Glow Worm Kayak Tour: Evening Paddle on Lake McLaren

258 Ratings

Tauranga

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Experience the enchanting glow-worm canyon on an evening kayak tour in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. Paddle on calm waters, relax by Lake McLaren, and witness the mesmerizing glow of the glow worms.

Duration: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Waimarino Adventure Park - this meeting point is also Waimarino Adventure Park Tauranga’s longest established tourism attraction where families enjoy the days activities

What's Included

Light refreshments
Kayak and equipment
Professional guide
Goods and Services Tax (GST)

What's Not Included

An additional cost of NZ$40.00 per person does apply to Hotel pickup/drop off.

Additional Information

Mount Maunganui and Tauranga are the central areas for this kayak tour - it uses double kayaks on the calm sheltered waters of Lake McLaren. The tour operates in the evening due to the visibility of the glow worms..
Relax on the edge of Lake McLaren with refreshments, while watching the swans and ducks go about their evening’s preparations. Let your…

Location

36 Taniwha Place

Taniwha Place

Meet at Waimarino Adventure Park, and check in for your tour at reception. There is plenty of free parking on site.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(258 Ratings)

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1 star

453tabithat

Aug 12, 2024

Fun and safe! - Great experience even in pretty rough weather! The guides were fun and experienced, felt really safe kayaking in the dark.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Niamh

Jul 29, 2024

Top experience - I'm so glad I booked this as I had the best time. Lucy the guide was a legend and made the whole experience great. As its winter it was just myself and a couple booked on but going in the kayak with Lucy made sure I didn't feel like I was crashing their date night! Views were lovely and the glowworm were so cool and I loved learning about them. Would defo recommend. Thanks Lucy 😊

Review provided by Tripadvisor

439campbelll

Jul 1, 2024

A must do! - Had a blast looking at the glowworms in the night. Our tour guide George was super knowledgeable, friendly, and lovely to chat with. He set us up some snacks before the kayak, and taught us all about the lifecycles of glowworms and the importance of them in Māori culture. Would definitely recommend, and would definitely do it again.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

84lizap

Jun 1, 2024

Glow - Our tour was fantastic and so much fun. Our guide did great job keeping us comfortable and explaining all the knowledge of the glow worms!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Johanna_f

Apr 14, 2024

Fun Adventure! - The tour guide did a great job ensuring we were all taken care of. We were fortunate to have a smaller group on the evening I went in April. It was fun to hear about the history of the glow worms. It was an exciting adventure even when it rained a little towards the end. I would go again if I could.

Review provided by Viator

705maggiew

Apr 10, 2024

Magical night kayak to see gloworms - This evening gloworm tour was magical. We were driven about 20 mins from HQ to the beautiful Lake McLaren. There we had nibbles and soft drinks before a quick introduction to the kayaking gear. We were on the lake just before dusk and were led by very competent guides. We reached to gloworm canyon as it became really dark and our guides gave us plenty of time to see the thousands of twinkling gloworms while they gave us informative and funny accounts of the scientific and mythical explanations of these amazing creatures. Kayaking back in the dark was just so special and we had the added extra of seeing the full moon.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Dannibees

Mar 31, 2024

Magical - Incredible tour. Really well organised and excellent guides. Started off with snacks whilst they were setting up (selection of nice cheeses and crackers, fresh fruit, crisps, drinks etc) and then we set off in our kayaks with the most beautiful scenic views. The glow worms were out of this world and got brighter as the tour went on. Got plenty of time to look at them as them as our guides told us stories about them. Guides were brilliant (shout out to Darragh) and made us first time kayakers feel safe and at ease! Definitely recommend this tour.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Dianna_s

Mar 12, 2024

A great experience! - We had a great group of people and our tour guides Darragh and another girl whos name i dont recall were welcoming and entertaining. A highlight of my trip so far even if i was looking at 💩.

Review provided by Viator

Wynetta_d

Apr 9, 2024

Glow Worm Experience - A great tour, however a bit expensive. The 2 guides were very knowledgeable. We had an amazing display of the glow worms. The kayak was peaceful on the lake. We had to find our own way to the meeting point. Which was approximately 15mins from the Tauranga Port. Grateful for the transfer back to the cruiseship. With what we paid transfers should be included in the tour.

Review provided by Viator

Katja_g

Mar 31, 2024

Very nice but pricey - The tour has been very nice! Great nature, great story's while with the glowworms. Dinner is more a snack (crackers, cheese, pineapple, carrots abd one ginger beer). A star leas because it's too pricey for what it is.

Review provided by Viator

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up to 15 guests