NEW ZEALAND

The 15 Best Adrenaline Activities in New Zealand

51 tours  ·  from $17 a head

Queenstown invented the commercial bungee and never let go of it. These 15 cover the Shotover and Kawarau jet runs, the canyon swings and the Fiordland wilderness boats, with run times and prices.

Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown - Check-in, lockers, and getting ready
Adrenaline Activities, Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Ride in Queenstown

Queenstown: Shotover River and Kawarau River Jet Boat Ride - Leaving Main Town Pier across Lake Wakatipu
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Queenstown: Shotover River and Kawarau River Jet Boat Ride

2.Shotover River and Kawarau River Jet Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,682 reviews · 1 hour · from $89

Review of KJet’s Queenstown jet boat ride, with high-speed river runs, 360-degree spins, mountain views, practical tips, and value advice.

“A fantastic ride. We were fortunate enough to be sat in the front row. Sam was a great driver and real fun to talk with explaining what why a how all he was doing. Would recommend to everyone. Thanks”

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Waikato River Jet Boat Ride from Taupo - Narrow canyons, clear water, and the first rush
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Waikato River Jet Boat Ride from Taupo

3.Waikato River Jet Boat Ride from Taupo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,441 reviews · from $89

Ride the Waikato River from Taupo, surf rapids, spin through canyons, and enjoy a fast, family-friendly jet boat trip.

“Jacob's knowledge about the river and his amazing 360 turns and jumps. Interesting movie set stories and scenery were amazing. His ability to handle tight turns and speed of the 550HP motor was exilerating.”

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Queenstown: Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Experience - The safety briefing is short but useful
Adrenaline Activities, Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Queenstown: Shotover River Extreme Jet Boat Experience

Taupō: Huka Falls 30-Minute Jet Boat Experience - What the 30-minute ride is really like
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Taupō: Huka Falls 30-Minute Jet Boat Experience

5.Huka Falls 30-Minute Jet Boat Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 759 reviews · 30 min · from $89

Review of Taupō’s Huka Falls Jet Boat: 30 minutes of high-speed spins, cliff views, and close access to the falls for $89.

“Great fun. Had a fantastic time up and down the river 360 turns and Scot our ‘driver’ was superb did a great job getting us wet Went so close to the falls too Don’t miss out on this trip no matter what your age - I’m 75🤣🤣🤣”

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From Queenstown: Skippers Canyon Jet Boat Ride - The drive along Skippers Road is the unexpected star
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

From Queenstown: Skippers Canyon Jet Boat Ride

6.Skippers Canyon Jet Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 699 reviews · 3 hours · from $118

Review of Queenstown’s Skippers Canyon jet boat tour, with dramatic road views, gold-mining history, canyon spins, practical tips, and value advice.

“Skippers cannon is magnificent and the jet boat ride was exhilarating”

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Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park - Pure Wilderness - The short ride to Queens Reach Boat Ramp
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, National Parks, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

7.Jet Boat Journey through Fiordland National Park – Pure Wilderness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 678 reviews · from $127

Ride the Upper Waiau River from Te Anau to Lake Manapouri, with Fiordland scenery, 360-degree spins, a forest walk, and Lord of the Rings sites.

“From the very start this experience was top notch! Chris called us to check if we wanted to reschedule our time based on rain that was moving in. He was so thoughtful and offered to take us whatever we decided. We arrived and Lindy was Read more”

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Hukafalls Jet Boat Ride in Taupo - Meeting at 200 Karetoto Road
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Hukafalls Jet Boat Ride in Taupo

8.Hukafalls Jet Boat Ride in Taupo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 658 reviews · from $94

Ride the Waikato River to Huka Falls on a thrilling 30-minute jet boat trip with spins, spray, local stories, and close-up views.

“Great! Must do. Thrills, spins (no one gets sick) and lots of laughter and wetness. Being a change of clothes”

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KJet Queenstown Jet Boat Ride on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers - Crossing Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables ahead
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

KJet Queenstown Jet Boat Ride on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers

9.KJet Queenstown Jet Boat Ride on the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 590 reviews · from $92

Review of KJet Queenstown’s one-hour jet boat ride across Lake Wakatipu, the Kawarau, and Shotover rivers, with practical booking tips.

“The one we did wasn’t great, we saw the pictures in their website of the jet boat going through narrow rivers, huge rocks and shallow waters but the one we got was nothing compare to the adversitied. Waste of money. This was just a normal speed boat through the open river nothing special”

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Dart River Jet Boat and Wilderness Experience - Glenorchy and the gateway to Mt Aspiring National Park
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, National Parks, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Dart River Jet Boat and Wilderness Experience

10.Dart River Jet Boat and Wilderness Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 531 reviews · from $190

Review of the Dart River Jet Boat Experience near Queenstown, with pricing, itinerary, safety tips, scenery, family details, and honest drawbacks.

“As a family of 7 we had the best experience from checking in at the station the bus drive to Glenorchy with John and the jet boat with Simon at the helm was fantastic the scenery is spectacular and the commentary with all the drivers was really good to hear - very professional from the get go would thoroughly recommend this experience”

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Queenstown: Half-Day Canyoning Adventure - Getting fitted out at the canyon base
Adrenaline Activities, Canyoning Tours, Canyoning Tours in New Zealand, Half-Day, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Queenstown Half-Day Canyoning Adventure

11.Queenstown Half-Day Canyoning Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 420 reviews · from $154

Review of Queenstown’s half-day canyoning trip, with ziplining, rappelling, natural pools, safety tips, price, fitness needs, and booking advice.

“Great way to experience a lot of what makes Queenstown unique. Guides are very upbeat and positive, encouraging you to try things that might be a little outside of your comfort zone. They also take photos so you don’t have to worry about it!”

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Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown - The jet boat ride into Mt. Aspiring National Park
Canoes & Kayaks, Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Queenstown Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown

12.Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 342 reviews · from $273

Review of the Dart River jet boat and funyak tour from Queenstown, with practical tips on scenery, lunch, fitness, gear, value, and pickup.

“Worth every cent, a definite bucket list item!! Fun and knowledgeable guides, shout out to Rob, Wolfgang & Jordan for their local knowledge, rafting and jet boat experience. Incredible views, awesome fun, and a delicious lunch to top it all off. Would go again in a heartbeat, great work crew!!”

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Zorb Inflatable Ball Ride from Mount Ngongotaha in New Zealand - Superman entry, then a very strange ride
Adventure Parks, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews

Zorb Inflatable Ball Ride from Mount Ngongotaha in New Zealand

Small Group Jet Boat Adventure on the Clutha River from Wanaka - From Albert Town to the first fast bends
Adrenaline Activities, Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews, Wanaka Adrenaline Activities

Small Group Jet Boat Adventure on the Clutha River from Wanaka

14.Small Group Jet Boat Adventure on the Clutha River from Wanaka

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 302 reviews · from $98

Ride the Clutha River from Wanaka with 360 spins, Southern Alps views, local history, and a small group of up to nine.

“Amazing Ride! We enjoyed the Jet boat ride with Pat, he is so knowledgeable and he absoblutely loves nature! Explaning to us about the Clutha river, activities around the river, history and so much more! And not forgetting the twists and turns Read more”

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Jet Boat and Wilderness Walk Tour from Wanaka - Starting at the Wānaka isite Visitor Information Centre
Jet Boat Rides, Jet Boat Rides in New Zealand, National Parks, New Zealand Adrenaline Activities, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wanaka Adrenaline Activities

Jet Boat and Wilderness Walk Tour from Wanaka

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