Shotover Jet Queenstown: A Complete Guide to the Canyon Ride

What makes Shotover Jet different?

Queenstown has plenty of adventure activities. You can bungy jump above a gorge, raft through rapids or take a jet boat across Lake Wakatipu. Shotover Jet stands apart for two reasons: where it runs, and what its boats can do there.

1. You enter a canyon other commercial jet boat operators cannot access

The Shotover Canyons are steep rock walls that close in to form winding, enclosed passages, with little room between the boat and the cliffs.

Shotover Jet holds exclusive commercial operating rights in this canyon section. Other Queenstown jet boats run different stretches of the Shotover or the Kawarau, and a booking sold as a “Shotover River jet boat” does not automatically enter these canyons. Our Shotover Jet vs Skippers Canyon Jet and Shotover Jet vs KJet comparisons show what each alternative covers.

2. The boats travel at up to 90 km/h

Shotover Jet runs purpose-built twin-engine jet boats capable of 90 km/h. Inside a narrow canyon the speed feels much greater than on open water, because the rock walls keep flashing past just beside you. The quick changes of direction and the spray matter as much as the top speed. Our guide to how fast Shotover Jet goes explains where the boats reach full speed and where to sit.

3. The 360-degree spins are the signature thrill

At set points the driver signals, then swings the boat through a full circle. It pivots quickly, throws a curtain of spray across the water and accelerates away. The boat stays flat on the water while it rotates. You hold the rail, follow the driver’s instructions and keep your hands inside the boat. How jet boats work explains why a waterjet can turn like this in shallow water.

4. It’s part of New Zealand’s adventure tourism history

Commercial jet boating on the Shotover began in 1965, when Invercargill brothers Harold and Alan Melhop, agents for Hamilton Jet, launched Shotover Jet Services with a single boat from Arthurs Point. The business has since become one of the country’s best-known adventure trips.

Today it is owned by Ngāi Tahu, the iwi whose ancestral connection to Kimiākau, the Shotover River, goes back centuries before tourism arrived. Our Shotover River guide covers the gold rush, the canyons and the river’s longer story.

What is the Shotover Jet ride actually like?

You check in at the Beach Reception Unit at the river base, put on the supplied life jacket, and leave your bag in a complimentary shared locker. The crew gives a safety briefing before you board, then the boat pulls out into the current.

The ride itself lasts about 25 minutes. The driver takes the boat through the canyons at speed, skims over shallow gravel stretches, swings close to the rock walls and stops for 360-degree spins at set points. Expect some spray, and bring your own waterproof layer because the operator does not supply spray jackets. How wet you get depends on your seat and the day’s conditions; our what to wear guide covers clothing, glasses and phones.

Leave valuables at your accommodation if you can, because the lockers are shared. Loose items you carry on board need to be secured, and the operator decides which cameras are allowed. Ride photos and video are captured whenever possible while the operator updates its photo packages, so ask at check-in. For filming the ride or watching it from the bank, see our Shotover Jet photos and viewpoints guide.

Plan your Shotover Jet ride

Each of these guides takes one planning question in depth:

• Prices and booking: adult, child, family and infant fares, what the ticket includes and where to book, in Shotover Jet prices and tickets. Combination deals are in Queenstown jet boat deals and combo tickets.
• Getting there: the shuttle, self-drive parking and check-in times (30 minutes before for self-drivers, 45 for shuttle passengers) in how to get to Shotover Jet.
• Ride length: how the 25 minutes on the water fit into a trip of about two hours from Queenstown, in how long the Shotover Jet ride is.
• Children: age, height and family fares in Queenstown jet boat rides for families.
• Safety and health: Queenstown jet boat safety and Shotover Jet health restrictions, including pregnancy and back or neck conditions.
• Timing and weather: the best time for a Shotover Jet ride and jet boating in rain or winter.
• Other rides: the best jet boat tours in Queenstown and which Queenstown jet boat is right for you.

For the listing details, read our Shotover Jet tour breakdown.

Shotover Jet FAQ

How long is the Shotover Jet ride?

About 25 minutes on the water. Allow extra time for check-in, the safety briefing and getting changed, plus the shuttle if you use it.

How much does Shotover Jet cost?

The operator’s published fares are NZ$199 for adults, NZ$109 for children aged 5 to 15 and NZ$507 for a family of two adults and two children. Eligible under-5s ride free.

Is Shotover Jet the only jet boat in the Shotover Canyons?

Yes. Shotover Jet holds exclusive commercial access to this canyon section. Other operators run different parts of the Shotover River or the Kawarau.

Can children ride Shotover Jet?

Yes, if they are at least 1 metre tall, rising to 1.2 metres in higher river conditions. Children under 5 ride free, but their ticket must be selected when you book; it cannot be added at check-in.

Does Shotover Jet run every day?

It runs seven days a week, year-round, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, except on 25 December. River conditions can cancel or shorten rides, so check your departure on the day.

Will I get wet on Shotover Jet?

Expect some spray, especially during the spins. Shotover Jet supplies a life jacket but not a spray jacket, so bring your own waterproof layer; how wet you get depends on your seat and the conditions.

Check live availability for your dates before you settle the rest of your Queenstown plans, because popular departures can fill.