Water activity

Queenstown: Dart River Canoe, Jet Boat & Paradise Day Trip

5 / 5

10 reviews

Activity provider: Dart River Adventures
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    Water activity

    Queenstown: Dart River Canoe, Jet Boat & Paradise Day Trip

    Activity provider: Dart River Adventures
    Likely to sell out
    Likely to sell out

    From US$ 201.39 per person

    Enjoy a full-day adventure including a 'funyak' (inflatable canoe) and jet boat ride on the Dart River within the untamed beauty of UNESCO-listed Mount Aspiring National Park. Courtesy transfers, lunch, and all equipment are included.

    About this activity

    Free cancellation
    Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
    Covid-19 precautions
    Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
    Reserve now & pay later
    Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
    Duration 8 hours
    Check availability to see starting times.
    Live tour guide
    English
    Small group
    Limited to 8 participants

    Experience

    Highlights
    • Enjoy a spectacular scenic and hassle-free drive by courtesy coach to Glenorchy
    • Skim the glacier-fed Dart River on a thrilling wilderness jet boat experience
    • Get up-close with nature with a gentle paddle on crystal clear waters
    • Immerse yourself in the local culture, history, and wilderness of the land
    • Follow famous backdrops from iconic films on a backroad tour of Paradise Valley
    • Savor a delicious picnic lunch with tea and coffee
    Full description
    Combine wilderness jet boating with unique ‘Funyak’ inflatable canoes for a fun way to explore the Dart River located in the heart of the world-renowned Mt Aspiring National Park. Your full-day adventure begins with a courtesy transfer to Glenorchy from Queenstown.  Admire lakeside scenery as your local driver shares entertaining commentary about Lake Wakatipu and its legends. The spectacular 46-kilometer drive is considered one of the world’s top 10 scenic drives. Meet your friendly, experienced guides at the Dart River visitor center who will kit you out with all the equipment you’ll need for the day. Enjoy 1-hour of high-speed wilderness jet boating through the clear waters of the Dart River into the Te Waipounamu World Heritage Area and your Funyak launch site.  Start your paddle, soaking in the tranquillity as you float downstream on sparkling water. Explore hidden side streams, rock pools, and dramatic chasms under the expert guidance of your guides. Savor a delicious picnic lunch, which marks the midway point, before continuing downriver. At Paradise, climb aboard the bus for a back-country tour through the valley to Glenorchy. Immerse yourself in scenes and backdrops from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Your adventure concludes with your return to Queenstown. 
    Includes
    • Courtesy transfers between Queenstown and Glenorchy (departing 1 hour before tour start time)
    • Live commentary
    • Professional, experienced guides
    • All equipment (wetsuit, booties, fleeces, a jacket, life jacket, dry bag)
    • 1-hour Dart River jet boat experience
    • 2.5-hour ‘Funyak' (inflatable canoe) tour experience
    • Picnic lunch included
    • 40-minutes back-country bus tour through Paradise Valley
      Not suitable for
      • Pregnant women
      • People with mobility impairments
      Covid-19 precautions
      Safety measures in place
      • All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
      Traveler requirements
      • Masks are required while indoors

      Select participants and date

      Participants

      Date

      Meeting point

      Check-in at the desk inside at 8:15 AM. If self-driving to Glenorchy, check-in at 45 Mull Street, Glenorchy at 9:15 AM

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      Important information

      What to bring

      • Swimwear
      • Sunscreen

      Know before you go

      • Children must be at least 1-meter tall and 5 years or older
      • Infants (under 5 years) travel free of charge if they are at least 1-meter tall
      • You’re welcome to self-drive and join the experience from Glenorchy - contact the local operator after booking to discuss
      • Professional photos are captured during the jet boat experience and are available for purchase on the day
      • You are welcome to bring your camera to capture your own images throughout the day
      Customer reviews

      Overall rating

      5 /5

      based on 10 reviews

      Review summary

      • Guide
        5/5
      • Transportation
        5/5
      • Value for money
        4.5/5
      • Safety
        5/5

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      Star rating:

      You can spend enough time a day, take a shower and return to rice as you return! It was a pleasant day using my physical strength! The guide was friendly and I enjoyed interacting with the same tour! Other people took pictures of themselves during the canoeing and emailed them later.

      February 21, 2020

      佑
      佑樹 – Japan Verified booking

      Helpful?

      Fantastic adventure, beautiful scenery and very well organised guides

      We had a great day - from the pick up at the information centre, to the drive in the bus with Shioban who was funny and informative and the safety briefing and clothing fit out were really well organised and efficient. The jet boat was great fun with a mix of adrenalin and spectacular scenery - well done Ethan. The highlight though was the funyaks. Gabby our guide was awesome. Really personable and did a great job in guiding us, providing information and letting us experience the beauty of the environment. She was great fun and really good at her job - she's a real asset to your organisation. The lunch was perfect for the experience - fresh and great choices. The best part was the chasm which was spectacular and so tranquil and beautiful. Overall I had a great day with my daughter and thought it was really good value for money.

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      December 30, 2018

      A
      Andrew – Australia Verified booking

      Helpful?

      Varied vacation day with lots of action and fun. The Dart River Adventure crew were absolute professionals and had a lot of fun.

      December 18, 2019

      S
      Stefan – New Zealand Verified booking

      Helpful?

      Product ID: 112192