Queenstown jet boats at Christmas and New Year
Which Queenstown jet boats run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day 2026–27, what each operator confirms, the phone numbers to call and when to book.
On Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, the Shotover Jet is closed. KJet says it operates 365 days a year, weather permitting, so it is the jet boat to look at for Christmas Day, from the Main Town Pier in central Queenstown. No operator publishes separate hours for Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, so treat the standard timetables below as a guide and confirm your departure with the operator. The whole week falls in the New Zealand school holidays, so book before you travel.
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Same ride, also on Viator
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What each operator confirms for the holidays
| Operator | Christmas Day | Boxing Day and New Year’s Day | Standard timetable | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotover Jet | Closed | No separate hours published; check with the operator | 9:30am to 4pm, 7 days a week | 0800 SHOTOVER or +64 3 442 8570 |
| KJet | Operates 365 days a year, weather permitting | No separate hours published; check with the operator | Every hour on the hour, 10am to 6pm | 0800 52 92 72 or +64 3 409 0000 |
| Thunder Jet | Taking Christmas bookings; no Christmas Day hours published | No separate hours published; check with the operator | On the hour from Steamer Wharf, year-round | +64 3 442 7375 |
| Dart River Wilderness Jet | No holiday information published | No separate hours published; check with the operator | Summer (September to April): 8:30am and 1pm from Queenstown, 9:30am and 1pm from Glenorchy | 0800 327 853 or +64 3 442 9992 |
The Christmas Day line comes from each operator’s own FAQ or booking page, read in November 2026. A 365-day operator still cannot promise you a seat on 25 December: the booking page for your date shows which departures are running and have space.
The public holidays in 2026–27 are Christmas Day on Friday 25 December, Boxing Day on Saturday 26 December (Monday 28 December for people who usually work weekdays), New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027 and the Day after New Year’s Day on Saturday 2 January (Monday 4 January), according to Employment New Zealand. Call ahead for any of those days.
The three main rides over the holidays
| Ride | Time on the water | Why you would choose it | Leaves from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotover Jet | About 25 minutes | Narrow canyon walls and 360-degree spins | Arthurs Point |
| KJet | About 1 hour | The longest ride from the town waterfront, across the lake and onto two rivers | Main Town Pier, central Queenstown |
| Dart River Wilderness Jet | About 2 hours | Braided river and alpine scenery near Glenorchy | Glenorchy, or by coach from Queenstown |
Fares, timetables, transfer options, age and height limits and cancellation terms can change, so check the booking page for your date. Time on the water does not tell you how different the rivers are; our comparison of the Shotover, Kawarau and Dart rivers covers that.
Other Experiences
Other experiences you might enjoy
More Queenstown jet boat rides, each with its own page and booking link.
Planning around New Year
Start with the booking you cannot move, such as a flight, a dinner reservation or a timed second activity. A two-hour Dart River trip takes most of a day; an hour on KJet from the town pier fits around other plans more easily.
The summer school holidays run from 19 December 2026 to 1 February 2027, and December and January are Queenstown’s two busiest months for guest nights. Book a departure early in your stay, so you can rebook if heavy rain or a high river stops the first one. After a late New Year’s Eve, a mid-morning or afternoon ride on 1 January is easier than the first departure of the day. For a family or group, book every seat on the same departure and check each child against the current limits in our guide to the age and height limits.
Which ride for which holiday date
Christmas Day: KJet
KJet is the ride on this site whose operator says it runs every day of the year. You get an hour across Lake Wakatipu and onto the Kawarau and Shotover rivers, from the Main Town Pier, a short walk from many central hotels. It is rated 4.7 from 2,022 reviews on GetYourGuide. Thunder Jet, from Steamer Wharf, is taking Christmas bookings but does not publish its Christmas Day hours, so call +64 3 442 7375 before you plan around it.
