The Legendary Blackwater Rafting Company Reviews

Amazing experience. The abyss tour is a must, if you are brave enough :P

Fantastic experience, always felt safe and supported by guides, friendly customer service throughout, excellent bagels and soup after the trip. All around would recommend! Couldn't have possibly seen the glow worms in a better way.

Very well organised, friendly place that I would recommend to others. we did the 2 hr tour, which I think was pretty good. showers and food at end was just what i needed.

There is a fair bit of emphasis on the tour about getting photos which takes up a fair bit of time on the tour. You cannot bring in your own cameras and so you are forced to buy their $30 copy of all the photos.

We had a lot of fun. We did the tubing in the caves and it was awesome!!

When people ask me - what was your most memorable experience in New Zealand, the first thing that comes to my mind is Black Water Rafting!
The whole tour from the beginning to its end was very well thought through, ensuring that we get to experience something new and amazing from the beginning till the end.
Abseiling down into the dark void and then discovering the cultural importance of this magical place covered in constellations of blueish lights reflected in water and exploring the true nature of those lights through fascinating stories told by the guides.
p.s. if you are worried about getting too cold - worry not :) the wetsuits will keep you at comfortable temperature and the cakes and hot chocolate during the tour as well as lovely warm shower and hot lunch after will definitely enhance your experience!

This was a great trip into the glow worm cave that s near waitomo. We changed into wet suits and got trained on abseil. We abseiled into the cave and then zip lined into a lights out fantastic glow worm cave. We jumped off a short cliff into the water. The raft part is more euphemism than reality. We jumped in the water on tubes and then flip acted into the next cave room that had blinking worm lights. We floated, swam, waded, and walked through the cave rooms and eventually popped out up a little rock climb. The staff was excellent and very aware of safety. They were also very caring with three Chinese ladies who had no experience and could not swim. Excellent time.

Loved the black abyss tour! Guides were great and the caves, waterfall climbs, abseling, and cave walks were worth every cent

Phenomenal experience and well worth the money, we had super friendly and knowledgeable staff taking us for the tour through the "Labrinth." Great to see a good mix of locals working there. At every stage they helped make everyone feel excited and safe. Teaching the group how to jump off waterfalls and land safely was just one of the highlights. While the sight of glow-worms while floating down an underground river was near indescribable. A must see for anyone that can deal with a bit of cold.

An "out of this world" experience, floating through the caves in total silence and total darkness, staring up at the gloworms above as they mimic the night sky.

Black Abyss - simply the best adventure tour ever! No where on earth you get to abseil down a hole , then flying fox and float on the underground river, with thousands of starry glow worms above you... The guides are very friendly, knowledgeable funny and genuinely passionated about the nature. A truely mesmerising and unforgettable experience!

Had a spectacular time with Becky and Legs on the full 5 hour Black Abyss tour! Abseiling, zip-lining, and free climbing underground waterfalls. Seeing and learning about the glow worms was fascinating in and of itself

Absolutely cracking experience, Aaron and T ve were so enthusiastic and fun to be around. So many interesting facts as well.

Fantastic experience!! My boyfriend and I were lucky to be the only ones on the tour which meant we were able to explore a little more and ask Jack our guide far too many questions! Amazing afternoon!!! Would recommend to everyone!

I did the full experience with Black Abyss. My friends and I had an amazing time. You can see a lot of glowworms while going through a wide variety of different caving activities (these are best kept secret as it's more exciting waiting to see what's next). Totally safe but thrilling!

We did the Abyss tour and absolutely loved it. Certainly not for the faint of heart, however our guide did a great job providing less extreme options for many of the more daring events. Floating through the glow work caves was incredible and an amazing experience, but exploring the caves and waterfalls may have been even better.

It's truly a unique experience, i came to see glowworms but had so much fun because of the activity of black water rafting on top of seeing the cool caves and glowworms.

It's an absolute must do. Ignore the nerves and enjoy the thrill! The staff are super professional, funny, and attentive. Well organised and it runs smooth.
You can change onsite and lock up all of your valuables, so take a keen sense of adventure togs & towel and book something.

Amazing guides, amazing time, truly an awesome experience. Did the abyss excursion and loved every second. One item off the bucket list.

