Glow Worm Kayaking

A truly unique and magical adventure, the best way to see Glow Worms in Rotorua!

Glow Worm Kayak Tour

Our amazing Glow Worm Kayak Tour is an evening adventure that takes you along the beautiful shorelines of the Rotorua Lakes in a guided scenic kayak tour during sunset/dusk.

Once night sets in you discover hidden small caverns home to galaxies of glow worms, exploring these caves is a once in a lifetime experience. This tour is one of the most unique and magical ways to see New Zealand’s glow worms.

A must do Rotorua experience!

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Glow Worm Kayak Tour Details

Our evening glow worm kayaking tour is one of New Zealand's premium glow worm experiences. The combination of incredible glow worms, night time adventuring and stars on a clear night really does create magic and it is our pleasure to share these moments with every single person that joins these tours.

Your friendly guide will pick you up and shuttle you from Rotorua, past the iconic Redwood forest as you make your way to our base on the shorelines.
Upon arrival, you will gear up and prepare for an epic night out with all activity equipment provided.
Your guide will then run through safety and basic kayak instruction before you take the helm on the water.

During the Tour:

Begin exploring the shoreline and embracing the weather conditions of the evening as you follow your guide around the lake edge as nightfall sets in.
Discover your adventurous side as your guide leads you inside small hidden caves, home to galaxy formations of glowing worms.
Take ample time to enjoy the magical moments inside the caves, surrounded by Mother Earth's beauty.

Weather and Night Sky:

If it is a clear night, the magic continues as the stars come out and the cloudy appearance of the Milky Way fills the sky.

After the Tour:

Upon returning to the base, you will feel like you have been in another world for the past few hours and will likely have made some new friends through the wonder of this shared experience.

Glow Worm Kayak Tour Highlights

Sunset/Dusk/Night Kayaking
Incredible glowing worms
Star Gazing (if clear skies)
No experience required
An approved navigation safety licence for night operation
Perfect for all ages (5 years and over)
Pick-up & return transfers from Rotorua Information Centre
Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Award
Only 15 minutes from Rotorua

What to wear and bring

For kayaking in summer (November - February): We recommend wearing light-weight clothing. Shorts/pants/leggings for your bottom half and at least two layers for your top half. Water friendly shoes are recommended, but are provided free of charge if needed.

For Kayaking outside of summer (March - October): Please wear warm clothing (thermal if possible). Pants/leggings for your bottom half and a minimum of three layers for your top half (which are preferably thermal, fleece, or wool). Please also bring a warm hat and gloves. During our coolest months you will be provided a wetsuit to wear over your clothes. Water friendly shoes are recommended, but are provided free of charge if needed.

Extra Items:

2 x pairs of socks
Towel
Water bottle
Rain jacket if it looks likely to rain
Change of clothes (just incase)
Sense of fun and adventure!

More Information

We recommend that you arrive at least 10 mins prior to the meeting time at the Rotorua Information Centre. Once you meet your guide, you can forget about time altogether!
Booking is essential. We recommend booking in advance to secure your spot due to popularity as on the day bookings can miss out as we may be fully booked.
Allow at least 3 hours for the round trip leaving from and returning to Rotorua.
We will do our best to get in touch well in advance if the weather looks bad, unfortunately sometimes mother nature wins. If our regulations allow us to operate then we will operate.
Suitable for all ages 5 years old and above
All participants 16 years and under must be supervised by a responsible adult 18 years or over
The kayaks are ‘two person sit-on-top kayaks’ a weight limit of 220kg (total per kayak) applies

FAQs

Tours Operate Daily

Pick up & return transfers included from the Rotorua Information Center.

Address: 1167 Fenton Street, Rotorua

Departing times:

Summer 8:00pm, 8:50pm, 9:40pm (Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb)
Daylight Savings 7:20pm, 8:10pm (March, Oct)
Winter 5pm, 6pm (April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept)

Allow 3 hours for the round trip from Rotorua.

Some fun Glow Worm Facts!

Glow worms have silky, mucus covered threads that hang all around the glow worm, allowing it to catch insects such as mosquito’s and trout flies which are food for the glow worm to eat.
The glow worm's glow comes from its tail, where the bioluminescence is created by a reaction of proteins and enzymes within the digestive system of the worm. They have a special organ for this process that even we don't have!
The Glow Worm is the larva of a fungus gnat. Their species name is Arachnocampa Luminosa which can ONLY be found in NZ!
As an adult, the Glow Worm only lives for a short period of time (1-3 days) however in its larval stage, when it glows, it can live for anywhere between 6 months and 2 years depending on how much food it eats.
The life cycle of the GLOW WORM has four stages, the Egg stage (2 weeks), the Larval stage (6-24 months), the Pupal stage (2 weeks) and the Adult stage (1-3 days).

Want to know more? Book now, we LOVE questions!

Prices

Adult: $169
Child: $80

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7. Back Shot Close Up of Glow Worm Kayaker

Star Gazing on New Zealand Glow Worm Tour

Amazing vibrant nature as Kayak enters Glow Worm Cave

Couple in cave during Glow Worm Kayak Tour

Night Shot of New Zealand Glow Worm Kayak Base

Sustainability Commitment

Taiao Adventures provides authentic, eco-friendly outdoor tours led by grassroots leaders. Our tours explore lakes, glow worm caves, and the Waimangu Valley while prioritising environmental conservation.

We take extra care to preserve the glow worm habitats, consulting with a renowned expert to ensure they are not disturbed by our tours in any way.