Margaret River Cave Tours

Margaret River cave tours go beneath the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, where limestone caves hold crystal formations, ancient fossils and a lake at the bottom of a sunken forest. Guided tours, self-guided audio tours and an after-hours evening tour with a didgeridoo performance all run in the south-west corner of Western Australia. This page sits within Margaret River tours, so you can add a lighthouse tour or a winery day around the caves.

Limestone caves under the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge

More than 100 limestone caves lie beneath the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge between Yallingup, Margaret River and Augusta, and most of them are closed to visitors. The decorated caves at Mammoth Cave formed about 1 million years ago, and the cave once collected more than 10,000 fossils, many of them the remains of Australian megafauna. Tours that start above ground, like the Ngilgi Cave Ancient Lands Adventure, add the story of how the ridge and the caves beneath it formed.

What you see on a Margaret River cave tour

Expect stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, cave coral and the coloured crystal shawls that hang from the ceilings. A guided Jewel Cave tour goes through three large chambers and past one of the longest straw stalactites in any tourist cave in Australia, with stories about Tasmanian tiger fossils.

The guided Lake Cave tour adds water: it descends a staircase through a sinkhole into a sunken forest, where a crystal Suspended Table hangs just over a reflective lake, in a cave described as the most actively dripping in the south-west. Some tours finish outdoors: Jewel Cave offers an optional self-guided walk through karri forest, and the Mammoth Cave visit can end on the Marri Trail.

Guided, self-guided and evening cave tours

Guided cave tours suit anyone who likes questions answered. Lake Cave tours are 1-hour tours that depart between 9.20am and 4.00pm, and Jewel Cave tours are also 1-hour tours, departing between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

If you prefer your own pace, the Mammoth Cave audio tour lets you take the boardwalks and chambers in your own time. The audio comes in English, French, German, Malay or Mandarin, and the entrance is a long boardwalk from the valley on the eastern side of the cave.

For something different, the evening Twilight Didgeridoo tour uses Ngilgi Cave after hours. A cultural custodian leads a short bushwalk to identify native plants and medicines, and a didgeridoo performance is played inside the cave.

Where the Margaret River caves are

The cave tours spread along the ridge. Ngilgi Cave is at Yallingup, towards the northern end. Lake Cave and Mammoth Cave are in Forest Grove, and Jewel Cave is at Deepdene, towards Augusta in the south. Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin each have a lighthouse tour at their end of the region, so a lighthouse is easy to add to a cave day.

The caves sit about a 3.5-hour drive south of Perth, with things to do in Perth at the start of the trip and Albany tours and attractions further along the south coast. Other things to do in Margaret River, from wine tastings to a high ropes course, are on the Margaret River activities page.

What to wear and bring to a cave tour

Wear enclosed shoes you can climb stairs in. The Lake Cave tour has about 300 stairs each way, and Mammoth Cave has about 370 steps through the cave and a climb of 170 steps to exit up through the ridge on the western side. Bring a hat and sunscreen in summer and a waterproof jacket in winter. Cameras are welcome, but tripods, camera stands and selfie-sticks are not allowed. At Jewel Cave you can bring a water bottle but no other food or drink, and backpacks are best left in the car.

Frequently asked questions

How many caves can you visit in Margaret River?

More than 100 limestone caves lie beneath the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, but most are closed to visitors. Lake Cave, Jewel Cave, Mammoth Cave and Ngilgi Cave all run tours that you can book with Experience Oz.

Which Margaret River cave tour should I choose?

Choose a Jewel Cave tour for the large chambers and long crystal straws, Lake Cave for the lake in a sunken forest, Mammoth Cave for fossils and a self-paced audio tour, and the Ngilgi Cave Ancient Lands Adventure for a walk above ground before the cave.

How long do Margaret River cave tours take?

Guided Lake Cave and Jewel Cave tours are 1-hour tours, the Mammoth Cave audio tour and the Ngilgi Cave Ancient Lands Adventure are listed as 1-hour visits, and the Twilight Didgeridoo tour is a 1.5-hour evening tour.

Are Margaret River caves suitable for kids?

Child tickets on the Lake Cave, Jewel Cave, Mammoth Cave and Ngilgi Cave tours cover ages 4 to 16, and children must be with an adult on the Lake Cave and Jewel Cave tours. Lake Cave has about 300 stairs each way, so the whole group needs to be comfortable with stairs.

What should I wear to a Margaret River cave tour?

Wear enclosed footwear suitable for climbing stairs, plus a hat and sunscreen in summer or a waterproof jacket in winter. At Jewel Cave, leave backpacks in the car and bring only a water bottle.

Can I take photos in the Margaret River caves?

Cameras are welcome on the Lake Cave, Mammoth Cave and Ngilgi Cave tours, but tripods, camera stands and selfie-sticks are not allowed.

Is there a Margaret River cave tour in other languages?

Yes. The Mammoth Cave self-guided audio tour is available in English, French, German, Malay and Mandarin.

Pick the Margaret River cave tour that matches the time and energy you have, then book it online with Experience Oz alongside the rest of your things to do in Margaret River.