Tours and Tickets
Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown
5

Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown

By Challenge Rafting
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
About
from
$304.98
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 13-99, max of 15 per group
Duration: 5h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • White water rafting down the Shotover River
  • Safety briefing, professional guides
  • All necessary equipment- wetsuit, life jacket, spray jacket, booties, helmet
  • Courtesy coach transfers from centrally located meeting point
  • Hot showers
  • Bus Ride through Skippers Canyon
What's not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off


Start:
  • 37 Camp Street, Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
    Check in at Real NZ Shop, 37 Camp St, Queenstown, where we will transfer you to our raft base via complimentary bus, otherwise if you would prefer to self drive to our Raft Base, 1 Arthurs Point Rd, Arthurs Point, please advise us and we can update your booking accordingly.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 30019P1

    • It is essential that all parties are confident swimmers and comfortable in deep water.
    • Weight restrictions - Under 40 kg (88lbs) and over 120kg (264lbs) will not be permitted to participate. (weighing maybe required upon check-in).
    • Minimum age - 13 years - Children aged between 13 and 15 years must be accompanied by a guardian
    • If a traveller wishes to discontinue with the rafting experience during the trip, the traveller is liable for all costs associated with removing them from the river. This term is void if a medical or natural emergency arises and evacuation is required.
    • If you are pregnant you cannot participate on this experience and if you do so without notifying the Raft Guides guides of your conditions you do so at your own risk
    • Under 18 years - Guardian conditions apply.
    • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
    • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • Suitable for water competent people of moderate fitness.
    • People with a heart condition or taking heart medication are unable to participate.
    • Trips are weather, river level and/or water temperature dependent.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    Which attractions will I visit with Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown?
    How much is Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown?
    Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown price starts from $310.54. Discover and book Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown on Tripadvisor
    What is the Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown cancellation policy?
    Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown cancellation policy: For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Discover and book Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown on Tripadvisor
    Which company provides Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown?
    Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown is hosted by Challenge Rafting. Read reviews, discover additonal experiences or contact Challenge Rafting on Tripadvisor. Discover and book Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown on Tripadvisor

