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Skippers Canyon 4WD Adventure Tour

Venture deep into historic Skippers Canyon on an unforgettable 4WD journey along the legendary hand-carved Skippers Road. Discover dramatic gold-rush landscapes, spectacular views high above the Shotover River and try your hand at traditional gold panning.

Tour Highlights

Travel the legendary hand-carved Skippers Canyon Road
Authentic off-road 4WD adventure
Lighthouse Rock and Maori Point
Spectacular Shotover River and Whakatipu Basin views
Gold-rush history and stories
Traditional gold panning
Experienced local guide
Morning or afternoon tea included

Key Information

Duration4 hours
Times8:15am & 1:30pm
OperatesYear-round
WalkingMinimal walking

What You’ll Get to Experience

Discover one of Queenstown’s most spectacular backcountry landscapes on a guided 4WD adventure into Skippers Canyon, travelling the legendary road hand-cut into the cliffs during the Otago gold rush. Travel towards Coronet Peak with panoramic views across the Whakatipu Basin before entering the canyon. Your experienced guide navigates the narrow, cliff-hugging Skippers Road, stopping at historic gold-mining sites and spectacular viewpoints including Lighthouse Rock and Maori Point. Hear stories of the miners, settlers and engineering feats that shaped this remote landscape and take in views towards the historic Skippers Suspension Bridge. On the return journey, try your hand at traditional gold panning, a fitting experience in an area where the Shotover River was once renowned for its rich gold deposits.

Choose Your Tour Option

Standard

Maximum 6 guests per 4WD vehicle.

Shared 4WD
Upgrade

Guaranteed window seat with maximum of 4 guests.

Guaranteed Window Seat
Private

Exclusive use of vehicle and guide for your group of up to 6 guests.

Exclusive 4WD + Guide

Private Tours

Good to Know

What’s Included

Travel in a fully equipped 4WD vehicle, experienced local guide, Skippers Canyon sightseeing and historic locations, gold panning equipment, morning or afternoon tea.

What to Bring

Water, camera or phone, sun protection, comfortable shoes and suitable clothing

Pick-up & Drop-off

The main departure point is Nomad Safaris, 37 Shotover Street, Queenstown, with complimentary pick-up and drop-off also available from selected central Queenstown accommodation.

 

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Skippers Canyon is a rugged backcountry environment with narrow roads, steep drop-offs and rough terrain and may not suit guests who are very uncomfortable with heights or rough roads. Access across Skippers Bridge is currently closed for long-term maintenance and safety works, so the historic schoolhouse and cemetery are currently inaccessible; tours continue to permitted areas with additional scenic and historical stops. Minimal walking is required and guests can stay in or near the vehicle at stops if preferred. Itineraries may change due to weather, river levels, road or track conditions which may affect river crossings or access to some locations.

Please review our Disclosure of Risks and Weather Cancellation Policy and Terms & Conditions before booking.

Nomad Safaris offers a complete 4WD tour into the historic Skippers Canyon. The Nomad Safaris Skippers Canyon adventure is a half-day heritage tour that travels along the rugged and treacherous Skippers Road. As your guide navigates along this awe-inspiring canyon you will visit many historic sites and scenic viewpoints.

British Automobile Association voted Skippers Canyon road as one of the 25 most scenic roads in the world. Travel the road that was hacked by hand into the sheer cliff sides of the Shotover River Valley. This is an exciting adventure the whole family will enjoy.

Trip Details
The Skippers Canyon 4WD tour departs from Queenstown heading out towards Coronet Peak. As you head up the peak towards the entrance to this spectacular canyon there are stunning panoramic views of the Wakatipu Basin.

After entering Skippers Canyon you will travel to Lighthouse Rock, which provides a dramatic lookout over the entire valley. Follow in the footsteps of pioneers, adventurers and explorers as this winding road takes you past historical mining areas and showcases the impressive scale of the gold mining operations that have taken place throughout the canyon. There will be several stops for photos along the way including viewing the historic Skippers Bridge offering a striking photo opportunity.

During the tour you will indulge in morning or afternoon tea while enjoying the stunning scenery.

Returning along the road you will stop at Deep Creek where you can immerse yourself in the heritage of the local area by trying your hand at gold panning. Our trained guides will teach you traditional techniques used on one of the richest gold-bearing rivers in the world.

You may also recognise locations along the Skippers Road featured in The Lord of The Rings.


Can we book a Private Charter?
If you’d like a more private trip, you can book a whole vehicle for your group, our maximum group size is 6.
What is 4 Pax max?
Choose this option to guarantee everyone a window seat. A maximum of four passengers per vehicle, each guest enjoys their own window seat. This differs from our standard tours, which accommodate up to six passengers per vehicle, and do not guarantee a window seat throughout the experience. Please note, our guides always encourage seat rotation so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a different window view during the tour.
Why is the Skippers Bridge closed and when will it reopen?
The Bridge is closed indefinitely due to long-term maintenance and safety works. We do not have an expected opening date.
What are your Child rates/ Child ages?
We do have child rates available. Infants (0-3 years) travel for free and children (4-14 years) travel at a discounted price.
Can my child come on this tour?
Our 4WD tours in Queenstown welcome all ages; there’s no minimum age requirement. We provide child and booster seats upon request at booking.

“Worth every cent” Amazing drivers and nature is just beautiful! Seeing pictures of the road we were going to, I was a bit nervous, but the drivers are so skilful and they really know what they're doing. If you want to go to Skippers Canyon, this is the company to go with!
~ Anna K, Oslo, Norway  
“Amazing heart-pounding trip”
They take you to places that I will never drive. The road to skippers canyon was terrifying yet exciting - so glad we did that trip. The young lady who drove us was a superb driver and very knowledgeable. If you are scared of heights don't look down. ~ Abu K, Baltimore, Maryland
“Thanks NOMADS and Graham. Great fun, stunning views”
I really enjoyed my trip with NOMADS, we had a great bunch of friendly people on board and the driver Graham was an awesome guy, very informative and great fun. The drive up the mountains was an experience and the views were incredible. We got lots of opportunities to stop and take photos whilst admiring the views all around.
We couldn't actually get into the skippers' canyons due to the slip that had happened on the mountain so instead at the end of the tour we went down to the rivers and drove through them in the 4x4 which had us all screaming with laughter. This more than made up for not getting into skippers canyon. Thanks again guys!
~ Kelly T, United Kingdom