Kawarau Bridge bungy in brief
- The Queenstown: Kawarau Bridge Bungy listing starts from US$188, with a 4.90 rating from 195 reviews.[1]
- Allow 1 to 2.5 hours for the session, and check availability to see starting times for your date.[1]
- Small group: limited to 6 participants on the Kawarau Bridge bungy jump.[1]
- At AJ Hackett the minimum age is 10 years old, the minimum weight is 35kg and the maximum weight is 235kg.[2]
- Around a 25-minute drive (23 km) from Queenstown via State Highway 6 to the Bungy Centre.[3]
- Top choice Kawarau Bridge Bungy from US$188 Duration1 - 2.5 hours[1]Rated4.90 from 195 reviews[1]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[1]GuideInstructor: English[1]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[1] Check availability
- Nevis Bungy from US$232 Duration4 hours[4]Rated4.96 from 100 reviews[4]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[4]GuideInstructor: English[4]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[4] See this tour
- Nevis Canyon Swing from US$191 Duration4 hours[5]Rated4.86 from 144 reviews[5]Group sizeLimited to 8 participants[5]GuideInstructor: English[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[5] 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 Kawarau River, is still home to the original jump today.
Is the Kawarau Bridge bungy worth the price?
Worth knowing first
On the day
- Allow 1 to 2.5 hours on the listing, depending on your slot[1]
- Around a 25-minute drive (23 km) from Queenstown via State Highway 6[3]
- Registered under the 2016 adventure activities regulations, with independent audits[6]
- Gorge weather turns quickly, so bring a warm layer and a spare dry top for afterwards
What the Kawarau Bridge bungy price covers
The Queenstown: Kawarau Bridge Bungy - World's First Bungy! listing on GetYourGuide starts from US$188, and it carries a 4.90 rating from 195 reviews.[1] The rating breakdown shows Guide 4.9, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.7.[1] The group on the day is limited to 6 participants.[1] Treat the listed figure as a starting point rather than a fixed number, and read the booking page in full before you pay so you know exactly what is and is not part of your booking.
Prices in Queenstown climb quickly once you leave the bridge. The Nevis Bungy listing starts from US$232[4] and the Nevis Canyon Swing from US$191.[5] Closer to the same gorge, the Kawarau Swing starts from US$141[7] and the Kawarau Zipride from US$29.[8] A jet boat run on the Shotover and Kawarau rivers starts from US$87.[9] Sorting the bridge jump first leaves room in the budget for a second activity later in your stay, and the shorter session means you can often fit something else into the same day.
NZD, combos and how to keep the cost down
Listed prices on the booking platforms are in US dollars. If you are working to a New Zealand budget, check the operator's own site for the AJ Hackett Kawarau Bridge bungy price NZD before you commit, since that is the figure you will be quoted on the day. Exchange rates drift, and a jump that looks cheap in one currency can read very differently in another. Work out your budget in a single currency and stick to it when you compare one activity with the next.
Combos bundle two activities into one booking. The Kawarau Bungy and Swing Combo is listed from US$270[10] and the Nevis Bungy and Swing Combo from US$364.[11] The Nevis Thrillogy, which adds the catapult, starts from US$473.[12] If a Kawarau Bridge bungy discount is what you are hunting for, compare the combo listings with the single jump before you book, and read the cancellation terms on each listing before you commit.
The Kawarau Bridge hangs above a turquoise gorge in the Gibbston Valley.
What the jump day is actually like
The bridge sits 43 metres above the water, and the world's first commercial bungy jump was launched there on 12 April 1988.[13] By 1994, 100,000 jumps had been completed from that platform.[14] It is a historic suspension bridge in the Gibbston Valley, and the jump pod hangs beneath the traffic deck. You step out over the river with nothing below you but the green water, the rocks at the edge of the gorge and the line of the road far above.
Sessions on the listing run for 1 to 2.5 hours.[1] Expect check in, a briefing and a harness fitting before you step out onto the platform, with waiting time depending on how busy the day is, so leave a margin either side if you have plans afterwards. The instructor speaks English.[1] One operator's guide describes the free fall in bungee jumping as lasting about 5 seconds and reaching about 70 km/h.[15] The countdown, the hush on the platform and the first pull of the cord are the parts most people remember.
