Cave Tours

 
 
A tour group gathers in the cave on a lantern tour
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

 
 

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.

 

 

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 is not guaranteed.

 

 

 

Descriptions of Cave Tours

Some tours are offered seasonally and may not be available on the day of your visit. Check the tour schedule for availability.
 

 

Wild Cave and Introduction to Caving Crawling Tour Requirements

Boot tread must be a minimum of 1/4 inch in depth, and boot height must be sturdy and cover the ankle bone completely. You will not be able to participate if your footwear does not meet safety requirements. There will be no refunds or ticket exchanges for not having the proper footwear.

Learn more about the special requirements for crawling tours in the informational video below.

 
Visit our keyboard shortcuts docs for details
Duration:
2 minutes, 9 seconds

The Willd Cave and Introduction to Caving Tours are the most extreme cave tours offered at Mammoth Cave National Park. Learn what to expect and what to wear for these challenging crawling adventures.

 

Tour Route Photo Galleries

 

Other Cave Tours

Mammoth Cave offers numerous cave tours throughout the year. The selection of tours changes seasonally and with staffing availability. You can read descriptions and learn more about these other cave tours before planning your trip to the park. Check back with our cave tour schedule or park calendar to see future offerings of these other cave tours.

 

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 7
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259-0007

Phone:

270 758-2180

Contact Us