Bike Tours Wanaka

DESCRIPTION:
Make the most of your time in Wanaka and cover more land in less time on one of our new model E-Bikes.
ABOUT THE E-BIKE
Take control of the trail with a hardtail e-bike. E-bikes allow you to go further, go faster and they allow you to climb with greater ease and comfort, the perfect formula for an enjoyable day on the trail.
Full Day E-Bike Hire is normally between the hours of 9am to 5pm, alternative times may be requested and because we do not have a retail shop, our drop off times may vary based on our 08:30/10:30 shuttle departures.
Includes Helmet / bike lock.
Bikes are collected from outside the iSite Information Centre or local accommodation pick up/drop off can be arranged depending on the days tour bookings.
All bikes must be returned before 5pm. A late penalty fee will apply for bikes returned after 5pm. Please refer to our terms and condition on our website for further details.


T&C’s
Please visit our website for Terms and Conditions of rental.

The Ride
Our experienced local support crew will collect you from outside the Wānaka iSite and deliver you to the start. If we have on-board riders for our Lake Hāwea to Lake Wānaka experience, we will drop them off first
The Ultimate bike ride will take you on an adventure through a number of local gravel cycle tracks. Starting in the hidden haven of John Creek, nestled among trees in the south-east corner of Lake Hāwea, this self-guided cycle ride will lead you all the way back to the township of Lake Wānaka.
The ride begins along the Gladstone Track, a section of the Te Araroa Track and the newest track in the area, offering some of the most scenic views of Lake Hāwea. The total distance is 37km, but you can add extra distance by continuing along the Lakeside trail towards Waterfall Creek once you reach Wanaka.
Activity Schedules: We operate this ride with our 08:30/ & 10:30 shuttle to Lake Hawea. Whilst it is possible to book the 12:30 shuttle, we do not automatically include this time as it makes it more difficult for you to complete the ride before 5pm. At 5pm we collect the bikes from our collection area in town. If you do decide to start at 12:30 then you will have to “get motoring” to complete your ride before our 5pm cutoff time.
What We Provide
· Shuttle from Wānaka to John Creek. Departures leave at the scheduled time from outside the Wānaka iSite
· Latest-model mountain bike, helmet & bike lock
· Helmet and bike lock
· All bikes have a water bottle cage.
· Comprehensive trail safety briefing with a route guide printed map
· On-call breakdown support if needed
· Bike pickup at the end of the day
What You Should Bring
· Day bag or backpack (for those larger water bottles or extra clothing layers)
· Plastic water bottle (fits bike bottle cage)
· Shorts and T-shirt
· Sturdy closed-toe footwear
· Windbreaker jacket
· Sunglasses & sunscreen
· Mobile phone (our Support Crew Member will hand you an emergency contact card)
Food & Refreshments
· Pembroke Patisserie (Albert Town) usually closes at 2:00pm
· Refreshments are available at The Albie Tavern next door or nearby takeaway options
· The Hook Wānaka is open Wednesday to Sunday
If you’d like to pick up some emergency rations before starting the ride, our driver is happy to make a quick stop on the way to Hāwea.
Riding With Small Children
Children under 13-years riding bikes are not recommended, however, for children over 130cm, we do have limited numbers of 24” e-bikes. For young children being towed in a bike trailer, may find a short section of the trail challenging .
Our driver can Show you how to bypass this section, or advise where children can safely dismount and walk
The remainder of the ride is well suited to families. Please note that the trails are gravel with some undulations , and basic bike-handling skills are required.

Minimum & Maximum Numbers
· Minimum: 2 participants*
· Maximum: 10 participants
* Each shuttle has a maximum of 10 passengers. We often have single participants joining us for the activity. If you are a solo participant and you are the first person to book for the particular day and time then you will join our “pending” list for this activity. We recommend that you choose the “Bank Transfer” payment option, then when the booking moves to “Confirmed” status we will send you a payment link if your preferred payment method is credit card.
Important Information you need to know
RIDE DURATION : Take your time, Full-Day Hire, most people complete the ride in 4 hours. All riders need to finish by 5pm at the very latest. E-bike riders usually ride this 37km route in 3-3.5hrs and Regular MTB riders take a little over 4hrs to complete the ride.
DIFFICULTY: Easy, however, some rutted areas which require concentration and consideration. We do not generally suggest that children under 13-years complete this ride.
TERRAIN : Smooth easy mainly flat gravel tracks most of the way, some rutted areas closer to Albert Town.
FITNESS LEVEL: Moderate fitness required Bookings & Enquiries
Pre-bookings are essential.
For more information, please call or email us at hello@wanakabiketours.co.nz
For larger groups, custom tours can be arranged — just get in touch with us to discuss your requirements.