Had a good time on Black Abyss tour, I think the price is enflatted for what your doing and how many people are there but overall had a fun experience and fun guides

Such a unique experience and a fun way to see the glowworms. The trip gives you a whole caving experience as well as seeing the worms up close. 100% recommend

The Labyrinth tour was fantastic. Ollie and Zeus were great guides! I was nervous at first but their good humour made it a very fun time.

Really great staff that will guarentee you an awesome trip through the caves on your inflatable tube. Float through the caves, jump off waterfalls and view the amazing glow worms all in one trip. The guys had delicious hot soup and bagels for us at the end to help warm us up. The most fun I had in the North island!

Not only were my tour guides amazing, the customer service was BEYOND amazing.

My partner and I were . . . seasoned adventurers and they took excellent care of us without making us feel like we were any trouble. This on top of my muscles stiffening up affecting mobility and my partner's already limited mobility.

We are both pretty hale and hearty but they have had hip replacements and I'm just not a limber as I used to be -- especially in cold water. That is to say, we were capable but not hopping around like the younger adventurers and we never felt like we were a burden.

Second, a third member of our party was unable to complete the tour (even get in the water really) because their wetsuit was too restrictive. He was having problems breathing. They not only got him back to a ride and took care of him without judgment (some gentle encouraging prodding but no pressure to continue) but refunded his adventure price (which we were OK with giving up due to the amount of time we had all already spent together).

I can not say enough about how magical it was to float under strange constellations and how wonderful the staff made the entire experience.

GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR MONEY! They will return the best service and more.

What an adventure! Loved it and felt safe doing it, even though it was actually hard work. This company ran a really smooth operation and I appreciated getting all the photos delivered via an email to have when I got home (only NZ$35 for everything taken of our group and some 'stock' photos to show the cave when lit).

Absolutely fantastic crowd! We had an amazing time on our tour, and would definitely recommend. Would go again, even. Our guides were knowledgeable and hilarious and it was just such a fun time. Top marks.

Thought it was a bit pricey a first but it's well worth it. One of the highlights of the trip.

This is quite an experience! We did the Black Labyrinth tour, and our guide was friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. She taught us about glow worms and the cave system while making sure we had fun and stayed safe. In case I need to state the obvious, this is not a "comfortable" activity. The water in the cave is cold, and you will get cold even in your wetsuit. There is also dirt and mud and cave stuff, so you'll also get dirty. If you're down with getting close with nature, though, this is so worth it! There are hot showers and a warm snack waiting for you at the end, too! The only downside is that their equipment budget seems a little tight. They don't have enough wet suits to give each tour fresh ones, so you'll probably be wiggling into a damp, kinda smelly suit at the start of your tour. Just go with it, though. It will be worth it.

Albeit slight scarey at times my wife and I had a great time in the Glowworm caves.

Amazing. Really cold water but you have to be prepared to deal with it to see the beauty.

Awesome experience!!!! Guides Jessica and Logan were very entertaining! I did the 5 hour Black Abyss tour which gives you 3 hours in the caves...I wish it was longer. It was a great adventure, VERY cold, very entertaining. If you are concerned with the dificulty the only difficult parts of the experience were walking in the water over uneven ground and climbing a small waterfall. If you are at all adventurous I would highly recommend this trip.

Had a great time on this adventure. A little frightening at stages but fully worth it.

One of a kind experience! Cave diving, tubing, climbing water falls, the glow worms, all deep down the hole under 35 to 65 ft below earth!

Something you have to do it, amazing, friendly staff, perfect adventure!!!

Similar sentiments to other reviewers. Did the Black Abyss. Had a funny and personable guide and had a blast in the caves.

If you have the opportunity, take a full tour for 5 hours. This is just an unreal cool trip! Glowing walls and ceiling of the cave, underground river and waterfalls!

Beautiful scenes in an underground cave. Lights were off in order to see the glow worms and tour was guided by a professional. It was cold and rather damp so dress appropriately for that. Overall, nice visit. Informative and breathtaking. Aloha

Awesome experience & a must do if you are in North Island. The guides were really good, it was both fun and felt safe with them

Did the black abyss and absolutely loved it. Turtle was full of information about the works, caves and local culture. The soup and bagels in the end helps you warm up after marinating in chilly waters for 4 hours.

Our guides were amazing! They were very energetic and helpful in guiding us through the black abyss tour. They took some amazing photos of the group you can purchase afterwards for $30, since they don't allow cameras into the caves.

