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
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.
E-bike Hire and Shuttle
E-bike Hire
Regular Bike Hire and Shuttle
Regular Bike Hire
Reviews
346 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Superbly organised and friendly trip very good value for the money (in good weather do it you won't regret it!)
Derek S,,Jan 28, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Note top rec... we got dropped off at Johns Creek...adding a extra 5km of glorious views of Hawea which were really amazing. Summary - Superb way of seeing a part of the Wanaka region with NZbikes. Well organised, very nice and friendly guide..Tristen, doing cycling at you own speed,amazing views, superb stop off for food, easy to follow track,excellent bikes, relaxing and fun....superb value for money (note we had good sunny weather most of the time thank Tristen organised 🤣) Turned up at the agreed location and Tristan was there to greet up with a smile and then we were off in a mini bus for a 20 mins or so journey to Hawea. During which Tristan had remembered all our names got to know us all and helped the whole group bond...made you feel real comfortable. We went for 10.30 which dropped us off at Jacobs Creek rather than a Hawea so was 34km rather than 29km...but was absolutely stunning and had 5 km of enjoying the amazing Hawea lake. After a quick photo by Tristan we set off in our own family groups at our own pace for a leisurely ride. Bikes were brilliant and perfectly set up and track was well maintained easy to follow. Quick stop off at Pembroke Patisserie...which did amazing cakes etc we poodles along the track taking pics of the amazing scenery as we went. Eventually arriving to drop off our bikes 4 hrs later but we could have kept them until just before 4.
Great experience
mrssuep2016,,Jan 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fabulous experience cycling from Lake Hawea back to Wanaka with stunning scenery all along the route. Bikes very very good quality and straightforward to use, helmets were provided and there storage case on the back of the bike was very useful. Tristram our driver gave us some really good tips on the journey to the drop off location. Would highly recommend
Amazing!! Beautiful...
Erica J,,Jan 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing!! Beautiful views, great bikes, best way to see the town and lakes. Guide explained path which was well marked and recommended coffee/lunch spots along the way
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.
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