South Pacific
New Zealand
North Island
Bay of Plenty Region
Tauranga
Things to Do in Tauranga
Tauranga Tours
Tours and Tickets
See all things to do
Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga
5
Full view
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*

Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga

By Waimarino Adventure Park
Recommended by 98% of travelers
This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher
Start your evening with a glass of refreshment and cheese board on the banks of Lake McLaren, then paddle your kayak to an enchanting canyon filled with glowworms. This guided tour features double kayaks on calm, sheltered waters—ideal for exploring at dusk. You have the option to book transport from accommodations in Tauranga or Mount Maunganui.
from
$98.92
per adult
from
$98.92
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 8-99, max of 30 per group
Duration: 3h 15m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
German, English, French
Highlights
  • Evening glowworm excursion on Lake McLaren
  • Refreshments include fruit, and cheese
  • Guide leads a max of 20 people on night paddle
  • Upgrade for hotel pickup in Tauranga at booking
  • Kayak and equipment
  • GST (Goods and Services Tax)
  • Light refreshments
  • Professional guide
  • Entry/Admission - McLaren Falls Park
What's not included
  • An additional cost per person does apply to Hotel pickup/drop off.
  • Entry/Admission - Waimarino Adventure Park
Departure details
  • Traveler pickup is offered.
  • We pick up from any accommodation provider in the Mount Maunganui, Tauranga city center for an additional $25.00 per person (minimum 2 person required). Please get in touch directly with us to arrange this.
  • 36 Taniwha Place, Bethlehem, Tauranga 3176, New Zealand Meet at Waimarino Adventure Park, and check in for your tour at reception. There is plenty of free parking on site.
Return details
  • Returns to original departure point
  • Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5997P3
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required to commence a tour
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
A note from Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga
  • Safety is our priorty. We have limited our tours to smaller numbers and are ensuring that the highest possible sanitation levels are maintined. We want both our guests and our staff to feel safe at all times. We welcome any feedback on this.
What you can expect during your visit
  • Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
  • Guides required to regularly wash hands
  • Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
  • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
  • Contactless payment for gratuities and add-ons
  • Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Community
Ask a questionWrite a review
  • Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
Which attractions will I visit with Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga?
During this experience, places you will visit include:Discover and book Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga on Tripadvisor
How much is Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga?
Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga price starts from $98.84. Discover and book Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga on Tripadvisor
What is the Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga cancellation policy?
Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga on Tripadvisor
Which company provides Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga?
Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga is hosted by Waimarino Adventure Park. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Waimarino Adventure Park on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga on Tripadvisor
If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5997P3
Itinerary
  • You'll start at
    36 Taniwha Place
    Or, you can also get picked up
    See departure details
  • 1
    Waimarino Adventure Park
    Stop: 15 minutes - Admission excluded
    See details
  • 2
    McLaren Falls Park
    Stop: 60 minutes - Admission included
    See details
    Pass by
    McLaren Falls Park
  • You'll return to the starting point
+
–
About the operator

Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator.

