Private Tour
Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting
Overview
Available languages
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
373 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
It is a great experience...
Christine M,Apr 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It is a great experience packed with heaps of fun and frights. Our tour guide Raju made it incredible for us explaining the history behind the landscapes and was exceeding with his safety procedures. 10/10 would recommend
A Great Day On The Water
RockyTagliata,Apr 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My wife and I (62 and 64, respectively) thoroughly enjoyed our day of rafting in the Shotover River. Our guide, who happened to turn 38 years old that day, was a Nepalese gentleman who, in addition to being a fantastic and very demonstrative river guide, was a font of knowledge about the river, its history and, much to everybody's enjoyment and edification, Nepalese farming! Given the fact that the combined age of any two other people in our raft didn't equal either of ours (five people in the raft, plus the guide), we were a bit worried that we would not be able to handle rough waters. Luckily, this time of year the water is fairly low and the rapids were not too severe. We were even allowed to jump into the frigid water and float down the river on our backs several times. This resulted in us having to actually utilize the techniques demonstrated to us for getting back on the raft from the water. Even if the water were to be a bit more active, my guess is that our guide would have been able to keep us out of trouble. The equipment provided (wet suit, complete with boots, a water jacket, helmet and safety vest) was in pretty good shape, clean and did the jobs they were supposed to do. The changing facility is very well run and the changing room comes with cubbyholes to store your clothes and a locked area for your valuables. The safety instruction provided was very detailed, informative, and was demonstrated well. The scariest part of the day was the 45 minute ride from the site where you get outfitted to the actual rafting site. The road we took is called Skippers Canyon Road and it offers AMAZING views of the Mt Aurum Recreation Reserve. If you are afraid of heights, you should do what my wife did as our tour guide gave us the history of the road: she closed her eyes the entire time. Usually, a 45 minute bus ride before you actually start your activity is a huge negative. That's not the case here. Google Skippers Canyon Road and you'll understand why. Communication with the tour provider was fantastic. The meeting point is right along the waterfront in Queenstown and the coordination of checking in and getting driven (10-15 minutes) to the rafting site is seamless. The rafting trip ends at the equipment distribution site, so there is no need for another harrowing 45 minute bus trip. There are hot showers available (everybody we were with took advantage of them) at the equipment facility. This tour (including the incredible bus ride) is money well spent and is a great way to spend a half day in Queenstown.
Legit!
davidtharpt,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This is an excellent trip. My son and I are whitewater kayakers and this rafting trip was a thrill. Light rapids and scenery! Professional and fun guides.
Great guides, fun rafting and cold water
momindianashan,Mar 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Wow! The river was not high but the guides were hilarious and talented. The photos are free and the water deliciously cold. The rafting was fun and we popped out to float a bit. Equipment was in good shape. Bring a towel. The showers were tepid but welcome.
Fun, exciting and hilarious
Amelia C,Mar 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had the best time with friends, was so funny and big shoutout to our instructor Benji - from the Manny gals
Best ever
X6118WAstephens,Mar 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Really enjoyed it, very professional
A Must Do for Any Adventure Seekers
ismith1961,Mar 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00An amazingly exhilarating experience with a professional outfit. This is a must do for anyone who is looking to do something adventurous. Our guide Matt, was sensational and looked after our group of four perfectly. This tour is more suited to people who feel safe in the water. The bus trip to the site is an adventure in itself with a winding gravel road adjacent to steep cliffs. Once at the starting point, the guides gave clear concise instructions and an honest assessment of what you might expect, including the risks, which are real. That said, our group consisted of two 65 year olds and two 50 year olds and we never felt that we were in any danger given that our guide was very experienced (and awesome) and the way all of the tour guides operated. The rapids were amazing and it was much more ‘full on’ than I had expected. Thoroughly recommend this to any adventure seeking persons.
So good we did it twice!
jarrenp2024,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I did the Kawaru river first to see all of the LOTR scenes, and it was super fun! Our team leader/guide was Sia and she did an amazing job. My friends and I got to jump into the river multiple times and had a blast rafting. We had so much fun we immediately booked the Shotover river since it has higher level rapids. We got lucky enough to raft with Sia again and it was even better than Kawaru river. We went during low water levels but the rapids were still exciting to go through. The wetsuits they provide are extremely thick so I recommend jumping/falling in as often as possible!
White water raftin
connorbS1110NS,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I did the white water raft with realnz in Queenstown twice in one trip. Both times were excellent. The first time we were fortunate enough to have Sia has our raft master. She was a lot of fun and let us have a good time. We enjoyed the K river so much we decided to do another river on our trip. Thankfully we got Sia again and she performed exceptionally again. Overall amazing experience and anyone passing through queenstown should do this raft adventure.
Fantastic experience
AnnB262,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was such a great choice of experience to do. We were well briefed and we felt their attention to safety detail was excellent. Harry and Sia were great guides. The road trip to the point at which we started the ride was awesome too. Scary at times but what a journey while we were told a bit of history of the mountains as we went along. A real thrilling raft experience, well worth the money.
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Operated by RealNZ