The Ride

We offer shuttle services for you and your bikes between Wanaka and Cromwell, as well as between Clyde and Cromwell. The trail between these towns offers amazing views of Lake Dunstan and the Pisa Range, and we recommend using one of our e-bikes for this ride. If you have your own bikes and only need transportation, please give us a call, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you if we have an exist group booking.

The full Lake Dunstan cycleway from Clyde to Smiths Way is 57km, but the more popular route between Cromwell and Clyde is approximately 42km. This stunning ride features views of the mountains, Lake Dunstan, the Kawarau River, and the Cromwell Gorge. The trail is now graded 1-3 (easiest, easy, and intermediate) due to some steep, narrow sections and drop-offs. If you’re not a regular cyclist or haven’t ridden in a while, we recommend starting with an easier trail like the Lake Hawea River Trail. The Cromwell Gorge section is not suitable for young children in trailers or tag-alongs due to narrow paths. Children on 24″ bikes or larger should be fine, but they need appropriate gearing, fitness, and bike handling skills.

If you’re bringing your own bike, please ensure it has been recently serviced and that you have a puncture repair kit, pump, chain breaker, and missing links. While this is not a beginner’s ride, it is manageable with common sense and caution. There are two large climbs with high-speed descents, sharp corners, and limited road access for support. However, the ride is also an engineering marvel with sections bolted onto cliff faces, climbs up to 150m high, and an 85m swing bridge. The trail is currently bi-directional, so please be cautious on blind corners.

We recommend stopping at the top of the climbs to enjoy the stunning lake views.

Main Highlights:

• Stunning lake and mountain views
• Ride across the Hugo Suspension bridge!
• Ride the Clip-ons
• Climb to the summit(s)
• Vineyards
• Floating “Afloat” Coffee and burger Cafe (halfway point)

What We Provide

• Shuttle from Wanaka to Cromwell or Clyde Departures leave at 08:30am from outside the Wānaka iSite
• Shuttle from Cromwell to Clyde or Clyde to Cromwell Departures leave at 09:30am from the Junction lookout
• Bike Hire (includes Helmets) – standard and e-bikes
• Thorough trail briefing with detailed map of the ride
• All bikes have a water bottle cage.
• Comprehensive trail safety briefing with a route guide printed map

What You Should Bring

• Day bag or backpack (for those larger water bottles or extra clothing layers)
• Plastic water bottle (fits bike bottle cage)
• Shorts and T-shirt
• Sturdy closed-toe footwear
• Windbreaker jacket
• Sunglasses & sunscreen
• Mobile phone (our Support Crew Member will hand you an emergency contact card)

Food & Refreshments

On route there is a unique floating coffee and burger cart at the midway point and also for those starting from Clyde, the Carrick Vineyard is well worth visiting. Take your time and enjoy the ride along the side of beautiful Lake Dunstan, and visit the shops, and cafes either end at Cromwell or Clyde.

Riding With Small Children

We do not recommend this activity for children under 13-yrs of age.  All participants must be 135cm and above.

Minimum & Maximum Numbers

• Minimum: 4 participants*
• Maximum: 10 participants

*Each shuttle has a maximum of 10 passengers.  We often have single participants joining us for the activity.  If you are a solo participant and you are the first person to book for the particular day and time then you will join our “pending” list for this activity.  We recommend that you choose the “Bank Transfer” payment option, then when the booking moves to “Confirmed” status we will send you a payment link if your preferred payment method is credit card.

Important Information you need to know

RIDE DURATION: Allow 3-4 hours for the ride (on an e-bike allow 3hrs) but there is no need to rush this awesome ride.

DIFFICULTY: Intermediate.

TERRAIN: Gravel tracks all of the way, two challenging climbs, several switchbacks, and blind corners. Recommended for competent and confident riders. It is largely an easy grade 2 ride with sections of grade 3.

FITNESS LEVEL: Intermediate, you need to be used to riding bikes on a regular basis.

You also should be aware of

If you are not a confident rider this cycle trail is not recommended for you. There are several climbs, with switchbacks along with blind corners, drop-offs, and the trail is also bi-directional.

Please note: Between Cornish Point and Clyde there are large sections of the trail with no or limited cell phone coverage and also no alternate road access for support and once you start the ride there is no going back!

Bookings & Enquiries

Pre-bookings are essential.

For more information, please call or email us at hello@wanakabiketours.co.nz

For larger groups, custom tours can be arranged — just get in touch with us to discuss your requirements

For those who prefer to self-drive from Wanaka or Queenstown, we meet you at a designated location in Cromwell to provide bikes or shuttle services. A minimum of four passengers is required for shuttles; single bookings will be waitlisted.

For groups of 8 or more, please email us at hello@wanakabiketours.co.nz to reserve a date and inquire about our group rates.

Please book well in advance, as last-minute bookings may be unavailable.