The Legendary Black Water Rafting Co, Waitomo

During our holiday in the north island my wife had come across Waitomo Caves and booked us on the 3 hour Labyrinth tour. This was great fun and we were well looked after by Sammy, Scuba and Isaac who were funny, friendly and knowledgeable. Great fun walking, jumping backwards into pools, and climbing through the water and darkness of the caves, and lovely floating in our inner-tubes under the vault of the glow worms above doing "the eel". Warm shower and a cup of soup to warm up after the main event and a good little cafe in the building as well. We ate lunch at the cafe down the road in the village on Scuba's recommendation and it was good tucker too! A great experience all round and then we went on to do the cave tour and glow worm boat ride

We had an absolutely incredible black water rafting experience exploring the Waitomo Caves with our guides, Luke and Isaac. The glow worms were stunning, creating a magical, otherworldly atmosphere throughout the cave. We felt especially lucky that our tour still went ahead even though it was just the two of us—essentially giving us a fully guided private experience! Luke and Isaac were knowledgeable, fun, and made us feel safe while keeping the adventure exciting. We couldn’t recommend this experience more highly - definitely a must-do!

Really cool experience. One of our guides was really cool, the other one was a not as cool but still had fun. The experience was really unique in a good way and I doubt you’d get that level of coolness with another company. The bad: the picture situation is very less than desirable. It’s like $26.00 for all of them and theres about half of the photos that aren’t of your trip. It’s just filler promo photos of other people and activities you don’t even do, so that’s kinda a bummer. That is the main reason for 4 out of 5 on the rating. There’s a few other very minor reasons, but I’d still highly recommend the trip for the Abyss.

We did the black Abyss 5 hour tour and I would definitely recommend it. Our guides Aria and George were both fantastic, friendly, knowledgeable and of course kept us all very safe. The glow worms were truly magical and to be able to see them with the adventurous elements of this tour was perfect for us. Even topped off with warm showers and soup after the tour. It was really nice to not have to worry about carrying anything and for the guides to be taking photos for us too :)

One of our favourite experiences of our 5 weeks in NZ (north and south islands). Dan and Jonty ran our tour and made everyone feel relaxed and ready for adventure. I'm in my 60s, so I was a little hesitant but needn't have been. It was informative, stunning, relaxing, exhilarating and fun! Thanks, guys, for an awesome 3 hours.

Tour was great. Safe and fun experience. Guides were delightful. And the experience was really lovely. We had access to parts of the caves that other people clearly did not. Just by virtue of the way that we were tubing it. More adventurous than we had imagined. Lots of fun, but the padded wetsuits and boots made me feel really bulky and uncoordinated. A bit tricky to move with all of that on. Also, I’m a little person, (just under five feet tall) so when we were stepping over stones or climbing over slippery rocks with the boots on and the wetsuit with all the padding…it made it difficult. My lack of height comes from my really short legs. I'm long-torsod. My feet don't even touch the ground when sitting in chairs! I know that it's not the tours fault I'm short, but this review many help guide other vertically-challenged folks so they know what to expect. I’m a fairly fit woman in my mid to late 50s, I dance a great deal, have a personal yoga practice and do a lot of swimming/hiking/ snorkeling, etc. etc., But I’m realizing that my lack of height does make a difference on some excursions. For example, we were on a weeklong hiking experience last year where we hiked several hours, and there were spots along the hike where I honestly could not step down or step up without sitting down or having somebody hold my hand to step up. Hiking poles helped. It was just a matter of not having enough leg length. My legs were not just not that long. It’s a center of gravity thing, if my legs aren’t long enough to step all the way down on something, I have to sit down on something to then put my leg down on the next step. Or risk falling. The same thing applied here when we were in the water and there was a step that was down that was beyond my leg length. Everybody else was taking the steps easily, but my leg literally would not touch the next step, so I would have to sit down and then put my foot down on the next step. This made me feel like I was holding up the group a little bit. Also, I’m hyper flexible, as a dancer, and so even if I could have swung my leg around, with all the bulky things on, it was limiting my movement and the way I could bend and move my leg. This is not to say we did not have an amazing experience. We did! Rafting down in such a small group and seeing the glow worms was really magical. And I loved hopping backwards off the waterfall on my inner tube. The adventure level was really fun; I just felt like the combination of the bulky wetsuit and my petiteness made it a little more rugged adventure than I would have liked. Still, a gorgeous trip. Very magical. The guides were all very nice as well. Would we do it again? Heck, yes!

Would highly recommend! Wife and I went and really enjoyed it. The guides were funny and knowledgeable, the transport driver told us a "Dad" joke that I will keep in my arsenal. The time went by too fast!! And we'd do it again!! It does get dark. A couple spots require jumping a very small drop. And if you wear glasses like I do, leave them in the lockers. Mine fogged up instantly and ended up not being useful at all.