Boxing Day to New Year’s Eve: any ride, booked ahead
The Shotover Jet is back after Christmas Day. It is 25 minutes through the canyons at Arthurs Point, about 10 minutes’ drive from town, and rated 4.8 from 2,907 reviews on Viator. Thunder Jet warns that the run-up to Christmas books out fast, and the days after it are school holidays too, so book these dates before you arrive.
New Year’s Day: confirm by phone
None of the operators lists New Year’s Day hours. For the Dart River Wilderness Jet, two hours on the river from Glenorchy and rated 4.8 from 608 reviews on Viator, call Dart River Adventures on 0800 327 853 to confirm that the coach and the boat run on 1 January. The same goes for the Shotover Jet and KJet on 1 and 2 January.
Practical booking checklist
- Choose a ride by scenery, intensity, time on the water and budget.
- Confirm the meeting point: the Main Town Pier or Steamer Wharf in central Queenstown, Arthurs Point or Glenorchy.
- Read the confirmation for the check-in time, which is earlier than the departure: 30 minutes at the Shotover Jet river base (45 minutes at the Station Building in town if you take the shuttle), 15 minutes for KJet, Thunder Jet and the Dart River.
- If you need the shuttle or the Dart River coach, check that it runs on your holiday date and reserve your seats.
- Read the cancellation policy of the company that takes your payment.
- Leave a generous buffer around a flight, another activity or a family group.
- Follow the operator’s advice on clothing, life-jacket fit, medical conditions and loose belongings. See what to wear jet boating.
Weather: Light rain does not usually stop a jet boat, but heavy rain upstream, high river levels, floating debris or poor visibility can. The operator decides whether a trip runs, holiday or not. A wet forecast does not entitle you to a free cancellation.
A sample holiday day
| Part of day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Morning | Check in 15 minutes before a confirmed KJet from the Main Town Pier, or take the shuttle to a confirmed Shotover Jet |
| Midday | Lunch and a break in central Queenstown |
| Afternoon | The waterfront, Queenstown Gardens or a separately booked activity, with a buffer before it |
| Evening | Leave the evening open for dinner or a lake walk; the sun sets at about 9:30pm in late December |
Swap in the departure and check-in times on your confirmation, and on a public holiday call ahead before you plan around them.
Before you book a holiday ride
For Christmas Day, look at KJet, and remember the Shotover Jet is closed. From Boxing Day to New Year, any of the rides can work, but book before you travel. For Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and the Day after New Year’s Day, confirm the timetable by phone: Shotover Jet on 0800 SHOTOVER, KJet on 0800 52 92 72, Thunder Jet on +64 3 442 7375 and Dart River Adventures on 0800 327 853. For the rest of December, see jet boating in Queenstown in December.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to book a Queenstown jet boat ahead at Christmas and New Year?
Yes. The school holidays run from 19 December 2026 to 1 February 2027, and Thunder Jet warns that the run-up to Christmas books out fast. Book a departure early in your stay so you can rebook if the river closes a trip.
Which jet boats run on Christmas Day?
KJet says it operates 365 days a year, weather permitting, so it is the one to book. The Shotover Jet is closed on 25 December. Thunder Jet and Dart River Adventures publish no Christmas Day hours, so call them to check.
Are Queenstown jet boats open on Boxing Day?
None of the operators publishes Boxing Day hours. The Shotover Jet’s closure covers Christmas Day only, and KJet says it runs every day of the year, but confirm your departure by phone: 0800 SHOTOVER for the Shotover Jet, 0800 52 92 72 for KJet.
Can I go jet boating on New Year’s Day?
KJet says it operates 365 days a year, weather permitting, and the Shotover Jet closes only on Christmas Day. Neither lists separate New Year’s Day hours, so call ahead. The standard timetables are 9:30am to 4pm for the Shotover Jet and every hour from 10am to 6pm for KJet.
What if rain or the river affects a holiday trip?
The operator may postpone, change or cancel a trip for safety, public holiday or not. Follow its instructions and ask about rebooking or a refund under the terms of your ticket.
More for planning a summer trip: the best time for jet boating in Queenstown, Queenstown jet boat departure points and which Queenstown jet boat is right for you.
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