Jet boating in Queenstown

Where the jet boats run

Each operator has its own water. The Shotover Jet's base is at Arthurs Point, ten minutes by road north of town, under the Edith Cavell Bridge. KJet sails from the Main Town Pier on Queenstown Bay, across the Frankton Arm to the Kawarau and the lower Shotover. Skippers Canyon Jet's bus climbs Skippers Road to the upper Shotover, and Dart River Adventures starts at Glenorchy, at the head of the lake, and heads up the Dart. Rafting runs on the Shotover and the Kawarau.

What it's like

A jet boat has no propeller; it drives itself with a jet of water, which is what lets Shotover Jet's drivers work in very shallow water. The rides that make the photographs are fast and close: Shotover Jet describes 360-degree spins and runs past the canyon walls at up to 90 km/h, and KJet gives its top speed as 95 km/h. Both warn about the windchill.

The longer outings are different in character. Skippers Canyon Jet says that getting there is half the fun: the bus goes up a narrow gold-era road into the backcountry before the boat ride starts. Dart River Adventures describes its trip as a journey along the braided, glacier-fed Dart into Mount Aspiring National Park, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Your options

Four operators, four stretches of water. The cards compare price, time on the water and where you start; the profiles say who each suits and the catch. Prices are the operators' own for an adult, read on 16 October 2026.

Canyon jet1. Shotover Jet

• NZ$199 adult
• 25 min on the water
• Arthurs Point
• The narrow Shotover canyons

Best forA first ride, short and close to townWatch forThe shortest ride for the priceRead the profile →Lake and river jet2. KJet

• On booking
• 60 min on the water
• Town pier
• Lake, Kawarau and lower Shotover

Best forFamilies, and anyone without a carWatch forAdult price only when you bookRead the profile →Backcountry jet3. Skippers Canyon Jet

• On booking
• 25 min on the water
• Bus from town
• The upper Shotover, by the gold road

Best forA backcountry half day with historyWatch forMost of the time is on the busRead the profile →Wilderness jet4. Dart River Adventures

• NZ$399 adult
• 2 h trip
• Glenorchy
• Into Mount Aspiring National Park

Best forScenery over speedWatch forThe priciest, and a half day awayRead the profile →

Swipe for all four. Every card opens its profile below.

1. Shotover Jet

The one most people mean. It runs the lower Shotover canyons at Arthurs Point, which it says no other operator is permitted to enter, and it has done so since 1965; today it is owned by Ngāi Tahu. It suits a first-timer, or anyone short of time, and a free shuttle runs from town for some departures. The catch is a short ride for the price. Book with Shotover Jet.

2. KJet

Leaves the Main Town Pier every hour, and runs 45 kilometres across Lake Wakatipu and up the Kawarau and the lower Shotover. It suits families, under the limits set out below, and anyone without a car, because you walk to the pier. The catch is that its adult price appears only once you start a booking. Book with KJet.

3. Skippers Canyon Jet

A guided half day: a bus with commentary from town up Skippers Road into the canyon, then a boat ride on the upper Shotover. The company is family owned and says it has five generations in the canyon. It suits someone who wants the backcountry and its gold-rush history as much as the ride. The catch is that most of the outing is the journey. Book with Skippers Canyon Jet.

4. Dart River Adventures

The Wilderness Jet leaves Glenorchy and runs up the Dart into Mount Aspiring National Park. It suits anyone who would rather see mountains and beech forest than spin in a canyon, and a free bus runs from Queenstown for some departures. The catch is cost and time: it has the highest published price here, and with the drive to Glenorchy it fills a half day. Book with Dart River Adventures.

Rafting the Shotover and the Kawarau

The same rivers can be run by raft. Destination Queenstown describes rapids for every level, from the gentler Kawarau to grade five on the Shotover. Commercial rafting must be registered with WorkSafe under the Adventure Activities Regulations. When we searched the register of adventure activity operators on 16 October 2026, it listed Queenstown Rafting, on the Shotover and the Kawarau, and Family Adventures, on the upper Shotover at grade two, the gentler choice. Queenstown Rafting's registration runs to 19 December 2026 with a renewal in progress, so check the register before you book.

Is jet boating for you?

With the four in front of you, the choice turns on what you want from the ride. Six situations, and our answer to each, from what the operators publish:

Limits and risks

Read each operator's health requirements before you book. Jet boating carries risk. We have not assessed any operator's safety, and you ride at your own risk under the operator's terms: read them, and check that your travel insurance covers the activity.

Commercial jet boats are regulated by Maritime New Zealand under Maritime Rule Part 82: an operator needs a commercial jet boat operator certificate, displayed where it operates, and its drivers need a commercial jet boat licence. We found no public list of certified operators.

Costs and booking

New Zealand dollars, from each operator's own page on 16 October 2026 unless stated. Transport is included on Skippers and on the Dart's bus departures.

Book online with the operator. Skippers Canyon Jet does not refund a cancellation or a no-show within 24 hours; check the others' terms when you book, including what happens if the weather or the river stops the ride.

Weather, season and the day itself

KJet sails on every day of the year, weather permitting; check the others' seasons and weather terms when you book. Then think about what to wear. The air at speed is the cold part, so take a windproof layer, sunglasses and, in winter, a hat and gloves; KJet suggests goggles. Shotover Jet and KJet provide no spray jackets, so bring a waterproof. Skippers provides them.

Plan the whole outing, not the ride. The Shotover Jet takes about an hour from town; KJet an hour from the pier. Skippers Canyon Jet is a two-and-a-half to three-hour tour with its bus, and the Dart a half day once the drive to Glenorchy is counted. For buses and the shuttle routes, see our Queenstown guide.

If it's not for you

You can watch for nothing. Shotover Jet calls the Edith Cavell Bridge at Arthurs Point its viewing platform, and the boats pass below it; our Arthurs Point guide covers the bridge and the gorge. For the lake without the speed, the TSS Earnslaw steams across to Walter Peak: see Lake Wakatipu and Walter Peak.

More to do in Queenstown

Bungy jumping in Queenstown

The Kawarau Bridge, the Nevis and the canyon swing, with their limits and costs.

Walks and hikes in Queenstown

Eight walks, from the lake shore to the summit of Ben Lomond.

Arthurs Point and the Shotover River

The gorge, the bridge and the hot pools above the river.

Glenorchy

The head of the lake, where the Dart River trips begin.

Lake Wakatipu and Walter Peak

The TSS Earnslaw and the high-country farm across the lake.

Bob's Peak and Ben Lomond

The gondola, the luge and the view over the town.