Free glowworms in New Zealand

Where can I see glow worms in New Zealand for free?

Hokitika's Glowworm Dell and the Minnehaha Walk at Fox Glacier are the easiest. Waipu, Abbey and Clifden Caves are free but wild, for prepared visitors.

Free spots with a source behind them, south to north:

Non-DOC entries are from the NZ Pocket Guide list. Conditions on unmanaged sites change, so check locally before you go.

Are there glowworm caves near Te Anau?

One: the Te Anau Glowworm Caves across the lake, which you can only visit on the paid RealNZ tour. The nearest free cave is Clifden, roughly an hour's drive south.

The Te Anau caves sit on the western shore of the lake inside Fiordland National Park, in the Murchison Mountains, the main wild home of the endangered takahē. Access is restricted to protect the cave, and the only way in is RealNZ's boat from the lakefront (RealNZ).

We found no free glowworm site in Te Anau town that a reliable source names: not on the lakefront, not at the bird sanctuary, and none listed for the Kepler Track. You may spot a few on a damp bank on a night walk, but don't plan a trip around it.

The only glowworm cave near Te Anau: a lake crossing, a guided walk and the grotto by small boat.

★ 4.6 · 2 h 15 min · from $73

Explore the glowworm caves tour → Tour details

Can you visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves for free?

No. There is no road, no track and no walk-in access. RealNZ holds the only concession, and the boat is part of the fare.

The adult fare is NZ$154 direct, and GetYourGuide listed the tour from US$73 in October 2026. That buys an hour on the lake, a guide and the grotto boat. The details are in prices and times.

Paying has one advantage over free spots: the cave display is far denser than anything on a forest bank, and it is there in daylight, in rain, in any season.

What is Clifden Caves like?

A real, unguided limestone cave about 1 km long with glowworms. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours and suits fit, agile people aged 12 and over, never after rain.

From DOC's Clifden Caves page:

• The route: follow reflective markers through the system, crawling in places, past cold deep pools, and up three 4 m ladders one person at a time.
• The gear: a helmet, two torches each with spare batteries, warm clothes that stay warm when wet, sturdy shoes, food and water, a first aid kit.
• The rule that matters: don't go in if it is raining, if rain is forecast, or if it rained in the past 24 hours. The cave floods fast.
• Getting there: off SH96, about 1 km north-east of the Clifden and Blackmount corner, on private land. There is no phone coverage.

Go in a group of two to six and leave your plans with someone. This is caving, not a walk.

How do you find glowworms on a night walk?

Go after full dark, to a damp, sheltered bank by a stream. Turn your torch off, stand still and wait a few minutes for your eyes to adjust.

• Where: moist banks, overhangs and road cuttings beside streams, out of the wind (Te Ara).
• When: outdoor glowworms switch on shortly after dark and usually shine all night.
• Light: use a torch to walk, then switch it off near the bank.
• Weather: damp, still nights beat dry, windy ones.
• Patience: they look faint at first and brighter after a few minutes in the dark.

When to see glow worms in New Zealand?

In caves, any time of day, all year. Outdoors, only after dark, which in a southern summer can mean 10pm or later.

Fiordland's long summer evenings stay light until about 9:30pm, so a forest walk for glowworms becomes a late night. In winter it is dark by about 5pm. Tourism New Zealand's advice is simple: be quiet, switch off torches near them, and visit after dark outdoors (newzealand.com). For how the seasons affect the display, see glowworm facts.

Is the paid Te Anau tour worth it over a free spot?

If you are in Fiordland, yes. Free spots are scattered and small; the cave grotto is a dense ceiling of light you reach by boat, with a guide.

A roadside dell is a scattering of lights on a bank. The Te Anau grotto has hundreds of thousands by RealNZ's count, reflected in still water. Add the lake crossing and the underground waterfall and it is a different thing. The worth it guide covers who should skip it.

On a West Coast road trip, stop at Hokitika and Fox Glacier for free. In Te Anau, pay for the cave.

Lake cruise, cave walk past an underground waterfall, and the glowworm grotto by small boat.

★ 4.6 · 2 h 15 min · from $73

Explore the glowworm caves tour → Tour details

How should you behave around wild glowworms?

Quietly, and without touching. Torches off nearby, no flash, stay on the track, and stay out of caves after rain.

• Don't touch the glowworms or their threads; they retreat and stop glowing (Arachnocampa).
• No flash: it affects the glowworms and wrecks everyone's night vision.
• Keep to marked routes in caves and don't touch formations (DOC).
• Take your rubbish out, and leave the banks as you found them.

Frequently asked questions