Bike Tours Wānaka

Approximately 2.5 hours of riding. With shuttles leaving Wanaka at 9am, 10.30am and 12.30pm you will have the rest of the day riding the local trails on your e-bike. Additional shuttles can be arranged by contacting nzbiketrails. Bikes are available for riders that are 8 years and older and taller than 130cm - Baby seats, trailers, Shotgun seats and tagalongs are also available for younger children in the booking options.
Booking is essential. If you require more details/availability please call/message David directly on + using mobile or Whatsapp.
Spend the day riding the Hawea and Wanaka Trails. Includes transport out to Hawea, e-bike hire, Safety briefing, Helmet, lock, repair kit, pump and bike pickup. Your bike will have two water holders that will fit up to a 700ml sports bottle. There is also an 8L Topeak day bag that attaches to the rear rack so you will not need to carry a rucksack on your back.
Ride from Hawea to Wanaka along the river trail. This is approximately a 30km ride which on an e-bike is a relatively easy family friendly ride. There are longer options available on your maps. Once you have arrived in Wānaka your bike will be collected by nzbiketrails.
The 10.30am shuttle will drop you at the end of the Gladstone Track. The 12.30pm shuttle will drop you at the trail entrance in Hawea.
If you want to stop at Pembroke Patisserie in Albert Town - which normally closes at 2pm - please make sure that you book the 9am or 10.30am shuttle to ensure enough time. The 12.30pm shuttle may not allow enough time to stop at the Patisserie.

You will need to bring water, suncream and mobile phone. Enjoy your ride and stop enroute at Pembroke Patisserie or Hook in Albert Town. A great day out on our brand new fleet of Sinch e-bikes.
Children should be confident riders. From experience we recommend our E-bikes will be great for riders 8 years and over. We have recently introduced Sinch Mode 26 e-bikes for younger children and smaller adults and also Specialized Levo SL Kids 24" bikes. These bikes are similar to Mountain bikes with a battery and providing your child can handle a bike confidently and uses gears on their bikes at home these bikes will be suitable for 8 years+ (130cm+). Please contact us for options for riders 8 years and below if you require an e-bike.

