Waitomo Tickets: Entry Prices and Cave Combinations

Direct entry prices in NZD

Direct prices recorded on 5 November 2026 apply to the published tariff period from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027 and are subject to change. The classic Glowworm Caves visit is 85 NZD for an adult and 39 NZD for a child. Its family pass is 217 NZD for two adults and two children, with an additional child on that pass costing 31 NZD.

Ruakuri is priced separately at 122 NZD for an adult and 46 NZD for a child. The Ruakuri family pass is 296 NZD for two adults and two children; its additional-child price is 44 NZD. Use the family conditions for the actual cave selected, because the additional-child amounts differ between products.

The published direct prices include GST. A credit-card surcharge of 2 percent applies under the operator's terms. These NZD figures describe direct tariffs, while the cards show their own USD offer prices. No currency conversion is implied. For the different routes and activity demands, use the tour comparison alongside the price information.

Combined tickets and the Auckland two-cave outing

The direct Glowworm and Ruakuri combination is 179 NZD for an adult and 80 NZD for a child. The family pass costs 432 NZD for two adults and two children, with an additional child on the pass at 62 NZD. It brings together the boat-cave experience and the Ruakuri walking visit. Arrange the visits around their individual booking times and the journey between the centres.

The selected two-cave Auckland excursion includes guided return transfers, Auckland CBD pickup and drop-off, a local English-speaking escort and driver commentary. Its inclusions specify admission to the 45-minute Glowworm Caves experience with a boat ride, and admission to the 90-minute Ruakuri experience. Meals are extra. This is a transported day outing, rather than a local combined admission alone.

Aranui also appears in cave-combination information. For a visit involving Aranui, choose from the caves actually offered for your travel date before building the rest of the day around it. A past planned reopening date is not a basis for reserving accommodation or arranging a multi-cave schedule. Focus on a currently offered cave and its timed booking.

Children and family bookings

For the named show-cave tickets and combinations, the child category covers ages 4 to 14 inclusive. Children under 4 enter free but must still be included in the reservation. A free place therefore still belongs in the booking headcount. The family passes described above cover two adults and two children, with the additional-child tariff tied to the chosen pass.

These age and family rules describe the show caves and their stated combinations. Active tubing has separate participation conditions. If the choice is between a family walking visit and a water activity, compare the experience first rather than applying show-cave child prices to another product. The glowworm boat visit has steps and wet paths; the Ruakuri guide explains its wheelchair and pushchair width limit.

Opening hours, reservations and arrival

The classic Glowworm Caves publish a daily opening window of 09:00 to 17:00. That is the centre's opening information, not a list of boat departures. The complete classic visit takes 45 minutes, including its walking section. Select a timed visit in advance and follow the check-in instructions on the booking confirmation.

Ruakuri departures start at 10:00 and finish at 15:30, with possible additional summer tours. Use the actual offered departure when arranging your day. The selected local Ruakuri card describes a 90-minute guided product; allow your booking details to govern the schedule rather than assigning one duration to every Ruakuri package.

The classic cave centre is at 39 Waitomo Village Road. Ruakuri uses a separate centre on Tumutumu Road and requires your own transport for the local visit. Put both meeting places into the day's plan when booking the combination. The arrival guide explains the road journey, while Auckland excursions compare days with organised transport.