A tour group gathers in Star Chamber on the Violet City Lantern Tour.
NPS Photo/ Tegan Sorensen
Getting Started
A journey into Mammoth Cave on a guided cave tour is an essential part of a visit to the park. Whether it is your first time to the park or your tenth, there are several things to consider when planning your trip.
To go into the cave, you must purchase a tour ticket.
Reservations for cave tour tickets are strongly recommended as they can sell out weeks in advance.
There are many different cave tours to choose from. From a fully wheelchair accessible tour, short and long walking tours, lantern tours, and adventurous crawling tours. Some cave tours require a short bus ride to and from the cave entrance. Be sure to fully read the tour descriptions before purchasing your tour tickets.
We are in the Central Time Zone.
Know Before You Go
To ensure the safety of all visitors and the continued protection of Mammoth Cave the following items are not permitted on cave tours:
Flash photography (photography is allowed if the flash is turned off)
Child backpack carriers (front packs are permitted)
Strollers,Tripods/Monopods, Walking sticks (except canes used to assist visitors who would otherwise have difficulty walking)
Metal framed backpacks and backpacks that are higher than the shoulder or that are of a length that extends below the hips (i.e. large trekking backpacks)
Firearms or other weapons
Pets (Day use kennels at the Lodge at Mammoth Cave are available for rent. Proof of vaccination must be provided upon entering the kennel. Learn more about pets in the park.)
During the spring and fall seasons the park is a very popular destination for school trips and other parties. As a result, your tour may include other group(s) of various ages.
You may wish to bring a light jacket during your tour. Cave temperatures can vary widely near entrances (especially in winter), deep cave temperature is 54ºF (12ºC) while surface temperatures in the summer can exceed 90ºF (32ºC).
Visitors with limited mobility may find some cave tours too strenuous. Please review cave tour descriptions and consider your limitations when choosing which tour to participate on.
For members of the deaf and hard of hearing community, assisted listening devices and sign language interpreter services are available with advanced arrangements.
The park is committed to providing accessible options for all visitors. Learn more about accessibility in the park.
When traveling to the park for a cave tour, plan for adequate travel time to the visitor center to arrive around 30 minutes before the start of your scheduled tour. This will allow for time to find parking, pick up your physical paper tour tickets and time to use the restroom.
Do not rely on your mobile GPS or web based mapping applications. These services often lead visitors off track onto routes requiring river crossings via ferry or onto narrow winding roads not suitable for large vehicles. More information about travel directions to the park are available.
Tour Schedule
Tour route availability and times change depending on the season. Before arriving at the park or trying to reserve tickets for a tour, please review the tour schedule for the dates of your trip. The park may not publish the complete schedule or variety of tours until 1 to 3 months prior to tour date. Read more about tour descriptions at the bottom of this page.
Extended Discovery Tour (Self-guided)
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Daily
Domes and Dripstones Tour
9:45, 11:00, 1:15, 2:15 Daily
12:00 (Fri-Sun)
Frozen Niagara Tour
9:00, 12:30, 3:00 Daily
10:00 (Fri-Sun)
Grand Avenue Tour
10:15 a.m. Daily
Historic Tour
10:30, 11:30, 1:00, 1:45, 2:15 Daily
Accessible Tour
11:15 Daily
Cleaveland Avenue Tour
9:30 Daily
Gothic Avenue Tour
9:00 Daily
Great Onyx Tour
9:15, 2:00 Daily
River Styx Tour
9:30 (Sat-Sun)
Wild Cave Tour
9:00 (Sat-Sun)
Extended Discovery Tour (Self-guided)
10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Daily
Domes and Dripstones Tour
9:45, 1:15, 2:15 Daily
Frozen Niagara Tour
9:00, 3:00 Daily
Grand Avenue Tour
10:15 Daily
Historic Tour
10:30, 11:30, 1:00 Daily
Accessible Tour
11:15 Daily
Gothic Avenue Tour
9:00 Daily
Great Onyx Tour
2:00 Daily
Extended Discovery Tour (Self-guided)
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Daily
Mammoth Passage Tour
9:00, 4:15 Daily (Will be posted 5/18)
Domes and Dripstones Tour
10:00, 11:00, 12:45, 2:15, 2:45 Daily
Frozen Niagara Tour
9:00, 11:30 Daily
Grand Avenue Tour
9:45 Daily
Historic Tour
10:00, 12:15, 12:45, 3:15 Daily
Accessible Tour
10:45, 1:45 Daily
Gothic Avenue Tour
3:45 Daily
Violet City Lantern Tour
2:00 Daily
River Styx Tour
3:30 Daily
Tour Reservations
Cave tours often sell out during the summer and early fall seasons, and reservations are strongly recommended. Reservations are the only way to ensure a spot on a tour is available for your party. Please plan accordingly by visiting Recreation.gov or calling 877-444-6777 to secure your tickets in advance. Availability of walk-up tickets for guided tours is not guaranteed.
