OUR NEW ZEALAND CYCLING TOURS
Lakes, Fiords & Mountains
Southern cycling highlights
This tour features Ebike-friendly trails, showcasing an incredible diversity of landscapes and the chance to check off some true gems on your ‘Bike It’ list! The legendary Around the Mountains Trail near Queenstown, the stunning Lake Dunstan Trail, and the scenic Lake2Lake Cycle Trail between Te Anau and Manapouri are unforgettable highlights.
Next Available Departure
01.12.2024 – 07.12.2024
$3725 (Ebike incl)
Queenstown to Queenstown
7 Days / 6 Nights
Easy / Moderate Cycling Tour
to your destination
Start
Queenstown ~ 9:30 to 10:15 am. Pick up options with tour confirmation
Finish
Queenstown ~ 10:00 am
Included
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Transport in minibus from/to Queenstown
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Support vehicle on entire tour
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2 days cycling on Around the Mountains Trail near Queenstown
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Cruise back to Queenstown on board the vintage TSS Earnslaw
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1/2 day cycling the Lake2Lake Trail
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1 day at your disposition in Fiordland region
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1 day cycling in Gibbston Valley wine region
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1 day cycling on Lake Dunstan Trail
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6 days Ebike hire including helmet and drink bottle cage
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6 nights in motels, holiday houses & cottages, apartments (twin room/shared bathroom)
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All transfers from/to daily start/finish of cycle track
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6x breakfast, 6x picnic lunch, 5x dinner (incl 1 pub meal in Mossburn), snacks
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Welcome drink first night
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Professional female guide plus a support driver
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All access and concession fees
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Detailed map & track brochure
Not Included
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Any travel costs from your home to/from Queenstown
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Travel insurance
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Personal expenses
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Optional activities (Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Kepler Track day tour etc) - please see this optional activities overview for more info
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Wine tasting in Gibbston Valley
Optional
Single Room Upgrades
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Single room/shared bathroom 6 nights $365
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Single room/ensuite bathroom 6 nights $480
Only limited single rooms available, early reservation recommended.
Double Room Options
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Double room/shared bathroom instead of Twin room, if you book with your partner
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Double room/ensuite bathroom, if you book with your partner - upgrade on request
Diet Adjustments
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Gluten-free ($5 per day)
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Dairy-free ($7 per day)
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Gluten-free & Dairy-free ($12 per day)
Other diet requirements (vegetarian, allergies, etc) will be catered for free
of charge. You will be sent a Diet Requirement Form before tour departure.
Preparing for your trip
Once you’ve booked, we will send you Trip Notes including a detailed Gear List
and other important information to help you prepare for your adventure ahead.
If you are looking for more information and inspiration for your tour, you may want to check out some of these interesting posts in our Sidetracks Women Blog:
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How to get fit for your first cycle tour - Part 1 Stretching
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May we introduce - your Ebike for your Lakes, Fiords & Mountains Cycle Tour
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Can I do a Sidetracks Women cycle tour on a standard bike rather than an Ebike?
Please don't hesitate to contact us.
This was my second tour with Sidetracks and once again Angelika and her team far exceeded my expectations. Everything about this tour was just magical, from the stunning scenery to the beautiful meals to the outstanding accommodation and of course a great group of women. Thank you for taking us in to show us the “true NZ “. Will definitely be back. Hilary
From $3725 per person
(incl Ebike)
min 6, max 10 participants
Dates
Season 2024/25
01.12.2024 – 07.12.2024 LFM24-0112
14.01.2025 – 20.01.2025 LFM25-1401
18.02.2025 – 24.02.2025 LFM25-1802
01.04.2025 – 07.04.2025 LFM25-0104
Are you a group of six or more?
We can customise any of our tours or organize a customized tour for your group. Please contact us.
Friendship Discount
Bring a friend along and you will both get $50 off your tour booking.
Welcome Voucher
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Get a $50 Welcome Voucher when you subscribe to our newsletter
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Mention the voucher code in your tour booking to receive the discount
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It is valid for 30 days from the date you subscribe
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It can not be combined with a Friendship Discount
Newsletter & fb Specials
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We regularly run specials, share interesting info and impressions of our tours. There are two ways we mainly communicate these - our newsletter and our facebook page
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To subscribe to our newsletter, write your email address in the field under JOIN US at the bottom of this page and click on SUBSCRIBE
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Click on this link to follow us on facebook
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Do both and you will never miss any of our specials!
