Shore Excursion: Scenic Rafting from Napier

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Napier, New Zealand

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

5 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Elissa_k ·

Jan 2026

It was absolutely awesome! Great communication before we got there, picked up just as we were told from our cruise ship, the river was beautiful & suitable for our family (3 kids, 16, 14 & 11) very friendly. Definitely recommend it!!! So much fun!

· mark_p ·

Jan 2026

a great experience, rapids are quite tam, only grade 2. Still good fun. Jen our guide was alot of fun and awesome. The family had a great time. Deon was great with communication, especially as we were on cruise ship, which arrived late. Definately recommend.

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Overview

Cruise ship passengers who want an active adventure while on land will love this white-water rafting expedition from Napier. The rapids are an easy class II, so even first-timers and older kids can join in. Admire the views of the native bush, listen to birdsong, and even go for a swim in the gentle river if you like. Photos of your trip will be provided after.

Learn about local culture and history from your guide
There’s no need to get wet unless you want to swim
Combine sightseeing and outdoor adventure
Lunch is included to help you refuel

What's Included

Lunch
Air-conditioned vehicle

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup point

napier

Pickup details

We can either pick up from the port or from Napier city. Please note trips are bespoke. Times start once your ship is debarking from napier port.. If pickup from Napier port please note we will be parked next to the city shuttle busses by your gangway. No person is allowed to walk past our shuttle onto the port.

Meeting point

GWF8+R8 Napier
GWF8+R89 Napier, Hawke's Bay Region, New Zealand
We meet you either from your ship or in Napier

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

05/20/2019 - 04/08/2027
Monday - Sunday : 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM

What To Expect

Mohaka River Rafting - Raft Fish NZ

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 120 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Sharelle_D

A fantastic day was spent on the Mohaka River courtesy of Deon, Dallas and staff who made our day and live in the area and have local knowledge. Great communication prior to the tour, all equipment provided including swim shoes/boots, enjoyable fun experience on the water with our guide and delicious fresh lunch at the end of the rafting. Do not be concerned about getting back to the cruise ship on time. Plus booking with people who live in the area supports local businesses. Fully recommend this tour!

Reviews

4.9

based on 198 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Super fun tour!

Paloma_N, Mar 2026

We had a great time on this tour, the views are spectacular and had lots of fun rafting! Deon’s team is great!

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the kind words. It was a fun day.

A great trip down the...

Dave_S, Mar 2026

A great trip down the river. The river has class 2 rapids (class 5 being the highest) so the trip was quite gentle with only smallish rapids but great fun) Lovely simple lunch at the end of the trip.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the nice words. Glad you had fun

Scenic Rafting

Hannah_F, Mar 2026

Beautiful scenery, fun activity, back to the ship with plenty of time to spare! The homemade lunch at the end was lovely and the guides were fantastic.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for that, glad you enjoyed it.

Lovely scenic rafting

Russell_B, Mar 2026

Very well organised. Suits and warm clothing and water shoes provided. River is scenic but not many rapids. Definitely for all ages

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for your kind words. Yes its definitely a scenic part of the country

River Rafting

Janet_G, Mar 2026

This was a river rafting experience on the beautiful Mohaka River. We booked it as an independent experience whilst ashore from our cruise ship.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for the kind words. Come back anytime.

Very enjoyable

Michael_B, Feb 2026

This was so much fun to do. Our guide Logan was hilarious and made it even more enjoyable. It's a very peaceful ride down Mohaka river and easy for beginners. Lunch afterwards was lovely too, nice and simple, sandwiches, chips and cookies plus fruit.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for that, we loved hosting you, come back anytime. Cheers

Deon was very...

Randall_K, Feb 2026

Deon was very communicative and everything went smoothly. Logan was a great guide, and we really enjoyed the rafting trip. The floor of the inflatable raft does get wet, so unless you have sandals, I recommend using the provided wetsuit booties.

Response from Host, Mar 2026

Thanks for that mate, was a pleasure hosting you. Yes the floor def gets wet...especially if you are anywhere by me. Have fun

What a treat!! Book with a local!!

Sharelle_D, Feb 2026

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for booking, we loved hosting you.

Amazing Scenic raft ride

Lisa_L, Feb 2026

We were picked up right by our ship by Deon the owner of the company. He and his staff were so friendly and outgoing and gave us one of the best adventures on our entire trip. He has fleece warmers tops and rain jackets if it’s cooler that day and pants if needed. We happen to get incredible weather and had the best time! This is a must due, if you’re into one of the best times!!!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

O thanks for that. Come back anytime.

Great rafting

Eileen_M, Feb 2026

Logan was our guide .. rafting was great with beautiful views. Logan was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for that. I will tell him. Cheers

A great way to spend time in Napier.

Julie_S, Feb 2026

The river rafting experience was great. Our guide, Dallas, was knowledgeable and fun! They had splash jackets and water shoes available to use. The owner was involved to make sure everything ran smoothly. We had beautiful weather on our trip. After getting off the raft, a table was set up with different types of small homemade sandwiches (cucumber, tomato, chicken, cheese, etc), bags of chips, cookies, apples, oranges, bottled water. Made it back to ship with time to spare.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thank you, yes we get hungry after rafting. Glad you had fun.

Fantastic Float!

