In a nutshell
- The Kawarau Bridge bungy site is 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump was launched there on 12 April 1988.[1]
- The Queenstown: Kawarau Bridge Bungy listing starts from US$188 and runs 1 - 2.5 hours, with starting times shown when you check availability.[2]
- From Queenstown, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre is around a 25-minute drive (23 km) via State Highway 6.[3]
- At AJ Hackett the minimum age is 10 years old, the minimum weight is 35kg and the maximum weight is 235kg.[4]
- You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
- Top choice Kawarau Bridge Bungy from US$188 Rating4.90 from 195 reviews[2]Duration1 - 2.5 hours[2]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[2]GuideInstructor: English[2]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[2] Check availability
- Nevis Bungy from US$232 Rating4.96 from 100 reviews[5]Duration4 hours[5]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[5]GuideInstructor: English[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[5] See this tour
- Nevis Canyon Swing from US$191 Rating4.86 from 144 reviews[6]Duration4 hours[6]Group sizeLimited to 8 participants[6]GuideInstructor: English[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[6] See this tour
On 12 April 1988, AJ Hackett and Henry van Asch stood on the Kawarau Bridge in the Gibbston Valley and launched the world's first commercial bungy jump. The site they chose, a historic 1880s suspension bridge 43 metres above the water, is still the home of the original jump today.
Is the Kawarau Bridge bungy worth it?
Worth knowing first
On the day
- Allow time at the site for check in, briefing and photos, not just the jump
- Tie long hair back and hand loose items to a friend before your turn
- The gorge runs cooler and windier than central Queenstown, so pack a layer
- Operators must periodically pass independent safety audits[7]
The world's first commercial bungy jump
The Kawarau Bridge bungy site is 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump was launched there on 12 April 1988.[1] Standing on the platform, you look down at a river the colour of greenstone and at a stone suspension bridge that has been part of the gorge for well over a century. The span is narrow, the wind comes up the valley in gusts, and the crew talk you through the whole thing while you shuffle towards the edge.
By 1994, 100,000 jumps had been completed at Kawarau Bridge.[8] The numbers stopped being the story a long time ago, but there is still something odd and brilliant about leaping from the span where the commercial sport began. This is also the most sociable of the Queenstown jumps. Friends and family can watch from beside the bridge, the platform is a short walk from the car park, and the whole visit fits around a short slot in your day. Queenstown welcomed 412,897 international visitors in 2024.[9] In the busy weeks, book a slot rather than turning up on spec.
Kawarau Bridge bungy: cost and what to expect
The Queenstown: Kawarau Bridge Bungy - World's First Bungy! listing starts from US$188.[2] The tour runs 1 - 2.5 hours, and you check availability to see starting times.[2] It is a small group limited to 6 participants with an English speaking instructor,[2] and the listing is rated 4.90 from 195 reviews.[2] You can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation means you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
The setting does most of the talking. The bridge crosses a gorge where the river runs clear and green, the rock walls are tall enough to echo, and the viewing areas put you level with the jump platform. Non jumpers get a good show, and there is space to sit and wait between turns. Afterwards the Gibbston Valley is right there, with wineries and a slow road back to town along the river.
A jumper falls towards the turquoise Kawarau River, with the historic bridge and its hanging cord above.
How high the Queenstown jumps are
Heights are the first question everyone asks. The Kawarau Bridge site is 43 metres above the water.[1] In the Queenstown area, the Ledge AJ Hackett site is 47m and the Nevis AJ Hackett site is 134m.[10] Kawarau is the gentlest of the three. It is high enough that the river looks a long way down, and low enough that you can hear people on the bank and watch the water the whole way in, which helps if your head is busy telling you to step back.
The fall is quick, then strange. There is a moment of free fall, the cord takes up, and you swing upside down with the bridge, the gorge and the sky rotating around you. Crew on the platform and below call up to you, and the bounce settles into a gentle sway before you are brought back to solid ground. Expect the waiting to be the hard part and the calm afterwards to be the reward.
