All you will need are comfortable shoes and a warm jacket.
•
Not suitable for those who have difficulty navigating stairs
•
Due to high demand and limited capacity, if you are late or miss your scheduled tour time your ticket(s) are forfeited and non refundable. New bookings will incur the full tour cost and are subject to availability
•
Your own transport is required
•
You must check in 30 minutes before the tour departs
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
•
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
•
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
•
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
•
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
•
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Become our Lokal Curator
Are you ready to turn your hobbies into a business?
Discover serenity in the most delicate and intimate of the main caves in Waitomo. Begin your tour with a guided walk through an enchanted forest before discovering the most beautiful collection of decorative formations. Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo's three main caves. As a dry cave without a running river through it, it houses very little life past its entrance. Walk through the cave with your guide on this 1-hour tour, with an additional 15-minute guided bush walk. Visit soon to see the richly varied cave formations within close-up view and enjoy an experience you will never forget. Choose from one of seven departure times when you book.
Highlights
1 hour
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
1 hour
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Local guide
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting Points
Departure
Ruakuri Bushwalk
Drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves along Waitomo Village Road. Turn left at the roundabout on to Tumutumu Road. Continue a further 1.8kms turing right down to the Ruakuri Scenic reserve. Park and wait for your guide at the small shelter. Departure Point: Ruakuri Scenic Reserve Car Park
Return
1-Hour Guided Tour of Aranui Cave Waitomo
(38) Reviews
Otorohanga
About
Discover serenity in the most delicate and intimate of the main caves in Waitomo. Begin your tour with a guided walk through an enchanted forest before discovering the most beautiful collection of decorative formations. Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo's three main caves. As a dry cave without a running river through it, it houses very little life past its entrance. Walk through the cave with your guide on this 1-hour tour, with an additional 15-minute guided bush walk. Visit soon to see the richly varied cave formations within close-up view and enjoy an experience you will never forget. Choose from one of seven departure times when you book.
Highlights
1 hour
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
1 hour
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Local guide
Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting Points
Departure
Ruakuri Bushwalk
Drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves along Waitomo Village Road. Turn left at the roundabout on to Tumutumu Road. Continue a further 1.8kms turing right down to the Ruakuri Scenic reserve. Park and wait for your guide at the small shelter. Departure Point: Ruakuri Scenic Reserve Car Park
Return
Itinerary
1
Aranui Cave
Set in the forest of the Ruakuri scenic reserve, the beautifully delicate formations in Aranui Cave create a place for quiet contemplation and a time to reflect on the wonders of nature. Aranui Cave is a magical, mystical place that is steeped in Maori myth and legend. As such, it occupies a very special place in the hearts of the people of the Waitomo district.
Aranui Cave is set in the Ruakuri Scenic Reserve, 5 minute drive from the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. It is named after Ruruku Aranui, the local Maori man who first discovered this previously hidden gem back in 1910.
Aranui Cave has a natural cave entrance and is the smallest and most delicate of Waitomo's three main caves. As a dry cave without a river running through it, it houses very little life past its entrance. However, just inside the entrance is a colony of native New Zealand cave wetas and further into the cave is the most beautiful collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and decorative formations.
On this guided tour, explore the ancient cave formations, high chambers and huge stalactites and stalagmites of Aranui Cave, one of Waitomo’s best kept secrets. These small-group tours are led by experienced guides who can provide information on the cave's unique geology and history.
