Natural Wonder · Waitomo, New Zealand
Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo, officially Waitomo Caves, is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island.
Photo: Unknown via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Waitomo, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Type | Natural Wonder |
| Coordinates | 38.2606° S, 175.1033° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Waitomo Glowworm Caves is known for
Waitomo, officially Waitomo Caves, is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island.
About Waitomo Glowworm Caves
Waitomo, officially Waitomo Caves, is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island. There are several solutional cave systems in the area around the village, which are popular tourist attractions. Restaurants and accommodation are centred in the village to serve visiting tourists.
History
Māori lived in the Waitomo Caves area in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Opapaka Pā to the east of the village was occupied by Ngāti Hia in the 1700s. One of the first two explorers of the Waitomo Glowworm Cave in 1887 was Tane Tinorau, who lived nearby and knew the entrance to the cave as a good spot for catching eels.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Waitomo |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Hamilton International Airport (HLZ) |
| Distance from the airport | 30.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Auckland International Airport (AKL) · Auckland, New Zealand · 88.0 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in New Zealand
More natural wonders
Frequently asked questions
What is Waitomo Glowworm Caves?
Waitomo, officially Waitomo Caves, is a rural community in the King Country region of New Zealand's North Island.
Where is Waitomo Glowworm Caves located?
Waitomo Glowworm Caves is in Waitomo, New Zealand. Its coordinates are 38.2606° S, 175.1033° E.
How do I get to Waitomo Glowworm Caves?
The nearest town is Waitomo, and the nearest airport is Hamilton International Airport (HLZ), about 30.0 miles away (straight line).
What is the history of Waitomo Glowworm Caves?
Māori lived in the Waitomo Caves area in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Opapaka Pā to the east of the village was occupied by Ngāti Hia in the 1700s.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waitomo — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65122127 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.