Rafting the Kaituna: Grade 5 and a 7-Metre Waterfall

The Kaituna is the short, steep river that drains Lake Rotoiti, about 20 minutes from Rotorua, and it is the one people come to Rotorua to raft. It is graded 5 and the run is short: around an hour on the water, through 14 rapids and three waterfalls. The biggest of those is Tutea Falls, 7 metres high, which every operator bills as the highest commercially rafted waterfall in the world.

No experience is needed; the operators train you on the bank first. The thing that actually decides your booking is age. Two of the three operators below take nobody under 13. The third takes children from 10, who skip the big waterfall.

See times for the Kaituna rafting trip

The trip we would book

Kaitiaki Adventures, from $78 and rated 4.9 over 1,568 reviews, the most reviewed on the river. It is the one with hotel pickup: courtesy transport from central Rotorua accommodation to its river base in the Kahikatea forest, or you can drive yourself, 15 minutes from town. After a safety briefing and the river gear (wetsuit, booties, splash jacket, life jacket), a short bus ride takes you to the Ōkere section of the river. The guides weave in kaitiakitanga, the Māori idea of guardianship of the land. Plan on about three hours from pickup to drop-off.

The minimum age is 13, and it is not for pregnant women. A first-timer in September wrote that “the guides made us feel safe through the whole thing” and wanted to go again straight after.

Two other operators

Rotorua Rafting is the one for families with younger teenagers. Children from 10 to 12 raft the river below the Grade 5 waterfall, walking round it with the photographer and joining the raft halfway. There is a free wood-fired sauna at the end, and the operator says non-swimmers can do the trip and that the river reaches 25°C in summer. From $76, rated 4.9 over 475 reviews. No hotel pickup (a shuttle can be arranged on request), and the weight limit is 130 kg.

Kaituna Cascades calls itself the original Kaituna rafters and had the lowest price in our October check, $68 (discounted from $76), rated 4.9 over 356 reviews. Minimum age 13, weight limit 118 kg, no pickup; the base is on Okere Falls Road, about 20 minutes from town, beside the Okere Falls Scenic Reserve with a café and the walking track to the falls nearby. It runs all year and hands out extra gear in winter.

Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; operators change prices by season, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.

Questions people ask

What grade is Kaituna rafting?

Grade 5, the top commercially rafted grade, because of the waterfalls. Children aged 10 to 12 on Rotorua Rafting’s trip do only the section below the Grade 5 waterfall.

How long is Kaituna River rafting?

About an hour on the water, and around three hours in all with the briefing, gear and transport.

Is Kaituna rafting safe?

It is a guided commercial trip with a safety briefing, training on the bank and full river gear, and the operators take first-timers every day. It is also Grade 5, and Kaituna Cascades has every rafter sign a waiver because “a degree of risk is involved”. Respect the age, weight and pregnancy limits, and tell the guides if you cannot swim.

Can beginners raft the Kaituna?

Yes. No previous experience is needed on any of the three trips; you learn the commands on the bank before you get in.

If rafting is too much for part of your group, the kiwi hatchery tour is an hour, and which Rotorua geothermal park helps with the rest of the day.

Trip details, limits and inclusions from the operators’ listings, read October 2026. Grade and the Tutea Falls height as the operators publish them.