Linville Caverns
Linville Caverns
4
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tours & experiences
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Top ways to experience Linville Caverns and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
2 within 5 kms
Attractions
12 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Erin G42 contributionsGood experience, knowledgeable guidesCaverns were interesting. Tour guide was knowledgeable. Full tour took about 30 min. Low-tech business - very old school. Tours are first come, first served but we got in right away on a Friday mid-day.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 April 2024
- Melanie L5 contributionsUnique attractionWe visited yesterday and only waited about 20 min for the next tour to begin! Our tour guide was awesome-it’s such a cool experience. The sand dollar fossil was probably my favorite part-a must do in this area! There is also a creek running beside the parking lot that my teen sons enjoyed while we waited.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 July 2024
- mskb10343 contributionsCool thing to do !Very cool thing to do when near the area. It’s about 30 min. Both kids (12 and 11) really thought it was a neat thing to see. There are many groups inside at a time and it’s a bit annoying having to stop every few minutes to let other groups pass by. Our tour guide, though nice enough, talked a little too fast for us to catch everything and he seemed like he was rushing us through. I understand the time limit but for most people this is a one time deal (visiting a cave). It was just a little off putting with him cutting off kids’ (not just mine but other kids) questions.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 July 2024
- Larry and Pam6 contributionsGreat Little Hiking Side TripReally enjoyed Linville Caverns. The guided trip takes about an hour and reasonably priced at $12. The guide was very helpful and informative and had a great sense of humor. Well run facility.Visited August 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
807 reviews
Excellent
340
Very good
289
Average
130
Poor
31
Terrible
17
K cup
Tulsa, OK18 contributions
Dec 2022 • Family
A very fun experience for the whole family. Fairly short, maybe half an hour and part of the cave was closed due to flooding, but a very unique experience especially if you’ve never been in a cave, highly recommend if you’re in the area.
Tickets can only be purchased on site, and I imagine a busy weekend that there can be long lines and large groups. A large to her group would have trouble hearing the tour guide.
Tickets can only be purchased on site, and I imagine a busy weekend that there can be long lines and large groups. A large to her group would have trouble hearing the tour guide.
Written 17 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KaneCountyCritic
Asheville, NC294 contributions
Jul 2022
A neat experience for novice spelunkers. The guided tour lasts about a half-hour. It's cool inside, but not really cold, so a long-sleeve tee or light windbreaker should be fine. A hat or hood will help keep the drips off your head, too. There are some steps, and the floor is rather damp/wet, so wear appropriate footwear. At some point, the guide will turn off the lights and give you a "total darkness experience," which may freak some out, but it only lasts about 15 seconds, so it's all cool. By my estimate, they run two or three staggered groups of 14-15 at a time, so don't let the line outside worry you too much. Face masks are also currently required inside the cavern. Read the website for a full explanation.
Written 19 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bernarda426
Central Florida, FL127 contributions
Sept 2022
Wanted to see some caverns while in the NC MOUNTAINS and picked Linville. Upon entering the business said hello to the ticket salesman and he just ignored us. We then bought two tickets not too horribly priced at $12 a piece. While waiting you are in an area outside the entrance to the cavern. They spoke about a deadly disease affecting the local bats called white nose. As a precaution they required all guests exiting the cavern step on a mat that is sprayed in a bleach mixture to avoid the spread of the deadly virus. I observed one older gentleman not step on the pad and enter the shop. I told the tour operator and he said ok and never made the man comply with the precaution. I guess they dont really care about the deadly bat disease spreading? We went into the cavern with a guide who was very friendly, but couldn't really understand her. We had a group of 12 people that was not too big. Unfortunately in my view there wasn't much to see and we basically did a small circle and back out. Not what I had in mind unfortunately.
Written 25 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Docs to go
Denver, NC169 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Overall, was a bit disappointed how short it was, but the length actually works out really well for younger kids. Seems some of the tour was cut off related to COVID precautions.
The path is paved/concrete and there is a handrail. Ceiling is low and it does drip!
Of note, as of this writing, masks ARE required in the cavern.
Tickets are first come, first served and children under 5 are free. We were lucky, and didn’t have to wait as long as some of the reviews. Our group got there about 2:15 and bought tickets for the last tour at 4:25.
Apparently, the bat population was decimated by white-nose syndrome :(. We saw a few trout, but most of those have also been lost or died off.
Guide was super friendly, and great with numerous questions from kids. He did a great job.
The path is paved/concrete and there is a handrail. Ceiling is low and it does drip!
Of note, as of this writing, masks ARE required in the cavern.
Tickets are first come, first served and children under 5 are free. We were lucky, and didn’t have to wait as long as some of the reviews. Our group got there about 2:15 and bought tickets for the last tour at 4:25.
Apparently, the bat population was decimated by white-nose syndrome :(. We saw a few trout, but most of those have also been lost or died off.
Guide was super friendly, and great with numerous questions from kids. He did a great job.
