Rotorua has loads of great spots to see glow worms, most famously on the kayaking and paddle boarding tours. Whilst the tours looked pretty amazing, we decided we wanted to try and find some independently instead. We didn’t have time to check out all the areas on our list but we did find two great spots which you can visit for free without a guide.
Both are easy to access and at both you’re very likely to be the only ones there, which always makes it feel extra special.
Here are two great places to find glow worms for free in Rotorua.
Rotorua glow worms spots
The Blue Lake Circuit
You might be planning a visit to the gorgeous Blue Lake by day (it’s a great spot for swimming and has a lovely hiking trail), but it’s by night that you’ll need to return if you want to find the secret glow worm dell.
The glow worm dell at Blue Lake (Lake Tikitapu) is probably one of the easiest to access glow worm spots we’ve ever been to. You might be thinking if it’s so easy to access and yet still a hidden spot that it can’t be that good, but it’s actually amazing!
We couldn’t believe how many glow worms there were lining the cliffs all the way along to the end of the dell, where you’ll see even more on the back wall (hundreds of them!).
It’s always magical to look around and find yourself completely surrounded by twinkling blue lights that feel like the most incredible night sky, and it’s even more special if you get that experience all to yourself. It was easily one of our favourite things to do in Rotorua.
The high dell walls also keep it nicely protected from the elements, so even when we visited on a windy winter’s day, it wasn’t cold.
To find this special spot (which is our favourite of the two we visited), you’ll need to park at the Blue Lake car park, on the northern shore. From here walk on to the sandy beach by the lake’s edge (down the concrete boat ramp) and follow it right/west towards the forest.
You’ll soon come across two signposts which state you’re on the Blue Lake Circuit. You’ll then see a small set of stairs leading into the forest.
Take the stairs and head left. The path through the forest is flat and very well maintained. The whole walk from the car park to the dell is just 300m long so it should only take five minutes.
Look for the obvious - but un-signposted - trail on the right. There’s a small reflector on the bottom of the tree at the turning. Within seconds you’ll see your first glow worms and then you’ll see more and more.
The reflector to look for. Very easy with a torch!
The final little path through the dell is largely flat but does have a few tree roots so just keep an eye out.
Don’t forget to turn your torch off and let your eyes adjust to you can fully appreciate the wonder of just how many glow worms there are!
If you love this experience and want to find more great glow worm dells, we have this detailed guide.
If you’re visiting on a clear night the Blue Lake is also a great spot for stargazing. We were lucky enough to see the full Milky Way and lots of stars reflected in the water too. A fantastic end to a very special night walk.
The Blue Lake is 11km and roughly a 15 minute drive from central Rotorua.
Okere Falls and Tutea Caves
The Okere Falls Track is another great spot for viewing glow worms. It’s not as good as the Blue Lake, but it is still pretty good and it’s also fun to see the waterfall and hear all the thundering spray at night.
With this spot you’ll see glow worms within seconds of setting foot on the track, but not in as high numbers as at the Blue Lake dell. You’ll find a smattering along the wall at the Okere Falls Lookout, which is about a 30 second walk from the car park.
You can then retrace your steps and follow the trail for 500m to the Tutea Falls viewing platform. You will see glow worms along the embankment almost all the way along the track to the lookout, sometimes in dense clusters and sometimes more of a sprinkling.
Often they are exposed but there’s plenty more hiding beneath the giant ferns and in the nooks and crannies of various tree trunks if you bend down to take a look.
When you get to the viewing platform head down the stairs and as you go look up at the archway over the staircase as you pass, there are plenty up on the ceiling – if you’ve had your torch on constantly you might not see them until your eyes adjust. It’s easier once you’ve already been inside the caves.
Just 150m from the lookout (and 650m from the car park) you’ll come to Tutea Caves. You’ll find a few glow worms in the first cave but take the little passageway on your right inside the first cave (or turn left at the bottom of the stairs) and you’ll find yourself in another cave.
This one had many more glow worms, mainly congregating around the damp cave mouth.
Don’t expect anything like Waitomo, but there are a decent number and they are just inches above your head! Viewing them requires hunching a little as the cave ceiling is quite low, or you could sit on the floor if you don’t mind getting a little dirty!
The sound of Tutea Falls just outside the cave entrance makes this spot feel dramatic, especially when you’ve switched off all light sources. Even though it’s a cave and therefore semi dark in the day time, you still need to visit at night, the glow worms are mainly in the front of the cave, close to the light, so you won’t see them during the day.
After the caves your eyes should be well adjusted and you’ll see many more glow worms on the walk back than you saw on the way in.
Okere Falls are located in Okere Falls Scenic Reserve, roughly 20km and a 20 minute drive from Rotorua.
If you’d like to know more about visiting Okere Falls by day, including a great wild swimming spot, check out this post.
Tips for the best glow worm experience
Make sure you leave it at least an hour after sunset. If you’ve been exploring the area by day rather than making a special evening trip, it can be tempting to head into the bush just after sunset, but you really need full darkness to see the majority of the glow worms. You’ll see some earlier but only a fraction of what’s really there. The darker the better, so ideal conditions would be low moonlight too, but it’s hard to get things that perfect when you’re only in the area for a limited amount of time.
As mentioned, you need to turn all light off to enjoy the glow worms, not just for your eyes to adjust but also because you shouldn’t shine light on glow worms. Glow worms are very light sensitive, it can stop them feeding and also encourage them to stop glowing which in turn ruins the experience for you. You will see more and more glow worms the longer you stand in the darkness, leave at least five minutes to really get a sense of how many are there, but the longer the better.
For photography bring a tripod and plan on taking long exposures. You don’t need any light to photograph them.
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