The guide switched off his torch and the cave disappeared. For a few seconds, there was nothing. No kids and no sense of space at all. I grabbed onto the metal rail that I knew was behind me, feeling a bit disoriented in the pitch black.
Then, slowly, like someone had flicked on the night sky, hundreds of tiny lights began to glow above us. Dim at first, and as our eyes adjusted to the dark, much brighter. It was like our own personal galaxy turning on just for us. We’d gone with Spellbound Cave Tours over the main Waitomo Glowworm Caves boat tour for a less crowded experience, and as Miss Ten squeezed my hand, I knew instantly that this wasn’t going to feel like a typical tourist attraction.
If you’re wondering what to expect on the Spellbound glowworm cave tour (especially with kids), here’s exactly how it unfolded for our family.
What is the Spellbound Glowworm Tour?
Spellbound isn’t a big corporate attraction; it’s a small, family-owned business run by locals who genuinely live and breathe Waitomo’s cave system.
The team behind Spellbound have been developing and guiding cave experiences in the region for more than 35 years. In fact, they were pioneers of some of Waitomo’s most loved caving adventures, including the first Black Water Rafting tours back in the late 1980s. Their smaller, more immersive eco-style experience allows visitors to properly connect with the caves rather than simply pass through them.
Spellbound operates within Mangawhitikau Cave, considered one of New Zealand’s significant cave systems and protected under a QEII covenant. The caves are privately owned and carefully managed, which adds to the feeling that you’re stepping into something preserved rather than commercialised.
Spellbound keeps group sizes small (a maximum of 12 people per tour), which makes a noticeable difference underground. There are three different tours you can choose from.
Spellbound Glowworm & Cave Explorer Tour
- Visits two caves: the Glowworm Cave and the Spirit Cave
- Around 150 minutes
- Maximum 12 guests
- More in-depth and adventurous
The Essential Glowworm Tour
- Focuses on the Glowworm Cave only
- Around 90 minutes
- Maximum 12 guests
- A shorter but still immersive experience
Private Tour
- Customisable experience
- Up to 12 people
- Around 150 minutes
- Ideal for families or groups wanting a personalised experience
What makes Spellbound different from the main Waitomo Tour?
If you’re researching glowworm tours in Waitomo, you’ve probably also come across the iconic boat ride. That experience is world-famous – drifting silently beneath thousands of glowworms on an underground river is genuinely magical. They do that on the Spellbound tour as well!
We didn’t do the more commercial Glowworm tour, so I can’t personally compare. However, I was put off by the negative online reviews, which mostly complained about the short duration of the boat ride, the number of people going through at the same time and a ban on taking photos.
Spellbound has none of these problems with maximum group sizes of 12 people. We had six in our group, and three of those were my family (myself and two kids). You’re also allowed to take photos. Flash photography wasn’t allowed, but they have a camera mount in the cave so you can steady your camera or phone for a long exposure in the dark.
With kids, the smaller group size is especially valuable. Our guide was amazing with the kids and had time to engage, explain, and respond to their curiosity rather than sticking to a tight schedule.
Step-by-step: What to expect on the Spellbound Tour
We went on the Spellbound Glowworm & Cave Explorer Tour, where you visit two caves, so I’ll be referring to that tour in this section. However, if you were to book the shorter Glowworm only cave tour, I would imagine it would be exactly the same, minus the second cave.
Arrival and briefing
Spellbound is located around 13km from the small town of Waitomo. It takes around 17 minutes to drive to their office building (where the tour starts) from the Top 10 Holiday Park in Waitomo. Once you arrive, you’ll go to the office, sign the usual waivers and meet your guide. We got Finn and he was amazing. Now is the best time to go to the toilet as the ones down near the caves are a little more rustic.
Getting to the cave
You’ll jump into a minivan, and your guide will drive you through private property down towards the cave. It’s a very short ride (under 15 minutes) and the scenery is ridiculously beautiful with rolling green hills. You park on a hill above the cave and walk down to it, so sturdy shoes are a must.
Once you get down to the cave, you’ll notice a pretty river flowing into it, and a bridge with some caving helmets, which you must wear for health and safety. Before we went in, Finn showed us some eels that live in the river and told us more about what we were going to see.
Darkness level and entering the cave
You will all cross a little bridge and walk into the cave itself. Don’t worry, you don’t have to walk through water! Your guide will have a torch to lead you in, and once you’re inside on a walking track with a handrail, they will warn you when the torch is going off and to look up. You’ll also learn a lot about the Glowworms and the history of the cave.
Glowworm viewing and boat ride
When the torch turns off, it is pitch black until your eyes adjust, which can be a bit disorienting. I held on to the railing and my daughter’s hand. Slowly but surely, as our eyes adjusted, the Glowworms appeared to magically ‘turn on’ one by one. It’s very much like standing outside at night to look at the stars. It’s simply amazing!
Finn, our guide, also took some photos for us using the long exposure on my phone. However, neither of us was any good at standing still, so we are all a bit blurry. We had the option of mounting the phone or my camera on a mount for a proper long exposure picture, but honestly, I just wanted to enjoy the experience and not stuff around with it, so I declined the offer.
The boat ride
You’ll then walk a little further to a small boat. Sitting on plank seats, our guide pulled us along using ropes. As you’re in a river cave, the environment is quite cool and wet, and this is where you’ll appreciate your jumper. Water also drips from the ceiling onto you a bit. This part of the tour is quite special, with the boat gliding silently through the water, the Glowworm constellation above, and the sound of the water flowing. You can definitely hear a waterfall up ahead somewhere, but the boat, of course, doesn’t go anywhere near that.
