Wanaka Bike Tours has been getting visitors onto the region's trails since 2005, operating bike rentals, shuttles and self-guided tours from a refreshingly simple base: outside the Wānaka iSITE at 103 Ardmore St. There's no retail shopfront — just a team of dedicated locals who know the Upper Clutha's trails inside out, and a continually upgraded fleet of hardtails and e-bikes kept in shape by a local ex pro-team mechanic.
The ride menu ranges from the Wanaka & Hawea Cycle Trails and the Albert Town & Wanaka Trail Ride to the Ultimate Wānaka Experience from John Creek, plus Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail outings and The Dunstan Day Out group tour. Shuttles leave from outside the iSITE most days between Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea, while the Lake Dunstan shuttle links Wānaka, Cromwell, Clyde and Bannockburn when bookings allow. The vans also serve race events like the Motatapu Challenge and offer custom drop-offs to Snow Farm, Grandview and the Matukituki Valley.
The team's stated aim is to go over and beyond for every customer, and it shows: the business continually earns 5-star ratings on Google and TripAdvisor, and is an official partner of the NZ Cycle Trail and the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust.
Wanaka Bike Tours keeps things refreshingly simple: there's no retail shopfront and no confusing meeting point. Pick-ups and drop-offs happen outside the Wānaka iSITE at 103 Ardmore St, right on the lakefront in the heart of town. From that spot, this locally owned team has been putting visitors on bikes since 2005 — renting wheels, running shuttles and setting riders loose on some of the South Island's best cycle trails.
Nearly two decades in the business has built a reputation the team is quietly proud of. Wanaka Bike Tours is known locally and internationally for customer satisfaction, and the reviews back it up — 5-star ratings on Google and TripAdvisor come up again and again. The stated aim is a simple one: go over and beyond for every customer so they leave the Wanaka Lakes area with great memories. Official partnerships with the NZ Cycle Trail and the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust reinforce those local credentials.
The heart of the business is self-guided touring. Close to home, riders can take on the Wanaka & Hawea Cycle Trails, the Ultimate Wānaka Experience from John Creek back into Wānaka, or the Albert Town & Wanaka Trail Ride. For a bigger day out, the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail is the headline act, and The Dunstan Day Out packages it as a group tour with all the logistics handled.
Not travelling with bikes? No problem. The rental fleet covers standard hardtails and e-bikes, and it's continually being upgraded. Every bike is regularly serviced by a local, experienced ex pro-team mechanic — exactly the sort of detail you want to hear before a big day on the trails.
The shuttle side of the operation is where Wanaka Bike Tours really earns its keep. Lake Wānaka to Lake Hāwea shuttles leave from outside the iSITE most days at scheduled times, and groups staying at local campgrounds can email ahead to arrange a pick-up. The Lake Dunstan shuttle runs when at least four passengers are booked on self-guided tours, departing the iSITE between 8:30 and 9am, with afternoon legs linking Clyde, Cromwell's Historic Precinct and Bannockburn. Shuttle pricing includes your bike.
The vans head further afield, too. Custom ride drop-offs take riders to Snow Farm for the Roaring Meg and Lake McKay rides, up to Grandview and its ridgeline at Lake Hāwea, and into the Matukituki Valley for the ride to Aspiring Hut. On race days, the vans carry riders and competitors to events like the Motatapu Challenge, the Spirited Women's race and the Lake Hawea Epic — seats are limited on those days and bookings are essential.
There's even a service for Te Araroa Trail walkers. Bikes are provided at the base of Breast Hill so hikers can ride the next leg, while backpacks are transported to the Hāwea Hotel or Wānaka. Arrangements need to be made before leaving Omarama; from there, bikes are collected in the Motatapu Valley and packs dropped off for the next stage of the Trail.
A business like this runs on its people, and the team page reads like a who's-who of Wanaka locals. Stu has biked most trails in New Zealand and completed the Tour Aotearoa in 2020, bikepacking from Cape Reinga to Bluff; a former tour guide in Europe, he loves showing off the country. Brendan moved south from Rotorua and can fix anything with wheels, keeping the fleet in the condition customers expect. Bruce, a local legend and former coach of the NZ Freeski team, is the outfit's most experienced operator. Behind the scenes, Laura and Neil run the daily bookings — and it's Laura who makes sure the photos drivers snap of your group end up in your inbox after the activity.
Booking is straightforward. The Lake Hāwea shuttle can be reserved through the live online booking system, while Lake Dunstan shuttles, custom rides and Te Araroa support are arranged by emailing hello@wanakabiketours.co.nz or calling 0800 862 453 — there's a WhatsApp line for quick questions, too. Whether it's a spin between the lakes, a group day on the Dunstan trail or a bespoke drop-off somewhere high and remote, the team's advice is the same: grab your mates and start planning your adventure.