Prices and times

How much does it cost to visit Te Anau Glowworm Caves?

NZ$154 for an adult and NZ$75 for a child aged 5 to 15 when booked with RealNZ or Bookme in October 2026. GetYourGuide listed the tour from US$73.

There is no entry fee separate from the tour, because there is no other way in. The fare is the boat, the guide and the cave together.

Is it cheaper to book direct with RealNZ or on GetYourGuide?

Compare the checkout price for your date on both. The from-prices differ in currency and ticket type, and the cancellation rules differ more.

• RealNZ direct: fares in NZ dollars. Its terms give a refund on day experiences only with at least 24 hours' notice (RealNZ terms), and 1% of a direct booking goes to conservation.
• GetYourGuide: fares in your currency, free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and the same RealNZ departure. Card fees for a foreign-currency payment don't apply if you pay in your home currency.
• Bookme: often the easiest place to see the child fare, but its terms add a 10% cancellation fee and generally no refund inside 24 hours.

The US$73 from-price is lower than a straight conversion of NZ$154, so it is not the adult fare on every date. Put your date and party in before you compare.

The RealNZ glowworm tour from the Te Anau lakefront, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

★ 4.6 · 2 h 15 min · from $73

Explore the glowworm caves tour → Tour details

What are the Te Anau Glowworm Caves departure times?

In late October 2026 there were nine boats a day: 9:00, 10:15, 11:30, 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00 and 8:15pm. Winter has fewer.

RealNZ doesn't publish a timetable page; the live times sit in its booking calendar. The list above is from Bookme for 25 October to 7 November 2026. An older RealNZ brochure gives the seasonal pattern:

The tour runs every day of the year. The summer timetable for the season ahead is covered in the summer 2026-27 post.

How long is the tour, and when should you arrive?

The tour lasts about 2 h 15 min. RealNZ asks you to check in 30 minutes before, and check-in closes 5 minutes before the boat leaves.

Plan three hours from walking into the visitor centre to walking out. Roughly an hour of that is on the lake, about 30 minutes each way, and the rest is Cavern House, the cave walk and the grotto boat. RealNZ's own pages say anything from 2 hours to "two to three hours", so don't book a dinner table for 15 minutes after the scheduled return.

Te Anau is small, and from most of the town the visitor centre is a short walk. If you are driving in from Queenstown, give yourself 2 to 2.5 hours for the 170 km (Fiordland RTO) and don't book the first boat after you arrive.

Are there combo deals or discounts?

RealNZ sells two discounted packages online: glowworms plus a Milford cruise from NZ$313.20, and glowworms plus Milford and Doubtful Sound from NZ$672.30.

From RealNZ's combo deals page in October 2026:

• Fiordland Highlights: Glowworm Caves and the Milford Sound Signature Cruise, from NZ$313.20 per person.
• Total Fiordland: Glowworm Caves, Milford Signature Cruise and Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise, from NZ$672.30.

The catch: transport between the experiences is not included. For the Milford cruise that means driving the Milford Road yourself. If you want a guide to drive, a coach day such as the small-group Milford day and a separate cave ticket can work out simpler. We compare both routes in Fiordland combo deals 2026.

What is included in the ticket?

The return lake cruise, displays at Cavern House, the guided cave walk, the small-boat ride into the glowworm grotto, and tea and coffee.

• Included: return catamaran crossing, a guide for each group of up to 12, the walk past the waterfall and whirlpools, the grotto boat ride, hot drinks at Cavern House.
• Sometimes: a short optional nature walk by the lake, mentioned on Bookme's listing.
• Not included: transport to Te Anau, food, and photos inside the cave, which aren't allowed.

Bring non-slip shoes, a warm layer and a rain jacket. The cave sits at 8 to 12°C all year.

Can you get there from Queenstown without a car?

Yes, by intercity bus to Te Anau. Resellers have also listed a RealNZ coach-and-caves day from Queenstown, but it was not on RealNZ's own site in October 2026.

Buses run to Te Anau from Queenstown, Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch (Fiordland RTO). The visitor centre is in the middle of town, so once you are in Te Anau you can walk to the boat.

Bookme still shows a coach plus Glowworm Caves trip from Queenstown at an old price. Check with RealNZ before you plan around it. The Queenstown-based Milford day trip passes through Te Anau but does not include the caves.

When should you book the glowworm caves?

A few days ahead from December to February and in school holidays; on the day is often fine in winter. Free cancellation makes early booking low-risk.

RealNZ calls December to February its peak season and advises booking ahead. Evening boats suit the most common plan, arriving from Queenstown and leaving for Milford the next morning, so book those early. In winter there are fewer departures but more empty seats.

Our advice: lock in the evening of your arrival day as soon as your accommodation is booked, then plan Milford Sound around it. If the weather wrecks the fiord day, the cave is the one trip in Te Anau that doesn't care about rain.

Frequently asked questions