A break between caves
After the boat ride, you’ll make your way back out, and after hanging up your safety helmets, you’ll get to enjoy a hot chocolate or tea and a biscuit. There are some toilets here if you need to use them.
The Spirit Cave
Next, we walked to the Spirit Cave, which is close by. You can also drive, but our group felt like a walk. This cave has minimal glowworms but features stalagmites and stalactites and has an interesting history. There is a purpose-built walkway to protect the cave, and again, it’s quite cool inside. Your guide, of course, will give you plenty of fascinating tidbits about the cave.
End of the tour
After your visit to the Spirit Cave, you’ll jump back in the minivan and make the short journey back up to the office, where the tour ends.
Is Spellbound Waitomo Glowworm Caves suitable for kids?
The short answer is yes… for most kids. Here is the longer answer to help you decide if it’s right for you.
Darkness factor
The caves do get completely dark at times. When the guide switches off the lights so your eyes can adjust, it’s true pitch black – the kind where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. For some kids, that’s thrilling. For others, it might feel overwhelming. Once the glowworms appear overhead, though, the darkness transforms into something magical rather than scary. If your child is particularly sensitive to darkness, it’s worth talking to them about what to expect beforehand.
If you have a baby or toddler who freaks out when the lights go out and can’t be settled, you may be asked to leave the cave early to allow other guests to enjoy the experience. For this reason, it’s worth considering a private tour just for your family and friends if you have very young kids. My kids were 10 and 13 years of age.
Walking and physical requirements
This isn’t a high-adrenaline caving adventure, but it is a natural cave environment. You can expect uneven surfaces, some steps and slippery-ish sections in places.
Kids need to be steady on their feet and able to walk the entire time. There’s no crawling or squeezing through tight gaps, but you also can’t take a pram, so babies and toddlers will need a backpack-style carrier.
Closed-in shoes with good grip are essential.
Attention span
The Essential Glowworm Tour (one cave only) runs for around 90 minutes, which is manageable for most school-aged children. The longer Explorer tour is around 150 minutes. Older kids who enjoy science, nature or slightly adventurous experiences may like it, but I feel that younger children may find it a stretch.
I found that after the Glowworm Cave, my kids were hungry and at the limit of their attention span, so they didn’t enjoy the Spirit Cave as much as they could have. If I were doing this again with kids, I would book the Glowworm Cave only.
Fear factor
It’s not designed to be scary, but being underground naturally adds a layer of intensity. There are no jump scares, sudden drops or loud noises. The atmosphere is calm and guided. If your child can handle museums, nature experiences or guided tours, they’ll likely be fine. If they struggle with enclosed spaces or darkness, you may want to consider the shorter tour option.
Age suitability
Spellbound is generally best suited to confident primary-school-aged children, tweens and teens, and curious younger children who are comfortable in dark spaces. Very young toddlers may find the duration and darkness difficult.
Is it worth the money?
Yes, I personally think seeing the glowworms with Spellbound is worth the money. Experiencing the Glowworms in New Zealand is a bucket list experience, and when you combine this with the boat ride through the cave, the beautiful environment, the amazing guides and the uniqueness of the caves, this experience feels like a winner.
The Spellbound Glowworm and Cave Explore Tour (visit two caves) comes in under $300 for a family of four:
- $99 NZD for adults
- $34 NZD for children (aged 0-14)
The Essential Glowworm Tour (Glowworm cave only) comes in at under $200 for a family of four:
- $70 NZD for adults
- $24 NZD for children (aged 0-14)
Practical tips for doing the Spellbound Glowworm tour with kids
- Book ahead (small groups)
- Dress warm with long pants and a jacket
- Wear proper shoes
- Go to the bathroom before the tour
- Prepare the kids for darkness
- Manage expectations around photos (it’s too dark inside the cave for selfies)
So, is Spellbound Waitomo worth doing with kids?
I would definitely recommend this to any family with school-aged kids and older.
FAQ on Spellbound Waitomo Glowworm Tours
The Essential Glowworm Tour runs for around 90 minutes. The Glowworm & Cave Explorer Tour runs for approximately 150 minutes and includes two caves. Families with younger children may prefer the shorter option.
Yes, most children who are comfortable in the dark and able to walk steadily for the duration of the tour will enjoy it. The pace is manageable, but there are uneven natural surfaces underfoot. Very young children who are fearful of the dark may find it challenging.
At certain points, yes. The guide turns off all lights so your eyes can adjust and the glowworms become visible. Torches are used during walking sections for safety.
Yes. Spellbound includes a quiet boat ride beneath glowworms, similar to the famous main Waitomo experience. The key difference lies in the smaller group size and longer boat ride at Spellbound.
Yes, the cave maintains a cool, consistent temperature year-round. A light jacket or warm layer is recommended, along with closed-in shoes with good grip.
Flash photography is not permitted as it disturbs the glowworms. However, there are mounts for your phone or camera that keep it steady should you wish to use a longer shutter speed.
No. New Zealand glowworms are the larval stage of a fungus gnat. They produce light through bioluminescence to attract insects into their sticky threads.
The caves are natural limestone formations with varying ceiling heights and passage widths. Most chambers feel open, but you are underground in enclosed spaces. Those with strong claustrophobia may wish to consider this.
It depends on what you’re looking for. The main Waitomo caves offer a classic tourist experience. Spellbound offers smaller groups, longer time underground and a more intimate feel.
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