George and Lydia were great fun guides. At no time did I feel my safety was being compromised. The tour was amazing and for a 62 year old it was a fun adventure and certainly doable. I loved the serenity of the caves as we floated along looking at the glow worms. One of my more exceptional experiences. Thanks guides and the great bunch I did it with.

During our holiday in the north island my wife had come across Waitomo Caves and booked us on the 3 hour Labyrinth tour. This was great fun and we were well looked after by Sammy, Scuba and Isaac who were funny, friendly and knowledgeable. Great fun walking, jumping backwards into pools, and climbing through the water and darkness of the caves, and lovely floating in our inner-tubes under the vault of the glow worms above doing "the eel". Warm shower and a cup of soup to warm up after the main event and a good little cafe in the building as well. We ate lunch at the cafe down the road in the village on Scuba's recommendation and it was good tucker too! A great experience all round and then we went on to do the cave tour and glow worm boat ride

We had an absolutely incredible black water rafting experience exploring the Waitomo Caves with our guides, Luke and Isaac. The glow worms were stunning, creating a magical, otherworldly atmosphere throughout the cave. We felt especially lucky that our tour still went ahead even though it was just the two of us—essentially giving us a fully guided private experience! Luke and Isaac were knowledgeable, fun, and made us feel safe while keeping the adventure exciting. We couldn’t recommend this experience more highly - definitely a must-do!

Really cool experience. One of our guides was really cool, the other one was a not as cool but still had fun. The experience was really unique in a good way and I doubt you’d get that level of coolness with another company. The bad: the picture situation is very less than desirable. It’s like $26.00 for all of them and theres about half of the photos that aren’t of your trip. It’s just filler promo photos of other people and activities you don’t even do, so that’s kinda a bummer. That is the main reason for 4 out of 5 on the rating. There’s a few other very minor reasons, but I’d still highly recommend the trip for the Abyss.

We did the black Abyss 5 hour tour and I would definitely recommend it. Our guides Aria and George were both fantastic, friendly, knowledgeable and of course kept us all very safe. The glow worms were truly magical and to be able to see them with the adventurous elements of this tour was perfect for us. Even topped off with warm showers and soup after the tour. It was really nice to not have to worry about carrying anything and for the guides to be taking photos for us too :)

One of our favourite experiences of our 5 weeks in NZ (north and south islands). Dan and Jonty ran our tour and made everyone feel relaxed and ready for adventure. I'm in my 60s, so I was a little hesitant but needn't have been. It was informative, stunning, relaxing, exhilarating and fun! Thanks, guys, for an awesome 3 hours.

Tour was great. Safe and fun experience. Guides were delightful. And the experience was really lovely. We had access to parts of the caves that other people clearly did not. Just by virtue of the way that we were tubing it. More adventurous than we had imagined. Lots of fun, but the padded wetsuits and boots made me feel really bulky and uncoordinated. A bit tricky to move with all of that on. Also, I’m a little person, (just under five feet tall) so when we were stepping over stones or climbing over slippery rocks with the boots on and the wetsuit with all the padding…it made it difficult. My lack of height comes from my really short legs. I'm long-torsod. My feet don't even touch the ground when sitting in chairs! I know that it's not the tours fault I'm short, but this review many help guide other vertically-challenged folks so they know what to expect. I’m a fairly fit woman in my mid to late 50s, I dance a great deal, have a personal yoga practice and do a lot of swimming/hiking/ snorkeling, etc. etc., But I’m realizing that my lack of height does make a difference on some excursions. For example, we were on a weeklong hiking experience last year where we hiked several hours, and there were spots along the hike where I honestly could not step down or step up without sitting down or having somebody hold my hand to step up. Hiking poles helped. It was just a matter of not having enough leg length. My legs were not just not that long. It’s a center of gravity thing, if my legs aren’t long enough to step all the way down on something, I have to sit down on something to then put my leg down on the next step. Or risk falling. The same thing applied here when we were in the water and there was a step that was down that was beyond my leg length. Everybody else was taking the steps easily, but my leg literally would not touch the next step, so I would have to sit down and then put my foot down on the next step. This made me feel like I was holding up the group a little bit. Also, I’m hyper flexible, as a dancer, and so even if I could have swung my leg around, with all the bulky things on, it was limiting my movement and the way I could bend and move my leg. This is not to say we did not have an amazing experience. We did! Rafting down in such a small group and seeing the glow worms was really magical. And I loved hopping backwards off the waterfall on my inner tube. The adventure level was really fun; I just felt like the combination of the bulky wetsuit and my petiteness made it a little more rugged adventure than I would have liked. Still, a gorgeous trip. Very magical. The guides were all very nice as well. Would we do it again? Heck, yes!

