2025 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2024 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award

2023 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Award

Tours from Auckland Rotorua Tours Waitomo Caves Tours North Island Tours

Auckland to Rotorua via Waitomo Caves

From NZD$309

4.9

(87 reviews)

Departs from: Tours from Auckland

Duration: 9 hours

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Travel from Auckland to Rotorua on this unforgettable small group, fully guided day trip that takes you through the heart of New Zealand’s countryside and into the magical underground world of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. With engaging guides, scenic landscapes, and plenty of photo stops along the way, this one-way journey combines nature, adventure, and authentic Kiwi storytelling in one seamless experience.

Why you’ll love this

Journey through the lush Waikato countryside, New Zealand’s largest farming region

Explore the world-famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves with a guided tour and boat ride

Marvel at thousands of glittering glowworms unique to New Zealand

Enjoy a relaxed small group experience with comfort, care, and local insight

End your day in Rotorua, ready to explore its geothermal wonders and Māori culture

Itinerary

What’s included

Small group guided one-way tour from Auckland to Rotorua

Entry to Waitomo Glowworm Caves with guided tour and boat ride

Comfortable, air-conditioned transport with water and refreshments

Engaging local guide with live commentary

Complimentary bottled water and snacks

Why choose us

Famously passionate tour guides

Our guides share stories, laughs, and Kiwi charm on every journey.

Travel in comfort

Small groups, big comfort. Relax in our modern Mercedes minibuses with style and space.

Award-winning tours

Thousands of five-star reviews and top travel awards - experiences loved worldwide.

Kiwi owned. Kiwi operated

Proudly local and passionate about sharing authentic New Zealand with every traveller.

Stories worth sharing

7/6/2026

Great Travel!!

We had an amazing experience with Cheeky Travel! Our guide, Grant, was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. We travelled to the Waitomo Caves, and he made the whole journey enjoyable by sharing lots of interesting information about New Zealand and the places we passed. He also provided us with water and snacks, which was a lovely touch and made the trip even more comfortable. The bus was very clean, comfortable, and well-maintained. Thank you, Grant, for making our trip so enjoyable. We would definitely recommend Cheeky Travel to anyone looking for a great travel experience in New Zealand!

Thea M

6/29/2026

Great one-way tour to Routoura from Auckland

Recommended tour. Pick-up at hotel at 5:40 am. Coach was comfortable with Wifi and usb charging ports available. Breakfast granola bars, cassava chips, and bottled water were complimentary. Our tour had 8 people, so the bus was not squeezy. Space in the trunk for our big luggages. Grant's driving was smooth and he was perfectly friendly. Stops for breakfast and coffee, glowworm cave, te puia, and lake Rotoura sulphur point. Not very tiring for a 12 hr+ tour, quite well-timed provided all passengers were on-time. Dropped off at Rotoura around 4 pm ish while others on the tour returned to Auckland ETA 6-7 pm.

Eve S

6/12/2026

Relax with Cheeky Kiwi!

We had such a lovely time touring with Vicky from Auckland to Rotorua via the Waitomo Caves! She was very knowledgeable about the region with plenty of history and fun facts. The luxury van was very comfortable with WIFI on board (keeps teens happy)! The caves are definitely worth experiencing. The cave formations are mind boggling and the glow worms are fascinating to learn about and see. Look no further to book this portion of your trip!

Tammy L

6/11/2026

Excellent experience at Waimoto and Rotokua

A great experience seeing the stunning constellation of glowworms at Waimoto, learning about Māori culture, and getting close to multiple geysers. Alessandro was knowledgeable and helpful, giving great recommendations and dropping be off at my accommodation at Rotokua.

louistee

6/11/2026

Great Guide, Good Vibes, Beautiful Scenery, Informative Experiences

Alessandro was genuinely an amazing guide who was very kind to me and the other solo traveler on our trip, incredibly knowledgeable and informative about the region and New Zealand in general, and overall helped make this a great day! The fee was a bit high but a good deal for both Waitomo and Te Puia, particularly when you account for the additional transit and accommodation costs non-drivers would have to pay in time and money otherwise. The glowworm caves were stunning, the countryside scenery beautiful, and te puia interesting with a good amount of time for both attractions.

Caroline M

6/8/2026

Beautiful Rotrua from the eyes of Knowledgeable Guide

Places become extra special when you have knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. This was very true for Mr Ale from Cheekykiwi. We had a wonderful time exploring beautiful places of Waitomo Caves and Te Puia with our travel partner Mr Ale. My son enjoyed a lot talking to him and getting to understand more about New Zealand and Māori culture. Thank you Cheekykiwi team.

Jasmit Singh1974

5/23/2026

Great trip to Waitomo Cave and Rotorua

It was a great trip to Waitomo Glow worm cave and Rotorua. Our tour guide, Trent, was a gracious host. Even with a very small group, he still drove us to the sites with great enthusiasm. One of our tour mates slipped on the curb side of Waitomo cave entrance and had to cancel the rest of her trip. Trent made sure that she was taken cared of and brought back to the city before we head out to our next destination. It was a great experience. One of the highlights of our trip.

NayrShey

5/16/2026

Lovely service

A big thank-you to our driver Simon! Lots of interesting facts and stories during the trip. He was absolutely lovely towards everyone, myself included 😊

Kat Z

5/16/2026

GREAT TOUR WITH TRENT !

One of the most unique experiences I have ever had! The places are amazing and the tour was GREAT! Specially because of our guide, Mr. Trent! Friendly, educated, clever and gentle! Always giving informations about everything on the way and also giving full attention to the group. He knows a lot about Maori culture and history. He drove us carefully and was always with us helping as much as possible. Smileful and really enjoying staying with us and taking care of the group. He even mede quick stops at a few other places on the way that were not included on the tour to show us some nice spots and give us more information. All the activities happened in a perfect way because of him. I highly recommend this tour with Cheeky Kiwi and specially with Mr. Trent as a guide! He loves what he does and he does it very well!!! Cheers

Marcelo Raimona

5/16/2026

Thank you Trent !!!

One of the most unique experiences I've ever lived. Sensational. Mr. Trent, our guide, made all the difference. Punctual, sociable, intelligent, polite, kind and has an excellent knowledge of Maori culture. Careful in the direction and perfect in dealing with us. All along he provided information about the climate, vegetation, geography, culture, customs and various curiosities. He did everything he could even to help a member of the group who had a small accident with a fall. He was equipped with first aid and provided all necessary assistance possible. The places were amazing, the cost was appropriate and the time helped but I repeat, the guide (Trent) made all the difference. I already know more than 70 countries and have made many tours around the world, this was undoubtedly one of the best! Super recommend the tour with Cheeky Kiwi and especially with Mr. Trent!

Marcelo Raimona

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