By: Waimarino Adventure Park
935
Trail20388916644
Trail20388916644
00
Go Green excursion
Royce, Roy, Tom and Lucy (?) were awesome guides and so thoroughly enjoyed our cruise excursion ( Go Green)! They w…
782deirdref
782deirdref
00
Fun for all ages
Here on a hen do and had sooooooo much fun! Great set up for a group looking to do some activties and catered to di…
Dave E
Dave E
00
Great day out
Fantastic scenery with plenty of commentary from our driver/guide, Sara, plus a few bad jokes. The hot pools were r…
jacquif982
jacquif982
00
Big Kanu Glow worms
Big Kanu glow worm trip was great. An easy paddle in the large canoe (9 people on our trip) as the Sun set. Nice vi…
WanderingJewett
WanderingJewett
00
Excellent Day Time Lake Kayaking
My sister and I were able to book this trip while on a shore excursion for our cruise. We absolutely loved the expe…
dennishN2296MI
dennishN2296MI
00
Glow worm experience
Did the Glow worm kayak trip. Absolutely brilliant. Well worth it. Staff worth their weight in gold, pleasant, he…
ericlagger
ericlagger
00
Mean Employee
Half day was fun until one of the employees (Hanah) threw a tantrum and started berating us about a ball that got s…
Nick L
Nick L
00
Don’t expect glow worms.
The tour description told of a kayak trip and viewing of glow worms. The kayak part was nice on a picturesque lake,…
juliabeecroft
juliabeecroft
00
Loved it!
We had a fantastic morning on the lake with Sarah as our guide. We are a family of six with our youngest children (…
S A
S A
00
Great day on the water
What a brilliant day with these guys. So well organised for our large group from the cruise ship. Glow worms were …
Pitinimuir
Pitinimuir
00
Brilliant but dont prebook or expect adequate supervsion.
Had a great day but it was expensive. Two adults could not make it so Waimarino just kept the money, nearly 100 dol…
IsAlteRego
IsAlteRego
00
Fantastic night kayak tour with lovely crew
Fantastic kayak tour. All the tour guides (we had Katie, Sarah and Lucy) were knowledgeable, funny and created a wo…
vanessamZ4955EH
vanessamZ4955EH
00
Terrific excursion for those who like nature and physical activity
We took this tour when we visited New Zealand on a cruise. We are moderately active middle aged people and we foun…
John W
John W
00
High activity level, unique stops
Great day to see the lake and hot pools in New Zealand! Strenuous in kayaks but overall quite positive. We were Tea…
U5128BNjanep
U5128BNjanep
00
Perfect combo of kayaking, thermal pools, and glow worms
We had a blast right from the start, with the friendly and rather entertaining Royce as our guide for the day. What…
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
187 reviews
Excellent
173
Very good
12
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
TravellingoneSwansea
Swansea Bay, UK117 contributions
Fabulous experience - thoroughly recommend!
Travelled alone to join an evening glow worm kayak tour with guides Alex, Frosty, and Tom and had a wonderful time. Friendly informative guides who were helpful and professional but good fun. The equipment and kayaks were explained clearly and there were plenty of options for different layers of protective clothing provided. We were assisted into our double canoes and paddled peacefully up the lake at sunset and into the most amazing canyon full of glow worms glowing away! It was truly magical. The guides were full of information about the glow worms (and some dreadful jokes 😂). Their skill and quiet confidence in getting a group of novice kayakers in and out of the canyon is to be commended. At no time did we feel anxious or worried about kayaking in what was now a pitch black area! The paddle back to the boat ramp was relaxed but controlled and they ensured everyone came out of their kayaks safely on land. A truly amazing evening both in glow worm experience and the organisation by the guides. Thank you all.
Written February 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Deanna
5 contributions
YOU HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THE GLOW WORM EVENING TOUR! have to come back and do it again!
Dec 2022 • Couples
We had the absolute best time on our evening tour, it was our first time in NZ and it was something that was his hit recommended and thank goodness we did it!

It started with a short drive, around half an hour to the river from the Waimarino adventure park to the river. From the moment we hopped on the bus, we were given great big and warm welcome by JOHNNO who got us excited for what was ahead with his burst of energy. We got to the lake and there were nibbles for us before we headed to the water.

When we got into the caves, we where told some beautiful, Māori stories and legends and were able to take it all in.

The team were so encouraging and helpful, would definitely recommend doing this if your only here a couple of days! Thank you!
Written December 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Waimarino
Wow, thank you so much for such a positive review. We are so glad that you enjoyed your experience, the stories are truly beautiful. All the best with the rest of your travels !
Written December 23, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Renata H
Milford, UK7 contributions
Fantastic kayaking experience
We had a fantastic evening kayaking on beautiful tranquil lake . Tour was well organised with timely pick up from hotel . Guides were experienced and paid attention to our safety , knowledgable and entertaining with good sense of humour. We kayaked to a narrow canyon full of glow worms dancing around like fire flies. Starry night made it quite memorable. Ride was smooth despite the dark , paddling through the waters under red torch lights lighting our kayaks. Great experience.
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Fran Cormack
Perth, Australia761 contributions
Wet, but great fun
You can’t pick your weather, but you can pick your tour company.

I would highly recommend Waimarino Kayak Tours for the evening glow worm tour.