Would highly recommend! Wife and I went and really enjoyed it. The guides were funny and knowledgeable, the transport driver told us a "Dad" joke that I will keep in my arsenal. The time went by too fast!! And we'd do it again!! It does get dark. A couple spots require jumping a very small drop. And if you wear glasses like I do, leave them in the lockers. Mine fogged up instantly and ended up not being useful at all.

George and Lydia were great fun guides. At no time did I feel my safety was being compromised. The tour was amazing and for a 62 year old it was a fun adventure and certainly doable. I loved the serenity of the caves as we floated along looking at the glow worms. One of my more exceptional experiences. Thanks guides and the great bunch I did it with.

This was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I would recommend to anyone visiting New Zealand. This is not just a basic rafting trip. You get to travel through caves, jump off of small waterfalls, and see the one-of-a-kind glow worms. Pippin and Lore were wonderful guides with great knowledge and comfort of the cave network. Please give this a try!

We did this today and it was so much fun! You must be in decent shape to do it due to rough climbing and jumping off waterfalls but if you dare what an experience! We had the American tour guide and a new tour guide Ari and one other sorry I didn't catch the names but they were fun and made us feel Comfortable. Worth the time and effort!

We did the Labyrinth Tour because we didn't have enough time for the Abyss but I'm so happy we did it because it was SO MUCH FUN!! The labyrinth is a 3 hour affair that involves a fairly exhausting wetsuit initiation, followed by a quick demonstration of working with the tube rafts and jumping into the water on them, and then finally the actual cave. You walk, raft and jump off waterfalls inside the cave under the expert supervision of your guides. Everywhere you look (walls and ceiling), you see the glowworms. We loved seeing the glowworms. But, we loved the adventure of rafting through the cave even more. At the end, you just float in the dark trying to find your way back out, which is insanely cool! The guides are extremely fun and professional. They make everything look easy and doable and there is really no room for fear at all. It is nice to walk into a cave to see glowworms but a whole other experience to raft through the same cave while watching glowworms and I know exactly which one I prefer. An absolute must-do in Waitomo! P.S. the soup afterwards is the best tomato soup I've had in a while. The photos only cost $26!!

My buddy and I did this tour as one our first few excursions while in New Zealand and it was an absolute blast. Hiking through the caves was a ton of fun and definitely enjoyed the right spaces and challenges that were involved with it. Aaron was our leading guide and he was fantastic. Very personable and made some great recommendations for the rest of our trip. Our other guides were great as well and definitely helped make the trip more enjoyable as well. I will say that even though I did enjoy this tour it was a little misleading when it says rafting. We took some tubes through parts of the cave, not rafts. Also some of the pictures showed the glow worms being super bright, but it wasn't nearly as bright in person. These things felt a bit less than advertised, but was still a great time. If you have extra time and money while in town this would be a good add on excursion. Make sure to book weekdays and use the promo code so you get the discounted price as well!

If you're looking for some adventure, look no further! We took The Black Abyss 5 hour tour to view the glow worms and we LOVED it. We purchased our tour through Expedia a couple of months before our trip and already had high expectations for this tour, as they made it sound so fun! We started our tour off by getting suited up with our wet suit, socks, boots and harnesses. Our tour guides, Corey and Astrid gave us safety tips and a quick abseiling lesson before we made our descent into the cave. Without saying too much (the tour has many fun surprises!), we experienced one of the most - if not the most - adventurous days we ever had. This tour included abseiling, zip lining, jumping into frigid waters (lots of discomfort here, but that's me, it's worth it), traveling deep through the cave to observe the magical sight of thousands of glow worms, climbing waterfalls and oh, even snacks!!! The tour is well worth the money. I HIGHLY recommend going on this once in a life time adventure. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Rafting in the glow worm caves was one of the most amazing things I've done anywhere! This company was professional and did a great job guiding us safely through the cave. They provided a wet suit, transportation to the cave, and information throughout. Don't even question coming here, it's a must! The cost is 100% worth it. Also, the hot shower and soup after was a perfect way to end the day.

New Zealand's famous glowworms are a must see, and despite the steep $53NZ price per an adult, this is probably the easiest and cheapest way to see them. $53NZ gets you a 45 minute tour that takes you underground for a walking and brief boating tour. Our tour guide was energetic and happily lectured us about the history of the caves and science of the glowworms. You don't get to actually see any glowworms until the last half of the tour, and the boat ride itself only lasts for 10-15 minutes, but those minutes are magical under the beautiful blue lights of the glowworms...I just wish it all lasted longer on this segment of the tour. Its a 4 Star experience, but I'm giving this company a 5 Star due to exceptional customer service. I had originally booked the $147NZ 3 hour inner tubing and hiking tour, but felt I was too sick to handle it when the time came. Despite being too late for the 25 hour cancellation policy, they were kind enough to refund the $147NZ and rebook me on the $53NZ quick and easy 45 minute tour instead. Thanks!