The Black Abyss caving tour was suggested to me by a friend. He insisted to take the long tour despite it was the most expensive one and he didn't want to give me more info about it. It worths 100% the money you spend, had one of my best experiences of my life and it is one of the reasons I enjoyed my short trip to New Zealand and a good reason to return one day.
Many thanks to Cory & Katie, our guides, very careful with safety checks and they knew how to encourage us and make the tour enjoyable at the same time!

Everytime I go to nz I visit here and do a cave experience. Worth it everytime. Amazing friendly staff.

I cannot begin to describe how much fun I had on this day. What an absolutely FUN, EXCITING Adventure!!!

This company takes care of their customers/passengers like nothing I have ever seen before. Their staff are VERY friendly and they take the time to make sure you have the equipment you need to be comfortable. They instructions are easy to follow and the whole experience from beginning to end was LEGENDARY!!!

My girlfriend and I did the "Black Abyss" tour which started with us repelling 100 feet (33 meters) down into a cave into the darkness. Then it included a zip line that was exciting since I could only see glow worms as I went flying by! Then the rafting which was awesome!!

When I return to New Zealand I plan on doing this adventure again simply because it was so amazing. Their staff even give you free tea and tomato soup after you've showered and gotten back into your normal clothes. Such an AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!

I so want to say the biggest shout out to Sarah and Kit who were so inspirational today with me and help me get over my fears of claustrophobic. You guys rock and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and like you said I would have been so gutted not to have done it...it truly was fantastic and amazing....cheers to you and all the staff at Waitomo Caves

Wicked way to see something different. It came recommended to me and I m happy to pass on the review. Water is pretty cold but this is to be expected. The team were great and the glow worms a delight to see.

Really enjoyed our time. photos were expensive though

Went through the Black Abyss and absolutely loved it! Mieke and Maddie were awesome guides and really made the day that much better!

Did the abyss tour. It was a great time and really cool experience. The tour guides (Corey and Allister) were really helpful and lots of fun.

My favourite experience of New Zealand. I travelled both the north and south island and this is the top attraction in my eyes. When I first purchased it I thought it was a little pricey but after actually doing it, I realised its worth every cent! Do not miss out on this if you go to NZ.

Very nice 3-hr Black Labyrinth experience! Although it could be quite cold and tiring at first, we came to love it at the end of the journey. Our guides were also very nice, helpful and also fun. Totally will come back again for Abyss if we have the chance. Shout out to Jackson, Enoch, and Emma!

Went on the abyss tour, our guides were great!! Fantastic attitude and made it really enjoyable. A totally once in a life time experience, do not miss while in NZ.

We did the Black Labyrinth cave tour. So much fun. Would definitely recommend this to anyone travelling through NZ.

So.much fun loved the tour guides lovely women. Cold water. Tubing was fun caves so amazing!!

This was one of the highlights of our tour of NZ. Our tour guides were some of the best we've experienced and the tour itself was wonderfully put together. Definitely one of the most memorable experiences I've had while traveling.

Very interesting and fun visit. It could be a little bit cold but you will be so focused on the spectacular lights that you will firget everything else. Ask for an extra layer under your suit and it will be ok.
Try to switch off your lights as much as you can so that you will enjoy more the worm's light.
A must to see in New Zealand!

I cannot recommend this company enough. Our guides, Micah and T've, were absolutely phenomenal. A ~100ft abseil into utter darkness starts off the tour, followed by ziplining, tubing, and breathtaking glow worm displays. It's not possible to overhype this experience, it really is like nothing else I've ever done in my life. As new cavers, my husband and I felt surprisingly prepared after the thorough demonstrations and education by Micah. At every point, both guides were ready to joke, but clearly kept our safety at the forefront. Thank you guys!

Such a great trip !!!!
Go Pros and Cameras are not allowed, but they take really great pictures from you, which you can buy! Everything there was so fantastic, we'll never forget this experience!

It was so great!
GoPro and cameras are unfortunately not allowed, but photos are taken that could be bought for $ 30 in the end.
A really great experience, especially in the dark glow-worm caves, one of the best experiences in New Zealand !!

Definitely worth the money! The tour guides are really great and the Black Labyrinth tour is really fun!

Excellent crew and tour. Had a great experience. Did the labyrinth. Photos in the end weren't worth it. Poor quality .Taking one star away for that.

