Waitomo Glowworm Caves tickets, Ruakuri and Aranui: what each costs

The walk-in show caves around Waitomo village are all run by Discover Waitomo, and each one is sold as its own ticket. Ruakuri, the long walking cave with the spiral entrance, is the dearest: the operator charges NZD 122 per adult, NZD 46 per child and NZD 296 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children.¹ Its guided tour runs for 1.5 hours, led in English. For that money you get the longest walk of the show caves and close views of the glowworms.

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves, home of the famous boat ride, cost less: NZD 85 for an adult, NZD 39 for a child and NZD 217 for the family ticket.² Plan on about 45 minutes underground.⁵ Aranui, the dry cave known for its formations, carries the same adult, child and family fares as the Glowworm Cave.⁶ The price gap with Ruakuri reflects the length of the visit more than the quality of what you see, and both cheaper caves are short enough to pair with something else on the same morning.

Those are the direct prices on the operator website, quoted in New Zealand dollars and including GST, and the operator says they apply from 1st October 2026 until 30th September 2027.⁷ Fares can move within that window, so treat our figures as a starting point and confirm the live price on the day you book. Prices on this page that start with a dollar sign come from booking platforms and follow the currency you choose; the NZD figures are the operator own rates and never change with your currency setting.

The operator counts anyone from 4 to 14 as a child, and children under 4 go in free, although they still need a place on the booking.⁴ A Waitomo caves family pass covers 2 adults and 2 children, and an extra child can be added on that pass for NZD 44 at Ruakuri or NZD 31 at the Glowworm Cave.^1,2 Bring proof of age for a teenager who looks older than they are, since the child fare depends on it.

For a family the arithmetic is clear. Ruakuri alone costs NZD 296 on the family ticket, while the most popular cave pairing costs NZD 432 for the same family.^1,3 That buys both caves and quite different moods: a quiet walk among formations and a silent drift under a ceiling of tiny lights. Children who struggle to sit still often like the walking cave better, while younger ones remember the boat.

Ruakuri is also the cave to choose with a pushchair. Its walkways take wheelchairs and pushchairs up to 65cm wide, with a gradient never steeper than 1:10.²⁰ A back-worn baby carrier needs the staff to agree in advance, so bring a front carrier or a stroller instead.²¹ The Glowworm Cave has no wheelchair access, which matters if a grandparent with limited mobility is joining the trip, and it is worth knowing before you buy a combo that includes it.²²