River Valley Lodge Reviews

Superb experience Awesome experience scenic rafting down the stunning gorge with super experienced, professional and engaging guide and owner. The whole day was memorable with a beautiful e-bike ride back to the lodge followed by hot tub staring up at the gorge and delicious home- cooked food in the cosy lodge with an open fire - and a glass of wine. Lovely friendly crowd. Nothing better.

Great experience at River Valley We stayed in a river room & had great accom + the lodge itself has everything you need from amazing food (Miranda is an amazing chef), friendly staff, a nice bar, plenty of indoor & outside seating, outdoor games and a nice fire when its cold. Janey, Max, Hazel and the rafting guides are friggen awesome. They are really friendly, safety focussed, love some banter, and supportive for those not as confident on the water. Thanks for your great hospitality, we will be back!

Exceptional day, amazing horses, great facilities, we will be returning. What an amazing ride. Spectacular views. Our guide Katie was amazing. I loved the fact the beautiful horses we halter and rope ridden. A couple more canters would have been great, but we did get a few in.

Brilliant experience A brilliant challenging adventure, over the 4 days we biked 200km. Jamie and Brian were awesome guides, making the adventure safe and absolutely fantastic. They totally accommodated for all the needs of our group. I would really recommend the experience. Jacque.

Overnight stay I didn't attend one of the trips, but booked in for accommodation for an evening. What a fantastic stay! Lovely room, incredible dinner with the owners and one of the horse trekking groups. Definitely felt like one of the family. Thanks for such an awesome evening River Valley, will definitely be back when next in this beautiful part of the country.

River valley, NZ horse trek The people were wonderful. We showed up a day early due to our mistake on their reset day. They quickly adjusted their routine to make sure we were accommodated. They treat you like family. The rides were awesome! The varied terrain and vistas were breathtaking. The horses were very well trained and dependable. The food was 5 star! I highly recommend this trek. They also provide other activities like rafting and biking if you are looking for variety.

Great Bike Rides , too. We have gone twice now with frieds to do Back Country Ride and Moa Goa rides. Both fab rides and do able by most peole with average bike skills and fitness. Highly recomend. Plus stay the night- great food and accommodation.Book your selves in to go.

Awesome visit What an amazing place to visit and a wonderful experience. All the staff are like one giant family and you are made to feel at home very quickly. Never having done anything like this, we had a fabulous trip. The scenery was beautiful and it was such good fun. The hardest thing was getting in and out of the wet suit! The food is awesome and I loved the fact that dinner was always a surprise dependent on the produce available on the day.

An exciting adventure! Professional, friendly and easy going guides. The rafting was an exciting experience for my teenage boys. A really lovely experience all round. The Chef made us some yummy hot chocolates to come back to when we were cold and wet and a killer dessert after dinner! I highly recommend booking the spa or sauna post trip.

Awesome family trip, where we felt like our every need was catered for. Our family did the Epic 3 day trip. Amazing experience, great guides, organisation and real hand prepared food. Highly recommend!

Rafting on the Rangitikei River We took the scenic rafting tour down the Rangitikei River. It covers 14 km of stunning scenery and is suitable for anyone as the rapids are just grade 1 and 2. Stephanie, our guide, was very experienced and informative. Part of the river was filmed for Lord of the Rings. We also clambered up a side stream knicknamed Jurassic Valley because of the fossils there. Afternoon included delicious home baking and was enjoyed sitting on rocks at the side of the river. We stayed at Tarata in the newly built Treehouse lodge. It was impeccably clean and comfortable. We took advantage of the kitchen facilities but it is possible to buy meals prepared by the family who own the business.

Amazing Just completed an 8 day Globetrotting horse ride at River Valley - my best ever 😊. From the moment Brian collected us we knew we were going to have a ball. Nicola and Katie matched the riders and horses perfectly and the scenery was stunning. Miranda - the fresh home grown and cooked food was unexpectedly 5 star. The added benefits of sauna, spa and river swims made afternoon returns a pleasure. The white water rafting on the last day was SO much fun. I’ll definitely find a way back to River Valley.

Excellent safe and scenic adventure Excellent scenic adventure with Lupe who kept us all safe and well informed . The scenery is just spectacular and the company makes it very special.

Amazing stay! What an incredible experience! We stayed at River Valley for one evening and did the white water rafting experience. River Valley is a wonderful place to stay - set in a beautiful remote valley right in on the river. The staff were super friendly and we had dinner and breakfast prepared using foods they had grown - both meals were incredible. I was very scared to do the white water rafting but it was so fun and I would highly recommend! The staff are extremely well trained and professional and ensure that you feel safe and enjoy yourself. One of the highlights of my trip to NZ

River adventure Great trip, well organized and run with emphasis on safety. Amazing scenery and a great adventure with friends The guides were knowledgeable and supportive of us amateurs.

Awesome spot We stayed at the lodge for 2 nights with friends and colleagues. The accommodation was excellent and the food exceptional. The food is sourced from the property and is amazing. The team couldn't have done any more to make us feel welcome and cared for. I would highly recommend the venue for groups and family's. Lots to do also with rafting options, horse riding and mountain biking.

Simply Stunning What a wonderful experience. Fantastic team looked after us every step of the way. We stayed 2 nights and it exceeded our expectations. We ate such beautiful home grown and cooked food. Cannot begin to explain the love put into the cooking..beautiful! Rooms are really comfortable, with the option of spas, saunas and a dip in the pristine waters of the river. We went rafting and were very well looked after by safety conscious guides. An amazing time. Thank you so much!

An absolute must on your holiday, you won’t regret it! Amazingly scenic lodgings. You are in the absolute middle of nowhere, the nearest town is 30km away. I am currently writing this after my wife and I went on the scenic rafting tour ($230 NZD pp for 4.5 hours of gentle rafting and a picnic lunch included). The views are absolutely extraordinary. We arrived late the day before (6:50pm) but the welcome couldn’t have been warmer, it was like we were the last of the family group to arrive for a holiday. Janey was all smiles, immediately said to not worry about checking in or any of that “let’s get you fed”. While we were waiting to eat we had a couple of the team come over and explain what we could do activities-wise (rafting, e-biking, horse trekking, massages, hot tub) and then we had a mountain of food - all included. Genuinely one of the most welcoming places in a country famous for its warm welcomes. We also booked the hot tub for after our rafting and that was sublime! The one thing I would say is that this is not the Hilton or the Ritz. I suspect some of the poor reviews are from people who have been pampered! It’s an incredibly high standard for a rustic, out-of-the-way location! Big thanks to Janey, Hannah and Lupa (enthusiasm so infectious you feel guilty leaving!) Thank you!!

Unbelievably good! My 3rd trip specifically for the incredible horse riding trips they offer. Ive done two 8 Day rides and this year a 3 day ride and 4 night stay. Very comfortable lodgings and the food is all grown organically and sustainably on the property. Unbeatable - the horses, people, place, food and the whole experience. Loads of fun and spectacular terrain for those that are experienced in the saddle.

Loved it!! Loved this place and have regretted leaving ever since, we should have stayed longer! Staff were fab, facilities were excellent, whitewater rafting was one of the best experiences we have had - total beginners and we did the Grade 5, it was exhilarating and a total joy. Loved staying in the bus and having a bath with a view! Food was excellent, local and hearty portions. This will be our top recommendation to friends!