DITRAVEL, Feb 2026

Easy, scenic and fun river float! There were 5 rafts on this particular day; each rafter was expertly outfitted by our guides with vests, helmets & water shoes (optional offering). The 2 hours we got to float was so amazing, followed by a wonderfully prepared sandwich lunch, which made the scenic hour+ bus ride to & from the river start point worth it!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for the nice words. Come back anytime.

Happy Rafter

karen_B, Feb 2026

Great way to spend a few hours. Great fun and well organised. Our guide was Dallas and he was well informed on the area. Lunch was basic but very enjoyable. Home made treats were lovely

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for your nice words. Have fun.

A good one!

xbj4dvwzq5, Jan 2026

Fabulous! Beautiful scenery, the rapids are easy for a mixed age/ fitness level group to navigate. Shout out to Mikey- he’s awesome. All the guides seemed very knowledgeable and personable. Pre tour guidance was excellent.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Thanks for the nice words. Pleasure to host you.

good times

mark_p, Jan 2026

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks for the nice words, glad you had fun.

Don't miss this one

Scott_D, Jan 2026

A great trip. The rafting is easy, the views stunning. Deon runs a great show. All abilities and ages catered for.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks for the kind remarks. Come back anytime

It was absolutely...

Elissa_k, Jan 2026

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks for that, i hope you all had a great holiday.

Fabulous tour

Danielle_B, Jan 2026

Excellent tour. All staff were very friendly and helpful. The rafting was so much fun., and we enjoyed the lunch as well. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks further nice comments. Was a neat day. Enjoy yourselves

Fish Raft NZ was a great experience

Catherine_M, Jan 2026

We had a great time. Deon was a fabulous host. The rapids were very manageable for beginners. Well worth the trip.

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thanks for the nice words. Glad you had fun.

Wonderful activity

rocio_r, Jan 2026

Deon was a great host, the views and the river are awesome, is more panoramic than rafting, but very fun., and has a deli lunch at the end

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you. Yes its a very scenic part of the river. Glad you had fun

100% Recommend

Leanne_V, Jan 2026

Awesome day! Deon & crew provided the BEST experience. Friendly, informative guides, brilliant rafting adventure & a yummy lunch provided

Response from Host, Jan 2026

O thanks for that. Yes was a great day.

Fantastic experience - stunning scenery

gmkerr, Jan 2026

Beautiful weather, very well organised, you will get splashed so be prepared to get a little wet, water was cold. We had a 65 year old with us who had never rafted before & she handled the tour well. Stunning scenery- well worth doing. Loved our experience

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you yes we had a fun day. Enjoy your holiday

Fabulous experience

Anneke_G, Dec 2025

Great people to deal with. Professional and friendly, on time and got us back to port with plenty of time to spare. Highly recommend Deon and his team!

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you for the nice words. I am sure you will have fun in NZ. Cheers

Amazing scenic water journey.

Teresa_H, Nov 2025

Rafting on the river was a beautiful experience. Our guide was friendly, funny and knowledgeable of the area. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you for the kind remarks. Hope you enjoy NZ. Cheers

Down the Mohaka

Lara_S, Nov 2025

Deon was a fantastic guide and highly knowledgeable. He managed pickup for us on top of the float. We had a wonderful time.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thanks for the nice words. Hope you had fun in nz

This is a wonderful tour....

Deena_R, Mar 2025

This is a wonderful tour. Deon and his wife Jo are great. It was so relaxing and a lot of fun.. It’s a mild river, so it’s great if older family members want to attend. I highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thanks for that, we had fun hosting you. Cheers

Great day

Linda_A, Mar 2025

Had a great day with fun, laughs, great people and great hosts. Highly recommend this activity and this operator Thanks again it was fun

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thanks Linda, glad you had fun, we did too. Come back anytime.

Great excursion with a personal touch

Lori_M, Mar 2025

Superior service ! Dion contacted us several times ahead of the excursion to make sure we clearly understood where to meet (tricky port). We had a great time and laughed almost the whole day. They provide everything you need stay warm and safe, even included a great lunch. Our group had two first time rafters and Dion made sure to make them feel comfortable. Great day and highly recommend!

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Thanks Lori, you all made the day super fun all round. Had so much fun!!

You will be back in time for gangway up - DO IT

amanda_s, Mar 2025

If you are worried about not getting back to your cruise on time….DON’T BE!!!! David was our guide on the 1hr bus trip to base. He was so knowledgeable for only being in NZ 16yrs??? Loved his jokes😝 Scenery to base is amazing with lots of recent facts about the area. Not going to spoil it for you. This was the best shore excursion during our cruise to NZ. We had 2 port cancellations due to bad weather, but this excursion was THE highlight of our trip! Deon is an absolute hoot and Mike our river guide was so knowledgeable about the area. Together this team made this a most memorable trip. Not to mention the beautiful & serene scenery on the river! To top it all off, Deon’s lovely wife provided us with a scrummy yummy lunch, snacks & drinks.❤️ JUST DO IT! Thanks Deon and Mike for keeping us dry…ish;-)

Response from Host, Mar 2025

Haha thanks for the awsome words of wisdom. We had so much fun with you. Take care

Rafting was very fun. The...

shellsub, Mar 2025

Rafting was very fun. The guide, Deon, was very entertaining. We floated for 2 hours and were treated to a lovely lunch at his home by his wife. I especially liked they provided us with all the equipment we needed.