Shotover River Rafting: Family-Friendly Adventure
4.9
323 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
  • Qualified rafting guide
  • Transport to rafting base
  • Specialized river rafting equipment
  • All activities
  • Snacks
  • GST (Goods and Services Tax)
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
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
(323 Ratings)
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Happiness64469309207
Apr 23, 2025
If you have a 5 year old, you should do this !! - Family adventures rafting was the perfect experience crafted for our family. Our 11 and 5 year old loved the trip and our guide M was awesome! What great memories to last us for our lifetime! Highly recommend the rafting ( and the accompanying scary but made hilarious !! bus ride to the canyon and back!)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marian_f
Mar 27, 2025
Great rafting - Luke and Mark were brilliant on the water. Mark brilliant driver on the narrow road. Would have loved a hot drink when we finished. But a great time.
Review provided by Viator
Emilylb3419qi
Mar 25, 2025
Awesome time! - This was such a fun ride! Simon was our guide and was very knowledgeable and created a fun environment for all. One of my friends had a recent surgery, and he made her feel safe, secure but confident to do the rafting. It was a very nice and pleasant ride, from beginning to end. I would highly recommend to people who are maybe a little nervous and want to give rafting a try, those with small children, or those who want a little thrill without a ton of hard work involved. We truly had an amazing time!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_h
Mar 22, 2025
First time we have done... - First time we have done this, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Simon and the crew made for an enjoyable experience. Spay yourself with insect repellent as there are quite a few sandflies around
Review provided by Viator
281colbyd
Mar 5, 2025
Amazing day! - The views were amazing and we even had a scenic ride to the place we departed from. Our coordinaters were super funny and personable and it made for an amazing day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kyannes
Feb 25, 2025
Great for young kids! - Great for first time rafting and very family friendly. The guides were very knowledgable with an awesome sense sense of humour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
181suzym
Feb 13, 2025
Fun trip for families - Excellent trip for families. We went with our 6 year old. The river was low so it was extremely calm, but still good fun. We enjoyed the trip through skippers canyon learning about the history first, and heard more about it as we travelled down the river. Our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and really made the trip. I toyed with doing the jet boating after but we didn't, and I have no regrets. The trip was enough in itself.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rusovarela
Feb 7, 2025
Excellent - Excellent excursion, well organized in a spectacular location. Rafting is ideal for families with young children, plus you can take several baths along the way which makes it more fun The guides are excellent
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Songl381
Jan 27, 2025
Best rafting experience for families in Queenstown - Simon, Georgia, Mark and Luke made our absolutely the best highlight of our Queenstown holiday by being thorough, entertained and looked after the whole experience. Beautiful scenaries in the pristine clean glacier water made the best rafting experience so far among all our past rafting trips.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Borisbee
Jan 22, 2025
The best experience in the South Island!! - Had such an amazing time rafting the rapids - this was the highlight of our South Island tour! Simon, Georgia and his team are the absolute best at what they do!! We were well taken care of by such a solid team. The views from start to finish were incredible. Such an unforgettable, flawless experience not to be missed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $177
From $177
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).