Ride the Kawarau Gorge Trail with Official Trail Partner nzbiketrails with return transfers from Wanaka included.
Ride New Zealand's spectacular new Kawarau Gorge Trail with nzbiketrails from our base at Kinross Winery in the heart of the Gibbston Valley, riding through to Te Kano Winery, Bannockburn.
nzbiketrails will start this ride at the Kinross Winery. It is a great place to start because we genuinely love it. Like nzbiketrails, it's Qualmark Gold accredited, has an outstanding team, excellent food and wine and a relaxed atmosphere that perfectly complements a day on the bike. On your return from your ride there is no better place to relax, enjoy great food and have a celebratory drink after enjoying New Zealand's newest NZ Great Ride.
The Kawarau Gorge ride will be nearly 38km in length. It is graded Grade 1-3 (Easy to Intermediate) and includes a long remote section with approximately 30km between access points. This ride is for confident riders. If you have grown up with a bike and are confident on a bike, able to use gears and remain in full control of your bike you will love this ride. We will get you comfortable on our bikes before you start. If you enjoyed the lake Dunstan Trail you will love the Kawarau Gorge.
What makes the Kawarau Gorge Trail different?
Even if you've already ridden the Lake Dunstan Trail or Roxburgh Gorge, the Kawarau Gorge Trail offers a completely different experience. The trail follows the dramatic Kawarau River through steep schist cliffs and remote gorge scenery. The trail surface is similar to Lake Dunstan and Roxburgh Gorge, while the impressive cliff-mounted boardwalks are generally wider than those on Lake Dunstan to accommodate maintenance vehicles.
Because the gorge is deeper and narrower, you'll often experience cooler temperatures and stronger prevailing winds than on nearby trails. Mobile phone coverage is limited throughout much of the ride, and there is very little vehicle access, so we recommend riding with a friend or as part of a group rather than riding alone.
Photo credits : Southern Lakes Trail Trust (2025-2026) - images captured during construction of the Kawarau Gorge Trail.
nzbiketrails recommends e-bikes on all trails. You are currently on the page to book a Regular or Standard bike which is powered entirely by yourself (no assistance). Even if you are an active regular rider at home we would recommend riding e-bikes. David, our Founder, is a big regular bike rider but when he rides with his wife on a trail he always rides an e-bike. Alexine is a lot more petite, approximately half the weight of David, and on an e-bike she flies up the hills. On the flats her e-bike allows her to keep up with David (who has been described once as being 'like an Ox - powerful and he doesn't ease up!'). E-bikes just keep us together far better. nzbiketrails uses Sinch EZ 2.0 Trail Bikes and Trek Rail 8+ Full Suspension Trail Bikes. If you are looking to buy yourself a full suspension bike the Trek is definitely worth the upgrade costs - probably one of the best hire bikes on the trails.
Who is this ride suitable for?
On a Regular bike this ride is suitable for adults who are active regular bike riders. There are significant climbs on this trail and we DO NOT recommend regular bikes for casual cyclists, similar to the Dunstan Trail and Roxburgh Gorge we expect our bikes to be 96%+ of all of our bookings. Riders under 10 years old, under 140cm tall, or who aren't confident changing gears must ride one of our e-bikes rather than a Regular bike - see our e-bike hire option for the same trail.
Make it a cycling holiday
If you're travelling from further afield, we highly recommend staying at the Kinross Cottages. Just 25 minutes from Queenstown Airport, they are surrounded by vineyards and native landscapes, providing an ideal base for exploring Central Otago by bike.
Guests have a fantastic opportunity to combine several of the region's best rides, with nzbiketrails, into one holiday. With nzbiketrails we would recommend this order of rides to minimise additional transport hire ie a car - staying at our recommended partners will enable you to utilise nzbiketrails transport or shuttles:
Day 1 - Best of the Queenstown Trails - Staying at Kinross Winery
Day 2 - Kawarau Gorge Trail - Staying in Cromwell or Clyde (dependent on if you are riding the Roxburgh Gorge on Day 4)
Day 3 - Ultimate Lake Dunstan Trail Experience, including the scenic boat return
Day 4 - Roxburgh Gorge staying in Wanaka
Day 5 - Wanaka & Hawea Trails with a shuttle over to Queenstown at the end of the day
If you'd like us to organise your accommodation, bike hire, transport/shuttles, bag transfers and riding itinerary simply contact us at smiles@nzbiketrails.co.nz and we'll tailor a multi-day experience for you. Alternatively, you can book each ride individually and arrange the rest yourself.
What's included?
Your 'self-guided' experience includes:
- Trek Marlin 5 Hardtail
- Helmet - with MIPs or equivalent
- Direct phone access to your Guest Experience Manager throughout the day if assistance is required
- Safety briefing
- Bike lock, repair kit and pump
- One-way shuttle from Te Kano Winery, Bannockburn back to the Meeting Point at Kinross Winery
- 8-12L pannier bag (no backpack required)
- Bottle cage (suitable for bottles up to 700ml)
- Free 24hr cancellation Policy - also able to change the date of the ride at any point before the 24 hours at no cost (subject to availability).
What to bring
- Water
- Sunscreen
- A fully charged mobile phone

*Pickups available from Wanaka through to Cromwell. subject to availability. Shuttle departs Wanaka 0830hrs. Single bookings please call David on 027 202 8686 for booking single riders.

The Lake Dunstan Trail flaunts the best of Central Otago's natural beauty and begins from the quaint Heritage township of Cromwell. This trail is for confident and fit riders.

The trail seeps with history from the bygone gold rush days, and as you cycle the 42km ride (Grade 1-3) alongside the beautiful teal waters of Lake Dunstan, the Kawarau River and the Clutha River it will become clear to see why many early settlers chose to reside in this region.

What should I expect from this experience:

• The Lake Dunstan Trail is one of the most beautiful rides in the Country with absolutely stunning scenery. It is a 'Must Do' activity in the Otago Region.
• All riders should be physically fit, competent and confident riders. This is a self-guided trip so you can progress along the trail at your own speed, taking frequent stops to enjoy the fantastic views and overall experience. The trail is grade 1-3 with a mixture of gravel trails, boardwalks and dirt tracks. 
• There is no road access to the trail for the last 25km so you will need to be properly prepared for this ride. 
• We do not recommend bringing riders under 15 years old on this experience. At times there are narrow trails with steep drops alongside.  All riders should be competent, confident and safe riders.
• There are 4 potential stops on this ride. These are 1) the Cromwell Heritage precinct where you will start very close to so we don't recommend stopping this early, 2) the Carrick Winery (carrick.co.nz), Coffee Afloat/Burger Afloat (coffeeafloat.co.nz for menu and opening times, 17km into the ride just before the 2 big hills that your e-bike will nicely push you up!) and 4) the Historic town of Clyde with lots of Heritage Cafe's. Our recommendation is a very short 10 minute stop at the Carrick Winery for drinks and snacks, followed by a 30 minute stop at @coffeeafloatnz/@burgerafloat and then hopefully you will still have time to enjoy Clyde dependent on your progress prior to your pickup to return.
• We only hire new well maintained brand new premium Specialized Rockhopper Elite Regular Bikes. This experience is about enjoyment. These bike are available for those riders that are frequent riders at home and don't want an e-bike(!)  This experience is about Safety, Fun and Smiles with your party. It is not a race.

