Bike the Wanaka and Hawea Trails
Overview
4 hours
Mobile ticket
A brilliant way to explore the area and see the beauty all around. You will ride across plateaus, surrounded by mountains on relatively easy grade 1-2 family friendly trails.
The recommended route follows trails all the way from Hawea, alongside the Hawea river, through Albert Town and then follows the Clutha river to Wanaka.
On your way there are lots of interesting places to visit including Lake Hawea, Pembroke Patisserie, Wanaka, the Wanaka Tree and the Edgewater Hotel garden bar.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
nzbiketrails luxury shuttle will pick you up from Wanaka and transport you to Hawea. We will provide an overview of the route, safety briefing and a test ride to ensure that your bike is comfortable for you with the right seat height. You will then have the rest of the day to explore the local area on your bike and make stops on the way back to Wanaka. Our favourite stop is the patisserie in Albert Town – an award-winning bakery. On arrival in Wanaka nzbiketrails will then pick up your bikes at the original pickup location by 4pm. Our e-bikes are suitable for Children 8 years+ who are over 140cm and are confident riders capable of using gears on a bike. We recommend young families book either the 0900hrs or 1030hrs shuttles allowing plenty of time to ride back to Wanaka.
What‘s Included
Safety Briefing
Executive Return Shuttle
8L Topeak Rear Trunk Bag (replaces need for a rucksack)
Bike Lock, Puncture Repair Kit and Pump
Helmet - Specialized Camber Helmets with MIPs protection
Hire of bike - e-bike or regular bike
Rider Insurance
Options
E-bike Hire and Shuttle
E-bike Hire
Gravel Bike Hire and Shuttle
Gravel Bike: For experienced Gravel riders only. Gravel bikes are a specialist bike. nzbiketrails recommends e-bikes on all of our trails.
Regular Bike Hire and Shuttle
Regular Bike Hire
Reviews
344 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Glorious family-friendly bike ride
angelieo2016,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Such a great activity to explore and get close to such pristine environment. Thank he shuttle bus was prompt and Tristan gave us all the information we needed. A glorious day with great bikes and support :)
Totally recommended
arthursalles,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Perfect experience! Everything really well thought. Great instructions and recommendations, top notch bikes, good balance of adventure and safety
Incredible views
jpr2019,,Jan 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Gorgeous views with the family. The track was well demacated, and the fleet of bikes were in good nick. Kids loved it, will be back
Good experience and a...
Ellen E,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Good experience and a wonderful way to take in the beauty of Wanaka. I must say we got turned around more than once despite the map and instructions, which was a bit stressful.
A scenic day out, take your swimmers if it’s warm!
127mags61,,Jan 9, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a great time. The trail was beautiful with a couple of tricky places (but totally doable). Bikes were great, Tristan helped us promptly when we managed to disconnect an E-bike cable. The patisserie at Albert town closes at 2pm so if you are on the 12.30 tour make sure you get there before then! Also if it’s warm, take swimmers and a towel as there are lots of places to stop at take a dip in the Clutha river.
Breathtaking views and excellent bikes
Excursion22704326515,,Jan 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful experience biking from Lake Hawea to Lake Wanaka. The tour lasted about 5 hours, including the transfer from Wanaka, with a coffee stop and a lunch break along the way. The transfer from Wanaka to Hawea was smooth, and the driver was very friendly, already sharing useful information about the trail and the area. The group was small, which we really appreciated. The bikes were in excellent condition and came with practical accessories such as bags and bottle holders. The trail itself offers breathtaking views and is very accessible — mostly flat and not too crowded. It’s suitable for families, kids, and people with little cycling experience. If anything happens during the ride, the NZ Bike Trails team is easily reachable by phone or WhatsApp, which is very reassuring. Compared to other bike tours we’ve done, this one had a much friendlier atmosphere, and the quality of the bikes really stood out. We paid NZD 125 for regular bikes and NZD 165 for electric bikes, and it was excellent value for money.
A great way to see some stunning countryside - one of the highlights of my trip
Escape26924153863,,Jan 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was one of my highlights during a 10 day tour in the South Island. The bike trail between Hawea and Wanaka was great fun and the scenery stunning. I would highly recommend getting an e-bike and James made it really easy for me to change my mind the day before and upgrade.
Biking Wanaka
aanalk2019,,Jan 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great bikes, beautiful trail and patient staff. Loved it. The guides were knowledgeable, true new Zealand experience. Would recommend e bikes.
Highly Recommend
K4136OHmichelew,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Top quality bikes, friendly support and spectacular scenery! An experience not to miss! One of the best outings in Wanaka.
E-Bike ride with breathtaking views from Lake Hawea to Wanaka
L4420SUlisal,,Dec 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our first time on e-bikes, not sure what to expect. Tristan was awesome in driving us from Wanaka to Lake Hawea, explaining the bike route and how to work the bikes. I booked with this company because they believed that my girls could work e-bikes but other operators had a high minimum age to rent. My girls had no problems working them. The path had ups and downs which would have been hard on normal bikes. The scenery was spectacular. The little car park entrance on Cemetary Road to continue the bike path was easy to miss so we ended doing a detour, I suggest you drop pin on the google maps. I would book with this company again.
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