Jewel Cave Tour: Western Australia's Largest Show Cave
Three chambers of crystal formations, a natural entrance from the 1950s, and the extinct tigers that fell into the dark
Jewel Cave is a fully-guided underground tour in Western Australia that takes you through three immense chambers decorated with towering stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, shawls and other crystal formations that have taken thousands of years to form. Your guide shares the history of how explorers opened the cave to the public in the 1950s and tells the stories of now-extinct Tasmanian Tigers that perished in the cave long ago. The tour lasts one hour and includes the option to walk the self-guided Karri forest trail afterward through towering trees where you can spot the region's wildflowers in winter and spring. Children from age 4 are welcome. Moderate fitness is needed.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Jewel Cave and Karri Forest
- Join fully-guided Jewel Cave tour
- See crystal formations and speleothems
- View natural cave entrance
- Hear stories of Tasmanian Tigers
- Optionally walk self-guided Karri Forest trail
- Visit Jewel Cave Centre facilities
What’s included
- One-hour fully-guided tour of Jewel Cave with a live English-speaking guide.
- access to all three immense chambers and the natural entrance.
- the option to walk the self-guided Karri forest trail afterward.
- access to the Jewel Cave Centre with its interpretive area, retail shop and café.
Times
- Every day except Friday 09:30 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30
- Friday 09:30 10:30 11:30 12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30
Before you book
Operated by Capes Foundation
Prices and times updated today
Traveler reviews
The experience
A fully-guided tour means you walk through Jewel Cave with a live guide who explains what you're standing in front of: the difference between a stalactite hanging from the ceiling like a vine and a stalagmite rising from the floor, the delicate shawls of mineral deposits, the helictites that seem to defy gravity. The guide walks you through three immense chambers, each one decorated with crystal formations that took thousands of years to build, one drop of mineral-rich water at a time. You'll see the natural entrance the cave explorers of the 1950s used to first break through to this underground world, and you'll understand why opening it to the public was such an incredible task.
The cave's most famous feature is one of the longest straw stalactites found in any tourist cave in Australia: a delicate formation that looks like it could snap at any moment but has survived for millennia. Your guide will point out the variety of speleothems (the geological term for cave formations): flowstone that looks like frozen waterfalls, cave coral, and the colored shawls that stretch across the ceiling. You'll also hear the darker history of the Tasmanian Tigers, now extinct, that fell into the cave and met their end in the depths.
After the cave tour ends, you have the option to walk the self-guided Karri forest trail through towering forest giants native to the region. This walk takes you above the cave's natural entrance and gives you a different perspective on where you've just been. Winter and spring are the best times to spot the region's unique wildflowers along the trail. The Jewel Cave Centre has an interpretive area, a retail shop and a café if you want to rest or grab something to eat before or after your visit.
Is this one for you?Choose the fully-guided tour if you want a guide to explain what you're seeing as you walk (the difference between formations, how they formed, and the cave's history) rather than figuring it out on your own. The one-hour structure means you can fit it into an afternoon and still have time for the optional forest walk if you want to stay longer.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 16 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What exactly will I see inside Jewel Cave on the tour?
Jewel Cave's three immense chambers are filled with towering stalactites hanging from the ceiling, stalagmites rising from the floor, delicate shawls of mineral deposits, helictites, flowstone and cave coral. All crystal formations that have taken thousands of years to form. The cave is also home to one of the longest straw stalactites found in any tourist cave in Australia.
How long does the fully-guided tour of Jewel Cave take?
The fully-guided tour lasts one hour and covers the three main chambers with a live guide who explains the formations and the cave's history.
What is the Karri forest walk and can I do it on the same day?
The Karri forest walk is a self-guided trail through towering native forest giants that takes you above the cave's natural entrance. It's optional and can be done right after your cave tour on the same visit, and it's a good place to spot the region's unique wildflowers in winter and spring.
What happened to the Tasmanian Tigers in Jewel Cave?
Now-extinct Tasmanian Tigers fell into Jewel Cave long ago and perished in the depths. Your guide will share these stories as part of the tour's history of the cave.
Is there food or a place to rest at Jewel Cave?
The Jewel Cave Centre has a café, a retail shop and an interpretive area where you can rest, eat or learn more about the cave before or after your tour.
Jewel Cave Tour: Western Australia's Largest Show Cave
1h · EN
from AU$ 26 per person
≈ US$ 19 in your currency
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