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 30019P1

    Reserve your spot

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Challenge Rafting
      179
      Queenstown, New Zealand
    • 742michaelax
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome raft and jet boat! It’s the best of both worlds
      We picked this experience because it suited our current fitness level. The rafting provided us with the opportunity to go in for a swim at quiet moments - or not, as per our preference. Whenever there is water involved we make sure to take swimwear. Also, take a shower towel for after the rafting. Showered are provided but towels and soap are not. Overall. Fantastic experience. Better still some of the funds go to the Dept of Conservation NZ
      Written 7 March 2024
    • Compass45111093902
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fantastic!
      The whole team were fantastic! We were quite anxious, no need to be. Our safety was their priority. Guy, thanks for letting us be part of your rafting team, you seriously love your job!
      Written 22 February 2024
    • jimmydQ2823HF
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The Fellowship of the Raft
      Absolutely fantastic trip with our guide Morgan, Safety Kayakers Jacob and Liv. Perfect weather with fantastic flows and great information. Super safe and professional, would recommend to anyone. Rob the bus driver was a stoic professional with a mastery of the left hand side of the road.
      Written 8 February 2024
    • AsBeautifulAsYou
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Challenge Kawarau River Rafting
      We were first time White Water Rafters, and chose the easier Kawarau River Rafting with Challenge Rafting Queenstown NZ. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect, but it was heaps of fun. The Challenge staff are amazing! Very professional & loads of fun, with lots of silly Dad & Ozzie bashing jokes. And I was extremely grateful for the huge attention to safety, like double checking the fit of life jackets, and the Safety Officer in a Kayak who followed the Rafts to help scoop anyone out of the water if needed. It was a wonderful afternoon out on the water.
      Written 25 January 2024
    • marioleao06
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Really recommend!
      Great guides, great climate, extremely beautiful landscape, all worked great... guides were patient, careful at the right level, overall fun and something to be repeated!
      Written 21 January 2024
    • Martisaskia
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Keep it up!
      It was simply great. Your team makes river rafting something very special. Thank you very much for this experience - keep it up
      Written 18 January 2024
    • Michelle K
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jet and raft boat experience
      Experience was great. Guides excellent. But very disappointing we could not get one photo of the experience. We felt guides could easy have a helmet cam and we could buy ones we wanted. This was very disappointing
      Written 14 January 2024
    • John T
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      Our guide (Kinnan) was fun, informative and experienced. The ride in was tough going due to the track in but the rafting itself was sensational - both the challenges and beauty of the river
      Written 8 December 2023
    • U5328JNsofiap
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommend
      This activity was great. We had great fun both when we went jet boating and white water rafting. Definitely the highlight of the trip.
      Written 22 November 2023
    • Go08632870352
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun experience for everyone
      This was a fantastic experience, the guides were amazing and made us feel relaxed but also the right level of respect for the rapids. it was an absolute blast, and having the jet ride at the start made it even more exciting. Will definitely do this again!
      Written 13 November 2023
    • vanessamH6814RF
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A great experience all year round.
      Awesome experience, great fun. Well organised and no experience necessary. A terrific team of guides who contributed to the fun and frivolity. All equipment supplied including full wetsuits. Kawarau River rapids are pretty tame, but still well worth the trip. Met some new friends and ventured outside the comfort zone.
      Written 28 April 2023
    • kate0777
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Epic Queenstown Adventure!
      This weas an amazing Day, we had Chris as our expert rafter, however the whole team that set us up drove us around were awesome. Could ask for a better day. The 17km Jet boat ride just to get to the 10Km Rafting was so much value for the money! Would definitely do this again.
      Written 26 February 2023
    • KRS393
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun memorable time
      They were super amazing friendly staff. They made sure everyone had a good time and did the best they could in a drought situation. Well done and an awesome time! With photos to prove it!
      Written 21 February 2023
    • Guide23249023896
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Brilliant fun
      Absolutely terrific! We had a ball, felt safe, the scenery was incredible, and it was such a laugh. It’s the best way to see the Kauwarau river.
      Written 19 February 2023
    • Z7658RCjamesh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Magic…. And just scary enough!
      The whitewater was definitely the best, but the scenery, the water, the river, the guides and the fun all added up to an amazing experience! Our entire family loved it. Coupled with a ride in the jet boat to reach our rafting point, and you couldn’t ask for a better value activity. The smiles say it all.
      Written 23 January 2023
    See all 179 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles56 reviews
    Excellent
    51
    Very good
    3
    Average
    1
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    1

