White Water Rafting - Kaituna Cascades, The Originals
Overview
Available languages
2 hours
Mobile ticket
Kaituna Cascades was the original company to explore and start rafting the Kaituna River, and is still locally owned and operated by two current raft guides - so you know you'll be in great hands!!
No where in the world can you raft down such a beautiful river that drops into a vertical walled canyon filled with raftable waterfalls and countless playful rapids. The water is deep and warm (most of the year) and is usually a highlight of peoples visit to NZ. All of our guides are handpicked, highly skilled professionals that come from an extreme whitewater background in Kayaking and Rafting. We will give you the safest and most entertaining trip on the river!
This is also most definitely the best value for money rafting in NZ too.
Our aim is have FUN, So come join us for this EPIC once in a lifetime experience.
Cheers & see you on the river - Pete & Blue
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Availability is all year round - Warm water in the summer and cooler in the winter (more gear provided)
MUST be under 120 kgs
Not recommended for non swimmers
NO expectant mothers
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Join us for the most unique and beautiful whitewater rafting experience in New Zealand! The famous Kaituna River is a rafters dream – a 50 minute action packed ride down 11 epic rapids, 3 wild waterfalls – One of which is the highest rafted waterfall in the world at 7 meters. All of this in a deep, usually warm water jungle canyon! All this with our legendary guides & you’ve got yourself the perfect day out! This is an exciting GRADE 5 RAFTING EXPERIENCE. We have a weight limit of 120 kgs and minimum age of 13yrs old - up to 65 years of age Our sweet Rafting Base in Okere Falls is in an awesome sunny location, surrounded by a scenic reserve and backs onto the shores of the Kaituna. We are the closest and most accessible company to the river. The native scenic reserve has a beautiful walking trail which you can view many rapids of the Kaituna River & there is even an amazing café around the corner. This makes for a great half day trip out to this stunning region of Rotorua. Also please note – This is an exciting GRADE 5 RAFTING EXPERIENCE and is NOT SUITED FOR OLDER OR BIGGER PEOPLE, or people that aren’t comfortable in the water. We have a weight limit of 120 kgs.
What‘s Included
Local, professional & highly trained guides
Custom built rafts, wetsuits, helmets, lifejackets, paddles, fleece tops, wetsuit booties, and splash jackets
Digital photos (Available to purchase)
Glasses Strap $5
Rent a Towel $5
Go Pro Harness Hire $5
Other Souvenirs (T-shirt etc)
Options
Rotorua White Water Rafting on the Kaituna River
Option 1: Ever wanted to Raft a 7m waterfall? Join the original Kaituna Rafting Company for an unbeatable grade 5 white-water experience on one of New Zealand's most exciting and beautiful rivers!
Reviews
1,309 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Malcolm is the man!
E1539GGmargareto,,Feb 23, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a fantastic experience today! We are a bit of a varied age group from the US and we all loved it. Kaituna Cascades company was a true believer in safety first, but at the same time allowed our free spirits and quests for adventure ride. Malcolm was an excellent guide and we couldn’t be more complimentary of how he ran our raft with fun, appreciation of the forest, and sincere friendliness. T’was truly our topper for a great holiday in New Zealand!
Amazing rafting trip. Super fun!
88NVcatherineb,,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a super fun rafting trip! It’s pretty high energy and high adventure and not very long, just a little over an hour. The guides are super fun. You go down some big rapids and small rapids and a waterfall which was quite crazy. One of the four boats with us did flip and shoot its passengers out. That was quite the adventure. The water was much warmer than I expected it to be. The guides were super fun and do some unusual activities like having you ride one rapid standing up and letting you swim down one rapid. It was crazy. You definitely don’t get to do this kind of stuff in the US! Make sure you are healthy and not afraid to get wet and you will have a blast!
Fantastic excursion
Kevin S,,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great tour. Fun, exciting, and a little scary. Very much worth it. The crew takes care of everything. Ollie is a great guide.
Team building at its best.
Brent H,,Feb 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It is one of the most exhilarating experiences our group has ever done. After it was done our whole group was on a total adrenaline high.
Amazing White Water Rafting
Brad M,,Feb 21, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was the most amazing excursion. The guides were very experienced but fun! If you love adventure this is the trip for you
Good fun
himniv,,Feb 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great experience. It’s 50 mins of action with one major drop. Our instructor Flynn an expert and ensured that all were engaged throughout the activity.
Amazing Rafting Experience w/Josh
856rosst,,Feb 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Josh was our guide. He was awesome. Talked a lot about the history of the river and was very knowledgeable about everything. His guiding experience was exceptional, felt very safe. Was really fun to be around and great experience overall. 10/10 would drink a beer with him.
Top Notch Experience
Jennifer H,,Feb 19, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We had the most amazing time at Kaituna Cascades for White Water Rafting. I was nervous I was going to be cold, but they outfitted us with Wet Suits, and Fleece Tops, along with Booties for shoes and a safe life jacket and helmet. The guides gave us a good run down of what was going to happen, safety measures, how to handle the rapids and more. Along with all the details - lots of jokes and keeping it fun. The actual experience was amazing - it was my first time white water rafting and to experience the Grade 5 Rapid, was exhilarating! I would more than recommend this excursion to anyone. Our leader was Jasper was engaging and very instructive, top notch!
An absolute must do!
kdhs61,,Feb 17, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely the best time! The team were fantastic, friendly and totally safety conscious all the time. Some of our group did fall out, but there was never a point that you felt anyone was at risk. Photos are for sale after at a reasonable cost and were great as a momento.
Must do experience with fantastic guides.
G0a1,,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Absolutely incredible. The guides are fantastic and I felt so safe as well as being given the opportunity to experience incredible thrills. It is incredibly well organised and time is optimised. Great value for money! The photo package is an absolute must - the photographer was incredible.
From NZ$135.00
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