11 Epic Free Places to See Glow Worms in New Zealand!

Glow worms are one of those New Zealand experiences that feel almost unreal the first time you see them.

Tiny pinpricks of blue-green light scattered across cave ceilings, riverbanks, and forest overhangs – no filters, no artificial lighting, just nature doing its thing.

And despite what most tour operators would like you to believe, you don’t need to pay for an expensive glow worm tour to see them.

If you’re road tripping New Zealand, there are several places where you can see glow worms completely free, without booking a guided experience or squeezing into a crowded boat tour.

I’ve put this list together specifically for road trippers who want real, self-guided glow worm experiences, including where they actually make sense to stop, what to expect, and when it’s worth choosing a paid option instead.

This post was originally written in November 2019 and has since been updated

What To Expect From Seeing Glow Worms For Free In NZ

What you’ll see > Tiny blue-green lights scattered across cave ceilings, bush walls and stream banks. Some spots have just a handful, others look like a full starry sky. Photos can be tricky though… glow worms look way better in real life unless you’re using a long shutter speed and a tripod.

Best time to go > Glow worms are best seen after dark, with summer being ideal thanks to warmer nights and easier walking. Give your eyes time to adjust and avoid visiting caves or streams after heavy rain.

Where you’ll find them > Free glow worms in New Zealand can be found in caves, along bush tracks, beside streams and even in a few unexpected city spots. Once you know where to look, you’ll be surprised how many free glow worm locations there actually are.

When to book a tour > If you don’t fancy navigating tracks in the dark or dealing with uneven ground, a guided tour can be a good option. Tours like the famous Waitomo glow worm boat ride are also worth considering if you’re after something a little more adventurous and unique.

Free Glow Worms On New Zealand’s North Island

Dec and I have yet to explore all of what New Zealand has to offer so for this guide to places to see glow worms in New Zealand, we enlisted the help from a few of our fellow travellers.

Glow Worms at Wellington Botanical Gardens

By Jub from Chur New Zealand

The Wellington Botanical Gardens are enjoyed by most during the day, but if you stay until night time, you’re in for a treat as they are one of the unexpected places to see glow worms in New Zealand for free.

I used to live a two-minute walk from the park so we’d often go for a walk in the evening to check on them, they almost felt like our babies as not many people know about them.

You can find them by following the path from the Glen Road entrance. If you’re walking from Glen Road, they’ll be on your left. There aren’t any lights in this part of the gardens so you shouldn’t have any issues with finding them.

What I would suggest is to catch the cable car up the hill a little bit before sunset to enjoy the view overlooking Wellington. Then when it’s dark you can find the path down to the area through the gardens, or you can take the stairs from Upland Road down to Rimu Road and walk the two minutes to the Glen Road entrance from there.

You’ll have had enough after 10 minutes (unless they really mesmerise you), and from there you can walk to Space Place at the top of the gardens if it’s open (book your tickets in advance).

Mangapohue Natural Bridge

By Leah from Officer Travels

The Mangapohue Natural Bridge is just a short drive away from the famous Waitomo Glow Worm cave tours, but this glow worm cave is free, often overlooked and worth arriving to just before it gets dark.

As you walk along the narrow path that winds through the centre of an old river bed it feels magical before the glow worms even begin to shine. Cross the stream via the little swing bridge and watch the gorge open up to the magnificent Mangapohue Natural Bridge that has been carved out of the gorge walks by the stream over the years.

Once the sun goes down you’ll be able to see the walls transform from rocky brown to a twinkling blue and green due to the millions of glow worms that line the walls on both sides of the gorge as well as the ceiling of Mangapohue Natural Bridge.

Like the Wellington Botanical Gardens, there are no lights along this path so you’ll have to let your eyes adjust or pack a red light torch.

In the daylight, you can continue up the steps, through the natural bridge and across the field to follow the track that passes the giant fossilised oysters before looping back to the car park.

Our photo of the Glow Worms at Mangapohue Natural Bridge – One of the places to see glow worms in New Zealand for free

Hot water beach – Coromandel Peninsula

By Leah from Officer Travels

Did you know the Coromandel Peninsula has glow worm caves? If you visit the famous hot water beach (which you should!) and hang around until after dark you’ll notice the bushes along the track start to twinkle.

The Coromandel Peninsula is a beautiful part of New Zealand’s North Island and its easy access makes it one of the most family-friendly places to see glow worms in New Zealand.

The Waipu Caves

By Alex from Discover Aotearoa

The Waipu Caves are the best free place to see glow worms in New Zealand that I’ve visited so far. They are located in Northland, on the way to the Bay of Islands. 

We stayed on the DOC campsite in Ruakaka for a couple of nights and heard of the cave from the campsite warden. From the campground, they’re only about a 10 minutes’ drive, so of course, we had to see them!

An unimposing sign and parking lot told us we were at the right place. We had to cross a meadow to get to the entrance. There’s a stream inside the cave, so we took off our shoes and followed the water into the darkness. 

About 50 meters into the cave, once our eyes adjusted to the dark, we were blown away by the galaxies of glow worms that surrounded us! It felt like we could just reach out and touch actual stars. The only place I’ve seen more glow worms than in Waipu Cave was in the famous Waitomo Caves.

If you’re on your way up to the bay of Islands, do not miss visiting the Waipu Caves! Make sure you bring a good camera and a tripod to capture this moment. Also, please show common sense and switch off your torches so everyone in the cave can enjoy the glow worms.

