Lake Dunstan Trail
Mountains and Pristine Lakes
Bike through the Cromwell Gorge
Visit Cromwell & Clyde
Bike the Lake Dunstan Trail
Full day package with Bike Hire and Shuttle Transport
Queenstown to Cromwell / Clyde Return
with FREE pick-up from your accommodation *
Welcome to the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail, one of Central Otago’s most scenic rides.
Set alongside the calm waters of Lake Dunstan, this trail weaves through a mix of rocky bluffs, vineyards, and open countryside, with expansive views across to the Southern Alps.
The trail is well formed and suits a range of riders, with a few climbs balanced by long, flowing sections that make the ride feel rewarding rather than demanding.
Whether you’re out for a relaxed pedal or a full day on the bike, it’s an easy place to settle into the rhythm of the landscape.
Along the way, you’ll pass through areas rich in history, from old gold mining routes to working orchards and cellar doors, giving a real sense of the region’s character.
It’s the kind of ride that’s as much about taking it all in as it is about the biking – so take your time, stop often, and enjoy the journey.
* FREE pick-up from accommodation in Central Queenstown. Additional fees may apply from outside this area.
Your Itinerary
8am
Shuttle pick up and bike hire
Start the day with a relaxed drive, leaving Queenstown through scenic highways to the start of the Lake Dunstan Trail. Our shuttle leaves from Gorge Road, or we can pick you up from your accommodation, with bikes ready for you to enjoy your day on the trail.
Approx 9.15am
Smiths Way to Cromwell Heritage Precinct – 16km
This section of the trail weaves its way along Lake Dunstan, with places to stop and relax or take a swim. Explore the galleries, cafés and stores at Cromwell’s Heritage Precinct.
- Step back in time at the historic Cromwell Heritage Precinct
- Browse art galleries and boutiques
- Sunday morning Farmers Market held through Spring and Summer
Approx 10am
Cromwell Heritage Precinct to Cornish Point – 13.3km
Enjoy views over vineyards and the striking blue waters from the Bannockburn Bridge. Here you have the option to cool off with a splash at the designated swimming spot or stop at the Carrick Winery.
- Stop at Carrick Winery along the trail
- Swimming spot at Bannockburn Inlet
- Stop for a picnic and enjoy the views
Approx 12pm
Cornish Point to Clyde – 29km
From here you head into the stunning Cromwell Gorge with its unique natural and historic manmade features. As you head into Clyde you pass NZ’s third largest hydro dam.
- Pass the unusual terraced landscape of the Cairnmuir slide
- Marvel at the power of water at the Clyde Dam
3pm
Return Shuttle
Our shuttle will pick you up and take you back to your Queenstown accommodation so you can rest your legs and enjoy the scenery on your journey.
Your Itinerary
8am
Shuttle pick up and bike hire
Start the day with a relaxed drive, leaving Queenstown through scenic highways to the start of the Lake Dunstan Trail. Our shuttle leaves from Gorge Road, or we can pick you up from your accommodation, with bikes ready for you to enjoy your day on the trail.
Approx 9.15am
Smiths Way to Cromwell Heritage Precinct – 16km
This section of the trail weaves its way along Lake Dunstan, with places to stop and relax or take a swim. Explore the galleries, cafés and stores at Cromwell’s Heritage Precinct.
- Step back in time at the historic Cromwell Heritage Precinct
- Browse art galleries and boutiques
- Sunday morning Farmers Market held through Spring and Summer
Approx 10am
Cromwell Heritage Precinct to Cornish Point – 13.3km
Enjoy views over vineyards and the striking blue waters from the Bannockburn Bridge. Here you have the option to cool off with a splash at the designated swimming spot or stop at the Carrick Winery.
- Stop at Carrick Winery along the trail
- Swimming spot at Bannockburn Inlet
- Stop for a picnic and enjoy the views
Approx 12pm
Cornish Point to Clyde – 29km
From here you head into the stunning Cromwell Gorge with its unique natural and historic manmade features. As you head into Clyde you pass NZ’s third largest hydro dam.
- Pass the unusual terraced landscape of the Cairnmuir slide
- Marvel at the power of water at the Clyde Dam
3pm
Return Shuttle
Our shuttle will pick you up and take you back to your Queenstown accommodations o you can rest your legs and enjoy the scenery on your journey.
Easy pricing
We like to keep it simple!
Our bike packages include everything you’ll need for a great day on the trail – a selection of bikes to hire for the day, a return shuttle to and from Queenstown, and a few extras at no additional cost!
YOUR OPTIONS
Price
Hardtail eBike & Shuttle
$320
Full Suspension eBike & Shuttle
$385
Comfort eBike & Shuttle
$320
Hardtail MTB & Shuttle
$320
Full Suspension MTB & Shuttle
$385
Kids eBike & Shuttle
$290
Kids MTB & Shuttle
$290
EXTRAS
Price per day
Tag-along
$40
Baby Buggy (2 seater)
$40
Baby Seat
FREE
Gel Seats
FREE
Large Panniers
FREE
Price includes a $5 donation to the Southern Lakes Trails Trust for trail maintenance
*Kids aged 12 and under.
