Shotover River Rafting: Family-Friendly Adventure
4.9
293 Ratings
Queenstown

Raft the gentle upper reaches of the Shotover River on this half-day trip through Skippers Canyon. You’ll drive from Queenstown through a former gold-mining region and learn about this significant part of New Zealand’s history. The Class I and II rapids are suitable for ages three years old and up.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Skippers Road - Family Adventures specialise in soft adventure trips, rafting the upper reaches of the famous Shotover River near Queenstown. Our trip by bus and raft is a unique way to experience the wonderful backcountry we have close by in Queenstown, and is suitable for everyone from 3 years upwards. Water confidence is NOT necessary.
What's Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Qualified rafting guide
  • Transport to rafting base
  • Snacks
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST)
  • Specialized river rafting equipment
  • All activities
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
  • Bring a swimsuit and towel
  • Member of the NZ Rafting Association
  • Qualmark accredited
  • TripAdvisor Excellence rating for 12 straight seasons
Location
Marmolada Cafe
Camp Street
The Station building bus stop, corner of Shotover Street and Camp street. We meet 10mins before the start time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(293 Ratings)
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Cliff_m
Sep 2, 2024
So much fun! - We had such a wonderful time! Our tour guide was a local and he was very friendly and helpful. It turned out we were the only family in this tour. And they didn’t cancel on us. So basically they gave us a private rafting tour. We were very grateful and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Everything was provided including wet suits. Even though the water was cold, we still jumped into the water and got some terrific photos. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Likesdwarves
Apr 30, 2024
Perfect for families - Couldn't have been more impressed. Kids had a ball, and the adults did too. Highly recommended for families with little ones who aren't old enough for the other rafting options in Queenstown.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Angellas652
Apr 2, 2024
A fabulous multi- generation experience - We had a fabulous time, with a family group ranging from 3 to 70+ - our guides were really great and helped us all to have a fantastic time. What a beautiful location and what an excellent trip and adventure - thankyou so much! We highly recommend this to people wanting to enjoy a scenic adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Larisao354
Mar 26, 2024
Awesome experience - Went with Kohei and Simon as our guides. They were hilarious and we had a great time. Amazing views, smooth rafting and overall great day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sbaker3
Mar 26, 2024
Highly recommend with young kids! - Amazing adventure especially having young kids (aged 6 and 8). The rafting and jet boating was great fun and the guides were fantastic with the young kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claudiara2057na
Mar 21, 2024
Great Family Adventure - We had a great time on the morning trip! Lots of funny stories on the way to the river. The rock jump was one of the highlights and many amazing views throughout.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Juliah171108
Mar 9, 2024
Great views. Great guide. - Simon was fabulous. Had hoped for more difficult rapids and with 2 young adults in tow, he put a smile on their faces and made everyone’s day hugely enjoyable. Scenery was stunning. Rafting perfect for young families.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
582catw
Mar 1, 2024
Ten out of Ten must do's - This is a must for all ages!! Holly was great while we travelled to our base. Gave us interesting facts, and she has a lot of knowledge of the local area. Both Simon and Holly were fantastic when we had to get ready for an afternoon of rafting. Once we were on the raft, Simon made everyone feel comfortable. He was kind, caring, and full of knowledge. Simon included everyone and made sure people gave everything a go. Best tour guide by far!! I'm so glad I picked this adventure whilst visiting QT. Thank you for the great experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annickhage
Mar 1, 2024
Great Family Rafting - We had a fantastic day with Marc, Holly and Simon, who are probably the most funny people we met in New Zealand! We had a great time and loved the rafting experience with our family. Our boys were taken care of very well!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisam8797
Mar 22, 2024
Great experience for family! Fun memories:) - Really fun afternoon. Simon our guide was very experienced and made the trip memorable. Highly recommend for families:)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $174
From $174
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).