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If you’re looking for an informative and immersive experience, then you have to book this Te Anau glow worm tour!
During the year I lived in New Zealand, I actually took this tour twice. So I’ll cut to the chase and say yes I loved it and I have experienced taking the tour in the summer and the winter (so keep reading).
Of course when you’re debating booking a tour, there’s a lot to consider: is the price worth it? What’s included? Which tour operator should I pick? I’m sharing my honest opinion based on 2 separate experiences taking this tour.
I’ll jump right into it and start off with is the tour worth it in the first section of this review…
You can read my full in depth review or use this table of contents to jump around:
Is the Te Anau Glow Worm Cave Tour Worth It?
This tour is operated by RealNZ and is the only tour of the Te Anau glow worms.
Thankfully, RealNZ runs an AMAZING 2.5 hour tour of the Te Anau glow worm cave at the price of $129 NZD.
I absolutely think this tour is worth it and have recommended it to many friends – in addition to having taken it twice myself.
What to Expect on the Te Anau Glow Worm Cave Tour
The tour experience is polished, professional and informational (oh yes and FUN) from start to finish.
You’ll start with a beautiful boat ride across Lake Te Anau with guide commentary dispersed throughout. Once you’re at the sight of the caves the guides will break you up into a few groups to stagger your entrance into the cave.
I should make it very clear – you will be going underground and deep into a cave system. But not to worry, even if you get claustrophobic this still might be an okay tour for you to take. The cave is HUGE, well lit (there’s only one pitch black experience) and there’s stable, no slip walking ramps throughout.
As I said I took this tour once in the winter and once in the summer, both times with people who get claustrophobic and generally don’t like caves. And you know what… both of them LOVED it!
Okay back to what the tour is like –
You’ll be given a 30 minute presentation all about the cave system and about glow worms (here’s a tease… they’re not actually worms…). The information is very well presented and the science is broken down in a really tangible way!
Then you’ll go into the cave with the guide and as a group of 12. I liked that they kept the groups small for this part.
Once you’re inside the gave you’re walking upright on a metal boardwalk. Once you’re past the cave entrance you can walk upright the entire tour and you don’t have to worry about twisting an ankle on the cave floor.
You’ll spend about 30 minutes in the cave, the grand finale being a pitch black glow worm extravaganza.
After that, you’re back on the boat across lake Te Anau feeling much more educated about glow worms.
Why I Loved This Tour
I can’t rave about it enough, this really is an amazing tour from start to finish!
Everyone in my family was impressed
This tour truly is such a crowd pleaser! In fact at the end of my families 3 week trip to NZ, this tour stood out as a major highlight amongst everything we did.
What I thought was really remarkable is that my family members all had different things about the tour that they found interesting. My dad was asking about the hydraulics of the cave system, my mom wanted to know about the worms ability to glow and my sister loved being in the cave.
Multifacested
I loved that this tour wasn’t just one thing! It wasn’t simply “walk around this cave and look at the glowing dots,” it was a full experience.
Taking the boat ride across the lake in and of itself is a super fun and unique way to kick off a glow worm cave. And then you get a great informational presentation and then you experience this thousand year old cave. Plus there’s time to drink hot tea and ask questions.
Every aspect of this tour (and there are multiple) is excellent from start to finish.
Informative and well trained guides
I have a background in tourism and outdoor education, so yeah, I can be a bit critical when it comes to how a tour is run and how the guides are.
RealNZ clearly knows what they are doing, because every tour guide I interacted with across 2 tour experiences was full of great information and clearly knew their stuff!
I could tell my guide not only knew a ton about what they were telling us (and not just reciting a script) but they also cared about our customer experience and safety. That goes a long way!
Professional and polished tour
Like I said I’ve been on the other side of the tour product. I can tell when a tour operation is flimsy. RealNZ has the Te Anau glow worm cave tour dialed in and well practice. But at the same time you feel like the experience is unique to you and you’re not just on some sort of revolving door of tours.
Easy to schedule
This isn’t an all day affair, the tour is 2.5 hours from start to finish and there are multiple tour times throught the day. You can make this tour work even on a tight schedule. Plus it leaves right from the Te Anau waterfront making travel logistics a breeze. They also offer free cancellation – I love that you can make this work on a flexible schedule!
Let Downs About the Tour
Seasonal variability of the worms
You really can’t control this, but there is a natural variability to the density and distribution of the worm population.
The worms are most abundant in the summer. The tour runs year round (and costs the same price), but just note if you’re taking the tour in the winter you may be a little underwhelmed by the worms. With that being said, the boat ride, tour quality and overall awesomeness of the cave is the same year round!
