13 White Water Rafting Trips in New Zealand Worth Flying For

1.Rotorua Rafting: Kaituna River White Water Rafting & Free Sauna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,952 reviews · from $83 a head Our pick

Raft the Kaituna River through native forest and three waterfalls, including the 7-meter Tutea Falls. Guides such as George, Elise, Luca, and Tor lead the Grade 5 run with clear safety instructions. No experience is needed. Gear and a free sauna are included, with a half-river option for children aged 10 to 12.

“I was nervous about doing this adventure since I hadn’t rafted in a very long time and never class 5. They add a few extra fun things, like swimming down one of the rapids, and sitting on tge raft in the front over another The water is so beautiful, our guide, Elise, was amazing! I had a blast, so glad I didn’t back out!”

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2.Rafting Rotorua: Kaituna River White Water Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,274 reviews · 2h 30m · from $83 a head

Join Kaitiaki Adventures for a guided Kaituna River rafting trip through native forest, with 14 rapids, three waterfalls, and the 7-meter Tutea Falls. Guides such as Aoife, Jack, Kyle, and Ben are known for clear instruction and calm support. Pickup, wetsuits, booties, helmets, and safety gear are included.

“I was terrified to do this- I had only been rafting on the James River and encountered not a single waterfall. Our guide was Draco and my boyfriend and I couldn’t have been happier with him. He got both of us excited and personally I think our group had the most fun. Thank you Drax for putting me at ease and giving us a wonderful experience 10/10 would recommend!”

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3.White Water Rafting – Kaituna Cascades, The Originals

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,274 reviews · from $83 a head

You’ll raft 11 rapids and three waterfalls on the Kaituna River, including the 7-meter Tutea Falls, the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall. Guides such as Flynn, Malcolm, Cole, and Hamish lead the 50-minute river run. The trip suits active swimmers aged 13 to 65 and includes all rafting gear.

“This is one of the best things we did on our 6 week vacation to Australia and New Zealand! The 23 foot waterfall drop is incredible and the rest of the class 5 river is also amazing. The staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The pictures from this trip were also amazing, well worth the additional money.”

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4.Rafting Rotorua Kaituna White Water Rafting | Kaitiaki Adventures

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 759 reviews · from $83 a head

Raft the Kaituna River near Rotorua with a professional Kiwi and Māori guide, passing more than 14 rapids and dropping over 7-metre Tutea Falls. Kaitiaki Adventures provides wetsuits, helmets, booties, life vests, hotel transfers, safety training, and optional action photos. Allow about 3.5 hours in total.

“We had such a phenomenal experience. Jack, our guide, made the trip that much better. Would recommend!”

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5.Kaituna River White Water Rafting from Rotorua

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 388 reviews · from $84 a head

You’ll raft the Kaituna River with River Rats Raft & Kayak, passing through a fern-lined gorge and over 14 rapids, including Tutea Falls, the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall. Guides such as Zack, Amy, Dave, and Neville have led recent trips. Expect a 15 to 20-minute safety session, full equipment, and about an hour on the water.

“We went rafting a couple days ago with the river rat crew it was my and my girlfriends first time rafting white water. The team there were absolutely great, really fun positive people who made it an experience we won’t forget and left us hungry to do more rafting in the future. Would highly recommend going to anybody. And the photos that they took and showed in a slide show at the end made it all the funnier!”

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6.Kaituna River and Tutea Falls Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 324 reviews · 2 hours · from $80 a head Cheapest seat

Meet Kaituna Cascades Rafting 20 minutes from Rotorua for a two-hour outing on the Kaituna River. After a safety briefing and gear fitting, you raft 14 rapids in about 50 minutes, including the 7-meter Tutea Falls. Guides such as Malcolm, Alex, Bal, and Josh are known for calm instruction, humor, and strong safety skills.

“Easily the best thing we did in new zealand. Would recommend!!!”

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7.Queenstown Shotover River White Water Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 309 reviews · from $154 a head

Join RealNZ for a half-day Shotover River rafting trip from Queenstown. Ride the scenic Skippers Canyon Road, practise with guides such as Morgan, Jess, or Benji, then tackle grade 3 to 5 rapids, Oxenbridge Tunnel, and Cascade Rapid. Gear, transport, digital photos, and hot showers are included. You must swim and weigh 40 to 120 kg.