Nevis, the Ledge and other Queenstown jumps
The Nevis Bungy is the big one in the region: it is listed from US$232, rated 4.96 from 100 reviews, runs 4 hours and is a small group limited to 6 participants.[5] You reach it by cable car over a canyon, and the jump platform hangs well above the river. The Nevis Canyon Swing drops you into a 70m free-fall before the ropes take hold; it is listed from US$191, rated 4.86 from 144 reviews and runs 4 hours.[6] On the Nevis Swing you complete a 300m arc.[11]
Combos stack the adrenaline into one trip. The Nevis Bungy & Swing Combo is listed from US$364,[12] the Nevis Thrillogy, which covers the bungy, swing and catapult, is listed from US$473,[13] and the Nevis Catapult is listed from US$173.[14] Closer to town, the Ledge runs above Queenstown itself. Kawarau remains the original, and the easiest of all of them to reach.
from US$188
The tour booked here runs 1 - 2.5 hours, is rated 4.90 from 195 reviews and is limited to 6 participants.[2]
Getting from Queenstown to Kawarau Bridge
From Queenstown, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre is around a 25-minute drive (23 km) via State Highway 6.[3] The road follows the lake edge out of town, then turns inland into the gorge, with the river on one side and schist rock faces on the other. There is parking at the site, and the centre, the viewing decks and the platforms sit a short walk from where you leave the car. Give yourself a small buffer for traffic and for the last bend down to the car park.
Many travellers pair the drive with the Gibbston Valley. The wineries start within a few minutes of the bridge, and the road back to Queenstown is one of the prettiest in the region. If you would rather not drive, shuttle services run out to the bridge from town, and a bus makes it easy to combine the jump with a vineyard stop on the way home. Either way, plan the return trip rather than hoping to find a lift at the last minute.
Who can jump and how safety works
At AJ Hackett, the minimum age to bungy jump is 10 years old, the minimum weight is 35kg, and the maximum weight is 235kg.[4] Dress for a platform above a river: comfortable clothes you do not mind being photographed in upside down, hair tied back, and nothing loose that could drop. Leave glasses, phones and jewellery with a friend or in a locker before your turn.
In New Zealand, bungy operators are required to be registered under the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016 and must periodically pass independent safety audits.[7] You get a full briefing before you go, and the crew take you through the kit step by step. If nerves get the better of you at the edge, say so. There is no shame in taking a minute, and the team would rather you jumped when you were ready than when you were rushed.
Making a day of it in the Kawarau Gorge
The bridge is one of several stops in the gorge. The Shotover River and Kawarau River jet boat ride is listed from US$87, rated 4.76 from 1,959 reviews and runs 1 hour.[15] The Kawarau River Rafting and Jet Boat Ride is listed from US$193, rated 4.84 from 148 reviews and runs 4.5 hours.[16] Kawarau River whitewater rafting on its own is listed from US$146 and runs 4 hours.[17]
Back at the bridge, the Kawarau Zipride is 130m long and reaches a highest speed of 60 km/h according to AJ Hackett's team,[18] with the ride listed from US$29.[19] The Kawarau Swing is listed from US$141,[20] and the Kawarau Bungy & Swing Combo from US$270.[21] For a group with mixed nerves, the zipride and the viewing decks make an easy afternoon without anyone having to leave their comfort zone.
The Kawarau River is a much deeper and bigger river, flowing through Central Otago vineyards, and the rafting trip ends with a 400 meter long, grade 3/4 rapid.[22] The gorge has an older story too: gold was first discovered in the Kawarau Gorge in the early 1860s, sparking a rush that transformed Central Otago.[23] On the drive out you can still pick out old workings and tailings on the hillsides above the water.
Queenstown bungy site heights above the water
Heights in metres, all sourced from the researched facts: Kawarau Bridge[1], Ledge and Nevis[10].
Queenstown adventure from-prices in US dollars
From-prices in US dollars from these GetYourGuide listings:[2],[5],[6],[15],[19].
When to jump at Kawarau Bridge
How to book your jump
Check the limits
At AJ Hackett the minimum age is 10 years old, the minimum weight is 35kg and the maximum weight is 235kg.[4]
Choose a starting time
The Kawarau Bridge Bungy runs 1 - 2.5 hours; check availability to see starting times.[2]
Lock it in flexibly
Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[2]
Plan the drive
The Bungy Centre is around a 25-minute drive (23 km) from Queenstown via State Highway 6.[3]
Arrive early and breathe
Give yourself time to check in, get briefed and watch a few jumps before your own turn.
Ready to jump the Kawarau Bridge bungy?
from US$189Reserve now & pay later