4.5 stars. What a cool and fun experience! We did the Black Labyrinth, but looking back, I wish we had the time to do one of the longer, more challenging adventures. Since we went in May, I wasn't sure how we'd do in the winter cold and how we would react to being in the dark or being claustrophobic. Luckily, these weren't issues for us, but ended up being a bit of a challenge for one of the folks in our group (so you never know how you're going to react!). The adventure lasted a solid 3 hours. They run tours almost every 30 mins-1 hour, so it was pretty easy to get bumped back and forth between times (assuming it's not the summer and they aren't fully booked). Because it was the winter time, we only had 4 people in our group (including my partner and I), so it was pretty intimate. When you get there, you change into your swimsuit and get into the wetsuit. They give you an extra sweater layer under the wetsuit in the winter, which was actually very helpful in keeping me warm, despite making my upper body look all lumpy. When everyone in the group is ready, you head out in a car to the caves. There's a jump into a lake with the tube to get a feel for what jumping off waterfalls will be like. This jump actually turned out to be the hardest jump of all the jumps on the trip. This also gets water going in the wetsuit to start to warm you up. After getting out of the water, it was freezing, so you do a little hike up to where the cave entrance starts. Along the way, you get a brief history of the caves as well as past by Ruakuri cave. Also, there are tons of photos that the guide will take of you along the way. Once at the cave, the adventure begins! There's a little bit of climbing on rocks, floating in your tube, and jumping off two small waterfalls. People tend to get injured when walking in the water, because there were areas of rocks and then pockets of nothing, making for an easy opportunity to slip or cut yourself on rocks. You're wearing boots, but definitely be careful when walking instead of trying to move very quickly and end up twisting something. The guide does a good job of making sure everybody stays together, so it's highly unlikely anyone is going to drift away and get lost in the caves (my biggest concern) even though the caves are huge. The most anti-climactic part was actually the glowarms. They were really cool to see up close, but they actually don't glow that brightly like in the advertisement photos or what I imagine for bioluminescent lakes. While I booked the adventure for the glowarms, I ended up enjoying the entire physical experience a lot more than the parts where you're chillin' in your tube gazing up at the glowarms. When the journey is over, you take a car back to the headquarters where you'll get a nice hot shower in an outdoor makeshift hut (it's not like some luxury bathroom or anything, but it's hot!) as well as a meal of hot tomato soup and a bagel. You can also buy a USB stick of all the photos taken in the cave for 30NZD. I usually don't buy stuff like that, but my partner really wanted the memories. Since you can't bring phones or cameras on the adventure, this is really your only option if you want some digital memories of your adventure. They also include some stock photos of the glowarms, since the real thing doesn't show up that well in your actual photos. The only reasons I didn't rate this as a 5-star experience were: 1. Probably because it was low season with only 4 of us, I felt like our guide was kind of low energy. Also, he's been doing this for a long time, so he is probably pretty bored from it. He did his job and all that, but I just felt like he wasn't very excited to meet us or take us out there. He did watch out for our safety and made sure we had a good time though, so can't ask for too much more. 2. Lots of breaks for photos. Since they are selling you the photos at the end of the trip, they try to squeeze in a lot of posed photos throughout the adventure. I really could have cared less and really wanted to just keep moving through the caves. May be a good thing though if you really want memories at the end of your trip. Things to make sure to bring: - Swimsuit - Towel (they may be able to find extras for you, but it's easier and safer if you just bring one) - Coupon- we found a 10% off coupon in the free travel magazines at the airport, but we had pre-booked our trip already. - Make sure you eat (not too much though) and use the bathroom before getting in your wetsuit. There's no opportunity for either once you are in the caves. If you need to use the bathroom when in the caves, the guide has to escort you back out of the caves to a bathroom and then back to meet up with everyone. (You can't just pee in the caves because the urine will stink up the place.)

This was my second time enjoying the cave tours with Black Water. The first time I did all three cave tours and loved the different experiences that each one offered. This time, my husband and I visited two of the caves, the glow worm and the Aranui cave. We were there for an early start and decided to drive over to the cave entrance to meet the tour group. There is designated space for parking outside the caves and the tour guide gives a brief introduction before going in. The history of the caves and the stories of their discoveries are always my favorite parts. The Aranui cave has an impressive downward spiral entrance and beautiful cave views throughout the tour. A few glow worms can be glimpsed in certain parts of the cave, but definitely the attraction of this cave is the cave itself. The gloworm cave has a beautiful cathedral ceiling upon entrance and ends in a fun boat ride under a sky of glowing blue. All of the caves are incredible and all of the tour guides I've had have been great. I think the price for the three cave tour is very reasonable and they also have many other adventurous ways to see the caves that you could consider as well. The caves are incredible and definitely worth a visit.