By Phone: (877) 444-6777 TDD (hearing impaired): (877) 833-6777 Online:www.recreation.gov Call Center Hours: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Central Time
Refunds will be processed if you cancel before your tour time and date. There will be $1 per ticket charge regardless the reason for the cancellation. Customers who cancel any tour after the reservation time and date or no-shows will forfeit the tour fee.
For Wild Cave, Introduction to Caving, and Trog tours:
Cancellations made 10 or more days prior to the Tour Date will be no charge.
Cancellation made 10 days or less prior to the Tour Date will be charged the following amount per ticket:
Wild Cave Tour: $12.00
Introduction to Caving Tour: $6.00
Trog Tour: $4.00
Descriptions of Cave Tours
The tours listed below are part of at least one currently published tour schedule. Check the tour schedule to find which tours will be offered during your visit.
This is a self-guided tour. Walk down a hillside trail to Mammoth Cave's most famous entrance and follow the path used for over two centuries of touring. Experience the grandeur of large trunk passages in the world's longest cave. Focusing on early history and prehistory of the cave, this section of cave houses many great artifacts. There will be rangers stationed along the route to answer any questions and for safety. Tour enters and exits at the Historic Entrance, visiting the Rotunda and a historic salt peter mining site, Rafinesque Hall, and the Methodist Church.
Includes part of the Historic Tour and all of the Mammoth Passage Tour routes.
Duration: Approximately 1 hour Distance: 1 mile (1.6 km) Total Stairs: 135 Difficulty: Easy Ages: All ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: Unlimited Fees: $15 Adult, $13 Youth, $4.00 Child, $7.50 Senior or Access Pass Holder
Utilizing the Elevator Entrance, this tour emerges near the famous Snowball Room. Continuing through historic Cleaveland Avenue, this tour passes through areas of the cave highly decorated with historic signatures and sparkling geological formations. This tour is ideal for people who wish to see the cave and are looking for a tour with no stairs.
This is an accessible tour. This tour is designed for persons with a disability, limited physical mobility, or any other reason for a tour with no stairs. If no one in your party needs an accessible tour, please consider selecting another tour unless this is the only tour available at the time of your request. Wheelchairs, scooters and other assistive devices are allowed. Accessible restrooms are on this tour.
Participants meet at the visitor center for a caravan in their personal vehicles to drive approximately 2 miles to the elevator entrance. Assistive devices will need to be decontaminated upon exiting the cave to limit the spread of White Nose Syndrome.
Please note:
No transportation or mobility assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, walkers or canes are available. NPS employees will not transport or assist visitors or visitor equipment. If visitors need assistance with the Park's accessible features, they must bring a companion with them for aid.
The Accessible Tour utilizes a single elevator to reach the tour route inside the cave. The elevator receives regular maintenance but can experience operational issues because of effects from the cave's natural environment.
If the cave elevator used for the Accessible Tour breaks down during your tour, the only exit from the cave would require walking for one mile on an uneven dirt trail. The trail includes slight elevation changes and a long, single set of 200 stairs. If you or anyone in your group may find this exit route challenging, we recommend reconsidering whether to participate in the Accessible Tour. Visit our Accessible Activities page to explore additional options.
Duration: 2 hours Distance: 0.5 miles (0.8 km) Total Stairs: No stairs Difficulty: Easy Ages: All ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 14 Fees: $27 Adults, $21 Youth, $6.75 Child, $13.50 Senior Pass Holder, $13.50 Access Pass Holder.
For nearly two centuries, Cleaveland Avenue has attracted people from all over the world to see its sparkling walls of gypsum and unique tube-shaped passages. Evidence of early visitors can still be seen on the walls and ceiling of some of its most famous places. In the event the elevator is not available due to unforeseen circumstances, the tour retraces the route and ascends the near 200 stairs back out of the cave.
Please note: This tour exits the cave by elevator. In the event the elevator is not available due to unforeseen circumstances, the tour retraces the route and ascends the near 200 stairs back out of the cave.