What should I bring:

• Bottled water in a bottle that will fit into a normal bike bottle holder
• Sunscreen
• Clothing appropriate for the weather conditions - you will have a holder on the back of your bike for anything that you do not need whilst riding ie jackets etc
• Phone/camera

What will we provide:

• Booking on this special package we will provide complementary luxury transfers from Wanaka to Cromwell for each participant (maximum 11 available in total)
• A team member who will drive you, set up your bikes for you, provide a safety briefing and then meet you at Clyde to return you to Wanaka
• A new well maintained Specialized Rockhopper Elite Regular Bike that you should love like a family member, care for on the ride and constantly talk to on your experience. Each of our bikes are individually named and cared for by an x-World Tour mechanic.
• Transfers between the start and finish location

*Pickups available from Wanaka through to Cromwell. subject to availability. Shuttle departs Wanaka 0830hrs.

The Lake Dunstan Trail flaunts the best of Central Otago's natural beauty and begins from the quaint Heritage township of Cromwell. This trail is for confident and fit riders.

The trail seeps with history from the bygone gold rush days, and as you cycle the 42km ride (Grade 1-3) alongside the beautiful teal waters of Lake Dunstan, the Kawarau River and the Clutha River it will become clear to see why many early settlers chose to reside in this region.

What should I expect from this experience:

• The Lake Dunstan Trail is one of the most beautiful rides in the Country with absolutely stunning scenery. It is a 'Must Do' activity in the Otago Region.
• All riders should be physically fit, competent and confident riders. This is a self-guided trip so you can progress along the trail at your own speed, taking frequent stops to enjoy the fantastic views and overall experience. The trail is grade 1-3 with a mixture of gravel trails, boardwalks and dirt tracks. 
• There is no road access to the trail for the last 25km so you will need to be properly prepared for this ride. 
• Riders should be taller than 140cm, 10 years and older and used to riding bikes with gears. At times there are narrow trails with steep drops alongside.  All riders should be competent, confident and safe riders.
• There are 4 potential stops on this ride. These are 1) the Cromwell Heritage precinct where you will start very close to so we don't recommend stopping this early, 2) the Carrick Winery (carrick.co.nz), Coffee Afloat/Burger Afloat (coffeeafloat.co.nz for menu and opening times, 17km into the ride just before the 2 big hills that your e-bike will nicely push you up!) and 4) the Historic town of Clyde with lots of Heritage Cafe's. Our recommendation is a very short 10 minute stop at the Carrick Winery for drinks and snacks, followed by a 30 minute stop at @coffeeafloatnz/@burgerafloat and then hopefully you will still have time to enjoy Clyde dependent on your progress prior to your pickup to return.
• We only hire new well maintained brand new premium e-bikes from New Zealand's Sinch brand. This experience is about enjoyment. It's not a race! These bikes will 'support' your riding style up to 32km/h and have a range designed to easily complete this ride. You can use the e-bikes in 4 different settings with the motor either being in the Eco, Trail or Turbo mode dependent on the level of support that you want.  For those riders that are frequent riders at home and don't want an e-bike(!) you can also ride the e-bike in the 'Off' mode - as passionate cyclists ourselves we love our e-bikes and even our most competent riders just love flicking Turbo on up the 2 hills with their family and friends. This experience is about Safety, Fun and Smiles with your party. It is not a race.

What should I bring:

• Bottled water in a bottle that will fit into a normal bike bottle holder
• Sunscreen
• Clothing appropriate for the weather conditions - you will have a holder on the back of your bike for anything that you do not need whilst riding ie jackets etc
• Phone/camera

What will we provide:

• Booking on this special package we will provide complementary luxury transfers from Wanaka to Cromwell for each participant (maximum 11 available in total)
• A team member who will drive you, set up your bikes for you, provide a safety briefing and then meet you at Clyde to return you to Wanaka
• A new well maintained Sinch e-bike that you should love like a family member, care for on the ride and constantly talk to on your experience. Each of our bikes are individually named and cared for by an x-World Tour mechanic.
• Transfers between the start and finish location

