If you’re heading to New Zealand , you’re in for a serious treat. This place isn’t just about epic hikes and jaw-dropping mountains (though it has plenty of those). It’s also where the underground glows like the night sky and the ground literally bubbles, steams and erupts beneath your feet.

On our NZ tours , we love showing off both sides of nature’s personality - the calm, twinkly magic of glowworms and the fiery drama of geysers and hot springs. Here’s the lowdown on where you’ll find them.

Glowworms: A Night Under a Different Kind of Stars

Ever walked into a cave and thought you were looking up at the Milky Way? That’s exactly what glowworms do to you. These little guys hang from the cave ceilings and light up like tiny blue fairy lights. It’s honestly one of the most magical sights in New Zealand.

Where to see them (and where we’ll take you):

• Waitomo Caves – the big one. You’ll float through a pitch-black cave while thousands of glowworms sparkle above. Goosebumps guaranteed. (We go here on our tours ).
  
• Ruakuri Cave – nearby, with a longer tour and a bit more time to take in the glow.
  
• Hokitika Glowworm Dell – free, easy, and perfect if you’re cruising down the South Island’s west coast.
  
• Minnehaha Walk (Fox Glacier) – a rainforest trail that comes alive with glowworms after dark.
  

Pro tip: leave your torch off, stay quiet, and let your eyes adjust. The darker it is, the brighter the glow.

Geysers & Geothermal Goodness

On the flip side, you’ve got the North Island’s geothermal wonderland. Rotorua and Taupo are full of bubbling mud pools, steaming vents, and geysers that shoot water metres into the air. It’s like the earth is showing off.

Must-see spots (yep, you’ll visit some with us):

• Wai-O-Tapu – with its bright orange “Champagne Pool” and steaming craters, it’s like walking through a painting. (We’ll take you here in Rotorua).
  
• Te Puia / Pohutu Geyser – Rotorua’s superstar geyser that puts on regular shows.
  
• Kerosene Creek – a naturally heated stream where you can kick back in warm water surrounded by forest. (We’ll also take you here - swimsuit recommended!).
  
• Huka Falls (Taupo) – not geothermal, but the thundering turquoise rapids are too epic to miss (a highlight of our NZ trips ).

On our NZ tours you won’t just tick these places off a list - we'll make sure you experience them properly. You’ll hit Waitomo’s glowworm caves, dip into Rotorua’s hot springs, and watch geysers erupt. It’s all baked into the adventure, so you can just soak it up (literally, in the case of Kerosene Creek).

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Glowworms and geysers might seem like total opposites, but that’s what makes New Zealand so special. One night you’ll be drifting through a glowing cave in complete silence, the next day you’ll be watching the ground bubble and steam like you’ve landed on another planet.

Ready to see it all for yourself? Join us on our NZ Intro and Adventure trips and we’ll take you straight to the magic.