The guides, including Josh, looked after us for the evening, starting off with some excellent local wines and cheese on the edge of Lake McLaren.

We were in 2 person sea kayaks, and thankfully were supplied with all the gear you needed to be both safe, and dry.

The trip was excellent, moderate exercise, and we got to see thousands of the glow worms (fungus gnats).

Highly recommended.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Waimarino
Thanks for leaving such a detailed review for us. We do pride ourselves on delivering a high quality tour - rain or shine, and it is great to hear we did that!
Written August 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Louichan
Tokyo, Japan219 contributions
Beautiful Evening Kayak Tour
Dec 2021
Our family group of three did the evening glow worm kayak tour, and it was a highlight of our time in Tauranga. You start with the sunset over beautiful McLaren Lake and then a fairly gentle kayak trip over the lake to the glow worm canyon, which was breathtaking. Great for all ages and definitely recommended. Guides Josh and Katie were 'oar-some'.
Written December 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Waimarino
Hi there, Josh and Katie really are Oar-some! Thanks for joining our tour and taking the time to leave us a 'glowing' review!
Written December 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Phlipfolop
Northampton, United Kingdom198 contributions
Lovely evening kayaking amongst the glow worms
Feb 2023
Picked up from our hotel then on the bus to the lake.Our 2 guides were 2 delightful girls (whose names I forget), they served us lovely nibbles before a gentle paddle down the lake, The girls then hooked 2 2 person kayaks too their kayaks and then paddled us passed the power station for our own safety to the glow worm area. We then had interesting talk peppered with jokes about the glow worms. We were then puled back by the girls to a safe area before being set loose to paddle back in the dark. Lovely evening and great respect for the girls and their kayaking prowess.
Written March 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Foak
Yorkshire7 contributions
Amazing glow worm experience
Feb 2020 • Solo
Absolutely loved this. The lake is stunningly beautiful! Watching sunset from the hot pools was wonderful, with the added bonus of having a quick dive into the lake if you got a bit too warm. Then a paddle across to the glow worms where the tour guide, Jono, was informative and funny and able to help everyone get their kayak into the ideal place to see the glow worms. Then a moonlight paddle back to the shore. Everything felt really safe, even in the dark with really good intro given to beginners, torches so you can see each other, and if you're by yourself you share a boat with the lovely guide. Good kit provided, including jackets to keep you warm after the hot pools. Even got eco-friendly water bottles and Whittaker's chocolate! I'd recommend this as my favourite glow worm tour as you are so much closer than when you go to the big caves and it's so magical just being in a little cave with all the lights reflected on the water. Thanks guys, awesome tour!
Written July 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Heather F
2 contributions
out glowworm adventure
Jan 2022
What an adventure! Kayaking across the lake in McLaren Falls Park and into the "crack in the World" as the youngest of our party called it with one of the best displays of glowworms was awesome. Returning in the dark, disturbing a group of swans (poor things must have been wondering where we all came from in the dark) and following the glow of our tour guides kayak added to the experience. Our three guides were fantastic.
Written January 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Waimarino
We're so pleased that you enjoyed your night. The "crack in the world" is a fantastic way to describe it ! Thanks for the great review.
Written February 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen E
Palmview, Australia287 contributions
Great day out
Dec 2022
This was a full day tour and one well worth taking. The kayaking along the lake was stunning, really beautiful scenery (see how the other half live). Good kayaks with great guides. Glow worms were OK, hot springs were good, but the kayaking was the highlight of the day.
Written March 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
cocotravel2015
Napier, New Zealand15 contributions
Exceeded our already high expectations
Jan 2021
What a great tour. Not just glow worms, which were beautiful but the whole experience. It really was a wonderful evening experience. Oli Chris and Daniel made everyone feel welcome and were great fun and full of knowledge. From the arrival, the fun drive, welcome refreshments through to the brief, the beautiful but gentle kayak paddle over the lake and into the glow worm areas.
Much more than it sounds. Wonderful. Highly recommend.
Written January 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Waimarino
Hi there! Thank you for your glowing review! We are so happy to hear that you found the entire experience to be magical. I'm sure the glow worms were shining extra bright for your group that night!
Written February 7, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 182
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

Buy it with

2023 Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga (w/Photos)