Are you looking for an honest Huka Falls River Cruise review? We visited Huka Falls on our New Zealand road trip and researched the best way to view Huka Falls.
Huka Falls Cruise V Huka Falls Jet
There are two options when deciding what company to use to get up close to Huka Falls. They are very different, both with pros and cons.
Huka Falls Cruise
- Inside as well as outside seating
- Front Viewing Platform
- Cruise of 1 hour 20 minutes
- No motion sickness
- Great value – $43 per adult, $15 per child, $99 per family
- Best for photography
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Huka Falls Jet
- 360 degree turns
- Great fun
- Travel up to 80 km per hour
- Children must be at least 1m tall
- Lasts 30 minutes
The reason we chose Huka Falls Cruise was the price for a family of four and to take photos of the falls. If you are after adventure and count yourself as a thrill seeker, I would opt for the jet boat. This thrilling ride has trick turns and power brakes while enjoying the beautiful scenery along the river and up close to Huka Falls.
Huka Falls River Cruise Review
The boat used for the Huka Falls Cruise has a lot of seating inside and out the back. It is easy to get on and off the boat as it is moored up on the jetty.
The cruise upriver is tranquil and informative. You learn about the wildlife, the area, and the geothermal activity from the knowledgeable skipper. The views are beautiful, and we were able to take some stunning photos from the back of the boat.
Huka Falls
Huka Falls is the most visited natural attraction in New Zealand, and getting up close to them was the highlight of the Cruise. The boat was able to get near, and we had plenty of time to take photos from the back of the boat and up on the front viewing platform. It was awe-inspiring to see nature at her best.
Huka Falls is New Zealand’s highest volume waterfall, where a quarter of a million litres of water per second gushes from a natural gorge and plunges 11 metres. To put this into perspective, you could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool in 11 seconds by the amount of water thundering over the falls.
Being right in front of these majestic falls made for a brilliant experience, and photos with all the foam and the colours were astonishing.
After everyone gets all their photos, you make your way back down the river. There is complimentary tea and coffee to enjoy while relaxing on the return journey.
I would recommend this cruise as it is great value and a wonderful way to view Huka Falls. We saw the jet boat during our cruise, and we were happy that we made the right choice for our family.
Directions to Huka Falls Cruise
The Huka Falls Cruise leaves from the Aratiatia Dam car park.
From Taupo, take SH 5 towards Rotorua. At the SH1 roundabout, continue towards Rotorua for about 2km. At Aratiatia Road, turn right, which is signposted Aratiatia Rapids & River Cruise. Continue for another 2km, and you will come to Aratiatia Dam, and the car park is immediately after the bridge on the right-hand side.
Huka Falls Cruise Times
In summer and winter, the cruises run at 10.30 am, 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm. In summer, there is an additional time of 4.30 pm.
Huka Falls Cruise Prices
- $42 per adult
- $15 per child (5-15)
- $99 per family (2 adults and 2 children)
You can book tickets directly online.
Huka Falls Lookout
After your trip on the Huka falls Cruise, head to the lookout for a different perspective of this incredible waterfall.
The car park is on Huka Falls Road, and from here, it’s a 5-minute walk to the lookouts. When you cross the bridge over the river, turn left for more viewpoints of the falls. The colour of the water is stunning, with bright blue turquoise and emerald green mixed together and is a great contrast to the white foam.
Aratiatia Hydro Dam & Rapids
The cruise departure is conveniently timed half an hour after the Aratiatia Dam gates are opened (10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm in summer). Therefore, ensure you get there early enough to see this popular attraction.
There are a couple of options for seeing the dam open. You can walk 5 minutes to a choice of 2 viewpoints or see it from the bridge. We chose to watch it from the bridge and then walk to one of the viewpoints to see the rapids flowing after.
The Waikato River falls 28 meters in the space of 1km. Thousands of liters of water crash through the dam and onto the rapids. The dam has been generating hydroelectricity since 1964 and was the 1st hydroelectric power station on this river.
It is incredible to watch and witness how powerful water can be.
The rapids are featured in Peter Jackson’s movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
You can also read our guides to other New Zealand destinations here.
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Wow, pictures look beautiful.
Thank you Anna. It was a stunning area.
On the travel wish list! Would love to visit New Zealand. And a trip to cruise the Huka Falls sounds like a great adventure. Good to know that the cruise runs a few times a day. I love how close you got to the cascading waters. And good to know that the water volume is still strong in the summer. Will definitely add this to a planning list if we get New Zealand on our travel plans.
Thank you so much Linda. We do enjoy being on the water so it was a good excuse and we got to see the falls from a different perspective.
This sounds like an amazing boat cruise and that water is beautiful. Hope to make it to New Zealand someday so I can check this out!
Thank you Becky. I think you would love New Zealand 🙂
I shall definitely be adding this trip to our itinerary when we visit New Zealand! It looks spectacular. I would be torn between the cruise and the jet, but think I would opt for the cruise: more time to savour the beautiful views 😊
We were also torn between the jet and the cruise as it looked like a lit of fun. However, the photographer part of me really wanted to do the cruise so I could take photos.
it looks amazing
Thank you, we really enjoyed it
Thanks for the comparison between the Huka Falls Cruise and the Huka Falls Jet. I right away saw “no motion sickness” on the cruise and decided that was for me! The other, while exciting, would doubtless cause me problems, haha. I’d want the opportunity to take photos, too. It’s also a great value and the scenery is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you Cynthia. I suffer from motion sickness too but more on a rolling motion than a fast-paced jet. However, the cruise was the best option for photographers.
What a wonderful experience, I think I would prefer the cruise too!
The price per family is great, and I don’t love motion sickness haha. I had no idea about Huka Falls and it’s fantastic!
Thank you Luisa. We really enjoyed it and was great to see the falls up close.
Great summary of the falls.
Thank you very much.
Great review. Looks like you found many really fun things to do in New Zealand.
Thank you 🙂
Yes we loved New Zealand. So many things to see and do.