Bike Tours Cromwell

Enjoy a fantastic days Cycling experience on Central Otago's Lake Dunstan Trail and our premium e-bike hire.


The Lake Dunstan Trail flaunts the best of Central Otago's natural beauty and begins from the quaint Heritage township of Cromwell.


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 (coffeeafloat.co.nz for menu and opening times, 21km 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 at Clyde to return. We only hire new well maintained 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 ride the e-bikes in 4 different settings with the motor either being in the Eco, Normal or High 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. What will we provide:

A team member who will set up your bikes for you, provide a safety briefing and then meet you at Clyde to return you to Cromwell A new well maintained 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.

This product is for experienced and active cyclists only - remember, and you may not yet believe it - gravel is the new road - one of the fastest growth sectors in the cycling industry. If you are not regularly riding drop-bar road bikes then these bikes are not for you. Please choose either our e-bike or standard bike option instead. These will be a more comfortable ride.


In partnership with ilabb - one of NZ's leading adventure and sporting brands - you can hire one of our fleet of ilabb gravel bikes (based on a Scott Speedster Gravel Bike, 2x11, flat pedals with Maxxis 40mm tires). Please note that these bikes have both front and rear gears and harder seats than all of our other bikes. They do not have rear trunk bags so you will carry what you need on the ride. Our gravel bikes are designed for great trail riding. If you are a regular drop handlebar road cyclist and you want to try something different on the trails, without any 'e' assistance, this could be for you. Similar to any normal road bike the gears are within the brake levers. Please do not ride these bikes if you are not a regular cyclist. Specialized Camber helmet hire is included in the rental price.
Riders meet at the Cromwell Junction Lookout at 0930hrs (please be there 10 minutes early to allow for a prompt start). Shuttles available from Wanaka Lakefront bus stop at 0830hrs. You will be shuttled back to the Junction Lookout at 1500hrs which means that you will be back at your car for 1530hrs. If you are catching a bus from Queenstown please aim to arrive at Cromwell bus station at 0900hrs. On the return nzbiketrails will drop the bus passengers off at the station in Cromwell and 99% of the time you will make the 1530hrs bus back to Queenstown. If you miss this then there is another bus back to Queenstown around 1800hrs.
On the Lake Dunstan Trail you will have up to 5 hours between the start of the ride and the shuttle departure in Clyde. The Lake Dunstan Trail is 42km of riding with two significant climbs. If you are likely to ride through all of stops our Guest Experience Manager can advise on an additional loop once you get to Clyde. This could increase the ride up to approximately 70-75km with possibly some time to stop for a quick drink.
Riders should be between 165cm and 195cm tall.

After your ride take a look at the local ilabb stores in both Wanaka and Queenstown and enjoy a 15% discount as an nzbiketrails ilabb rider.



Please only choose this gravel bike option if you are an experienced rider. If you are not an experienced rider please select the e-bike option (recommended) or the regular bike option.

Enjoy a fantastic days experience on Central Otago's Lake Dunstan Trail including our premium e-bike hire, all shuttles, management of your experience and a return shuttle - or even a Dunstan Explorer boat upgrade. The Dunstan Trail is a 2-way trail and is a great ride in both directions. The benefit of starting the ride in Clyde is that you are on the Mountainside of the trail and not the lakeside close to the edge. The disadvantage of choosing a Clyde start is that the prevailing breeze is often towards you. Two thirds of the riders on the trail ride from Cromwell to Clyde. We believe it is a great ride either way and the direction that you choose is dependent on your travel plans, accommodation and own personal plans. Please continue if you want to select 'meet in Clyde'. If you would like to 'Meet in Cromwell' please pick the correct product option. For information David's favourite direction is Cromwell to Clyde, Alexine's (his wonderful wife) is Clyde to Cromwell!



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 first 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 3 potential stops on this ride. These are 1) Burger and Coffee Afloat (after approx. 22km) 2) the Carrick Winery (after approx. 31km) and 3) the Cromwell Heritage Centre. Our recommendation, when riding from Clyde to Cromwell, is to stop at the Carrick Winery for pizza's and drinks prior to riding the final 8-13km (45mins to 1 hour of actual riding without stopping at the Heritage Centre) to either meet the shuttle return or the boat if you have upgraded.. 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, Normal or High 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: A team member who will drive you, set up your bikes for you, provide a safety briefing and be available during the ride on a direct phone number.. 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. All the required shuttles and pickups to get you back to your starting point. nzbiketrails will manage all the logistics required with the Dunstan Explorer including booking and payment. Leave the worrying to nzbiketrails and just enjoy your experience. Please note: nzbiketrails and the Dunstan Explorer do not take any commission off each other for providing and selling the others services. Our focus is to give our customers a fantastic experience and work together to show the best of the Dunstan Trail and give our guests a brilliant experience. nzbiketrails is the Dunstan Explorers largest bike partner and offers this package at less than half the price of some other Luxury Trail Companies.

