Private Tour

Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Join our Queenstown Rafting team on the iconic Shotover River for a whitewater rapid adventure. Your adventure begins with a short transfer from Queenstown to the Rafting Base, where you'll be fitted with wetsuit, rafting clothing and safety gear.

From there, enjoy a 40-minute drive along the historic Skippers Canyon Road, renowned for its breathtaking scenery and reputation as one of New Zealand's most dangerous roads. Once you arrive at Deep Creek, you'll start on the upper section of the Shotover River,

where our world class guides will help you practise paddling techniques.

As you move into the lower canyon, the excitement builds with rapids like After Shock, Jaws, Toilet, and Sequel. The highlight of the journey comes as you plunge into the darkness of the 170-metre-long

Oxenbridge Tunnel before bursting into Cascade Rapid for a thrilling finish. After a short walk back to the Rafting Base, you can warm up with hot showers before returning to Queenstown.

Additional Info

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Must be able to swim

Rafting while pregnant is prohibited

Rafting with any heart condition is prohibited

Minimum weight 40kg

Maximum weight 120kg

Minimum age is 13 years. Children aged between 13 and 15 years must be accompanied by a guardian

All travelers between the age of 16 and 17 years require a waiver to be signed by a guardian if they are unaccompanied

You must bring a swimsuit and towel

Rapids vary with water levels. Shotover route usually includes class 3-5 rapids, depending on conditions

Digital photos included to remember your adventure!

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Your adventure begins with a short transfer from Queenstown to the Rafting Base, where you'll be fitted with a wetsuit, life jacket, spray jacket, and helmet. From there, enjoy a 40-minute drive along the historic Skippers Canyon Road, renowned for its breathtaking scenery and reputation as one of New Zealand's most dangerous roads. Once you arrive at Deep Creek, you'll start on the upper section of the Shotover River, where your guide will help you practise paddling techniques. As you move into the lower canyon, the excitement builds with rapids like After Shock, Jaws, Toilet, and Sequel. The highlight of the journey comes as you plunge into the darkness of the 170-metre-long Oxenbridge Tunnel before bursting into Cascade Rapid for a thrilling finish. After a short walk back to the Rafting Base, you can warm up with hot showers before returning to Queenstown. Please note for safety we have minimum weight restriction of 40 kg and maximum weight of 120 kg to participate

What‘s Included

Safety briefing: comprehensive instructions to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience

Post-rafting comfort: Hot showers at Rafting Base

Scenic 4WD Transfer: Travel along the iconic Skippers Canyon Road to your starting point

Whitewater rapid adventure: Navigate the thrilling rapids of the Shotover River

Return transport: Shuttle bus from our Queenstown store to the Rafting Base and back

All necessary gear provided: Full wetsuit, rafting clothing and safety equipment

Food and drinks

Options

Shotover Raft

Shotover River: Shotover River Whitewater Rafting (grade 3-5) with 4WD adventure through Skippers Canyon

Reviews

4.84

361 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

330

Amazing Raft Session
W7483ZKwilliamv,Mar 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Amazing time with our skipper Sia ! The river is beautiful and the session really sporty and challenging
White Knuckle Ride
davidcN5430VC,Mar 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Wonderful days rafting with a very professional crew, Bused from Queenstown thru Skippers Canyon worth the trip alone to the start of a 20km run of G2-G5 rapids . March run was still very enjoyable as water levels a little low but still some very technical falls and white knuckle rides.... Thinking of going again ,tomorrow.
MUST-DO
saratasca,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Absolutely a must-do if you’re looking to immerse yourself in nature’s beauty and have a blast! From the beginning to the end, our guides provided fascinating insights into the river’s history and the old gold mining activity. Our trip was particularly high voltage, thanks to our fantastic guide, Sia! We highly recommend this tour during the high season when the river level is higher, offering better rapids and more splashing. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the full 4 hours and definitely worth it for the price.
Excellent white water rafting
Scenic17513655953,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Awesome trip. Great coach driver and excellent river guide, Morgan. Would recommend.
Don’t miss whitewater rafting in NZ!
debandsteve5150,Mar 14, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent guides, exquisite scenery, awesome bus ride and fun river! Very well run operation with safety in mind.
Awesome experience rafting shotover river
Adventure42990810452,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had the most amazing time rafting shotover river!! Our guide Sia was awesome!! 10/10 experience, would highly recommend to all my mates. Will be back for more next season 🔥🔥
First time white water rafting
Navigate679253,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
What a fantastic experience- would definitely recommend- the road trip to rafts quite frightening- but well worth it
Rafting was such an adrenaline rush - a fabulous experience! Guides were great, put me at ease, as a novice, especially Dane & K
ROLLOVER73,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
An unforgettable experience
A really enjoyable experience on grade 3 and 4 rapids in a scenic location
B7495VLroberto,Mar 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A really enjoyable experience. Grade 3/4 rapids which were fun and exciting. Always felt managable though. The drive to the whitewater was quite the experience. The guides make the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable with plenty of funny comments coupled with some good insights about the area.
10/10 would recommend!
Hebe H,Mar 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Fantastic experience, we were with Benji and had an informative, fun and safe experience! Would definitely recommend to anyone!