One of the most exciting part of our trip to New Zealand. Tubing through caves was very exciting and the water was not as cold as I expected. The guides were very nice, informative and supportive throughout the tour. If you are in NZ I would highly recommend booking this tour. The experience is worth both the time and the money.

The only negative thing I have to say is about the front-desk personnel, who weren't particularly friendly/helpful. These are the first people guests meet, so it's important they put on a good face and at least try and help customers. It wasn't that busy when we arrived, and they were less than great. But the Black Abyss tour itself was amazing and well worth it. Had Mikka & Bethany as our guides, both were very knowledgeable/professional. Group of 7 patrons was the right size. Abseiling was probably my highlight (100ft vertical drop into a pitch-black cave, as the first challenge). When they say "you may brush up against the walls", they ain't kidding, it gets hella narrow! Land safely below, look up and greet the first batch of glowworms! Next up, fox/zip-line. First in line, Mikka asked "with or without", with no context. I inquired, with our without what? She repeated herself; so I opted for "without!". Zooming through the cave without your headlamp on was hella cool. I wish the zipline was a little longer tho, but they work with what they got! Snack on the ledge. Personally wasn't a fan of the granola/honey bar thingy, but ya know [whine]. Next, leap of faith off the ledge into the water below (in an inner tube). Damn, that water WAS cold. The wet suits make a huge difference (ya think?!). We had a pretty competitive group, so we raced down the cave. Ahead of schedule (or so Mikka told us), we got to venture a bit further down the cave/waterway. I hung back from the rest of the group and turned off my head lamp to get a better view of the glow worms. Reached the end, I started meandering back with my lamp out. Mikka chided me for abandoning the group (so responsible, damnit!). We chained the inner tubes and Mikka towed us back (what a champ, 7 ppl!) with out lights out, which was awesome! Back to where we jumped in, we tossed the tubes up to the next group, and ventured the other direction in the cave. Lots of stumbling, different challenges, including a very narrow opening from one cavern to another, a waterslide, and best for last, an opportunity to climb up two waterfalls (recent rainfall added to the gushing). The waterfalls aren't very tall, but at this point in the trip, you're pretty cold from being in the water, and arm-strength is wavering. With a helpful nudge from our guides, we all made it up the waterfalls and out of the caves! Then there's the 1/4 hike up hill to get back to the van (in soaking wet gear), ugh! Woot for having hot showers available at base-camp, along with toasted bagels and soup/broth. 10/10, I would do this excursion again and recommend to others interested in moderately challenging, exhilarating eco-tourism.

The Black Abyss tour was one of the coolest things we did in NZ, maybe one of the coolest things I have ever done. You can see the glow worms on other tours but none is as cool as this. It was completely worth the money. We had great guides, Jackson and (I feel terrible but don't remember his name) a shorter guy with almost buzzed hair and glasses. He was the best, super funny. I get nervous in water because I am not a great swimmer, but I was relatively comfortable the whole way. The staff and guides are really great about knowing your names and ensuring you're safe the whole way. The one bummer is you're not allowed to bring your own camera or GoPro. I understand the tour would get held up if everyone was trying to get their own photos, but the company also wants to sell you pictures. I would strongly suggest they raise the price of the tour by $20 or so and just include the photos. We bought our group's package, and I was a little disappointed because there weren't many shots of my husband or me. But that's a small thing. It's nice to have hot showers to warm up at the end, and they kept us fed with snacks and drinks along the way and soup and bagels after. Ya'll should totally get some cream cheese up in there though! Anyway, I learned a ton on the trip, and it was awesome. Do it!

Excellent experience with fantastic guides. Great experience for families and individuals. There are easy walk arounds for almost anything you are not comfortable doing.... except maybe the absell rapell when you first enter the cave, but all the first timers had no problem with it. This is a great first cave experience.

Probably some of the best spent money on our trip to the North Island. The guides were friendly. The tour was well set up to guide you through the repelling, climbing, rafting and zip lining without getting injured. The glow worms were great to experience by climbing your way up to the perfect spot and riding back down. Definitely a must do!

Booking was easy and quick through Viator.com. After a few forms to fill out, we met Dale and Mikayla, our guides, for a 3 hour Labyrinth tour. This entailed some scrambling, water wading, and gentle tubing through the caves. They set us up with our full body wetsuits, rubber boots, and helmet with lights. We did a few practice jumps on a portion outside the caves so we knew what to do when the time came. Then it was off to the caves! The wetsuits keep you a little warm, but be warned....it is COLD in the water! It's not slippery at all and you feel very safe with the guides assistance. They talk along the way about the history of the caves and how the glowworms are able to glow. It is very magical when you turn your headlamps out and the entire cave ceiling is filled with blue lights from the worms...which aren't worms really but fly larvae. After exiting the cave, a short bus ride takes you back to the center for a nice hot shower and cup of soup. All you need is a swimsuit and a towel and the rest is all taken care of! Although it's kinda pricey, it's highly unlikely you'll do anything like this ever again so I say go for it!