Pickups available from Wanaka Lakefront at 0830, Luggate (opposite Luggate Hotel 0840), Marsden Resort at Pisa Moorings (0900), Cromwell McNulty Inlet (0910 - if you are driving please select this location so your car is where the boat docks later in the afternoon). Please be at the pickups 10-15 mins early as we always try to make a prompt departure to enable us to get on the trails earlier than other holiday companies.

Enjoy a fantastic days experience on Central Otago's Lake Dunstan Trail including our premium e-bike hire, all shuttles, management of your experience and a return trip on the Dunstan Explorer boat.


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 pickups from Wanaka through 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 drop you off at the Dunstan Explorer approximately 2km away. 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. All the required shuttles and pickups to get you back to your starting point. nzbiketrails will manage all the logistics required with the Dunstan Explorer including booking and payment. Leave the worrying to nzbiketrails and just enjoy your experience. Please note: nzbiketrails and the Dunstan Explorer do not take any commission off each other for providing and selling the others services. Our focus is to give our customers a fantastic experience and work together to show the best of the Dunstan Trail and give our guests a brilliant experience. nzbiketrails is the Dunstan Explorers largest bike partner and offers this package at less than half the price of some other Luxury Trail Companies.

Pickups available from Wanaka Lakefront at 0830, Luggate (opposite Luggate Hotel 0840), Marsden Resort at Pisa Moorings (0900), Cromwell McNulty Inlet (0910 - if you are driving please select this location so your car is where the boat docks later in the afternoon). Please be at the pickups 10-15 mins early as we always try to make a prompt departure to enable us to get on the trails earlier than other holiday companies.

Enjoy a fantastic days experience on Central Otago's Lake Dunstan Trail including our premium bike hire, all shuttles, management of your experience and a return trip on the Dunstan Explorer boat.


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 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 new bikes - Sinch e-bikes and Specialized Rockhopper Elite Mountain Bikes. This experience is about enjoyment. It's not a race! 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 pickups from Wanaka through 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 drop you off at the Dunstan Explorer approximately 2km away. A new well maintained 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. All the required shuttles and pickups to get you back to your starting point. nzbiketrails will manage all the logistics required with the Dunstan Explorer including booking and payment. Leave the worrying to nzbiketrails and just enjoy your experience. Please note: nzbiketrails and the Dunstan Explorer do not take any commission off each other for providing and selling the others services. Our focus is to give our customers a fantastic experience and work together to show the best of the Dunstan Trail and give our guests a brilliant experience. nzbiketrails is the Dunstan Explorers largest bike partner and offers this package at less than half the price of some other Luxury Trail Companies.

One of New Zealand’s most visually spectacular and intriguing day rides, this trail follows the Clutha River and Lake Roxburgh, flanked by steep rugged cliffs and passing historic gold mining sites set amidst graceful willows, native shrubs and fragrant thyme. nzbiketrails starts the trail close to the Clyde Dam and then you follow the Clyde to Alexandra river trail for a nice and easy 12km ride before entering the Roxburgh Gorge to follow the stunning 10km trail to Doctors Point before you are transferred by Jet Boat (or a covered boat in Winter) to Shingle Creek before riding another 11km to the finish at the end of the trail at the Roxburgh Dam. This ride can be combined with the Dunstan Trail and by request we can arrange overnight accommodation for you as required.


The Jet-Boat booking is included (@ $155pp) and is managed by nzbiketrails as part of your experience.



For this trail riders should be over the age of 12 years and taller than 145cm.



Please note: The Roxburgh Trail has a boat transfer part way down the trail (included) which you need to ensure that you make the booked time. The boat cannot wait as it will impact other guests riding the trail that day. There is also very little mobile signal along the trail. This ride also has no cafe's or refreshments on the trail. You will need to take snacks and water with you (not included) which can be stored in the 8L Topeak trunk bags that are on the back of your bikes. When the nzbiketrails team completes this ride themselves we will normally have breakfast before starting the ride (Olivers and the Recharge Bar are normally open early in Clyde) and then we will eat on our return to Clyde (Post Office Cafe and Bar, Recharge Bar and Olivers are great locations). We will take snacks or a mini-picnic to have once we have arrived at Doctors Point and are waiting for our boat transfer.


What should I expect from this experience: The Roxburgh Gorge is a fantastic trail. If you loved the Dunstan Trail you will love this trail as well. 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, bridges and dirt tracks. There is no road access to the trail from the Alexandra Bridge to the Roxburgh Dam (33km including the boat transfer) so you will need to be properly prepared for this ride. In case of an emergency incident you will not have a mobile phone signal and will be unable to make an emergency 111 call. You will be reliant on other riders (normally from your own group) to help you exit the trail or contact the emergency services when they get to a mobile signal. Riders should be a minimum of 145cm, over the age of 12 years and able to use gears on a bike. At times there are narrow trails with steep drops alongside. All riders should be competent, confident and safe riders. We only hire new well maintained 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 ride the e-bikes in 4 different settings with the motor either being in the Eco, Normal or High 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 High on up the 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. What will we provide: A team member who will set up your bikes for you, provide a safety briefing and then meet you at the Roxburgh Dam to return you to Clyde A new well maintained 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.