Arrowtown to Queenstown Full-Day Bike Adventure
Description
Discover one of Queenstown’s ultimate biking adventures on this self-guided ride from historic Arrowtown to central Queenstown. Shuttle to Arrowtown, get fitted with a top-quality bike, and receive all the tips you need. Follow the breathtaking Arrow River Trail, crossing a spectacular suspension bridge before joining the Twin Rivers Trail. Ride alongside the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers with sweeping views, fun undulations, and a few rewarding climbs to Queenstown. Covering 36 km, the ride takes 3.5–4 hours. An electric bike option makes the climbs easier and lets you enjoy the scenery at a relaxed pace. Finish in the heart of Queenstown at Around The Basin’s shop (3 Searle Lane), leaving you with a real sense of achievement and memories of one of the town's most unforgettable adventures. Shuttle departures from Queenstown: • SUMMER (1 Sept – 30 Apr): 9:00 am • WINTER (1 May – 31 Aug): 10:00 am
Tour Options
Itinerary
Head out on a scenic 25 minute shuttle with us to Arrowtown. There's the opportunity to grab a coffee and explore the historic town.
The bike ride starts by following the Arrow River Trail downstream to the Morven Ferry, crossing the river via a few spectacular bridges.
The ride then joins the Twin Rivers Trail, which follows the Kawarau and Shotover rivers to the shores of Lake Whakatipu. Expect to see amazing alpine views of The Remarkables mountain range as you climb and descend throughout this section.
The Twin River crosses over the historic Lower Shotover Bridge. You'll get fantastic views of both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas.
The bike trail passes a few cafés and even a brewery near the Frankton Marina. Why not stop-off for a well earned treat?
The last stage of your ride is a gentle, flowing trail along the lake’s edge, before the finish back in central Queenstown.
Finish your ride back at our shop in central Queenstown (3 Searle Lane) anytime before 4:30 pm.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Advised to wear appropriate sports shoes
- Advised to wear appropriate active gear, including a good jacket
- Approximate biking time is 3-4 hours, but some riders take as much as 6 hours.
- Bring 1 backpack per group to carry snacks
Reviews(97)
The Queenstown Trial network has a huge number of trails to link together for sightseeing. Pre trip I found it difficult using the Around the Basin website and bike trail map to figure out what the actual route options were from Arrowtown to Queenstown. I arrived early at the office to find out more info on the trail options but found the reception staff member was only interested in checking me in (then advising I wait until the tour started to find out more info). Given that there were no other customers requiring her time, I found this quite unhelpful. The man who gave the ride briefing was much more helpful, listened to the experience I was after and gave a good suggestion.
A nice tour, but I recommend an e-bike because there are already some climbs. The organization with the booking and the shuttle was very well organized.
Thank you for the lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and found the booking and shuttle process well organised. We agree - the e-bikes definitely make the climbs a lot more enjoyable. Hope to see you again on another ride soon!
Guide was really helpful and friendly, and the ride back to Queenstown was a great way to see gorgeous scenery
Thanks for the lovely review! We’re glad you enjoyed the ride and the beautiful scenery on the way back to Queenstown. Great to hear our guide helped make the experience even better!
Simply phenomenal. Queensland Trail is truly magical. I could not stop taking pictures. The operators were great. Timely, good instructions and nice bikes. I am a bike rider, but I opted for the E bike (first timer), and I’m so glad I did. At times, the incline was a bit steep, and was much easier with the e-bike. The last 7K at the trail under construction, so you have to ride on the walk/bike path next to the highway. Not my favorite, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I highly recommend this tour!
Thanks for the great review! We’re so glad you enjoyed the Queensland Trail and had a good experience with the e-bike. We also appreciate your understanding around the temporary trail diversion. Hope to see you out on another ride again sometime!
Before the bike tour started the person running it said pay careful attention because on the ride to arrowtown the driver who is going to help us with the bikes in arrowtown is going to explain everything about the bike tour. The instructor/driver did not say one word on the drive over. When we got they helped us with the bikes and then gave brief instructions in a field and then we started. People that I saw on the way were clearly confused. I got lost but found my way because the map I was given was that clear. When I got back to the store I explained this to the woman in charge and she was very rude to me. Very disorganized.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience, Louise. Just to clarify how our rides operate. We run a check-in process at our shop front before departure, where all riders are provided with a trail guide that includes key information for the day. Our shop team are always available during this time to answer any urgent questions, but with a large number of customers checking in at once, it’s important riders take a moment to review this information before setting off. On the shuttle, the driver’s role is to safely transport everyone to Arrowtown. Due to the number of passengers in one vehicle, it’s not always practical or safe to deliver a full briefing during the drive. Once in Arrowtown, our team assists with bike setup and provide a detailed briefing with navigation instructions before riders begin. We are always happy to answer any questions if riders need further clarification. We’re sorry to hear you found parts of the ride confusing and that your experience in store didn’t feel positive. We’ll take this feedback on board and continue working on how we communicate key information as clearly as possible. Cheers, The Around The Basin Team
Overall a fun experience and a nice way to see the area around Queenstown. A fairly easy trip on an e-bike. But the two women at check-in were uniformly rude and surly to each customer. A bummer way to start what should be a fun day, start to finish.
Glad you enjoyed the experience overall. Sorry to hear about your experience at check-in.
This trail from Arrowtown to Queenstown is absolutely stunning. Arrowtown itself is worth at least an hour to visit before you set off. The views are just once in a lifetime. Trail is well marked and the team are great. You get bikes, helmets and excellent instructions. I would say you need a reasonable level of fitness and you should be fairly confident on a bike. We did it in 4 hours with a few stops for photos but you get the bikes for 6 hours so we did wish we had stopped a little more to relax and take photos. First and second thirds of the trail are more spectacular but, to be honest, the whole ride is out of this world.
Thanks so much for the awesome review! We’re stoked to hear you enjoyed the ride from Arrowtown to Queenstown - it really is a special part of the world. Great call on allowing extra time in Arrowtown too, it’s definitely worth a wander or grabbing a coffee there before setting off. Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures. It looks like you had a great day. We really appreciate the kind words about the team and the setup as well. Hope to see you back next time! Cheers, The Around The Basin Team
Very organized and a great ride. E-bikes are the way to go. Easy trail to follow from Arrowtown to Queenstown.
No refreshment stops until near the end and then a very nice brewery. A great day! And once you've handed your bike back enjoy an ice cream!
As an experienced cyclist,I have ridden many places and trails. Except for a few kilometers of construction, this was probably the prettiest ride I've done.