J and I did the Black Abyss adventure, and it was so fun! Definitely cold, but not unbearably so. The entire thing from start to finish lasted about 5 hours (including introductions, getting our gear and suiting up, then a brief bout of practicing/instruction, then the adventure part itself, followed by changing and showering and eating your post-activity bagel and soup) Our guides were Sarah and Matt. They were really fun but also made me feel safe. We got to abseil, zip line briefly, jump into the water, tube down the cave river while admiring glow worms, climb up waterfalls, and crawl through some cave tunnels. They gave us 2 mini snack breaks during the course of the caving fun too. If you are the adventurous sort, I highly recommend the Black Abyss! Or even if you're not usually adventurous but are willing to step out of your comfort zone to try something new and have a blast and also be a little bit scared at times... Do this!!!! FYI if you want to take a real shower, you need to bring your own soap and shampoo because none are provided.

Not only was this experience once-in-a-lifetime, it was executed to perfection by the Black Water Rafting Company. Our guide was Andy, and he was amazing, but the whole team made us feel comfortable, safe, and as warm as possible. I highly recommended this tour to anyone who enjoys nature and adventure. My only advice to explorers is, if you HATE being cold, go in the summer months. But honestly, I hate being cold too and it wasn't that bad. I would definitely do this again! They also take pics throughout the tour and sell you the entire photo list on a USB drive for only $30. Most places charge that for 1 photo!! They also have private lockers for your stuff, hot clean showers for after the tour, and complementary hot soup and bagels which definitely hit the spot!! Yum!

I just recently did the black labyrinth tour with them- meaning going on a tubing in the cave in this cold winter ( winter in new zealand) it is well worth the money spent! Although you will be given A real "wet" suit , that is literally wet because they say searching for a dry one does not exist, it is still worth going thru the cold to visit this glow worm cave this way. After getting dressed in the wet suit and socks and boots, we were also given a helmet with light on it. It was completely dark in the cave. Then we did a mini hike up to the entrance of the cave. It was such a workout to do a hike in a wetsuit. It's like 10 times harder and heavier then a regular hike. Then followed by a hike inside the cave before you could actually see the glow worm. They will feed you a chocolate coated marshmallow to keep you going once you are in there (half way). It was a great help to keep our temperature and sugar level up. Then you will eventually flow thru the cave in your donut with a freezing hand paddling down looking up to the glow worm on the water. I do feel like "I survived " after coming out of it. It is a bit difficult and only available for age 12 + . And preferably in a warmer weather, although we got quite a good off season discount. And they provide hot shower and bagel and hot soup after with free wifi! It's a great accommodation without charging you for it and when you are traveling without any data ! Highly recommend doing this! And would suggest to do a early run when the wet suit aren't too wet from the previous return group. In Which I did at 10 am.

Well, it has taken me awhile to get this one on the books, but the memory of my Blackwater Rafting experience has been a dark and deep one. And I think anyone planning to go down this path of adventure needs to consider that this adventure is not a walk in the park. To be fair, this company does an excellent job of shepherding the unwary through what can be a pretty harrowing experience. Now, extreme sport junkies might not need this warning, but I went tubing with folks whose adventure resume includes sky diving, running with the Bulls in Pamplona, snake handling in India, and they said that this experience was more terrifying than all of that. I have to agree, but don't take my word for it. Here are some of the particulars of Blackwater Rafting: It is ice cold and forget about that wetsuit helping you out with the chill If they have had a lot of rain, the current is raging in some spots This underground trek is 3.5 mi long, and once you start down that path there is no going back If your vision of tubing is you and a few friends with a case of beer taking it easy on the river, forget about it you will be jumping backwards off 5-8 ft waterfalls so that your innertube hits the water with your butt secured in the middle of the tube..good luck with that one. At times you might feel that you are fighting for your life. I quote our guide: I you let yourself get sucked down that cavern we will never get you back..Stay away from there..swim to the right.Now!!! The mouth of the cave looks like something out of Dante with mist and jagged rocks, Oh, and you will have to duck walk a good 50 meters or so. Of course, there is also the awkward wet suit fitting. Let's face it, unless you're Beyonce or a Brazilian model, no one looks good in a wetsuit Oh, and on the subject of the wetsuit, you will be told not to pee in it. I know, I know, you hadn't planned on it, but remember this is a 3.5 hr tour with flowing water so the urge may come up...Don't worry it is way too cold for any of that, so you should be ok. Now, if the water had not been so high, my experience might have been a better one, Also, if you truly are an extreme sports junkie capable of base-jumping and surfing 30' high waves, then this experience is definitely for you, my friend. Tasty waves and enjoy