Limited time in the cave
This cave system is actually quiet large, but the area that’s accessible to us on the tour is limited. Thus, you really only get to spend about 30 minutes in the cave.
Most of the worms are congregated at the back of the cave which makes for a nice “grand finale” moment. But you only get about 10 minutes of silent peaceful viewing time at this grand finale.
Again this is also kind of a perk because it’s a smaller area it’s all very well maintained and the tour is entirely walkable on boardwalk and stairs. Just expect to spend about 2 of the 2.5 hour tour to be on the boat ride across the lake and on the informational presentation.
You may learn about the worms after you see them
Okay this may only matter to me, but personally I enjoy learning about wildlife before I see it. The tour guides break up the larger group into groups of 12, which means some groups do the cave experience before the informational presentation.
Maybe not everyone cares about this, but if you’re like me and you want to learn about the worms before you see them, just be one of the last people to disembark the boat.
Summer vs Winter
As I mentioned, the worms have a natural seasonal variability due to food resources!
In the summer there’s more food, so the worms are more plentiful and glow brighter. The spring and fall have more variability and the winter is definitely the worm low season.
I took the tour both in June (winter) and December (summer) in 2025.
My first tour was in the winter and because I had seen glow worms before in Waitomo, I was a bit surprised to see that there wasn’t as big of a population. But if I didn’t have any past glow worm experience I don’t think I would have been that affected by this.
Just know that if you are going to take this tour from May – October there may not be a “carpet” of glow worms covering the cave ceiling.
When I was back in Te Anau in December I knew I had to take the tour again! This time there were certainly more worms throughout the cave and at the “grand finale.” Of course even in the summer there are daily fluctuations, but the overall population should be higher.
Would I Book This Tour Again?
By this point it should be pretty obvious that I really enjoyed my experiences on this tour!
I would absolutely take this tour again the next time I’m in Te Anau. And I have strongly recommened it to friends traveling in the area!
Glow worms are a pretty magical thing to see in New Zealand. There are limited tours on the south island that will take you into a cave to see the worms. RealNZ runs an amazing tour from start to finish!
About the Cave System
This cave system is actually really really cool!
Named the Te Ana-au caves, they were rediscovered by an explorer in the 1948’s after he followed old Maori legends telling of an elaborate cave system.
The Te Ana-au cave is about 12,000 years old and about 200 m (or 656 ft or 0.12 miles) long. So like I said it’s a relatively small area to explore. But that’s just the part we have access to… the cave narrows down and continues into a larger cave system known as the aurora cave system.
The aurora cave system is estimated to be 5 miles long.
I was enamored watching the river flow beneath the boardwalk inside the cave… you can watch an ecological process happen in real time! Take the tour and see for yourself!
What to Bring on the Glow Worm Tour
I would definitely recommend layering on this tour as it’s pretty chilly in the cave year round. You’ll be mostly dry throughout the tour but there are some drip-drops in the cave and even a waterfall to view. So you may want to pack a rain jacket if you don’t want any cave water to get on your clothes.
Additionally there’s really no food or drink options on the tour, so consider bringing a water-bottle and snack!
In New Zealand it’s not customary to tip, so no need to worry about having cash to tip the guides (although I’m sure they would appreciate it).
Things to Do in Te Anau
I’ve actually spent a decent amount of time in this little town, so here’s a quick rundown of some of my favorite things to do…
- Take a tour of Milford (or Doubtful!!) Sound
- Take a lakeside walk
- Visit the free bird sanctuary
- Visit the fijordland national park visitors center
- Polar plunge in the lake
- Hike on the Kepler Track!
My Favorite Budget Stay in Te Anau
And lastly my friends, I’ve even got you covered with where to stay.
The best accommodation I’ve stayed at in Te Anau was the Lakefront Backpackers. It’s clean, comfortable and they have both dorm beds for budget travelers and private rooms for those with a mid range budget. It’s a great stay!
How to Book the Te Anau Glow Worm Tour
By this point I hope that you’re more than convinced that the Te Anau glow worm tour is worth it! You will have stunning views of the mountains from the lake, learn from experienced guides and get to see these freaky and beautiful worms up close.
What are you waiting for?
You can book this unforgettable glow worm tour today and still receive free cancellation in case your plans change! It’s a no brainer!
✨ Check Tour Availability Here ✨
Thanks for reading! I hope you love the tour as much as I did
Ahoy! I’m Bree and I’ve started this blog to help you plan your next great outdoor adventure. With a background in marine science, I’ve got an aptitude for all things ocean, but you’ll find land based adventures here too! Everything you see here is based on my own travel experience and paid for myself. I hope you stick around!