves themselves were beautiful and very easy to negotiate. The remainder of the tour was just as beautiful. The guide very knowledgeable. Would recommend this.
Written 8 July 2019
Hi, I would like to know if this is a mild tour ie Hubby has some disability regarding stairs & can only manage short walks. Thanks
Written 19 June 2019
Yes this is a mild tour. I have a bad knee myself and they were great about accommodating that. Had a wonderful time.
Written 22 June 2019
Hi,
How many cruise ship passengers do you carry on a tour vehicle? In other words, would we be on a tour type bus, or more intimate grouping? The tour sounds wonderful! Thank you!
Written 18 January 2019
Hi There!
Thank you for your enquiry.
Our tours have a maximum of 16 people per trip. So it is a small group tour. We don't run any coach tours and focus on the smaller intimate group tours. I hope this helps!
Thank you,
Chloe
Written 22 January 2019
Is Waitangi Wharf the location where the cruise ship tenders dock? We will be on the Celebrity Solstice on April 15.
Written 17 December 2018
Hi Robert, we pick you up from the wharf that the tenders drop you at. Your tenders will drop you at Waitangi Wharf and that is where all the mini vans will be parked for pick up. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you. Chloe
Written 16 January 2019
We would like to book on the 30th January 2019 at 9.15am. We are on the ovation of the seas. It’s a group of 14 people
Written 11 December 2018
Hi Lina, can you email me at info@bayofislands.tours :) Thank you
Written 16 January 2019
Hi, is this tour suitable for my 2-year-old boy? and shall I book 2 adults tickets or 4 if we have 2 adults and 2 kids(age 10&2) as there is no child or infant option?
Written 10 December 2018
Yes this is suitable for children too. If you email me at info@bayofislands.tours I can assist with your booking and with the children.
Thank you - Chloe
Written 16 January 2019
We will be arriving on 18 Jan 2019 on the Celebrity Solstice which will be tendered not docked at around 7 AM. What can you tell us about connecting to your tour from a tendered ship? Do you refund if we can't get to the pier due to ship tendering transportation issues? What is the maximum number of persons per bus and per guide on this 5.5-Hour Bay of Islands Shore Excursion from Waitangi Wharf tour? Thanks in advance for your taking the time to answer.
Written 20 November 2018
Hi there, we are looking at this tour for our family of 3, our daughter is 14 months and I am pregnant, wondering if this tour would be suitable/safe for us- specifically the glow worm cave, is that part done on foot or by canoe?
Written 29 October 2018
Hi Sarah, the glow worm cave experience is perfectly safe and done on foot.
Written 29 October 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.