The single best thing I did in NZ. This was my favorite activity for a few reasons. 1) Floating in the dark on an inner tube looking up at glowworms along the way. Where else can you say you've done that? It's a very unique thing that really can only be done in one place in the world--here. 2) The guides ROCK! I was with a group of post grad men, and we went through the activities much faster than anticipated. Realizing that, they took us to see more than the normal tours and asked our opinions on side adventures along the way. AWESOME. 3) It's simply exhilarating. Between (FILL IN), jumping, paddling, wading, and climbing this was truly the definition of EPIC. That all said, I even bought the pictures for $30 which came out GREAT. It's a memory I will hold onto dearly, and highly suggest it for the adventurous adrenaline junkies like myself.

We had a fantastic experience here!! In hindsight it might have been nice to do a dry excursion. It was sooo cold. The wetsuits kept you warm but my hands were freezing cold!! What really made the trip were our amazing guides jess and harry. They were funny, knowledgeable, and just made the experience awesome. We had 6 people in our group. The smaller size and the fact that everyone moved quicker allowed us to be able to do more in the cave than other groups (imagine waiting for 2 more people for everything you did in the cave- adds up!) I wish we spent more time staring at glow worms. Is there a place where you just spend like 15-20 min staring at these guys? Everywhere I look I read about 5-10 min. I want to take it all in. To end the trip we had the option of walking out of the cave or climbing out of two waterfalls. Duh! Waterfalls! It was a little challenging but jess' direction made it easier to free climb out. My husband and I highly recommend this trip if you're looking for a wet caving experience. FYI, they take pictures of you. You can't bring your camera. There is a cave where you can take pictures but it's not run by this co. We bought our set and threw in a few additional shots from other teams that we saw playing next to our screen. (Eel shots) You have to bring your own towel, soap, shampoo, bathing suit. They do give you snack time twice in the cave (oat bar and hot cocoa then chocolate and hot tang) I wish I had brought my caving gloves for he scrambling. (Basically the cheap nitrate coated gloves)

Just another 5 star review. Great guides! Fun all around! Remember to bring a towel, soap, and shampoo for when your done with the tour. Enjoy the warm bagel and soup.

SUCH a good experience! Definitely go black water rafting if you get a chance. Totally worth it. You get up close to the glow worms, float through pitch black caves, do mini jumps off waterfalls, and so much more. It is a must do experience!

Absolutely great experience! There were 3 options to fit everyones taste( walking or dry tour, inner tub rafting, and a longer tour with ziplines and all.) Friendly crew, they provide the wetsuit and equipment needed. A few hours of great pitch black fun with aweosome views of the glowworms! Definitely recommend them for those who want to get a lil more involved in the experience!

My wife and I were looking forward to this ever since we left for New Zealand. We opted for the "Black abyss" tour and it did not disappoint! Our tour guides Kitt, Boss, and Sophie were fun and professional. They showed us a lot of cool formations in the cave and gave us confidence to try some tricky maneuvers. This was my first time caving and it won't be my last. The water was cold, but it's not a problem at all, and adds to the experience.

If you are willing to get wet and cold, go for the Abyss. If you want to stay dry, go for the Labyrinth. Both will be absolutely fun and you will get to do and see a lot. My group of 7 split up, 4 of us to do the Abyss and 3 of us to do the Labyrinth. I did the Abyss and it was really fun. I already knew what to expect since I booked the tour, but when you finally zip line in pitch black under the glow worms, it can only be described as spectacular. Like, this is the best way you can tell your friends when you go back home that you when to New Zealand to hang out in a cave full of glow worms. And you rappelled down a 12-story hole, squeezed through cracks of a cave, and floated in the dark. Who can say that? My 50+ parents and my sister did the Labyrinth tour and they had a blast as well. My dad cannot stop talking about how he had to pull himself up a cave wall and squeeze through some cracks to get across. It was a thrill and an adventure for him. My mom had never done anything like this and she was originally afraid of the experience, but she was glad she did it. The tour guide noticed she needed a lot of help with pulling herself up and was able to help her out. Even though you are not allowed to take your own camera or go pro with you, they took amazing photos of you and your group. You can purchase your photos at the end of the tour. Also, at the end, the provide hot showers, hot soup, and toasted bagels. :) This is a must if you are ever in North Island.

