Mt Aspiring Jet Boat & Wilderness Walk - Small-Group, Wanaka
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Wanaka, New Zealand
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore the idyllic landscapes of Mount Aspiring National Park, where filming for The Lord of the Rings movies took place, both by land and water, on this action-packed half-day tour from Wanaka. Zip along the pristine waters of the Matukituki River on a jet boat, then get even closer to nature on a guided wilderness walk past forests, waterfalls, and glacier-fed streams.
- This tour is ideal for nature lovers, families, and outdoor adventurers
- Enjoy a seamless experience with round-trip transfers included
- Average fitness is required making this suitable for most ages
- A small-group tour ensures a more personalized experience
What's Included
- Shuttle transfer
- Life jackets
- Wet weather gear
- Heated hand rails and footrests (in cold weather)
- Food and drinks
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Wānaka isite Visitor Information Centre103 Ardmore Street, Wānaka 9305, New Zealand
99 Ardmore Street, outside of the i-SITE Please make sure you have parked your car in a long term car-park Meet 5 minutes prior to departure
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age is 4 years
- Maximum is 10 people per booking
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
David_M
This experience was fantastic. Ben the driver was very knowledgeable about the area, the weather & the mountains. The wilderness walk was fun & informative.
Reviews
4.9
based on 273 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Julian_E, Jan 2026
More than a Jet Boat ride…our guide had lots of interesting/personal information to share about the area! Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
More than a jet boat ride — that's exactly what we aim for! The Matukituki Valley has so much history and character, and sharing that is just as important to us as the speed. So glad the guide made it a rich experience. Highly recommend coming back!
julied7188, Feb 2025
Ben was an awesome, local guide who gave us a great understanding of Mount Aspiring and the region surrounding it. The jet boat was an incredibly fun way to travel about and the water and views were impeccable. Highly recommend this tour!!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Pristine is exactly right — the Matukituki Valley really does deliver on all fronts! Ben loves sharing the story of Mount Aspiring and the surrounding region, so it's great to hear that came through. So glad the jet boat and the views lived up to the hype. Thank you for the high recommend!
Wendy_Q, Feb 2025
Fabulous tour! Had a blast on the jet boat and walk. Loved the Captain - very interactive. Highly recommended tour!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Fabulous is the perfect word for it — thank you! The Captain loves keeping guests engaged throughout the whole trip, so it's great to hear that came through. So glad you had a blast on the boat and the walk. Hope to see you back on the river!
David_M, Dec 2024
This experience was fantastic. Ben the driver was very knowledgeable about the area, the weather & the mountains. The wilderness walk was fun & informative.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you, David! Ben really is a wealth of knowledge — from the glacier history to the local weather patterns, he loves sharing what makes this part of New Zealand so special. Glad the wilderness walk hit the mark too. We hope to see you back on the water sometime!
David_M, Nov 2024
If you visit the South Island, this is a must do activity! The staff is amazing and our river guide was amazing. I wasn't sure how the hike to the waterfall would turn out, but it was probably one of the highlights of the trip. You could tell how much our guide enjoys his job and is proud of NZ. He was full of fascinating information and happy to answer all of our questions. The hike was beautiful through farmland and woods to see a beautiful creek and waterfall.
I would do it again!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
What a wonderful review — thank you! Our guides genuinely love what they do, and it shows. The hike to the waterfall through the farmland and forest is one of our favourite parts of the day too. So glad it turned out to be a highlight of your South Island trip. We hope you'll be back!
Andrew_B, Oct 2024
It's totally worth the money, our jet boat driver Ben was engaging and extremely knowledgeable. Importantly he is a master of his art - controlling a jet boat.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Worth every penny is exactly what we aim for! Ben's skill on the river is something to behold — the combination of precision and excitement is what sets the experience apart. So glad you got to see that firsthand. Hope to have you back on the Matukituki!
Mariska_S, Feb 2024
The fact that you are in this wide marvelous mountain surroundings, on the water, moving further into the valley and towards the high mountains, makes you feel in aw and humble. It was also a nice walk into the beech forest to a waterfall.
Melanie_R, Dec 2023
Ben is a very knowledgable and gifted skipper. You are in for a real treat on this trip!!!! We had a blast with beautiful scenery, great jet boat ride and walk in a serene beech forest. Would definitely do this again when in Wanaka!
Sarah_C, Nov 2023
We are touring the South Island of New Zealand and this was by far our favourite thing we’ve done. Ben was absolutely outstanding and really made the trip for us. I think this is a must do.
Anne_C, Jan 2023
A wonderful fun half day with our very knowledgable guide James. Fantastic scenery, great spins in the boat and a lovely sense of peace and tranquillity, when not spilling that is
kevin, Feb 2020
We have had a number of excellent, exciting experiences on this trip to NZ... but far and away, this was the best so far. Fun, beautiful, fabulous boat driver, knowledgeable and concerned with everyone's comfort and safety. If you do only one excursion ... make it this one.
leonlandau, Jan 2020
Perfect mix of jet boat and stunning scenery. James was an excellent host. What an amazing way to access otherwise inaccessible places.
Jackie R, Apr 2018
This tour was a lot of fun and the guide was lovely. However, it is overpriced. It would be good to extend the tour for an extra hour and do a longer walk. The jet boat was great and I had full trust in the guide's skills.
Benjamin_R, Jan 2025
l'organisme a annulé l'excursion la veille au soir (à 18H30) pour le lendemain (9h45). Bien que je lui ai demandé de me rediriger vers une autre agence je n'ai pas eu de réponse mais uniquement le remboursement. Impossible de trouver une solution de remplacement. Ce comportement est pas tolérable quand on vient à Wanaka en particulier pour cette excursion.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Our apologies that we were unable to find you an alternative trip in this instance.
Unfortunately our whole crew were given the gift of a very bad illness which cancelled all our trips for a 7 day period.
Hopefully you can understand in this instance that managing this level of disruption for our staff and looking after our small family limited our ability to be everything to everyone at this time.
Once again we are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your review.
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