Southern Highlights - The perfect cycle combo
This might just be the Ebike tour of your dreams. Discover the best the Queenstown region has to offer – cycle the most impressive sections of the Around the Mountains Trail, the beautiful Lake2Lake Trail from Te Anau to Manapouri, and see the Fiordland highlights you always wanted to visit. Then enjoy three nights in picturesque Arrowtown including a relaxed cycle day in the Gibbston Valley wine region before exploring the stunning Lake Dunstan Trail between Cromwell and Clyde. A vast array of landscapes, enjoyed in comfort and good company!
Day 1: Queenstown – Around the Mountains Trail - Cycle Day 1
You will be picked up by your guide in Queenstown around 9:30 to 10:15am and we start our new adventure. We drive by bus to the beginning of the Around the Mountains Trail at the southern tip of Lake Wakatipu in the village of Kingston. This little settlement earned fame as home to the historic steam train which shares its name – the Kingston Flyer.
After a tour briefing, we unload the bikes and get them fitted for you. Then it’s time to choose the nicest photo spot and hop onto our bikes. Off we are following the route of the Kingston Flyer railway track – past Fairlight Station – the Kingston Flier Steam Train destination.
Then we pass through gentle rolling land and the pretty Mataura valley. Surrounded by the Hector and Eyre mountains we cross some suspension bridges, dubbed by locals the Golden Gate Bridges, with great opportunities for photo stops! Riding through the historic townships of Garston and Athol, we reach today’s cycling destination of Five Rivers. Nestled like an oasis amongst rich countryside, it is an ideal place to end our first day. From here our van will take us to our accommodation in Mossburn, self-proclaimed deer capital of New Zealand but visually surrounded mainly by cows. The main attraction is most definitely the beautiful mountains all around. We celebrate our first riding day in front of this stunning setting with your welcome drink of choice and then enjoy our first dinner together in the local pub.
Cycling: 48 km, easy
Accommodation: Mossburn – Motel
Meals: L, D, S
Day 2: Lake2Lake Trail - Cycle Day 2, plus optional Water Taxi Ride & Stroll Lake Te Anau
In the morning we drive to Te Anau and can take the water taxi across the lake to Brod Bay (~15 Mins, optional). We enjoy a leisurely stroll through impressive native bush for about 1,5 hours back to the water control gates. Or maybe you prefer to spend these 2 hours in Te Anau township or just want to hang out by the lake? Then we get back onto our saddles and start on the picturesque Lake2Lake cycle trail connecting Lake Te Anau with Lake Manapouri, following the glistening Waiau River.
We arrive in Manapouri, which will be our base for the next two nights, with our accommodation just a stone’s throw from beautiful Lake Manapouri.
Cycling: 28 km, easy
Accommodation: Manapouri - Holiday Houses & Cottages
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 3: Fiordland / Te Anau Region
In Manapouri we are dwarfed by the mountains looming all around us and are right on the edge of the wonderfully rugged and remote Fiordland National Park. You have today off to do whatever you might still have on your bucket list – how about exploring either world-famous Milford Sound or the serene Doubtful Sound on a day tour? Or maybe you would like to visit the Te Anau Glowworm Caves? We can help you pre-arrange any of those tours if you wish.
Maybe you feel like stretching your legs a bit more after two days of cycling? If wandering along lake shores is not quite enough, how about walking part of one of Southlands’ Great Walks? The Kepler Track to Rainbow Reach or Luxmore Hut is well worth considering. Another option for a hike is the Circle Track in Manapouri, which requires a water taxi transfer over the Waiau River. Your guide can help with plenty of other suggestions and make any bookings from this plethora of optional activities. You can find more info on all your options in this optional activities overview.
Accommodation: Manapouri – Holiday Houses & Cottages
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 4: Around the Mountains Trail - Cycle Day 3
We are back on the saddle today and start off at the gorgeous Mavora Lakes. Nestled amongst a striking landscape of mountains, forest and tussock grass, the lakes are one of the awe-inspiring locations featured in the Lord of the Rings films and it is no wonder they are recognised as part of the Te Wāhipounamu/South-West New Zealand World Heritage Area. After some cycling through beech forest, the magnificent Von Valley opens up in front of us. There is a real sense of isolation, and the huge mountain and tussock landscape is vast.
