Rotorua White Water Rafting | Kaitiaki Adventures + Transport
Description
Free central Rotorua pick-up sets this Kaituna River whitewater rafting experience apart, making your adventure seamless from the moment you book. Take on the world-famous Tūtea Falls (7m), the highest commercially rafted waterfall on the planet, and ride a thrilling stretch of Grade 5 rapids through a native bush-clad volcanic gorge. What truly elevates this experience is the depth of connection to place, your local and Māori guides share rich cultural storytelling, including whakapapa (stories of place), tikanga (customs and protocols), and the significance of the awa to iwi. We keep groups small for a more personal experience, provide premium cold-weather gear for comfort, and ensure every detail is taken care of from start to finish, including return transport and optional professional photos to capture the moment. This is more than rafting; it’s a seamless, high-energy adventure grounded in authentic Māori storytelling and connection to the river.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
MEETING POINT: 1135 Te Ngae Road, Tikitere Rotorua 3074 We offer pick ups at over 50 central Rotorua Accommodations, including the i-SITE and Information centre! - Contact us directly by phone or email if you cannot see your pick up on the list.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
Reviews(812)
Absolutely breath taking, literally! Never have done anything like this im So glad i chose too come to KAITIAKI ADVENTURES for my first time experience! Our guides were lovely! Absolutely A+++ for hosting us. Absolute vibe! Very good pricing well worth every cent! Roughly 1 & half hours including driving 10 mins each way then the rest we are in the water! If youve never done anything like this give it a go! The waterfalls are so cool The raft can fit 6 + the guide so plenty of soace if you want too go as a group book ahead definitely :)
Fantastic experience over all the guides were great and did well controlling us and the boat, had a great knowledge of the history of the river we were going down which added that little extra to the experience. Very fair price. We were on the water about 1.5 hours which to be fair was enough time. Nine of us attended and the feed back from them all was very good. Great for beginners and experienced people alike.
So much fun and the team looking after us were fantastic. Scenery was beautiful and the water wasn’t too cold, even in winter! Highly recommend booking with Kaitiaki
Exhilarating! Amazing! Terrifying! What a shot of adrenaline! We had a blast and our guide was super professional and friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this adventure. My partner needs a cane for balance and everyone on the boat was super helpful and accommodating to her.
We had an amazing time. We were a little nervous at first because we are not experienced rafters, but the team was very calm and friendly and helped us have a great time. This is a must-do experience when visiting Rotorua.
You will get cold and wet!! So much fun though, and well worth it. All the instructors are very experienced and super friendly. Would love to do it again in Summer.
Kia ora Keran, Thanks so much for your fantastic review! It's great to hear you enjoyed your time with our team and felt well looked after by our experienced guides. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to them. Summer is a whole different experience on the river, so we'd love to welcome you back for another run down the Kaituna when the weather warms up! Ngā mihi nui, The Kaitiaki Adventures Whānau
Amazing experience with Rob and his team. Rob took good care of entire group and assured everyone on our raft was enjoying. Best was the way health and safety was priority 👌 I will definitely come back but if you are doing it for first time or not just book with them and fun is guaranteed. Thanks Rob and team...
Kia ora, Thank you for the fantastic review! We're thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the river with Rob and the team. Safety is always our top priority, so it's wonderful to hear that helped you feel confident while still having plenty of fun along the way. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Rob. Thanks again for choosing to adventure with us. We look forward to welcoming you back for another run down the Kaituna! Kaitiaki Adventures
Have done a lot of white water rafting in my life and this short but incredibly awesome trip was maybe my favorite. The class 5 at the end was so incredible as well!
Kia ora, Wow — that's high praise from someone who's done a lot of white water rafting! We're thrilled to hear the Kaituna has earned a spot as one of your favourites. That Grade 5 section certainly packs a punch, and we're glad it left such an impression. Thanks for joining us and for sharing your experience. We hope to see you back on the awa again someday! Kaitiaki Adventures
Amazing rafting experience! We had so much fun going down the big waterfalls, and got to swim down a more chilled rapid which was an awesome time! Thanks so much to Caruso and the crew, we had a blast!
Kia ora, Thank you for the awesome review! We're so glad you enjoyed the waterfalls and had the chance to jump in and experience the river from a different perspective too. We'll make sure Caruzo and the crew see your kind words. Thanks for joining us on the Kaituna — we'd love to have you back for another adventure someday! Kaitiaki Adventures
Mint trip, professional but funny guides. Shared our raft with some awesome tourists from Scotland, UK and indigenous Australians. Bloody good fun. Highly recommend 👌🏽 Massive mihi to Caruzo our guide and guy on the waka, thank you bro.
Kia ora, Thank you for the awesome review! We're stoked you had such a great time on the river and met some great people along the way. We'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Caruzo — he'll love hearing them. Ngā mihi nui for joining us, and hopefully we'll see you back on the awa again soon! Kaitiaki Adventures
