Black Water Rafting Experience Waitomo Caves Tour
Safety measures
5 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Good for avoiding crowds
Overview
Go Waitomo black-water rafting (cave tubing) for a memorable adventure in the Waitomo Caves. Choose a 3-hour Labyrinth experience that takes you floating underground on an inner tube, including a small waterfall jump. Or upgrade to the 5-hour Black Abyss for an exhilarating abseil (rappel) down limestone walls; instruction and equipment included. The resident glowworms, stalactites and stalagmites will amaze you! Finish with a hot shower, soup and bagel.
- Fun and exhilarating, this caving adventure will have you floating, squeezing and leaping over cascading underground waterfalls
- Choose between the Labyrinth tour, a 3-hour cave tubing adventure or the 5-hour Black Abyss tour for the ultimate thrill
- Includes all necessary equipment
- Wetsuits and footwear will be provided
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Start your black-water tubing adventure in Waitomo. An expert guide ensures you’re properly equipped with gear — including wetsuit and inner tube — and offers some technical instruction before you descend into the underground network at Waitomo Caves.
If you choose The Labyrinth, you’ll experience walking and caving along with a small waterfall jump. Upgrade to The Black Abyss and start your invigorating journey with a rappel into the subterranean playground with your guide while suited up in helmet, boots and safety equipment. (See options below.)
Prepare to be awed by a magnificent display of glowworms in addition to stalactites and stalagmites that decorate the cavern walls as you traverse through the black water. At the end of your exhilarating journey through Waitomo’s vaulted limestone galleries, enjoy a hot shower, hearty soup and bagel.
The Labyrinth (3 Hours)Float on your inner tube through the remarkable underground river system at Waitomo Caves. Ride a stream that twists and turns through a canyon, and tumble down a hidden waterfall and rock slide before emerging into the sun-dappled Waitomo forest.
The Black Abyss (5 Hours)Those with a moderate level of fitness can up the ante on this Waitomo tubing adventure. After abseiling training and practice with your guide, you’ll rappel 121 feet (37 meters) into the black water–filled abyss. Enjoy adrenaline-fueled fun as you clamber down, float through the canyon and scramble up waterfalls before resurfacing into daylight.
If you choose The Labyrinth, you’ll experience walking and caving along with a small waterfall jump. Upgrade to The Black Abyss and start your invigorating journey with a rappel into the subterranean playground with your guide while suited up in helmet, boots and safety equipment. (See options below.)
Prepare to be awed by a magnificent display of glowworms in addition to stalactites and stalagmites that decorate the cavern walls as you traverse through the black water. At the end of your exhilarating journey through Waitomo’s vaulted limestone galleries, enjoy a hot shower, hearty soup and bagel.
The Labyrinth (3 Hours)Float on your inner tube through the remarkable underground river system at Waitomo Caves. Ride a stream that twists and turns through a canyon, and tumble down a hidden waterfall and rock slide before emerging into the sun-dappled Waitomo forest.
The Black Abyss (5 Hours)Those with a moderate level of fitness can up the ante on this Waitomo tubing adventure. After abseiling training and practice with your guide, you’ll rappel 121 feet (37 meters) into the black water–filled abyss. Enjoy adrenaline-fueled fun as you clamber down, float through the canyon and scramble up waterfalls before resurfacing into daylight.
Itinerary
The Labyrinth
This popular tour involves a combination of walking and floating on an inner tube through a unique underground river system. As you prepare for your adventure your professional guide will ensure you are properly equipped and teach you some fun techniques before you climb down into nature's underground network for an enjoyable cave tubing experience of a lifetime! Streams spill, twist, turn and join to build a river canyon. Glide with the water as it drops down the hidden waterfall and tumbles down rocky chutes before sliding through vaulted limestone galleries to finally emerge into the dazzling green Waitomo forest.
Prepare to be amazed at the naturally occurring decorations within the cave including stalactites and stalagmites. This exhilarating journey also provides a spectacular visual display of glowworms.
At the end of your experience enjoy a hot shower, hearty soup and bagel.
Duration: 3 hours
Admission Ticket Free
The Black Abyss
Feel the adrenaline as you abseil into the dark, seemingly bottomless depths of Ruakuri Cave. Zipline through a gallery of glowworms and climb underground waterfalls as you test your limits on this truly unforgettable journey.
For the ultimate in adventure caving tours, look no further than the Black Abyss. Descend into the seemingly bottomless depths of Ruakuri Cave before zip lining through a gallery of illuminating glowworms on this unforgettable journey. Begin your journey by abseiling into the depths of mysterious Ruakuri Cave.
Explore the subterranean world and discover what lives under the ground in Waitomo Caves as your experienced guides weave you through a glowworm-studded wonderland. Zipline through a gallery of glowworms and jump off cascading underground waterfalls as you test your limits on this truly unforgettable journey. Our trained guides will give you abseil training before you begin your descent underground. After you’ve discovered true adventure in Waitomo, warm up with a hot shower and some hot soup on bagels, on us.
Duration: 5 hours
Admission Ticket Free
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Traveler Tips
- "If you do it in the winter be prepared to be super cold." See review
- "The guides do spend a lot of time getting you suited up and explaining things, but I tend to get nervous about physical activities like this, so I'll take all the safety briefing I can get." See review
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