How to Choose a Carlsbad Caverns Tour

Visiting Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is a fun experience for both adults and children. There are several self-guided and ranger-guided tours available that will appeal to different age levels and abilities. Each tour highlights different areas of the cave, so taking more than one tour is often worthwhile.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Light jacket or a sweater
• Walking or hiking footwear

1. Check which ranger-guided tours are available on your visiting day. Two self-guided tours are available daily.

2. Consider your group's physical constraints and overall fitness level. Tour lengths vary in length from 1-1/2 hours to 4 hours. The Big Room self-guided tour is mostly wheel-chair accessible. The Left Hand Tunnel is the easiest ranger-guided tour. Other tour require ascending steep hills, climbing ladders or even crawling.

3. Review minimum age requirements, which range from four to twelve years for all ranger-guided tours. Self-guided tours may be suitable for younger children.

4. Avoid tours that require you to face fears of heights or darkness. The Lower Cave Tour and Hall of the White Giants both require scaling a ladder. The Kings Palace tour includes blackouts.

5. Decide if you want to crawl in tight spaces and get dirty. Bring hiking boots, long pants, knee pads and gloves for tours that involve crawling like the Hall of the Great White Giants.

6. Self-guided tours are included in the entrance fee while each ranger-guided tour is a separate fee.

7. Make advanced reservations for ranger-guided tours.

Tips & Warnings

• The cave entrance fee, which includes self-guided tours, is free to children aged 15 and under. Children also receive discounted rates for ranger-guided tours.
• The cave temperature is a constant 56 degrees, so dress appropriately.
• Advanced ranger-guided tours may require batteries, hiking boots, long pants, knee pads and gloves.
• Stay until dusk in the summer months, particularly August and September, to watch the spectacular flight of over 400,000 bats exiting the cave into the desert.
• No strollers are allowed in Carlsbad Caverns. Use a baby backpack.
• Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.