Buchan Caves Reserves Cave Tours

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    Buchan Caves Guided Tours

    Experience the extraordinary underworld of Buchan Caves on a guided tour of Fairy Cave and Royal Cave. It's amazing to think that the elaborate limestone sculptures, calcite-rimmed pools and baroque stalactites and stalagmites have all formed through natural processes over thousands of years.

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    Step inside Fairy Cave or Royal Cave and discover exquisite limestone decorations that come straight out of a fantasy film set. 

    A guided tour is the only way to see the awesome caverns of Buchan Caves. Tours are available everyday, except Christmas Day. Tickets must be purchased online 24 hours in advance, they are not available to purchase in person on the day. 

    Which cave should you choose? One cave is not better than the other; they are just different. It's like asking what is the best food on a menu.

    The main difference between the two is in the ease of access. Fairy Cave requires a lot more bending down and has approximately 100 more stairs than the Royal Cave.

    COVID-19 safety procedures

    In line with current regulations, the following safe practices have been implemented: 

    • If you feel unwell, please stay home and get tested.
    • As a condition of entry, cave tour tickets must be purchased online prior to arrival.
    • Cave tours are restricted in numbers to comply with physical distancing, maximum seven people per tour.
    • Face masks are mandatory and are a condition of entry into the caves. If you have a medical exception, documentation will be required. Children under 12 years of age are not required to wear a mask. 
    • Hand sanitation stations are located at the entry and exit of each cave tour and must be used as a requirement of entry. 
    • Regular sanitising of all handrails is carried out everyday, inline with current guidelines. 

    Things to do in the area

     
    Family kicking a football outside their tent

    Buchan Caves Reserve Campground

    There are a range of powered campsites that are located on flat ground and generally close to the public amenities block. The sites allow vehicles to be parked within a few metres of each site. Campsites generally have a lawn surface and most sides have shade from trees.
    A mother sits at a table with her younger daughter and watches her older daughter doing a cartwheel on the lawn of the residence at Buchan Caves Park.

    Buchan Caves Reserve Accommodation

    Caves House is a fully self contained house which can sleep up to eight people. There are three bedrooms with a queen bed in each room and an ante room with two single beds. Features include kitchen, dining area, lounge room, toilets, shower, heating and cooling, covered front deck with river views and an outdoor BBQ and fire. All linen is provided.
    A three year old boy leads his mum and younger brother through the forest near Grants Picnic Ground.

    Family activities

    Stash some supplies into a back pack and take the family out for a day trip and in only a short drive from Melbourne you can be surrounded by nature.

    How to get there

    Buchan Caves Guided Tours

    When you're there

    Cave tour times:

    • Royal Cave: start of September school holidays until 30 April - 10.00am, 11.15am, 12.45pm, 2.00pm and 3.15pm Monday to Friday with additional tours on Saturday and Sunday 9.30am, 10.45am, 12.15pm, 1.30pm and 2.45pm 
    • Fairy Cave: currently closed
    • Royal Cave: 1 May until the start of September school holidays - 11.00am and 3.00pm
    • Fairy Cave: 1 May until the start of September school holidays - 1.00pm

     

    Limited numbers taken per tour, please pre-book all tours online prior to arrival. Visitors must arrive 30-45 minutes prior to a tour commencing to collect tickets and prepare. Late arrivals will not be able to join the tour.

    Buchan Caves Reserve is a great place to linger after seeing the caverns. A number of walking trails criss-cross the park, which is also home to a campground and Caves House accommodation. Make a weekend of it and stay over. 

    Download the Buchan Caves visitor guide before you come. 

    When to go

    The caves are an excellent place to come in the heat of summer. Escape for a couple of hours into gorgeous, refreshing 17C temperatures.

    Guided Cave Tours

    Guided tours are conducted daily in Royal Cave and Fairy Cave. Both caves are lit and have concrete pathways.
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    Need to know

    Buchan Caves Guided Tours

    Accessibility

    Both Fairy Cave and Royal Cave have many steps, narrow passageways and uneven ground making general cave access for visitors with significant mobility limitations not possible. However, the end section of Fairy Cave can be accessed by children and adults weighing less than 60kg with mobility limitations using an electric Stairclimber. This equipment enables visitors to experience one of the most spectacular viewing areas of Fairy Cave.

     

    Change of Conditions

    Nature being nature, sometimes conditions can change at short notice. It’s a good idea to check this page ahead of your visit for any updates.

    • Buchan Caves Reserve

      Buchan Caves Reserve partial closures due to fire

      The following severely fire effected areas remain closed within the reserve for safety reasons;
       
      ·      Fairy Cave tours
      ·      Caves Reserve walking track
      ·      Spring Creek walking track
      ·      Partial closure of North Arm Camping area

      Hazardous tree removal at Buchan Caves Reserve

      Hazardous tree removal works will commence in Buchan Caves Reserve from Tuesday 9 February 2021.

      Contractors will be on-site removing a large volume of damaged trees from the December 2019 bushfires within the Buchan Caves Reserve Visitor Centre, Buchan Caves Reserve Campground, Royal Cave, Fairy Cave, Spring Creek Walk, and Buchan Caves Swimming Pool.

      Noise from contractors undertaking the tree removal works is to be expected within these areas during this time. Large machinery and equipment will also be operating within certain areas of the reserve. Some areas will also have limited access. Visitors need to adhere to safety signage and controls in place during this period.

      These works are essential to ensure the safe reopening of popular visitor areas and are part of Park Victoria's bushfire recovery work.

    Two hikers reach the summit of Mount Nelse at Bogong High Plains
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