This was one of the most fun things I've done. The premise is that you're in this boat with a big engine. The driver speeds along the river and does spins at full speed. Everyone gets wet and a good time is had by all. read more

Dart River Jet Safaris - Boating Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

We did the Dart River Wilderness Jet trip this morning and had an excellent experience! This is well worth the money! We did the 9:00am tour and enjoyed the 3 hour trip, which included a 4WD bus ride, pleasant nature walk, and most importantly, a jet boat journey up the Dart River with amazing views! The mountains, waterfalls, trees, and waters all made for incredible sights along our boat ride. Our boat driver, Ethan, shared useful information about the area and took us on a fun and memorable tour. And the boat is unique in that it can operate in 4 inch water depth - very cool! This is a fantastic trip that came recommended to us by a local - we are so glad we did it! Skip anything on the lake right near Queenstown and do this instead for a more unique experience and spectacular views. read more

DON'T MISS THIS ONE WHEN IN QUEENSTOWN Their website reads as follows: "Queenstown's Dart River Jet Safaris experiences are unique combinations of breathtaking 'World Heritage' scenery, exhilarating wilderness Jet Boating, Maori heritage and inspiring adventure - truly authentic discoveries of everything that makes New Zealand an exceptional destination. Choose the 'Safari' option that suits you best and join us, the only operator on the Dart River, on a diverse adventure travelling deep into the pristine Dart River Valley and spectacular Mt Aspiring National Park to explore this awe-inspiring area and experience 'New Zealand's Most Sensational Journey'." It's pretty much all true. Sensational. Jet boats were invented in New Zealand (in the late 80's I think) and they can run in just several inches of water. Bring some extra socks and shoes to leave in the car because if they ground the boat, you are getting out in the shallow river to lessen the weight so they can get off the rocks. That happened to us and you don't want to go barefoot on those river pebbles. You will never forget your jet boat ride - these speed boats go FAST. You go about 37 km up the Dart River Valley from near the mouth of the Rees River into the corridors of the Mount Aspiring National Park world heritage area. These are "The Lord of the Rings" Middle Earth filming spots. Even the drive up from Queenstown is amazing. Bring some wine and cheese for a picnic after the ride. This is one of the best activities I have done anywhere, and up there with the horseback beach ride at Tropical Trail Rides in Isabela Puerto Rico. (See separate review). read more

I would have to say that the Dart River Jet Safari was one of the most epic things I have done out of all my travels. I had previously done the Shotover Jet, but this was on a whole other level. No picture could ever do justice to the amazing scenery you see on the tour. The tour guides are professional and great at explaining everything. Such an awesome day. Definitely highly recommend this! read more

We decided to try Dart River over some of the competitors because the caliber of the itinerary compared to price looked the best. Happy to say we got what we expected. Because of the temperatures we opted for the Wilderness option rather than the Funyak option, but do hope we get to try the Funyaks at some point in the future. Getting to Glenorchy is part of the experience. We chose to self drive so we could stop and take in the scenery as much as we wanted, however it sounded like the company shuttle option was also good since they stopped for photo ops and provided some tour commentary. The scenery is stunning. Arrival and check-in was easy at the company office. Within minutes we were handed our spray jackets and loaded into the tour bus to head up river. The bus ride was fun and informative with our guide. She stopped along the way for some photo ops and historical and movie commentary. The valley this tour is based out of will look very familiar to movies buffs (a lot of geeking out from our camp :-)), so it was an extra little treat to see it. Everything from The Lord Of The Rings, to Wolverine, to Narnia. The short forest walk was a nice addition, again appealing to both the movie buffs and the nature lovers. Then came the jet boat (after a short break for warm vegetable soup...again, a nice little touch, and yum!). Our driver was fun and informative during the 90 or so minutes we were blasting through the river valley. He clearly enjoys his job, and easily passed his joy down to us passengers. Overall we felt the experience with Dart River was superior to the other nearby competitors. You still get a river jet boat experience, but its significantly longer and the overall experience includes a lot more guiding, including local stories, movies, and scenery. read more

We did the funyaks tour and LOVED it!!!! They picked us up right by our hotel, drove to their head quarters. Phil (bad jokes and all) gave great commentary throughout the drive and was very knowledgeable about the area. Upon arrival they got us geared up with everything we needed, and off we went on the jet boat! The boat is like a giant jet ski and very fun. At the end of the boat ride we met with the guides and split into groups. Our guide was Alex, and we absolutely loved him. Could not stop taking pictures as the scenery is just so beautiful. Provided lunch of sandwiches, tea, coffee, juices, as well as fruit and dessert was wonderful. Overall this was a fantastic experience and I would recommend this to everyone. read more

Awesome experience!!! I would definitely do this again! We had a great time and everyone was really friendly and knowledgeable! My favorite excursion so far in Queenstown! read more

Holy Hell, what a blast! Queenstown is such a beautiful place and this Dart River Jet Safari is a great way to see some areas that would be a little harder to get to on your own. You get picked up in a bus and get shuttled out to where the tour starts. Its a bit of a drive, but there are plenty photo ops along the way to keep you entertained. On the way to where you jump on the boats, your tour guide points out some interesting facts about the land you are taking in. Apparently there have been a few movies filmed in the area including Wolverine and some little Lord Of The Rings movies that a couple people might have seen. After a nice little nature hike through the woods its time to hit the water. The water by the way, is clear and crisp melted snow water from the surrounding mountains. Before you know it you flying so fast down the river you won't even notice the giant dumb grin on your face. In between doing 360's, and getting a little wet, there are a few stops on the water to take pictures. Yet, you can take all the pictures you want, but they will never be the same to the experience of this trip. Well worth your time. read more

Last week my husband and I were with a large group who did the Dart River Wilderness. While we liked the nature walk through the Beech Grove, the real highlight of the trip was the jet boat. So much fun! Speeding along at high speeds in very shallow water was thrilling and a great way to see the beautiful Dart River! Our Guide Finn did a great job of narrating our journey and making sure we had an incredible experience! read more