Written 8 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris F
Cary, NC257 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Have been to the area before but never visited Linville Caverns. Tickets are $13 a piece (adult) which is a reasonable price for a 30 minute guided tour. Owners have done a good job preserving the cave system while opening it up to tourists. New tours start about every 20 minutes or so and are held to groups of about 12 in number. Several special formations inside make it a good family attraction. Popular so tickets sell out fairly quick and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Written 12 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shacrna
Raleigh, NC19 contributions
Sept 2021
My family and I enjoyed our visit here. Smaller space than I expected, but I remember touring Mammoth Cave and Cumberland Caverns as a boy so it's hard to compete with that. Plus, I've read that some areas are closed off due to COVID right now. Our tour guide was knowledgable and entertaining. Gave us good photo ops. Everyone was required to wear masks indoors, so we appreciated that. There are limited slots for each time period and they don't take reservations, so plan ahead the day you want to visit. Also, the tour guide gave us directions to Wiseman's View about 30 minutes away. If you have time and an AWD/ 4WD car, it's well worth the trip. There's a well maintained lookout where you see over the whole Linville Gorge/ Valley
Written 7 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tumbleweedchris
Richland, WA1,018 contributions
Aug 2020
Linville Caverns is the only cavern tour in the state, to my knowledge, which makes it kind of a fun stop for those that like to visit these types of tours that are all across America. This is a fairly small cavern tour, and I expected that going in. It clocks in around 30 minutes in duration and follows a path with handrails most of the way. There are no huge formations, but you do see some smaller ones along the way. The stream that runs the length of the cavern is a neat feature worth noting. I did see one bat even though it was not the season for this. It's a fun little tour but not one that will blow you away. The notable thing here is the back in time pricing of a lot of things. $10 for a cavern tour, no matter the length, is the lowest you'll find in America. They sell candy bars and sodas for 75 cents, and a number of knick knacks for under $10. For an area that survives off tourism, these prices were exceedingly low to me. For that price, this is well worth a stop. Just don't expect this to be a jaw dropping cave and you'll have a good day of it.
Written 30 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beanie27
4 contributions
Oct 2020
Drove over late morning & was greeted by a very rude younger person at the ticket counter. The sign said only 2 tickets left so I asked the price. He pushed a price list toward me as if he were mad I asked. Then he informed me the 2 tickets were for 4:30pm that day. Considering it was 10:30am & we were on our way home that was a no go! He told me you have to come early in the morning to buy tickets which is not conducive when you aren’t close by. Terrible customer service & poor ticket distribution.
Written 21 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
brett s
Charlotte, NC79 contributions
May 2021
Probably not really worth the price of admission but it is interesting. Like every place else in the world, they are using Covid as an excuse to charge more and give you less. Half the tour is closed because you might touch a wall they can't sanitize. Never mind that the whole remaining tour is lined with a metal rail that has never been sanitized since it was installed. It was okay. We are not sorry we went because we were already in the area. I wouldn't go too far out of the way to attend this. The tour guide was pleasant.
Written 7 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melissa N
Lexington, SC128 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
Unless you plan on being there when they open to purchase your tickets, I recommend skipping this attraction. Super frustrating to arrive after a long drive and they are sold out for the weekend. There is nothing else to do close by so it ends up being a wasted trip. The staff does not care and is not sympathetic at all. I can’t believe that a tourist attraction like this would not offer online sales/reservations to prevent disappointed customers. There were so many of us walking in to purchase tickets and leaving empty-handed with disappointed families. We likely won’t be back to try again on a future trip - not worth the risk of another disappointment.
Written 19 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I doubt masks are still required. When we went in the fall, customers and staff reluctantly wore them inside the tour. Now that it’s optional, I imagine no one is wearing them there at this point…
Written 29 May 2022
What about a person on a walker or wheelchair
Written 26 July 2019
Wheelchairs "ARE" allowed inside, all the walkways are concrete and flat. There is two sections wheelchairs can not go in for one is too narrow and the other is 15 steps. Your tour guide will professionally guide you through safely and is well trained for all disabilities.
Written 4 September 2019
Do you have to hike to get to it?
And should you wear sneakers or hiking boots?
Written 8 July 2019
No hike, I wear sneakers and was fine. It is wet rock, water drips down from the ceiling. A light jacket is a good idea.
Written 8 July 2019
I don't have a dog but i do have three bearded dragons at the time, i don't know if they are aloud as it will be my first time going, they don't get spooked easily, they can stay stationery on your body for over an hour, i have a pet carrier backpack that i can put one in and my other two can ride on my shoulders. two of mine are not much bigger then a foot and my little one is like nine inches, (she is a dwarf) i really hope they can come.😜😊😎😁
Written 2 September 2018
It's always easier to call the caverns. We can all guess if they are allowed in the caves but who really knows?
I work at a Caverns in Colorado and they would not be allowed.
Written 6 September 2018
Hi - I am a large 250+ pound woman... will I fit through the entire cavern? ALSO I use a walker. Will that impede my trip?
Written 27 August 2016
You will most likely have trouble as it is moist and the floor of the cavern is wet and slippery in many of the areas. Also, there are many narrow areas and as some groups may have to pass your group on the tour, it does limit your accessibility.
Written 27 August 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
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