Duration: 2 hours (2.5 hours without elevator) Distance: 1 miles (2 miles without elevator) Total Stairs: 200 (400 stairs without elevator) Difficulty: Moderate (Difficult without elevator) Ages: All Ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 38 Fees: $30 Adult, $24 Youth, $7.50 Child, $15 Senior Pass Holder, $15 Access Pass Holder
This classic tour visits areas of Mammoth Cave that have been used for nearly 100 years. This tour begins in a sinkhole, passes through huge domes, amazing breakdown, and ends in the dripstone section known as Frozen Niagara. Please note that this tour ascends and descends hundreds of stairs and several steep inclines, which can be difficult for many visitors, as there are no alternative routes. Focusing on the natural formation of the cave, this tour is ideal for people interested in science and wanting to see stalactites and stalagmites.
This tour requires a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.
This tour includes the entire Frozen Niagara Tour route and a small portion of the Grand Avenue Tour route.
Duration: 2 hours Distance: 0.75 miles (1.2 km) Total Stairs: 640 , including 280 on the initial staircase descent and an optional 96 Difficulty: Difficult Ages: All ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: 110 Fees: $30 Adult, $25 Youth, $7.50 Child, $15 Senior Pass Holder, $15 Access Pass Holder.
The naturally decorated Frozen Niagara section remains one of the most famous at Mammoth Cave, and serves as the last stop for a variety of cave tours. While many tours require long hikes and numerous stairs to reach this point, this short tour offers a chance to visit this area. This tour is ideal for anyone with difficulty walking long distances or negotiating stairs.
This tour requires a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.
This section of cave is seen in its entirety on the Domes and Dripstones and Grand Avenue tours.
Duration: 1.25 hours Distance: 0.25 miles (0.4 km) Total Stairs: 64, plus an optional 98 Difficulty: Easy Ages: All ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: 34 Fees: $26 Adults, $22 Youth, $6.50 Child, $13 Senior Pass Holder, $13 Access Pass Holder.
Gothic Avenue was named because of its unusual rock formations resembling Gothic architecture, and was the site of some of the earliest 19th century tourism. Early visitors left behind signatures, artifacts, and monuments in this area of the cave, which also features stalactites and stalagmites. This tour focuses on 1800s tourism and uses of Mammoth Cave, and is ideal for people with a high interest in history.
Portions of this tour are also seen on the Star Chamber, Historic and Violet City Lantern Tours.
Duration: 2 hours Distance: 1.7 miles (2.7 km) Total Stairs: 170 Difficulty: Moderate Ages: Ages 6 and older. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: 40 Fees: $23 Adults, $19 Youth, $11.50 Senior Pass Holder, $11.50 Access Pass Holder.
At 4 hours long, this lengthy tour explores the geologic diversity of what Mammoth Cave has to offer. Going through slot canyons, tubular passageways, tall canyons, and tunnels sparkled with gypsum. This tour also encounters hundreds of steps and ascends and descends many tall, incredibly steep hills. Covering a wide variety of the history and geology of Mammoth Cave, this tour is ideal for those wishing for a lengthy, half-day hike inside of the cave.
This tour requires a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.
This tour includes the entire Frozen Niagara Tour route and all of the Domes and Dripstones Tour except for the 280 stairs descending the vertical shafts at the entrance.
Duration: 4 hours Distance: 4 miles (6.4 km) Total Stairs: 1521 plus an optional 96 Difficulty: Strenuous Ages: Age 6 years and older. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 78 Fees: $42 Adults, $34 Youth, $21 Senior Pass Holder, $21 Access Pass Holder.
A beautiful cave in its own right, Great Onyx Cave houses an abundance of beautiful geologic formations that sparkle in the lantern light of this tour. Visitors on this tour can see many stalactites, stalagmites, gypsum crystals, and helictites. This cave was also the site of very important cultural history in the early days of Kentucky cave tourism. This tour is ideal for people with an interest in cave tourism history and unusual rock formations. Please note: this tour is in Great Onyx Cave, which is separate from Mammoth Cave.
This tour requires a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.
Please Note: This cave is toured within Mammoth Cave National Park, but is not known to connect with the Mammoth Cave System.
Duration: 2.25 hours Distance: 1 miles (1.6 km) Total Stairs: 82 Difficulty: Moderate Ages: Age 6 years and older. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: 38 Fees: $31 Adult, $26 Youth, $15.50 Senior Pass Holder, $15.50 Access Pass Holder.
This classic Mammoth Cave Tour visits many of the historic areas that originally made Mammoth Cave famous. Going through tunnels that humans have used for thousands of years, this tour not only explores huge rooms that gave Mammoth Cave its name, but also descends to much tighter places deep inside the cave. Please note that this tour ascends and descends hundreds of stairs and several steep inclines, which can be difficult for many visitors, as there are no alternative routes. This tour is ideal for people with an interest in history and a sense of adventure.
