Shotover River Rafting: Family-Friendly Adventure

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 specializes in soft adventure excursions, offering rafting experiences on the upper stretches of the renowned Shotover River near Queenstown. This bus and raft journey provides a distinctive opportunity to explore the beautiful backcountry near Queenstown, and is suitable for participants aged 3 and above. No water confidence is required.
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
(342 Ratings)
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Ben_k
Feb 15, 2026
Great family experience - This is a family friendly experience with emphasis put on time spent swimming/floating in the beautiful Shotover River. The guides are very supportive and considerate of your skill and comfort levels. It was a great experience with my 13yr old kids.
Review provided by Viator
Amandacbarton
Feb 15, 2026
Amazing Day rafting with our kids - We had an amazing time with Family adventures and couldn’t recommend them highly enough. My husband and I took our two children, aged five and only just three, on a rafting trip and the staff were so friendly and accommodating and absolutely wonderful with the kids. They were nervous at first but Josh, Mark and Georgia were so great with them that they soon relaxed and were having a wonderful time. We felt entirely safe and well looked after the whole time, everything ran smoothly and the small touches like helping the kids get changed into their gear, and providing cookies at the end really made the experience extra special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pamie_c
Jan 23, 2026
Adventure, Laughs, and Stunning Scenery - Had an awesome day with Georgia and Josh. Josh kept things lively with a steady stream of dad-joke energy, very festive, very committed. The drive through Skippers Canyon was epic. The rapids were approachable and a lot of fun, and Georgia made the whole experience feel safe and relaxed while still keeping it exciting. Plenty of laughs and splashing around. Would absolutely recommend. Thanks legends!
Review provided by Viator
Zoe_w
Jan 16, 2026
Worth every dollar! - Mark is equal parts professional and hilarious. Mark and Georgie were calm and confident, allowing our family to fully enjoy our experience knowing everything was taken care of efficiently and with a smile. The ability to entertain and inform a range of ages from 5 to 45 is a true skill, not to mention the ease with which they handle the river and the road. If you are wondering whether you should do this tour, the answer is yes!
Review provided by Viator
Tommydh539mm
Jan 12, 2026
Rafting - Queenstown - We went on a rafting experience. Josh, Mark, and the crew were really great. We had a great laugh on the bus and had a super experience on the water. I would highly recommend this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Megandw5395ps
Jan 12, 2026
Super fun and adventurous - We had such a fun time on this trip. The drive into Skipper’s Canyon was so interesting and then the rafting was amazing! The experience is so well organised with all the equipment and gear you need to wear. Our guides, Simon and Josh, were fantastic. A must do if you’re in Queenstown.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vthokie811
Jan 12, 2026
Great Experience - Such a great adventure. The views were incredible and the guides were very knowledgeable and fun. Training was very comprehensive. Highly recommend this trip. The drive to the put-in is scary and exhilarating at the same time. Loved getting splashed by the jet boats, it is voluntary and required all onboard to agree. Ready to do the higher class part of the river.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cruiser36605932074
Jan 12, 2026
Awesome Family Adventure - We had an absolutely fantastic experience with Family Adventures Queenstown. Our kids (ages 7, 5 and 3) had the best time white water rafting, and the whole experience was perfectly tailored for families. Huge thanks to Georgia, Simon, and Josh, they were all incredible guides, friendly, professional, and made everyone feel safe and included. They were especially patient and kind with our not so keen 3 year old, who eventually warmed up to the experience and ended up enjoying it, which made a world of difference for our whole family. The kids’ highlights were surviving the “wibbly wobbly” section of the river and getting to jump in for a swim, which they’re still talking about A truly memorable family adventure and something we’ll be talking about for years. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Queenstown with kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Passenger18957368252
Jan 11, 2026
Family favorite! - My family of five (age range 11-66) had a blast with Mark and Josh. It was a perfect memory-making outing, including the ride through Skippers canyon. Thank you Family Adventures!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ofkemartin
Jan 10, 2026
Great family rafting experience - What a great experience with Mark and Georgina! They took us from queenstown, to getting ourselves ready, rafting and back in a seemless and easy way. The rafting itself was great fun, easy to do for the youger kids (9 and 11), and the grandparents, yet enough to have fun even for the adults. I definitely recommend it for families. I also highly recommend taking the photo package, its much better than trying to bring your own gear, and Mark takes great and fun photos! Its the best value photo package I ever came accross in these kinds of activity (who needs a printed photo - they provide many photos in digital format, over 30+ when taking only the good ones).
Review provided by Tripadvisor