Absolutely worth it! Lovely guide, great cave and amazing glow worms. The almost LED-like glow worms form a vision of the Milky Way and the caves are enchanting. Worth every penny. Went with kids and adults and all loved it!

The guide was very informative about the history of the cave and her familial ties to the area. The younger kids grew a little tired of "the lesson" but we were all impressed with the glow worms. We were encouraged to take the Bush walk while waiting for our tour and we are so glad we did. It was beautiful and the moss covered rock formations made me wish I was a professional photographer. Don't miss it.

This truly is an adventure! Kiesha you are absolutely amazing, your wit and humor, your stories of your Whanau and Whenua were so funny, interesting and captivating. Keisha I cannot thank you enough for your patience and understanding of my Mother's difficulties, assisting her and making her feel comfortable. She has come home feeling like she conquered Mt Everest! Thank you also to the group we were with, beautiful People. Kiesha you are an absolute Gem, an interesting, knowledgeable bubbly character that grasped everyone's attention.

My tour of the Kawiti Glowworm Caves was a dream come true. I came here on my last day in New Zealand and ended up getting a private tour with Ruki. He was so generous, sharing his knowledge of the glowworms themselves, the geology of the area, Māori customs and history, and his own experience growing up in the area. The glowworms are spectacular! It took my eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. At first I didn't see anything, but by the end of the tour it was like looking at the Milky Way. This is a really special experience!

This is an interesting spot off the beaten track. The tour seems to be run by a family business; running each hour. A female guide was excellent; checking us in for the 2.30pm tour, and leading it herself. Photos are not permitted inside the cave. The glow worms are very impressive. I would definitely recommend this tour

About a week prior we had visited all three Waitomo Caves and therefore seen lots of glowworms, significant cave structures, and beautiful limestone formations. By comparison, the limestone formations in this cave and the cave itself are less dramatic, but the experience of viewing the glowworms here was longer in duration and more intimate. There were a lot of glowworms spread over a number of different cave “areas“ and we were able to stop and look at them, talk about them, experience what it was like to be in the cave with no light other than the illumination from the glowworms themselves, and to stop and see the reflection of the glowworms in the creek/river running through the cave. To be fair, myself and my husband were the only two people on the tour and it wasn’t until the last few minutes that a second small group entered the cave. By comparison, at Waitomo, large groups of 20+ were being taken through the glowworm cave about every 10 minutes and at one point I struggled to hear the guide because of the noise coming from the group ahead of and behind us. I still think that Waitomo is worth visiting because the caves and the limestone formations are so beautiful, but the experience of viewing glowworms in particular was more intimate and relaxed here, and therefore offered a more “up close and personal” experience to that at Waitomo. I think therefore, that viewing glowworms at this location is a must on any travel itinerary. Don’t be put off by the dirt road, potholes on the drive in, the ticket office being in a portable room, the toilets being up the hill behind the Māori meeting place; this is a family/community run business and while it doesn’t have the slickness of Waitomo – no cafe, no souvenir shop – it’s personal and intimate, and delightful as a result. Finally – don’t forget to take a look at the large meteorite on your way out!

We visited the Kawiti Glowworm Caves as a shore excursion that we booked through Celebrity Cruises on our stop in the Bay of Islands. We are so glad that we did! Amazing experience! The business is a small family-ish run operation, an intimate experience. In fact when you first pull up from the road, you're like, uh, what?, because it is not glitzy or commercial in the least - very authentic and lovingly run. Your guide gives you lots of background on the history of the discovery of the cave as well as the life cycle of glowworms, essentially everything you need to inform your visit and help to make it quite wonderful. The glowworms are quite spectacular! You move through the cave in an organized manner in stages, stopping along the way at designated spots and turning all of the flashlights off to allow your eyes to get used to absolute darkness so that the glow worms come into focus. It's all very safe and run smoothly and comfortably. We even learned the name of one of the eels in the river who apparently is roughly 80 yrs old! Definitely recommend.