WHAT MAKES SIDETRACKS WOMEN SPECIAL?
At Sidetracks Women, we create women-only hiking and cycling tours designed for women who want to explore New Zealand in a supportive, relaxed and well-organised way. Whether you’re a solo traveller or coming with a friend, our tours offer connection, confidence and beautifully planned days outdoors.
1. Women-Only Tours, Led by Women Who Love This Work
Sidetracks Women is a women-owned, women-led company based in Christchurch — and that shapes everything about how our tours feel. We specialise in small-group hiking and cycling tours across some of New Zealand's most beautiful landscapes, designed for women who want to be active, feel safe, and travel in genuinely good company.
Our tours are planned with a range of fitness levels in mind. Whether you're new to hiking, returning to cycling after a break, or a seasoned outdoor enthusiast, you'll find a pace and a group that feels right.
2. Safe, Supported and Genuinely Well Looked After
Travelling somewhere new — especially alone — comes with questions. Our local female guides have deep experience on New Zealand's tracks and cycle trails, and they bring something beyond knowledge: they pay attention, they read the group, and they make sure no one ever feels out of their depth.
From the moment you arrive to the last day on the trail, every detail is taken care of. Transport, accommodation, meals, daily logistics — it's all handled, so your only job is to show up and enjoy it.
3. Ideal for Solo Women Travellers
Most of our travellers book alone. Not because they have to — but because they've discovered that a small, women-only group is one of the best ways to travel. No compromises, no feeling like the odd one out, just easy company with like-minded women who are there for the same reasons you are.
It's one of the key reasons women choose us for their first tour. And why almost half of them come back for another.
4.Adventure Doesn't Have an Age
Many of our travellers are women in their 50s, 60s and beyond — active, curious, and looking for a holiday that genuinely challenges and inspires them without being out of reach.
Our tours are designed with this in mind. The pacing is sensible, the guidance is warm and attentive, and there's always enough challenge to make you feel genuinely accomplished — without ever feeling pushed beyond your comfort zone.
Whether you're discovering e-biking for the first time or returning to hiking after a break, you'll find that the outdoors has been waiting for you all along.
5. Authentic New Zealand Experiences
Almost 30 years of exploring New Zealand means we know which trails take your breath away, which backroads most visitors never find, and which local operators genuinely love what they do.
We partner with family-run accommodation providers, local shuttle operators and regional food producers — not just because it makes for a better trip, but because supporting local communities is simply the right way to travel. What you get is a New Zealand experience that feels real, not packaged.
6. Small Groups, Real Connection
Our groups are small by design — most tours take a maximum of 10 women, with some as intimate as 7. Small enough that your guide knows exactly how everyone is feeling on any given day, and small enough that the women around you quickly feel less like strangers and more like people you've known for years.
There's no pressure to be "on" the whole time either. Some women want to chat every step of the trail. Others enjoy the quiet. Both are completely welcome — and somehow, that balance is exactly what makes the group dynamic work so well.
6. Home-Cooked Meals and Comfortable Stays
Food is one of the things our travellers talk about most — and it's one of the things that sets us apart.
Some meals are prepared at home before the tour even begins. On the road, your guide cooks for the group using fresh, healthy ingredients sourced locally wherever possible. Reusable lunch boxes, refillable water bottles, no plastic wrap — just real food, made with care, shared around the table at the end of a great day. A helping hand with the dishes or setting the table is always welcome too — it's part of what makes the group feel like a group.
For accommodation, we choose places with character — cosy cabins, welcoming lodges, and warm spaces that feel nothing like a hotel. Wherever possible, we book spaces that give our group a room of our own — somewhere to gather, share a meal, and swap stories from the day.
8. Sustainable and Responsible Travel
We travel through some of New Zealand's most precious landscapes — and we take that responsibility seriously.
That means e-bikes over engines, reusable lunch boxes instead of single-use packaging, refillable water bottles instead of bought plastic, and sourcing from local suppliers wherever we can. We choose accommodation providers who share our values, and we keep our groups small so our footprint stays light.
These aren't afterthoughts — they're choices we make every day, on every tour, because the places we love deserve to still be here for the women who come after us.
Ready to Explore New Zealand with Us?
If a tour has caught your eye — or if you're not quite sure which one is right for you — we'd love to hear from you. Our groups are small and some tours fill well ahead of season, so it's worth getting in touch sooner rather than later.
Almost half our travellers come back for a second tour, or a third. We hope you'll see why.
👉 Explore our women-only New Zealand tours
Our groups are small, and some tours fill earlier than others. If you’ve found a tour that feels right, we’d love to hold a place for you.