Wanaka Bike Tours have been operating cycle tours since 2005 and are recognized as the premium provider of cycle tours in the Wanaka area.  In 2023 we were again awarded the Travelers’ Choice Award by Trip Advisor. 

The Lake Dunstan Trail is a scenic cycling trail that winds its way alongside Lake Dunstan with truly amazingly constructed boardwalk links which pass over the water’s edge on more than one occasion.  

If travelling from Cromwell, the trail follows the Kawarau River from Old Cromwell Town to Bannockburn, and then through the Cromwell Gorge to the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, near Clyde.

This cycle project started in 2019 and cost a total of NZ$26million to complete.  Join us for this ride and experience why this we believe that the Dunstan Trail is the best single day ride in Central Otago.

If you are taking our Wanaka shuttle option then we depart from outside the Wanaka iSite (103 Ardmore Street) at 09:00hrs.  An alternative pick-up point is Cromwell where we meet you at 10:00am.  From there we decide which is the best starting point for the day, either Cromwell or Clyde.  Our local experienced drivers know how the wind blows through the gorge and therefore will advise you on the route that is most suitable on the day.

The ride is 42km in distance and along the way there are many highlights:

• The Historical Cromwell Township – Don’t miss spending a little time exploring this lovely quaint township.
• Carrick Vineyard for refreshments – A morning team stop if starting in Cromwell or afternoon tea stop if starting from Clyde.  Visit www.carrick.co.nz
• Don’t just ride past the amazing engineering on those Cantilevers and boardwalks, stop and take in the engineering marvel that it is
• Coffee Afloat / Burger Afloat A lunch stop no matter which direction you are travelling in, we recommend a 30-min break to have a coffee, burger or to just eat your packed lunch.  Visit www.coffeeafloat.co.nz for menu and opening times.
• Cairnmuir Ladder – a climb up to 350m and the high point of the Lake Dunstan, stop and take in the scenery
• The Views of Lake Dunstan – from almost everywhere, make sure you take in the views from all the vantage points along the route
• Historic Clyde – Again, if you are starting in Clyde then make sure you spend a little time cycling around the historic area before setting off or if we have started
  in Cromwell then stop for a lovely treat at Oliver’s Café.

Please allow 3-4 hours for this ride.  We only recommend using the Standard Mountain Bikes if you ride on a regular basis as we need to make sure all riders in the group finished safely and we will be at the finish waiting to either pick up the bikes and/or return you back to Wanaka.  We normally return to Wanaka between 4:00-4:30pm.

All of our self-guided tours include the basics such as bike hire (of course), a safety briefing, a helmet, a bike lock, an guide map and on-call breakdown (just in case, but not at all easy on this trail). Your bike will have a bottle cage which fits up to a 750ml plastic sports bottle (bottle/water not included). 

Have a large group of 10 or more?  We can also work with you to offer custom tours for large groups, just send us an email and we will see how we can help.

Pre-bookings are essential. If you require more details please call/or email us directly at  info@wanakabiketours.co.nz or +64 3 443 6363.

What should I bring:

• Bottled water in a plastic bottle that will fit into a normal bike bottle holder (750ml pump bottle fits).
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Sturdy footwear/Sports shoes
• Clothing appropriate for the weather conditions
• You should bring at least 1 backpack per group for anything that you do not need
  whilst riding i.e. jackets etc.
• Phone/camera

A few bits of advice:

• 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 2-3 with a mixture of gravel trails, boardwalks and dirt tracks, only suitable for people that ride bikes on a regular basis
• 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. We do however have a limited number of 26” e-bikes suitable for children above 140cm.
• This track is bi-directional, so you will be passing other riders on the trail. Keep to the left at all times when passing others