Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting

A great experience for us first time rafters! Felt very well taken care of by the professional guides and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly on the water with Francie :)

It 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

My 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.

This 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.

Wow! 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.

Had the best time with friends, was so funny and big shoutout to our instructor Benji - from the Manny gals

Really enjoyed it, very professional

An 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.

I 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!

I 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.

This 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.

Fabulous day and great first rafting experience. Now want to do more 👏

Really good experience. Would definitely recommend

Amazing time with our skipper Sia ! The river is beautiful and the session really sporty and challenging

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.

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.

Awesome trip. Great coach driver and excellent river guide, Morgan. Would recommend.

Excellent guides, exquisite scenery, awesome bus ride and fun river! Very well run operation with safety in mind.

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 🔥🔥

What a fantastic experience- would definitely recommend- the road trip to rafts quite frightening- but well worth it

An unforgettable experience

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.

Fantastic experience, we were with Benji and had an informative, fun and safe experience! Would definitely recommend to anyone!

Amazing experience, great time, beautiful place with a couple of thrills!

The Shotover River is one of the best places to raft in the world. Although the water levels were low when I went, this did not take away from the experience and meant that the water was not flowing as fast but the rapids were had a much larger drop. I would definately recommend this expereince to anyone who is in QT as it is a fantastic day out. The guides are all very professional and have a strong focus on safety.

What a 10/10 experience! Our tour guide was Jacob, and just like in the movie Twilight, I’m team Jacob. My dad loved it, and he’s from New Jersey, they don’t like anything. My dad also said Jacob was very friendly and knowledgeable and he felt “safe in his hands”. Personally, I felt like he projected his voice really well. Kind of like he was doing it from his diaphragm. I digress, you should do this tour, it’s great!

We had an awesome time with our guide Raju. Morgan and Jess were also amazing getting us ready to go rafting. The river is fantastic and exhilarating as well as stunningly beautiful and full of history. The staff are all very professional and fun people to be around, each with a great sense of humour. The river trip felt safe and well managed and there was clearly a lot of training, thought and practise that went into making this as special and enjoyable as it could have been, unlike some of the other places in New Zealand I have been rafting. 10/10 would recommend. Will be back again soon hopefully 😉

Great experience with Harry, Finlay and Jess looking after us

Top tier team and guide. Would highly recommend this experience! Heaps of knowledge and skill with the organizers that safety was paramount yet fun was a priority l.

Fantastic trip. It’s our third time! So well run and done. Our raft skipper was Josh and he was awesome! All had an absolute blast, even the reluctant ones. We’ll be going again

We had such a great time white water rafting on the Shotover River yesterday. Jacob was an excellent guide. He shared lots of interesting information about the river and the surrounding landscapes, which made the whole experience even more enjoyable. The trip was super fun. The rapids were exciting but not overly intense, which made it perfect for our group. We also had a fantastic boat crew, which really added to the experience. As a local, I’ve put off doing this trip for far too long, but I would happily do it again. I’ll definitely be recommending it every time friends come to visit and stay with us. We had an absolute blast!

What a great morning, the road trip to the launch site like no road I have been on before. The rafting met all our hopes. The safety briefing, the equipment, the scenery, the river itself, and our guide, Matt from Anglesey, all top notch. Good job!

This was a very well organised company. From meeting at the dock, to getting safety gear sorted, to the skilled driver taking us into the canyon. Clear and concise instructions throughout the rafting. SIA was our guide, she was amazing, made everyone in the boat feel comfortable. Her knowledge as we paddled down the river was excellent, telling us all about the water and the canyon. I took my 21 year old son, first time for both of us, we both absolutely loved this! Encourage anyone who can swim to give it a go!

Loooved white water rafting!! It was my first time ever doing it and I found it really fun and exciting! Jacob was great he made the whole experience feel super safe even through all the rapids! Would definitely recommend - it was one of the best things I have done in Queenstown!

Very professional and organized company. High marks for safety and friendliness. Beautiful river gorge and lovely clean, clear water that you can drink unfiltered. The only thing that drops a star is on the government not the company; mandatory drop to the center of the boat for rapids takes a bit of fun and adventure off if you are an experienced rafter but I understand the safety based decision, especially if there are rookies on board. Went end of summer with low water but there were still good drops and technical rafting. Guide, Raj, had great stories from international whitewater experiences. 5mm wetsuits and boots kept us plenty warm. Free photos were a nice touch. Canyon Brewery next door has very good food and beer when you’re done and guides will join you for a chat.

Had an amazing time on the water. Our guide was Mark and he was great! Would definitely recommend these guys

This experience is so worthwhile, one of the best things we did in Queenstown! All the staff are so friendly and helpful (and everything’s provided for you) and the rafting is much longer and fun than expected!

A bit frightened to start with, but our lovely guide Harry was funny,friendly and most importantly, re- assuring which helped enormously. Once we got going,it was so much fun, and I realised only fear holds us back. What a life enhancing moment at age 65!

Excellent time white water rafting. Very well organised from start to finish. Challenging but instructors were very safety conscious and fun too. Coulnt recommend this activity more.

5 out of 5 Stars! Sia skillfully guided us on what ended up being a highlight of our trip, white water rafting shot over river. I had never rafted but my experienced partner had and we both had a blast. I’d do this again in a heartbeat.

Fantastic experience! A 100% go to activity in Queenstown. It was my first time rafting and absolutely fun. Great view coupled with some rapid crossing. The crews are amazing and very experienced with the river. Definitely recommended.

Absolutely amazing! Great views and professional staff. Highly recommended.

We had a fantastic morning whitewater rafting with Jacob. The whole team did their jobs well and the whole experience was seamless. Highly recommend this activity.

Fantastic scenery and views from the river. Most of the ride was nice and easy and the rapids were very fun once you went down them! Our guide whose name escapes me was great!

Well organized rafting trip by very professional and also funny guides. The drive up Skippers Canyon Road was a bonus. Great experience altogether!

Run by real nz booked via challenge rafting. Great experience throughly recommend. We are bunch of people late 50s reasonable level of fitness and water confident. The rafting was a breeze. Top tip- listen to the instructions of your boat leader. Some rapids but lots of calm waters for relaxing, chatting and enjoying the incredible scenery. Great H&S briefing and all the gear to keep you warm and safe. Jacob looked after us extremely well in the boat thank you Jacob (the treatments at the Hilton spa was super)

Exciting, exhilarating, scenic, fun and most importantly safe. This was my first time going white river rafting. I was a little apprehensive but the experience spectacular and I’m ready to do it again. Benjy was our guide and his expertise guided us well the whole time. Another bonus was he was so much fun with tremendous about of humor. Wendy Dowling

It was a great experience, so so much fun!! When booking the activity this was very high on the expectation level because the low price and duration of activity. Matt was an absolute G and he made the rafting experience sensational 🙏🏾

The experience was great & Matt was a bloody legend. Let us jump out a few times & float down the river. Perfect experience worth the money on a beautiful sunny day