About Taiao Adventures
Taiao Adventures specialises in glow worm kayak and paddleboard tours on the lakes surrounding Rotorua. Operating year-round with departures from the Rotorua i-SITE on Fenton Street, they run evening paddles into hidden caves where thousands of native glow worms light up the darkness — one of the most memorable night-time experiences in the region.
Their lineup includes the classic Glow Worm Kayak Tour, the more adventurous Glow Worm Adventure Kayak for intermediate paddlers, and the Steaming Cliffs Kayak Tour on Lake Rotomahana in partnership with Waimangu Volcanic Valley. They also offer a Glow & Soak combo that pairs the kayak tour with a session at Polynesian Spa. Stand-up paddleboard options are available on calmer lake conditions.
Taiao Adventures stands out because of the exclusivity of the glow worm caves — these aren't the tourist-crowded caverns you find elsewhere in New Zealand. Small group sizes keep the experience intimate, and the guides are genuinely knowledgeable about the local ecology and Maori cultural significance of the waterways. The Steaming Cliffs tour on Rotomahana is particularly unique, paddling past geothermal vents on a lake most visitors only see from the shore.