Okupata caves – Tongariro National Park

By Leah from Officer Travels

Yep, you read that right. Tongariro National Park is one of the many free places to see glow worms in New Zealand – who knew! They’re only a 5-minute walk from the roadside parking but the path is unmarked, a bit tricky and you’re almost guaranteed to get your feet wet here.

Following the track through the fern forest to the stream it isn’t long before you start following the stream down into the caves – so don’t attempt getting to the Okupata Caves if the water levels are high or during/after heavy rain due to flash flooding. You’ll eventually scramble to level ground and it’s from here you’ll see the magic of the Tongariro National Park glow worms.

Limestone Creek – Apiti, Manawatu

By Leah from Officer Travels

If you want to check out one of the places to see glow worms in New Zealand but don’t want to stay out after dark, there is a small collection of glow worm caves at Limestone Creek, North of Apiti on the North Island, that might be perfect for you.

It requires a 600m walk through a beautiful gorge, over streams and past wild orchids to get to the main cave but once you’re there you’ll be greeted with a stunning day time display of New Zealand glow worms. Waterproof shoes are a must here as the track can get pretty wet.

Where To See Free Glow Worms in New Zealand’s South Island:

Glowworms in Mistletoe Bay

By Martina from The Global Curious

When I told my friend Rachael to join me on the 4th – and last- night of the Queens Charlotte Track in Marlborough Sounds,  she was hesitant. I persuaded her by counting the many blessings awaiting at our campsite in Mistletoe Bay. There’s a beach, the site is an eco-village, there are showers…and so on. 

What I didn’t say – because I didn’t know – is that we were about to encounter an ancient forest with a narrow river stream and glow worms sitting not just on the stream banks, but also near the soil by the trees’ roots surrounding the river. It was indeed a beautiful and quite unique sight!

The funny thing was, we found this opportunity just by chance. We were casually walking by the campsite’s office at night time and read a paper note stuck to the door: “Glow worms, 5 minutes that way.” Say what?!

I’d been living in New Zealand for 4 years at that time and had never seen glow worms! So, this was quite the treat – these shiny cuties can be quite elusive and hard to find in free spots, more so in the South Island!

In case you are wondering if you need to walk 4 days straight to get there, fear not! You can reach Mistletoe Bay by car from Picton in 1 hour, take a 20-minute water taxi, or walk from Anakiwa – it’s a 4-hour walk. Although there is a fee for staying overnight at the campsite, entering the forest has no cost.

It might be one of the harder to reach places to see glow worms in New Zealand but it’s an ideal day – and/or night – detour if you are exploring the South Island’s north coast or if you are planning to cross with the ferry. 

Clifton Caves – Southland Glow Worms

By Leah from  Officer Travels

The Clifton Caves are a limestone cave network that takes 1 – 2 hours to navigate. This is another adventurous glow worm cave route that could lead to you getting your feet wet as you walk the narrow path next to the stream towards the pool at the end.

You’ll be able to see the glow worms throughout this route but be aware of the water levels – it is prone to flash flooding if there has been heavy rain.

Smiths Farm – Glow Worms in Marlborough

By Annie from Off goes Annie

Smiths Farm Holiday Park was without a doubt, for me, one of the best places to see glow worms in New Zealand. This beautiful, family-run holiday park and working farm is the perfect stop on any campervan road trip around South Island.

Located just a short drive away from the start of the Queen Charlotte Track, Smiths Farm provides a unique country stay with epic glow worm viewing opportunities.

At the edge of the farmland, there’s a small track that winds through a wooded area along a stream. Clearly signposted by the excellent hosts, it’s possible to adventure into the night to a distant waterfall with thousands and thousands of these mystical creatures.

The journey there is all part of the adventure, as you walk through farmland in the pitch black with anticipation of finding the little glowing dots. What’s more, it’s likely that you’ll be totally on your own in your viewing, giving you the space to enjoy this serene experience with only the sound of the waterfall.

Velenski Track – Glow Worms at Lake Brunner

By Leah from  Officer Travels

Hidden on the West Coast of the South Island is Lake Brunner, a stunning area that not too many backpackers StumbleUpon.

The Velenski Track starts at Moana and is a short 20-minute stroll, a nice quick way of seeing glow worms for free while enjoying a beautiful area.

If you’re heading to Greymouth, Lake Brunner is worth a stop for more than just the glow worms.

Hokitika Glow Worm Dell

By Jennifer from Backyard Travel Family

One of the best things to do in Hokitika on the beautiful West Coast of the South Island, is to check out the free Glow Worm Dell. 

One of the reasons this glow worm location is so popular is that it is so easy to access.  Whether you have small children or are in a wheelchair, you can go up the short hill, and within two minutes you have reached the beautiful sparkly wonderland of South Island glow worms.

How to get here: Drive north of Hokitika on State Highway 6 (Fitzherbert Street) just over a kilometre from Hokitika Town Centre and you will see the Glow Worm Dell signposted on your right-hand side (near Richards Drive)

Seeing glow worms for free is one of those New Zealand travel moments that feels even more special when it’s unplanned – a quiet stop you stumble across on a road trip, without crowds or tour groups telling you when to move on.

Stops like these are exactly why flexibility matters when you’re driving around New Zealand. The best experiences aren’t always the ones you book months in advance, they’re the ones you can say yes to because your route, timing, and logistics already make sense.

If you want help planning a New Zealand road trip that actually leaves room for moments like this, our Road Trip Ready Toolkit is designed to do exactly that.

It helps you build a realistic, stress-free itinerary – from researching to plotting routes.

👉 Check out the Road Trip Ready Toolkit here