The Whanganui River, which flows through the city and north into the Whanganui National Park, is one of New Zealand's Great Walks — a three-to-five day canoe journey through remote river gorges, past historic settlements, and through forest that feels far from the rest of the country. The river journey is rated as one of the most scenic in the Southern Hemisphere.
Canoe rentals and guided river journeys are available from operators in Wanganui and Pipiriki. The journey is suitable for beginners in a canoe, as the river has no dangerous rapids. The iconic Bridge to Nowhere — a concrete bridge built in the 1930s for a settler road that was never completed — is accessible from the river and worth the day walk in from Mangapurua Landing.