Getting to the Kawarau Bungy Centre from Queenstown
From Queenstown, the Kawarau Bridge Bungy Centre is around a 25-minute drive (23 km) via State Highway 6.[3] The road climbs out of town over the saddle and then drops into the gorge, with lookouts over the river and rows of vines on the terraces above. Driving yourself gives you the most flexibility, and there is parking at the site. Allow extra time on winter mornings, when shaded corners of the highway can be icy, and keep an eye out for cyclists on the gorge road.
The gorge has a longer story than the bungy platform. Gold was first discovered in the Kawarau Gorge in the early 1860s, sparking a rush that transformed Central Otago.[16] Old stone walls and tailings are still visible along the valley, and the vineyards that fill the flats today are a much later crop. Queenstown welcomed 412,897 international visitors in 2024.[17] In peak season, book your slot before you arrive rather than turning up and hoping for a gap, and give yourself a buffer if you are driving out in traffic.
from US$188
The Kawarau Bridge Bungy listing in Queenstown starts here and runs for 1 to 2.5 hours, with the group limited to 6 participants.[1]
Age, weight and safety rules to check first
At AJ Hackett the minimum age to bungy jump is 10 years old, the minimum weight is 35kg and the maximum weight is 235kg.[2] If you are booking for a child, or for someone close to either end of that weight range, check the details before you pay. Mention any medical conditions when you check in, and take the crew's advice on whether the jump is right for you. Jumping is as much about nerve as about fitness, and the team talks plenty of first timers through it every day.
New Zealand treats adventure activities seriously. 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.[6] Regulation does not replace your own judgement. Listen to the briefing, follow the crew's instructions, ask questions if anything is unclear, and speak up if you are not comfortable with the harness or the setup. The age and weight limits exist for good reasons, so do not try to talk your way around them.
Cheaper thrills at the same site
The Kawarau Zipride runs from the same centre and starts from US$29.[8] It is a 130m long zipline, and according to AJ Hackett's team the highest speed reached on it is 60 km/h.[18] That makes it a gentle option for anyone in the group who would rather not jump, or a warm up before the main event. It is also a good way to see the bridge and the river from a different angle, and it suits families who want a thrill without the free fall.
Further up the canyon, the Nevis Canyon Swing completes a 300m arc[19] and is listed from US$191.[5] On the river below Kawarau Bridge, rafting trips end with a 400 meter long, grade 3/4 rapid.[20] Both work well as a second activity if the weather closes in on your jump day, and both keep their own schedules, so you can book them around the jump rather than on the same ticket. If you are building a full adventure trip, spread the big activities across separate days.
When to book and what to wear
Booking online lets you check availability to see starting times for your date, and the listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] You can also reserve now and pay later.[1] Slots run through the day, so pick a time that leaves a buffer for the drive out and for check in. An early slot leaves the rest of the day free, which matters on a short Queenstown stay with several activities to fit in.
The gorge is exposed to wind and rain, and jumps can be paused if conditions turn. Bring a warm layer, tie back long hair, and wear closed shoes you do not mind leaving on the platform. Ask at check in about photos and video of your jump, and about anywhere to store a bag or a camera while you are on the bridge. In winter, add gloves and a hat for the wait, and keep a spare dry layer in the car for the drive back to town.
Heights of the AJ Hackett Queenstown area sites
Kawarau Bridge is 43 metres above the water[13] and the Nevis site is 134m with the Ledge at 47m[21].
Listed from-prices in US dollars
From-prices in US dollars from GetYourGuide listings:[1][4][5][8][9]
When to book your jump
How booking works
Pick a date
Check availability to see starting times for the Kawarau Bridge Bungy listing on your dates.[1]
Check the limits
Minimum age 10, minimum weight 35kg and maximum weight 235kg at AJ Hackett.[2]
Book and hold it
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later.[1]
Plan the drive
The Bungy Centre is around a 25-minute drive (23 km) from Queenstown via State Highway 6.[3]
Allow enough time
The listing runs for 1 to 2.5 hours, so build in a buffer before your next booking.[1]
Ready to jump the original Kawarau Bridge site?
from US$189Reserve now & pay later
