Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown
Overview
Discover the untamed beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mount Aspiring National Park on this full-day Dart River 'funyak' (inflatable canoe) and jet boat tour from Queenstown! Travel by coach to Glenorchy, where your adventure begins, and then hop aboard a jet boat and ride up the picturesque Dart River. Speeding through a landscape of outstanding natural beauty, your tour passes the 'Middle-earth' countryside that featured in the popular 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. In a secluded stretch of the river, swap the boat for your own easy-to-handle funyak and then paddle behind your attentive guide before stopping for a picnic lunch in the great outdoors!
No previous canoeing experience is required on this tour, and your guide will paddle at a leisurely pace to suit the group.
What's Included
- Lunch Picnic lunch
- Jet boat ride
- Canoe tour
- Round-trip transport from Queenstown (select from Queenstown option)
- Use of equipment: lifejacket, wetsuits and booties, fleece, dry bag
- Soft drinks, tea and coffee
- Professional guide
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Included with the option “Funyaks from Queenstown”.
The Station Building Duke Street
Queenstown 9300, New Zealand
Including return transport: Please check-in inside the Station Building, Queenstown, 1 hour 15 minutes prior to your booking time (at 8.15am)
For the option “Funyaks from Glenorchy”.
45 Mull Street
Glenorchy 9372, New Zealand
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.
What To Expect
Discover an untouched world and connect with nature on this action-packed full day journey deep into the heart of Mt Aspiring National Park. If you do only one activity in Queenstown. This is it.
Experience the exhilaration of a jet boat ride combined with a leisurely downstream float in our easy to use Funyaks (inflatable kayaks), a unique way to explore hidden side streams and a dramatic chasm inaccessible by other means. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of this untouched world at your own pace and enjoy a picnic lunch before heading through Paradise on a 4WD bus journey back to Glenorchy.
*No experience required
A unique journey combining kayaking with jet boating, nature, and adventure. Includes lunch! An hour of wilderness jet boating and spectacular scenery across the braided, glacier-fed Dart River to your Funyak launch site
Professional, friendly guides take you on an inspiring adventure as you gently drift back downstream in your own Funyak. Explore hidden side-streams, rockpools and a dramatic chasm.
Learn about the Pounamu (Greenstone) that made the Dart River a key trading route for our Nga-i Tahu ancestors, the early Ma-ori of the area.
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum height is 3.3 feet (1 meter)
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Children must be accompanied by a paying adult
- Please bring sunscreen and insect repellent
- Please dress appropriately: bring swimwear, a towel and warm clothes
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
Frequently Asked Questions (12)
Q: Are there any weight restrictions for kayaking?
Cancellation Policy
Still have questions?
We're here to help.
Activity code: C-5627FUNYAK
Traveler Photos
Reviews
Average 4.90 out of 5 stars based on 366 traveler reviews collected by City Balloon Tours and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor
Additional Info
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Frequently Asked Questions (12)
The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from City Balloon Tours customers.
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The maximum weight capacity for kayaking is 340 lbs / 154 kg.
Nov 2021No experience is necessary! Beginners are welcome on all of our kayak tours. Most of our guests have never been in a sea kayak before. Anyone in average physical condition may join a kayak tour. If you can hike or bike, you can paddle our sea kayaks. You do not need any swimming skills either.
The only prerequisite is a healthy spirit of curiosity and adventure.
Regardless of age or skill level you will find that our expeditions offer enough flexibility to make your experience with us safe and rewarding. We will show you proper sea kayaking technique and water safety before leaving the beach. And your expert guides will be with you throughout the adventure to give you pointers and improve your skills.
Sep 2022Your safety is City Balloon Tours’s number one concern. In general, sea kayaking is safer than most other outdoor pursuits, even bicycling.
Jan 2023If you have any doubts about becoming seasick on the water, we recommend taking a Dramamine® Motion Sickness Relief tablet the night before your trip. Some people recommend taking it the night before your cruise and then again that morning so you will not feel so drowsy.
Feb 2023- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (NZDT).
- This tour requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- Lunch. Picnic lunch.
- Jet boat ride.
- Canoe tour.
- Round-trip transport from Queenstown (select from Queenstown option).
- Use of equipment: lifejacket, wetsuits and booties, fleece, dry bag.
- Soft drinks, tea and coffee.
- Professional guide.
- Gratuities.
This tour requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Apr 2025The minimum age to participate is 5. This tour requires at least one adult to accompany children..
Apr 2025If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.
If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.
Apr 2025Accessibility information for the Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown is as follows:
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown will be included in your confirmation email from City Balloon Tours. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!
Mar 2024Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.
Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.
If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.
Oct 2026What's Included
- LunchPicnic lunch
- Jet boat ride
- Canoe tour
- Round-trip transport from Queenstown (select from Queenstown option)
- Use of equipment: lifejacket, wetsuits and booties, fleece, dry bag
- Soft drinks, tea and coffee
- Professional guide
- Gratuities
Additional Info
- Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum height is 3.3 feet (1 meter)
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Children must be accompanied by a paying adult
- Please bring sunscreen and insect repellent
- Please dress appropriately: bring swimwear, a towel and warm clothes
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
