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
302 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
First and not last
cheryldD8968ZH,,Jan 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous afternoon. Great journey to start of rafting even if nailbiting! Lots of instruction. Lots of fun. First time rafting but definitely not the last highly recommend.
Terrific thrilling and total trustworthy team!
Wander727637,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a thrilling experience & the team of professionals who led us through the whole experience were fabulous - competent, fun, engaging and made us all feel very safe & looked after. Would highly recommend any rafting trips with these guys! Finn's commentary on the bus (& dad jokes) were hilarious too!
Adrenaline ride!
505simonh,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00A brilliant experience thank you!! Well organised, well led by Matt and the team, amazing fun!
Fast spin
davidjamesbanks,,Jan 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Brilliant afternoon. Even the drive up to the start point is thrilling - thanks Rob for making it not too scary. Once on the water, Jess was an excellent guide, telling us some interesting history, in between the all important crew commands and safety briefings. A welcome surprise was that the pics were included for free - not professional but a great memory, much appreciated 👍🏻
Great afternoon on the water
Q2644YScraigf,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00My partner and I had a great experience white water rafting on the Shotover River with RealNZ. Ky was the perfect guide for our rafting trip.
Amazing rafting experience
Departure29471463336,,Jan 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had an epic adventure rafting on the Shotover river. It’s a well organised, professional operation from start to finish, with helpful staff at every step. The drive up is stunning - Jacob kept us entertained with interesting facts and jokes, and kudos to our driver as it’s a pretty narrow road. Our experienced, friendly raft guide Kye did a great job, chatting to our group of 6 paddlers and transforming us into a cohesive team, ready to face the rapids. He kept us safe while making sure we had heaps of fun on the river. He also had good knowledge of the history of the area. There are a couple of places where you can jump out and float down the river which was exhilarating. The scenery down the gorge is fantastic. Totally recommend this trip.
For Adventure and Fun you can't go past White Water Rafting, Queenstown
nicholag2026,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Outstanding! Highlight of the trip. We went as a family of 6 which included 4 adults and two kids aged 13 (g) and 15 (b). The river was just after receiving a dump of rain so it was high and running fast. As a first timer to white water rafting I was absolutely stoked with the experience. It went for 1.5 hours - plus the journey there - which in itself was an experience going along the gold miners trail hugging the side of the mountain in a mini van! Once we got there, a few more safety checks and in we got. It was quite physical, especially through the rapids - hair - raising in places. We were given the opportunity to jump out of the boat and swim for a bit at two different times, which was just glorious to be swimming in such beautiful crystal clear waters, and also good practice for when I got thrown out of the boat a bit later on in one of the rapids. i was one of only three (all from my boat) who got thrown out, out of a group of 50 (6 people per raft). it was completely safe and I was hauled into another boat quickly. The scenery was utterly stunning being swept along the clear blue river with steep canyons on either side with amazing rock formations and cascading waterfalls. shout out to Reza from Nepal - a great character and Dane, our boat captain. the whole staff were great. Thoroughly recommend for anyone with a sense of adventure!
10/10 experience 🎉
547sophieo,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00White water rafting was our final activity on a 9day trip and it definitely did not disappoint. Our guide Sia was absolutely brilliant, knowledgeable, safety focused and so incredibly welcoming and loads of fun. We were a family of 5 and everyone had an amazing experience. Sia is without a doubt a real asset to your company through her general personality, demeanor, knowledge and her focus on providing a wonderful experience while maintaining a strong safety focus. Thanks
Exhilarating fun in a beautiful location. Friendly and organised.
K7643MHliamh,,Jan 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous time. They had wetsuits and everything we needed ready for us. Jess was brilliant at guiding us through the rapids. So much fun.
Great trip, well managed- pretty epic!
Bee-Ffooter,,Jan 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a fantastic trip with Seeya, our fearless and super competent guide. Highly recommend.
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