Skippers Canyon Tour: Historic 4WD Adventure

Embark on a half-day heritage journey through Skippers Canyon, following the treacherous Skippers Road. Explore historic sites, a suspension bridge, and the township of Skippers, before trying your hand at gold panning.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Skippers Canyon - Travel along the rugged and treacherous Skippers road. As your guide navigates along this awe-inspiring canyon you will visit many historic sites such as the historic Skippers suspension bridge and the historic township of Skippers.
  • Skippers Township Museum, Skippers Point - Visit the restored school house where you will…
What's Included
  • View the iconic Skippers Suspension Bridge
  • Try gold panning on the gold-rich Shotover River
  • Light refreshments (tea, coffee, hot chocolate, fruit cake and cookies)
  • Transport by 4WD vehicle with your driver/guide
  • Take in panoramic views of historic gold-mining sites from Māori Point
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

This half-day 4WD heritage tour takes you through the breathtaking Skippers Canyon, following the historic Skippers Road, which was hand-crafted during the Otago gold rush and etched into the cliffs above the Shotover River. Join an experienced local guide who expertly navigates this extraordinary road while sharing fascinating tales of the pioneers and…

Location
37 Shotover Street
Shotover Street
Pick up is from Info & Track, 37 Shotover Street. We may be able to offer pick up from your accomodation in central Queenstown, however please contact us on 034426699 to confirm.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(211 Ratings)
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Jcmd49
Feb 21, 2026
Great. - The original 4WD, gold heritage 4WD, canyon skippers. Excellent experience with Nick, our super driver guide. We very much appreciated his availability and his comments that he made to us using his mobile. We managed to find a little gold thanks to his advice. He also introduced us to beautiful landscapes. Thank you Nick for your professionalism
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Discover01143132228
Feb 18, 2026
Awesome experience - This tour was fantastic, especially as we’re LOTR fans. We had the lovely Jodie driving us around and she did a superb job. Very informative, took us to some very scenic spots and pointed out the movie spots along with photos. The best bit was the off-roading where we went through rivers and up and down gullies. I would highly recommend this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tapphancock
Feb 13, 2026
A Step Back in History - Finn was the best guide! Had a total blast seeing all the dramatic landscapes and land formations! What a treat this was to step back in history and actually pan for gold! Got two specks and enjoyed the coffee and banana bread! Thank you for a wonderful day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Darryl_w
Feb 6, 2026
Skippers Canyon half day tour - Gets very bumpy, but extremely enjoyable. Has nothing to hang on to in vehicle. Driver Tom was very knowledgeable and extremely safe in his approach to driving. If you fear heights don't look out of windows over the edge.
Review provided by Viator
Tina
Jan 30, 2026
A day in paradise. - Our driver/guide was Finley. He was extremely knowledgeable and an excellent guide. My friend and I had an absolutely wonderful day with memories that will last a lifetime. We highly recommend this tour especially with Findley as your guide. The hot chocolate and biscuits were a perfect touch to a perfect day. Tina and MaryAnn
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dancinggrandma3
Jan 24, 2026
Fun afternoon - It was cold and misty but we still had a wonderful time. The canyons are beautiful. Jody, our driver and guide, is from the area. She was quite knowledgeable explaining the history of the area, trees, rock formations, etc. There were some old photos of how certain structures appeared around 1860’s. The rock roads are steep, narrow, and winding, but she handles the 4WD like an expert. There were opportunities to stop and take photos and have tea at Bridal Veil falls. She is very familiar with changes in the landscape and spotted a dead goat up on a high rock. You can pan for gold but we choose not to but still went down to the river to enjoy the scenery.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H8349lpdeborahf
Jan 14, 2026
Fantastic tour. Great end to our NZ trip!! - We booked the Skippers Canyon and got the Lord of the Rings tour too plus the 4wd River experience. Thanks to Nick for his expertise especially on 2wd drive vehicles driving the Skippers Canyon 4wd track!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A3r0naut
Jan 14, 2026
Create your own tsunami on the Arrow River and navigate a narrow cliff hugging track with a sheer drop in Skipper Canyon - As we plunged into the Arrow river creating a tidal wave I did have a big smile on my face. The drive through Skippers Canyon was another highlight as our guide Dan expertly navigated the tightly winding gravel road clinging to the cliffs with a sheer drop down to the canyon floor. He clearly enjoyed the experience as much as we did. A wonderful, fun way of exploring the varied and dramatic landscape around Queenstown.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yamin_b
Jan 24, 2026
Nice tour - It change a little from water views...the canyon is amazing . They should tell us in edvance about mosquitos problem .
Review provided by Viator
Clara
Jan 17, 2026
Don’t do it - Tour could not be completed as advertised despite them knowing this at the time of booking. The 4wd adventure was a little lame. It was a bare minimum effort to justify the trip. Don’t recommend skipper township tour and better quality coffee and biscuits could be provided
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $181
up to 6 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).