This was truly wonderful. Much closer to real caving than I expected. Floating asking in the dark, staring up at the glow worms was magical! Please don't miss this.

Loved loved loved it! What an amazing experience. Catered to all of us in our family group and supported us through the more challenging bits. The staff from telephone contact, office, retail through to the guides were friendly and encouraging.

We did the Abyss experience through the Waitomo glowworm caves and it was a brilliant, fun experience. Our guides Callie and Zeus were really enthusiastic and full of good banter and made journey through the caves really interesting and fun. There was a mixture of walking though the caves, floating on the river in tubes and a couple of jumps over small waterfalls (optional). Our guides made us feel safe and the experience of traversing the caves was really fun and exciting. We had several opportunities to turn our lights off and see the glowworms, which was really cool and Callie gave us some interesting info about them. The whole trip was excellent, a real highlight of our holiday and I'd highly recommend it!

We did the 3 hour The Labyrinth Tour. The guides were super friendly and we always felt very safe. Our guide sang in the dark tunnel with the Glowworms Hallelujah, which gave us goose bumps. A truly unique experience that will surely remain in our memories for a long time to come. I can really recommend this unique adventure to anyone who is not claustrophobic (sometimes very narrow passages). Many thanks to the great team of the Legendary Black Water Rafting!

Been there two years ago and it was a great experience. Would like to go back again if there's a chance !

Fantastic time. Elias and Rosa were beyond great. They were knowledgeable, fun, and very attentive to our needs. The caves are glorious, very impressive. Fun and well organized crew and tour! The equipment was in great shape, the changing rooms and showers very well maintained. The complimentary soup and bagels were delicious!

This was an unforgettable experience. Loved our guides and the experience. It s pretty cold to do in the winter, but the suits keep you semi comfortable.

Amazing experience.
We felt the organization of the tour was pretty good. Our tour started about 15 minutes late, but finished on time. The actual cave time is less than an hour.
The guides were quite young but seemed very knowledgeable. Be aware that the course is much more challenging than I expected from the information available online. There are multiple areas of uneven rocky terrain, several below water, with the river flowing by quite fast.
It was never out of control, but just be aware, especially if you have some disabilities.
The outfit they provide consists of WET neoprene socks, sturdy WET long bottoms and sturdy jackets according to your size. They also provide a helmet with an attached lamp of fair quality, and rubber boots. Again, everything is WET, from the previous group. You put it on with some difficulty, but once it's on, it keeps you warm in the chilly water and the cave. Be sure to bring a towel; if you don't have one you can buy one just down the street from the shops for $8 NZD.
Expect to be WET for the entire time, with some areas of COLD wetness for about 45 minutes -1 hour while inside the cave itself. The reminder of the tour is getting ready, dressing up, orientation, and showers at the end.
They provide warm showers ( the men's was warm, but they ran out of gas on the ladies side, and they had to take cold showers, no biggie if it's warm outside, but after the damp cold in the cave, it's nice to have a little warmth) Also, you might want to bring some soap or body wash.
At the end you have to clean/rinse and hang your outfit for the next group.
They provided warm tomato soup and toasted fresh bagels with butter, a welcome treat after the cold trek.
Again, overall a great experience, highly recommend if you are nimble and not worried about getting submerged a few times.

Awesome trip down the caves, had great fun even though it was freezing! Glow worms are best seen this way, in total darkness. Took the Black Labyrinth trip, wasn't too strenuous even for us out of shape people. Well recommended.

Amazing, best thing we have done in New Zealand! So much fun! Callie and George were great guides and made it all the more enjoyable.

Do this immediately! It was a blast!! Even my sister in law who hates water had a great time. The guides were incredible and entertaining. Great memories!

Matt and Gee were our tour guides. The exuberance of youth and the love for whay they do were clearly visible. Loved the tour overall. The caves are an absolute wonder. We did the labyrinth cave and it was phenomenal.

Absolutely loved it. We did the Labyrinth (black water rafting). It was awesome. Our guide Cam was great! He inspired confidence and was knowledgeable about the caves and area. He clearly loves what he does. We had so much fun, and we were blown away by how significant, large and how deep the cave was. The glow worms are impressive, and we were there when there are fewer worms! Highly recommended.

I'm chubby and slow and everyone was lovely and accommodating to me!

Abyss was well worth it! Glad I didn't skimp and go the cheap company!