Portions of this tour are also seen on the Violet City Lantern, Star Chamber and Gothic Avenue Tours. It is seen in its entirety on the River Styx Tour.
Duration: 2 hours Distance: 2 miles (3.2 km) Total Stairs: 540, including 155 at Mammoth Dome Difficulty: Moderate Ages: All ages. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 110 Fees: $24 Adult, $18 Youth, $6.00 Child, $12 Senior Pass Holder, $12 Access Pass Holder.
Following along the Historic Tour Route, this tour focuses on the unique geologic and natural history of Mammoth Cave. Including a brief side trip to the underground water level, this tour takes an in-depth look at the millions of years of formation of Mammoth Cave. This tour is ideal for visitors with a high interest in geology.
Please use extra caution when visiting the river level. To access this section of the cave the tour leaves modern tour trail to uneven terrain that may be wet, muddy, and/or slick. The tour route travels next to bodies of water, some of which can be very deep depending on river levels. Viewing of this area will also be conducted with electric lanterns and not the modern lighting system used along the rest of the route.
This tour covers the entire Historic Tour route. Limited sections of the Star Chamber, Violet City Lantern and Mammoth Passage are also seen.
Duration: 2.5 hours Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km) Total Stairs: Approximately 600, including 155 at Mammoth Dome. Difficulty: Moderate Ages: Age 6 years and older. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 40 Fees: $26 Adults, $20 Youth, $13 Senior Pass Holder, $13 Access Pass Holder.
A truly historic way to experience Mammoth Cave, this tour travels exclusively by lantern light. At three hours long, this tour winds through the history and prehistory of Mammoth Cave as you wander through huge, broad tunnels. This tour climbs and descends many incredibly steep hills on historic dirt trails as you experience the cave in the light of the earliest explorers. This tour is ideal for visitors who like to hike and are wanting a unique way to experience the cave.
This tour requires a short bus ride back to the visitor center from the cave exit.
Portions of this tour are also seen on the Historic, River Styx and Mammoth Passage Tours. Only visitors age 16 and over may carry lanterns. Be prepared, the rugged nature of this tour possesses steep hills, low lighting, uneven terrain and no handrail or electric lighting infrastructure. To preserve the nostalgic nature of this tour, the use of flashlights is prohibited.
Duration: 3 hours Distance: 3 miles (4.8 km) Total Stairs: 200 and numerous hills with no handrails. Difficulty: Difficult Ages: Age 6 years and older. Individuals under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older. Restrooms: No Tickets available for each tour time: 38 Fees: $32 Adults, $27 Youth, $16 Senior Pass Holder, $16 Access Pass Holder.
The most extreme tour offered at Mammoth Cave, this crawling tour is an all-day adventure underground. Focusing on a wide variety of topics such as the history of Mammoth Cave exploration, this tour is very physically demanding. Lengthy amounts of time will be spent crawling through extremely tight crawl spaces and climbing through difficult areas. This tour is ideal for people who wish to spend the entire day performing a wide variety of extremely challenging physical obstacles in a unique environment.
Footwear & Equipment Visitors must provide their own boots that cover the ankle bone completely and have aggressive tread with a minimum depth of 1/4 inch. You will not be able to participate in the tour if your shoes do not meet these requirements. Boots with zippers will not be admitted on the tour. No slick-soled footwear is permitted. No tennis shoes allowed. Please bring an extra pair of tennis shoes or sandals for use during boot cleaning at the end of the tour.
Additional Requirements An adult must accompany visitors under age 18. Organized youth groups must have at least two adult representatives accompanying minor children. Chest or hip measurement must not exceed 42 inches; if you are larger you may not physically pass through the crawlspaces.
In order to minimize the spread of White Nose Syndrome, a bat disease caused by an invasive fungus, Mammoth Cave National Park has instituted strict cleaning procedures for all off-trail crawling tours. All equipment (coveralls, helmets, knee pads and head lamps) are provided by the park. A small fannypack is also provided. No personal caving equipment allowed – no exceptions. Shorts and a t-shirt recommended for wear under required coveralls.
There will be no food service in the Snowball Room. Visitors will need to bring their own lunch or snacks. Requires at least 2 participants.
This tour requires a short bus ride to and from the visitor center to the cave entrance.
All crawling tours must have a printed ticket from ticket office. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your tour to be able to get these printed.
Duration: 6 hours Distance: 5 miles (8 km) Total Stairs: Approximately 500 Difficulty: Strenuous Ages: Age 16 years and older Restrooms: Yes Tickets available for each tour time: 14 Fees: $79 Adults, $39.50 Senior Pass Holder, $39.50 Access Pass Holder.