“We had the experience of a lifetime as a family. Pushing ourselves and seeing a remote picturesque canyon in the middle of New Zealand in Skipper’s Canyon. The guides were amazing - providing confidence and sharing laughter along the journey. Benji our guide was awesome sharing rafting tales from the UK to Iceland and beyond. If you want a memory to cherish for a lifetime - book today!”

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8.Shotover River Whitewater Rafting Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 234 reviews · from $175 a head

Take a half-day rafting trip from Queenstown through Skippers Canyon to the Shotover River. Expect a dramatic coach ride, full safety training, wetsuits, grade 3 to 5 rapids, the dark Oxenbridge Tunnel, and hot showers afterward. Guides such as Jess, Benji, and Libby have earned praise for clear instruction and good humor.

“We had the best experience white water rafting today! So. Much. Fun. Had amazing instructors and guides including, especially Iko who kept us all very safe and happy. Thank you for an adventure we will never forget.”

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9.Rangitaiki River White Water Rafting from Rotorua

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · from $121 a head

Set out from Rotorua for a six-hour Rangitaiki River rafting trip through forest and rock walls. You’ll learn paddle commands, tackle mostly Grade III rapids and one Grade IV section, then enjoy flat water, lunch, and a hot shower. Guides such as Jesse and Cody have led the trip, with alternate rivers possible when water levels are low.

“The staff were great, but the rafting itself was not what I expected as was the difficultly! There were 2 rapids I would class a 3 but not class 4's. If you want adventure I would go to the class 5 tour!”

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10.Rotorua Sledging White Water Sledging | Kaitiaki Adventures

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 90 reviews · from $86 a head

Take a two-hour white-water sledging trip on Rotorua’s Kaituna River with a small group of up to six. Guides such as Captain Jack and Kyle coach you through rapids, play holes, and calm stretches while you steer with foot flippers. Hotel pickup, safety gear, and an adventure photographer are included.

“For the adventurous heart! We had such a great time from arrival to the end. My husband is healthy and in good shape so he really enjoyed himself. I’m a plus size woman and honestly I was nervous about being able to do this. To be honest, Read more”

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11.Shotover River Whitewater Rafting Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 72 reviews · 4 hours · from $178 a head

Meet at Challenge Rafting’s Arthurs Point base for a four-hour Shotover River adventure. You’ll ride a bus into Skippers Canyon, learn rafting skills from guides such as Muzz, Raju, Jess, or Benj, then tackle six rapids, including the 170-meter Oxenbridge Tunnel and Cascade Rapid. Wetsuits, gear, transport, and a hot shower are included.

“Out of 10 Rafting:10 fantastic as you can see Mark was perfect Para gliding 9.5 Bike from Arrowtown:9 Shotover: 8 Kayaking: 8 Earnslaw:8 Luge: 8.5 Therefore every activity excellent. Rafting required skill, energy expended, safety , slowing and rock walk all gontributed to enjoyment. Mark was an ideal leader”

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12.Half Day, Grade 5, White Water Rafting on the Rangitikei River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $170 a head

Meet at River Valley Lodge for a safety briefing and full rafting kit, then ride 30 minutes to the river. Paddle through gentle Grade 1 to 3 rapids before tackling a Grade 5 gorge with 10 major rapids across 11 km. The trip suits strong swimmers with some rafting experience and ends with hot showers.

“Excellent knowledgeable staff, gorgeous river, and a super fun ride! Would highly recommend, and will be back to run it again.”

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13.Queenstown Kawarau River Whitewater Rafting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $148 a head

Take a four-and-a-half-hour RealNZ trip from Queenstown to the Kawarau River. You’ll get wetsuit gear, safety training, coach transport, and 8 kilometers of rafting through grade 2 to 3 rapids, ending with the 400-meter Dog Leg. Guides such as Morgan, Matt, Mark, and Nico have earned praise for making first-timers feel safe and involved.

“Awesome experience for 1st time rafters ! Would like to thank Instructor Mark and RealNZ team for their excellent support/service ! Appreciate it !”

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