Waitomo, NZ

Useful Tips for Your Waitomo, NZ Adventure: Full Tourist Guide

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If you are considering Waitomo Caves, NZ as a potential tourist destination, I must say you are on the right track. Waitomo is an amazing place and makes an excellent choice for a fun trip for both solo travelers and groups of families and friends.

The Waitomo Caves area has preserved the pristine beauty of North Island’s wilderness while offering the comfort of an urban setting. Thus, you will be able to enjoy the region’s nature without depriving yourself of the comfort of modern civilization.

As I keep mentioning throughout this blog, I believe you need to take at least a weekend to explore the locale. In my opinion, it would be ideal if you could spend between 2-4 days to get to know the region and experience the variety of activities and attractions it has to offer.

Waitomo Caves, NZ: General Information

the Waikato region and districts

Waitomo Caves is located in the western part of the Waikato region on New Zealand’s North Island. It is about two hours away from the cosmopolitan city of Auckland, and there are convenient transportation options. For those arriving via airplane, the Auckland Airport is the best option to land. Besides, you can take some of the budget-friendly car rental options, so there is really no need to bring your own vehicle.

In terms of the weather, the daily average temperature in Waitomo Caves is 13.8°C, which equals 56.8°F. Therefore, I suggest you bring warm clothes just to stay on the safe side.

I often am asked if Waitomo is a town. The answer to this question is, no, Waitomo is a village. However, you will not miss anything from the New Zealand town life in Waitomo. It has a convenience store and a bunch of excellent restaurants and cozy cafes.

Food at Waitomo Caves

Tourists visiting Waitomo Caves usually prefer to eat at the General Store. The place offers delicious lunches and dinners, and breakfast never fails the test as well. Besides, the General Store is conveniently located within walking distance of the majority of tourist lodging establishments.

Some of the other dining places worth mentioning include the eat-in café at the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and the café at the Black Labyrinth – Black Water Rafting setting.

If you feel like dining in, you can buy food from the local grocery stores. They always provide fresh produce and a rich assortment.

Waitomo Caves Accommodation

For a small village, Waitomo Caves offers an impressive abundance of accommodation options. To begin with, several luxury hotels allow you to soak in extravagance while vacationing in an otherwise quite modest New Zealand village.

Additionally, several chalet lodging options provide an authentic atmosphere and will allow you to keep in touch with nature. Most of them are pretty affordable.

Farmstay is another popular way to experience Waitomo Caves. The Waikato region is full of amazing farms where you can stay overnight and experience farm life on the North Island. If you have children, they will be fascinated with the opportunity to play with the farm animals. Besides, you will get the benefit of homemade, delicious food made from fresh and natural ingredients produced on the farm.

Of course, there is also the option of staying at an Airbnb. I have plenty of friends who provide this type of accommodation in Waitomo, and I must say most of the Airbnb properties here are excellent.

The Waitomo Caves Hotel

I know what you are going to ask me here: Can I stay at the Waitomo Caves Hotel? The answer is, no; at present, you cannot. As I wrote in one of my previous articles, the Waitomo Caves Hotel currently does not accept guests.

For those who do not know the story, the Waitomo Caves Hotel is allegedly haunted. It has starred in many documentaries made by reputable media as well as in a bunch of popular influencer videos. Even famous film director Guillermo del Toro claimed that one night as he was staying at the hotel he saw a ghost. In fact, at some point, it was ranked as the fourth most haunted hotel in the world.

Whether that is true or not, I cannot say. What I have to admit, however, is that the building is really fascinating. It combines old Victorian style with post-war Art Deco and is indeed worth seeing. Therefore, you can put an outside tour of the hotel on your list of to-do activities while in Waitomo.

Activities to Do around Waitomo

As I have mentioned in a few of my previous articles, there are plenty of things to do at Waitomo despite it being a small village. First and foremost, you can visit the Waitomo Glow Worm Caves.

Here is a quick glimpse into what they look like:

Besides, you can try many other activities, such as:

  • Blackwater rafting
  • Hiking
  • A visit to Hobbiton
  • A visit to a kiwi bird farm
  • Bird watching
  • Farm hopping

If you need more information on any of these, please feel free to check my other articles.