    Grizwold13
    Perth, Australia250 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is one of the adventures that Queenstown is renowned for. A great day from start to finish with excellent guides who are knowledgeable, entertaining and most importantly, when the river starts cranking, know what they are doing so you can be assured you are in good hands. You get a chance to travel down some really exciting rapids, take in some awesome scenery and enjoy something that you won’t forget.
    Written 7 November 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Many thanks for your 5-star review. We really appreciate you taking the time to do so. We are so glad you enjoyed your adventure with our team in Queenstown. We thank you for joining us. We appreciate your support.
    Written 28 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    636garrym
    25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2021
    What a Fantastic Adventure.
    The trip from Base to Skippers Canyon via road and then the rafting was simply amazing,
    KC was brilliant as a guide.
    He kept us safe and his instructions were very clear and concise.
    The River and the rapids were an adrenalin rush and the tunnel at the end with the final rapid was simply brilliant.
    16 km of pure fun and excitement!
    Written 12 November 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for your great review. It certainly is an adrenaline rush out on the Shotover and great fun. Glad you had fun with KC out there.
    Written 15 May 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    AnnaWilliamon
    Majorca, Spain13 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Experience v good, staff not so great. Communication was very poor (wasn’t clear where to meet / how the logistics would work) and we hung around waiting on the street for half an hour early in the morning with zero communications. No one apologised / took accountability for the fact no one had showed up. The rafting itself is a great experience but that is largely thanks to the river and the scenery - there could have been more from our guide - he talked about where in the world he had rafted for the whole time while another raft were doing drills / more interesting things.
    Written 2 February 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora Anna, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We appreciate your feedback and will make sure this isn't the same experience for others in the future. We are glad you were able to enjoy rafting with us. We hope to see you again for an experience with us in the future.
    Written 26 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Tanya
    Melbourne, Australia6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2023 • Family
    This experience was one of the highlights of our NZ trip. All the staff were friendly, fun and highly organised. Our guide, Will was incredible. He was friendly and chatty to our kids and us and was very experienced on the water. There was the perfect combination of thrills, spills, and calmer waters.
    The drive to the start of the river was a bit hairy, but our driver Harry navigated it without hesitation, making us all feel very safe.
    Highly recommend.
    Written 1 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Thank you so much for your wonderful, 5-star review. We're so glad you enjoyed your experience with our team. Will be sure to pass along your feedback to Will and Harry. We appreciate your recommendation and thank you for joining us on the Shotover River. Kind regards, The Team at Challenge Rafting
    Written 2 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    CrazynotKarate
    Pacific Coast Australia, Australia4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2024 • Friends
    The guide on the bus trip made it very fun, also big ups to the bus driver. The guides were all very knowledgeable and made the whole experience enjoyable! Very thrilling and fun - would definitely recommend this! Had an absolute blast.
    Written 17 January 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Thank you for your 5-star review. We love a good adventure and are so happy to share this experience with our customers. Thank you for including us on your Queenstown adventure.
    Written 30 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Charles P
    Orange, CA16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020 • Couples
    Excellent and adrenaline rushing event with expert driver (Ben) and jet boat pilot (Lincoln). The drive was somewhat scary as the road was narrow and nothing but gravity on the downhill side, but certainly not as bad as other reviews have made it. The jet boat ridewas exhilarating and we really had a good time i would highly recommend it! Don’t waste your time going on in the boats doing 360s in the lake. Take the shuttle to Skipper’s Canyon and you’ll be very happy with the thrilling experience.
    Written 27 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Mikesalter
    North Yorkshire, UK689 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023
    Went on a jet boat ride followed by white water rafting with this company. Really enjoyed the rafting experience. Our pilot on the boat, Chris I think, was excellent making the trip a really fun experience. We didn’t do Shotover, we did Kawarau river with level 3 rapids and that was certainly fun. Overall great morning and thoroughly recommend this company that were professional in every aspect making what could be a nervous experience a fun one.
    Written 11 February 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora Mike, Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a phenomenal review. We really appreciate it. We're glad you enjoyed your day out with Chris. Thank you for joining us. We hope to see you again in the future.
    Written 26 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Papaya
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2023 • Solo
    I went on the afternoon of Nov-9, very special experience! While I was in the river and holding on the side rope, waiting to be dragged onto the raft, the boat hit a huge rock and stuck there, causing a strong current which pulled me down, head below water, unable to pull myself out. Choked for a couple secs and realized no one could pull me out, I released the rope, went with the current, passed by the raft above me, and finally floated out of the water, coughing like hell. In less than one sec, the safe guy in black kayak came to me, helped me calm down and get back to the raft. He’s really amazing and professional! Unfortunately I didn’t get his name. I talked with him afterwards that he did so well, he deserved a bonus. (Plz, Challenge Rafting, if you see this review, that safety guy really did an awesome job!) The small accident was a plus! Once in a life time experience ;) I would definitely join the rafting again!
    Written 10 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Thank you so much for your wonderful review and for sharing your rafting adventure. We're so glad you enjoyed yourself and felt safe out with our team. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you out on the water again in the future. Thank you for joining us.
    Written 18 December 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    awjwtravellers
    Australia32 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Got exactly what I wanted out if it. The rapids were fun with a hint of danger. We ended up capsizing and taken by the rapids but the team was professional and got us out the water to safety. Definitely got my adrenaline and fear going at the same time. That’s what I came for.
    Written 22 November 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora, Thanks so very much for taking the time to leave us a 5-star review. It sounds like you had a lot of fun out with our team. We're glad you felt safe with our crew. Thanks heaps for joining us. We hope to see you again in the future for another adventure.
    Written 28 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Matthew L
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was a highlight of our holiday. I can’t express how much fun it was. Amazing!!! And our raft leader (Ico I think from memory) was really fun and informative. Even the people on the bus (maybe Josh?) was friendly and funny. Of course the bus ride was scarier than the rafting!
    Written 26 January 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Kia Ora Matthew, Thanks a ton for taking the time to leave us a glowing review and 5 stars. We are thrilled to be a highlight of your holiday. We're glad you enjoyed your experience with our team. Thank you for joining us.
    Written 26 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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    Shotover River Rafting Trip from Queenstown provided by Challenge Rafting