Bike Tours Queenstown 9371

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. 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

Wow. What a ride this is! A 38km ride to Arthurs Point from the Kinross Winery (21km to Arrowtown if you want a shorter ride) along the Gibbston River, Arrow River Bridges and the newly launched (Oct 2024) Wharehuanui Trail to the Gantley Tavern at Arthurs Point.
Approximately 2.5 hours of actual riding on an e-bike. 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 (24hrs notice required).
Booking is essential. If you require more details/availability please call/message David directly on + using mobile or WhatsApp.
Spend the day riding the 'Best of the Queenstown Trails' - Including e-bike hire, Safety briefing, Helmet, lock, repair kit, pump and a one-way shuttle. 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.
We meet at our favourite location on the Gibbston River Trail - The Kinross Winery and Cellar Door - we love this place: Great food, a fantastic vibe, Qualmark Gold accredited and a fantastic team. Whenever our team ride this trail we love finishing up here for drinks and pizza.
Your ride will include the Gibbston River Trail, the Arrow River Bridges Trail to Arrowtown and after a short connecting trail the new Wharehuani Trail (launched Oct 2024) to Arthurs Point. At this end of the trail there is nowhere better to stop for a refreshing drink in a lovely garden than the Gantley Tavern - another favourite of ours.
If you decide to stop in Arrowtown and don't want to ride any further don't worry, just drop your Guest Experience Manager a message and we will pick you up on the way.
If you want accommodation we recommend the luxury accommodation at the Kinross Winery. Imagine booking a night, or a few nights, and enjoying 2 rides which actually start at Kinross and then a third ride being within a 20 minute drive. These rides include the 'Best of the Queenstown Trails', the new Kawarau Gorge ride (opening February 2026) and then you are within 20 minutes of the Lake Dunstan Trail.
You will need to bring water, suncream and mobile phone. Enjoy your ride and stop enroute at many great locations.
Children should be confident riders. From experience we recommend our E-bikes will be great for riders 8 years and over. We have 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+).

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