They are the big dawgs in town in terms of Waitomo cave tours, and they sure didn't disappoint. Their business is extremely organized and efficient! Our guide "B" was amazing, and she knew her stuff inside and out. If you go on the walking Ruakuri tour, here's a tip, ask them about the secret Moa bone, and you might get a little extra tidbits. Thanks B!!! Whoops, did I let the cat out of the bag?! Next time, I'm doing the Black Odyssey for sure!

My friend and I had a wonderful experience exploring the Waitomo Glowworm Caves with this company. We did the Black Labyrinth tour (easiest/beginner level of the three tours offered), which took about 3 hours. This excursion involved trekking through the caves, tubing, and little jumps down little waterfalls. Our guides were friendly, patient, and very knowledgeable so we felt safe throughout the process. Only downside was the group size - I think we had a full group, so it took a while for all of us to get through. The water was definitely a bit on the chillier side, so I just wanted to keep moving! Overall, I would recommend going with this company for your Waitomo Glowworm Cave activities!

This was my husband's favorite part of our NZ adventure, and possibly his favorite vacation excursion of all time. It truly was fantastic. We did the Black Abyss tour. You get trained up (the pics of people outside jumping are from the abseiling training), then in you go! Some people in our group were nervous, but everyone seemed to enjoy the trip. We first abseiled down and had to wiggle through "the throat", which was a little unnerving (but everyone fit!). Then, you sit in beautiful darkness looking at "glow worms" while everyone else comes down. The water is cold, but they do a good job keeping everyone warm with hot cocoa (cider for me - no dairy) and jumping around. The tubing was my favorite part, followed by climbing out (up a waterfall). It was a blast. Go do it.

I did the full on Abyss - Crawl into a cold and wet wetsuit. Abseil into a cave, zipline in the dark, jump into cold ass water filled with eels (yes there are eels and yes I'm exaggerating about it being filled) swim, wade, and crawl through cold water, shimmy and climb tight spaces, free climb up two waterfalls (there were short). Scary - Yes Awesome guides that made it less scary and more fun - Yes!

Not for the squeamish, the Black Abyss Tour was truly an activity suitable only for the fit and daring. Don't think that the warnings aren't real and offered only for dramatic effect. That said, my wife and two teenagers are glad we survived and can boast about our experience. Our guides, Nix and Pirate, did a terrific job of training us and guiding us safely through the cavern. Although the tour was pricey, the experience was worth it considering the length of the tour (5 hours all in), the 4-1 ratio of guests to guides and the uniqueness of the tour.

Touristy, yes, but well worth the money. I'm not usually one to pay for the tourist attractions, but my family and I did the Black Labyrinth tour and would recommend it to anyone looking to experience the Waitomo glow worm caves. From an adventure stand point the tubing isn't overly adventurous, but still a fun wrinkle. What really made the trip was floating through the glow worm lined caves, headlamps off, with the lights of hundreds of little glow worms sparkling above. Our guides Em and Emma were fantastic and the entire operation is very well run. Combine this with a night time walk of the Ruakuri Bush trails (free) makes for a great tour of Waitomo. A definite must and a once in a lifetime experience well worth the money.

We came here with low expectations thinking it was a tourist trap we were willing to pay for. Boy, were we wrong. Black Water Rafting was probably one of the highlights of our trip. It was money well spent and we highly recommend the cave spelunking tour. Our tour guides were a Welsh man, American female, and a Dutch (?) newbie whose names I have forgotten, unfortunately. They were experts, and very obviously loved their jobs. During the 3/4 hours we spent in the caves, I felt confident with my guides, and really didn't worry about being in a cave a few hundred feet below, at all. They gave clear guidance and took their time so that no one felt rushed. Everything was organized so well, we didn't realize a few hours had gone by already. The tour, itself, was so much fun and breathtakingly beautiful! The guides take photos for you at a cost, but it was a small price to pay because the glow worms were a magnificent sight, there's really nothing quite like it, and I'm glad we have photos of the glowworms. At the end of the tour, we were able to wash up and were greeted with hot soup and toasted bagels to warm ourselves back up. Bottomline, do the tour, it's awesome.

I thought this was going to be kind of lame when we signed up for it, but it was a ton of fun. The water is pretty frigid, but you get a wetsuit and some warm food at the end. The caves are cool, and the guides are a lot of fun. I definitely recommend this experience.

Nothing but good things to say! I went on the Black Odyssey tour, which doesn't involve getting wet--you do abseiling, crawling and climbing through tight spaces (which was awesome but not for the claustrophobic, so know this before you book!), and traversing on ropes high above the river below in the absolutely gorgeous Aranui caves. Our guides, Phillip and Patty, were friendly, funny, and dependable. I trusted them right away and they made everyone feel comfortable. Philip is also a magnificent singer, making use of the acoustics with some damn lovely melodies. The respect for the Maori ownership and the formations, and telling the legends of the caves, were all very much appreciated. Great job guys!