Skippers Canyon Gentle White Water Rafting
Highlights & inclusions
1. Select date
August 2026
2. Select participants
What you can expect
The Skippers Canyon Gentle Raft Adventure offers an exciting family expedition catering for children as young as 3! Get onboard the bus from Queenstown and head off on a scenic drive out to Skippers Canyon. Your friendly guides will entertain you with full commentary along the way sharing the scenic highlights and the many historical points of interest around the area. The trip out to the upper Shotover River in Skippers Canyon is quite possibly the most spectacular scenic drive in New Zealand!
Once at our base beside the historic Pipeline it's time to gear up with wetsuits, helmets and all the safety gear you will need for an enjoyable Shotover River rafting journey! Drift down the gentle, grade two rapids and experience the thrill of white water rafting in a safe and fully guided environment. Skippers Canyon is a fantastic scenic backdrop for your family river rafting adventure and you may even recognize some familiar scenes from The Lord of The Rings movies!
Location
What you need to know
- Scenic drive from Queenstown into Skippers Canyon and back
- Calm family friendly rafting adventure
- Rafting down a gentle grade 1 & 2 section of the upper Shotover River, starting at "The Ford of Bruinen" (Lord of the Rings location)
- Commentary on the way in and out of Skippers Canyon on the myriad of scenic highlights and historical points of interest
- Photo stops
- Helmets, wetsuits or over-pants, polar fleeces, spray jackets, life jackets & booties (note: all wetsuits and booties are sterilised after each trip)
- Photo packs are available to purchase after the trip for $39, including rafting pics so you don't have to worry about your camera when you are in the raft
- Trip t-shirts are available for $30 for adults and $22 for children
- Modern rafting equipment
- “The Ford of Bruinen” in the Lord of the See historic gold mining relics and sheer canyon walls as we navigate the Shotover river, with photo stops, rapid swims and rock jumps
- 1 October until 30 April
- 12.30pm departure in October (only)
- 7:45am and 1:30pm departures 1 October until 30 April
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time
- Allow 5 hours round-trip
- Swimwear (togs)
- Towel (its best to wear your swim suit under your clothes)
- Minimum age is 3 years
- Water confidence is not necessary
- Change your booking up to 48 hours before the start time of your experience
- Changes are not permitted within 48 hours of your experience
- Late arrivals or no shows may result in you forfeiting your experience
- Confirmation in the form of a tour voucher will be received at time of booking
- Upon completion of purchase, please print the voucher and present on day of the experience
- For your information, complete Tour Operator Information including contact details is included on your tour voucher
Recent reviews
Fantastic rafting experience suitable for the whole family.
Fantastic rafting experience suitable for the whole family. Everyone had a fun time. Rapids were gentle enough for my 3 year old, but still provided an adventure for my 12 year old. Great company!!