We immerse ourselves in the native tussock wonderland and postcard views as we pedal through to the high-country farm of Mount Nicholas Station and eventually downhill to the shores of Lake Wakatipu. Here we are greeted with stunning views of alpine peaks and snow-covered Mount Earnslaw at the head of the lake. We follow the lakeside trail to Walter Peak Station, where the next highlight awaits us. The TSS Earnslaw is a century-old coal-fired steamship and the only remaining commercial passenger-carrying steamship in the Southern hemisphere. A cruise across picturesque Lake Wakatipu back to Queenstown on the iconic vintage steamship is the perfect end to our day’s cycle.
Our van will take quite a bit longer than us to make its way back to Queenstown, so we will change out of our cycle gear at Walter Peak Station and have time to stroll through Queenstown for 3-4 hours. Then we will drive to our accommodation for the next three nights in the charming historic Arrowtown, amidst gorgeous mountain views.
Cycling: 50 km, moderate
Accommodation: Arrowtown – Apartments
Meals: B, L, S
Day 5: Arrowtown - Gibbston Valley - Cycle Day 4
Today is especially attractive for all wine enthusiasts, and there really is no better way to enjoy Gibbston's 'Valley of Vines' than by bicycle. On a designated bike trail, we will ride along the meandering Arrow River, home of the gold rush in the 1800s. There will be photo opportunities galore with four historic suspension bridges criss-crossing the Arrow River. There are swimming holes and picnic spots along the willow-lined river's edge, so we'll take our time to enjoy our leisurely ride.
We will pass the historic Kawarau Bungy Bridge, home to the world's first commercial bungy jumping operation. The AJ Hackett Bungy Centre is a stunning piece of architecture and well worth a visit – there is a café, toilets and of course tickets for that bungy jump you've been promising yourself. But even if you are not inclined to jump off the bridge, there are many informative panels about the history of the area on the viewing platform and the views of Kawarau Gorge are epic.
From here, we enter dramatic wine country, all set within the iconic Central Otago landscape. The vineyards nestle between the steep slopes of the surrounding Pisa Mountain Range and the precipitous rocky gorge of the Kawarau River – a real visual treat.
By around lunchtime, you may have seen enough vines to feel ready for a glass of Pinot Noir, so feel free to indulge in a wine tasting of some of Central Otago's most delicate drops (optional). Apart from celebrated Pinot Noirs, you'll find fragrant Pinot Gris and flinty Rieslings and some distinctive Chardonnays – the choice is yours.
Cycling: 30km, easy
Accommodation: Arrowtown - Apartments
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 6: Arrowtown - Cromwell – Lake Dunstan Trail – Clyde – Arrowtown - Cycle Day 5
It’s just 50 kms or a 45-minute drive by van through the attractive Kawarau Gorge to Cromwell, the starting point of perhaps THE HIGHLIGHT of our tour.
Since its opening a few years ago, the Lake Dunstan Trail has been dubbed the most spectacular bike trail in New Zealand, if not the Southern Hemisphere. Many think it is an iconic cycling day trip – today you will see for yourself what the hype is about!
The track features impressive human-made architectural and engineering feats, including spectacular bolt-on bridges that cling to rocky bluffs above the lake, as well as fantastic views of Central Otago’s rugged terrain. Along the way are sections where the land has been reshaped in the search for gold and then again when the lake was formed. New Zealand’s third-largest hydroelectric dam is the dominant feature at the Clyde end of the trail and there are plenty of drainage tunnels dotted along the length of the gorge.
One thing is sure, as we journey alongside the beautiful teal waters of Lake Dunstan, the Kawarau River and the mighty Clutha River – it will become clear to see why many early settlers chose to reside in this region. After a spectacular day cycling, we say farewell to our trusty bikes, then sit back and relax in the van which takes us back from Clyde to Arrowtown, maybe with a tad of sadness as this will be our last evening together.
Cycling: 42km, easy to moderate
Driving: Arrowtown to Cromwell ~45 mins, Clyde to Arrowtown ~ 1h
Accommodation: Arrowtown - Apartments
Meals: B, L, D, S
Day 7: Arrowtown - Queenstown
With a sense of achievement and lifelong memories, we make our way back to Queenstown. We will drop you off around 10am in town or at the airport and will have to say farewell to each other.
Meals: B
B-Breakfast L-Lunch D-Dinner S-Snack
Grading of this tour: Grade 2 (Easy) to Grade 3 (Moderate)
The trails have varied terrain with some steep sections, but an overall downhill gradient. The surface ranges from rugged tracks to tarseal. Most are graded off-road easy (grade 2) with mainly gravel surface and gentle gradients to some moderate (grade 3) for those steeper, more rugged and moderately technical sections.
You can find more info here: Our Cycle Trail Grading System explained