Wanaka & Hawea Cycle Trails Incl. Bike Rental & Shuttle using Regular MTB or E-bike Upgrade Option

The Ride

We shuttle you from Wānaka to the Hāwea Esplanade Reserve.  The self-guided ride starts at the edge of Lake Hāwea. From here, you will follow the well-signposted trails from Hāwea to Wānaka, riding along the Hāwea River, Upper Clutha River, and Te Araroa trails. 

The trail initially winds through to Albert Town, the perfect stop for refreshments before continuing alongside the mighty Clutha River, toward its source at Lake Wānaka. Finish with a beautiful lakeside ride back into town — reward yourself with an ice cream and snap a photo at the iconic #thatwānakatree ?

This 30km ride is relatively flat, scenic, and family-friendly, taking you all the way back to Wānaka township.

If time and energy allow, you’re welcome to continue riding further around the lakeside towards the legendary #thatwānakatree, or just return the bikes to our parking bays and park yourself up and relax at local café after your days’ activity.

What We Provide

·       Shuttle from Wānaka to Hāwea Departs 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.

Want to Ride Further

For those wanting a longer adventure, we recommend the Ultimate Wānaka Experience Tour. This self-guided option adds an extra 7km and includes the Gladstone Track extension. Bookings can be made directly through our website’s live booking system

Riding With Small Children

Children riding 24” bikes and upwards, or those 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.

Seasonal Note

During the Autumn and winter months, afternoon 12:30pm shuttles will drop riders at the Hāwea trail entrance to ensure the ride is completed before dark.

Important Information you need to know

RIDE DURATION: Take your time, Full-Day Hire, most people complete the ride in 3-4 hours. All riders need to finish by 5pm at the very latest. E-bike riders usually ride this 30km route in 2.5hrs and Regular MTB riders take a little over 3-hrs to complete the ride.

DIFFICULTY: Easy family-friendly, however, some rutted areas which require supervision. We suggest that children using bikes smaller than 24” should not complete this ride, however you can join us for a shortened version of the ride, The Albert Town to Wanaka Cycle Ride which is around 15km.

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