Transfer from Wanaka Bus Station at 0830 to Kinross Winery and ride the Kawarau Gorge Trail with Official Trail Partner nzbiketrails
Ride New Zealand's spectacular new Kawarau Gorge Trail with nzbiketrails from our base at Kinross Winery in the heart of the Gibbston Valley, riding through to Te Kano Winery, Bannockburn.
nzbiketrails will start this ride at the Kinross Winery. It is a great place to start because we genuinely love it. Like nzbiketrails, it's Qualmark Gold accredited, has an outstanding team, excellent food and wine and a relaxed atmosphere that perfectly complements a day on the bike. On your return from your ride there is no better place to relax, enjoy great food and have a celebratory drink after enjoying New Zealand's newest NZ Great Ride.
The Kawarau Gorge ride will be nearly 38km in length. It is graded Grade 1-3 (Easy to Intermediate) and includes a long remote section with approximately 30km between access points. This ride is for confident riders. If you have grown up with a bike and are confident on a bike, able to use gears and remain in full control of your bike you will love this ride. We will get you comfortable on our bikes before you start. If you enjoyed the lake Dunstan Trail you will love the Kawarau Gorge.
What makes the Kawarau Gorge Trail different?
Even if you've already ridden the Lake Dunstan Trail or Roxburgh Gorge, the Kawarau Gorge Trail offers a completely different experience. The trail follows the dramatic Kawarau River through steep schist cliffs and remote gorge scenery. The trail surface is similar to Lake Dunstan and Roxburgh Gorge, while the impressive cliff-mounted boardwalks are generally wider than those on Lake Dunstan to accommodate maintenance vehicles.
Because the gorge is deeper and narrower, you'll often experience cooler temperatures and stronger prevailing winds than on nearby trails. Mobile phone coverage is limited throughout much of the ride, and there is very little vehicle access, so we recommend riding with a friend or as part of a group rather than riding alone.
Photo credits: Southern Lakes Trail Trust (2025-2026) - images captured during construction of the Kawarau Gorge Trail.
nzbiketrails recommends e-bikes on all trails. nzbiketrails uses Sinch EZ 2.0 Trail Bikes which are great for all riders. These have a 630Wh battery and 85Nm of Torque. These bikes are designed to be great on these trails. Sinch is a New Zealand brand recommended by Consumer NZ. If you are a frequent rider and ride a full suspension bike at home, or are thinking of purchasing one, you may want to upgrade to one of our Trek Rail 8+ Full Suspension Trail Bikes (+$75pp). This is one of the best full suspension bikes that you can hire on the trails.
Who is this ride suitable for?
The minimum age for riders is 10 years old (140cm+ tall), riding e-bike only, and must be active riders at home who are comfortable changing gears and remaining in full control of their bike. We will get every rider comfortable on the e-bike before they start riding. nzbiketrails offers premium children's e-bikes including Specialized Turbo Levo SL 24-inch models and Sinch 26-inch e-bikes, allowing families to ride together comfortably.
Make it a cycling holiday
If you're travelling from further afield, we highly recommend staying at the Kinross Cottages. Just 25 minutes from Queenstown Airport, they are surrounded by vineyards and native landscapes, providing an ideal base for exploring Central Otago by bike.


Day 1 - Best of the Queenstown Trails - Staying at Kinross Winery
Day 2 - Kawarau Gorge Trail - Staying in Cromwell or Clyde (dependent on if you are riding the Roxburgh Gorge on Day 4)
Day 3 - Ultimate Lake Dunstan Trail Experience, including the scenic boat return
Day 4 - Roxburgh Gorge staying in Wanaka
Day 5 - Wanaka & Hawea Trails with a shuttle over to Queenstown at the end of the day


If you'd like us to organise your accommodation, bike hire, transport/shuttles, bag transfers and riding itinerary simply contact us at smiles@nzbiketrails.co.nz and we'll tailor a multi-day experience for you. Alternatively, you can book each ride individually and arrange the rest yourself.


What's included?
Your 'self-guided' experience includes:
- Premium Sinch e-bike hire or an upgrade to a Trek Rail 8+ Full Suspension E-bike
- Helmet - with MIPs or equivalent
- Direct phone access to your Guest Experience Manager throughout the day if assistance is required
- Safety briefing
- Bike lock, repair kit and pump
- One-way return shuttle from Te Kano Winery, Bannockburn back to the Meeting Point at Kinross Winery
- 8-12L pannier bag (no backpack required)
- Bottle cage (suitable for bottles up to 700ml)
- Free 24hr cancellation Policy - also able to change the date of the ride at any point before the 24 hours at no cost (subject to availability).


What to bring
- Water
- Sunscreen
- A fully charged mobile phone