What's included?
All packages include
- Bike Hire
- Bike Shuttle
- Helmet
- Drink Bottle Holder
- Bike Toolkit
- Small Panniers
- Map
What to bring
Some essentials to bring on your ride
- Water Bottle
- Sunscreen & Sunglasses
- Phone / Camera
- A snack
- Dress in light layers including a jacket
- Comfortable Shoes (trainers are perfect)
FAQs
This well-maintained trail caters to riders of varying skill levels, however we don’t recommended it for complete beginners as there are some challenging ascents and exhilarating descents, which beginners may find overwhelming.
We recommend eBikes for people who don’t ride regularly.
Older kids will love this trail! We recommend it for anyone between 12 – 80+ years old. With our full range of mountain bikes and ebikes we can kit you out with the gear you need to enjoy a day out on the trails.
All reviews![]()
Tripadvisor
TrustindexPosted on Google![]()
Brad Lillyman5 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Fantastic experience, great service, great company to deal with and great bikes. Highly recommend!Posted on Google![]()
Julie Verri6 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Unreal! Great people running it as well! That’s greatPosted on Google![]()
Amber Ryan31 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Amazing experiencePosted on Google![]()
Felicity Shepherd41 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Highly recommend they were very helpful in best places to stop as well as offering to pick up from hotel and drop off. Having the option to go at our pace and do want we want on the trail was exactly want we wanted. Been able to enjoy everything and take in all the view and just relax was amazing. Will definitely do this againPosted on Google![]()
Tracey Heyward43 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Jake was outstanding. His suggestion of bike ride for us was perfect (Arrowtown Gibbston Valley Trail). Started in Arrowtown and ended at Mt Rosa Vineyard where we had a wonderful wine tasting and cheese platter. Will definately book e-bikes again next time in QueenstownPosted on Google![]()
Steve Vierling46 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Graham was a fantastic guide. Gave us good bikes, good instructions, made sure we visited four wineries in our day trip. It was a memorable family experience!Posted on Google![]()
stephanie knight48 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Stress free hire, good pricing and perfect location to ride straight onto the trails. Jake was super helpful and awesome to deal with.Posted on Google![]()
Krit Hariharan65 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
We rode as a family in the peak winter season . We called on the day and the staff was super friendly , accommodating and very helpful for us first time ebikers . We ordered for 2 adult and 2 kids bike , youngest being 8. The bikes were fabulous and could handle muddle, gravel and undulating terrain we loved how it handled it . We booked for the bikes and they dropped and picked the bikes up from our accommodation. While a bit expensive , the experience was totally worth it and we would book again when in Queenstown .Posted on Google![]()
Emmanuel Bishara67 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Amazing biking experience. From new to old bikes. Instructions were extremely clear.Posted on Google![]()
Karin Bell67 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google.
Rented bike to do the Shot Over gorge trail and looped back through town 30km. Bike was great no issues and if I did they gave you a tool bag. The team were great to deal with very easy and helpful. Would recommend bike hire here.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Nick C131 days agoVerified
Excellent service We didn't have a booking but Jake quickly sorted us out with e-bikes and provided helmets and a tool/repair kit. We also asked if the bikes could be collected from a winery at Gibbston. Once again Jake said it was no trouble. The bikes were great and the ride route spectacular. Couldn't recommend Queenstown Bike Hire highly enough.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Arjun Raj142 days agoVerified
Loved it Smooth process. Lovely service.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Teresa H145 days agoVerified
Superb friendly service Fantastic company to liaise with, shuttle turned up at our accommodation right on time, ready to go with bikes on the back, Graham who collected us, is a super lovely guy, knowledgeable and friendly. Bikes were well maintained, Graham ensured we were all sorted, and even parked along the trail a bit to check that we and the bikes are going well… Lake Dunstan trail was just superb, highly recommend Queenstown bike hire to allPosted on Tripadvisor![]()
Caroline147 days agoVerified
The Dunstan trail on e-bikes The Dunstan trail on e-bikes was fabulous. Queenstown Bike Hire was slick and professional, very easy to deal with. We were picked up from our accommodation by a great young guy who told us everything we needed to know. The bikes were really good and served us well on the trail. Highly recommend Queenstown Bike Hire, we will definitely use them again!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Hans G180 days agoVerified
Majestic Queenstown MTB trails On the final day of my trip to Queenstown, I booked an e-MTB ride, and it turned out to be a standout highlight of my trip. After the Queenstown Parkrun (a beautiful course), I walked to the shop, which is about 1.5 km from central Queenstown. The shop itself is a little tricky to find, but once there I was looked after by Jake, who set me up with everything I needed and mapped out a fantastic loop: Arthurs Point > Shotover Gorge > Tucker Beach > Countryside > Wharehuanui > Arthurs Point Trails. The ride started virtually across the road from the shop. The route was easy to follow, the trails were in excellent condition (mostly gravel), and the scenery was absolutely breath taking - photos really do not do it justice. At a relaxed pace, I covered around 46 km in 3.5 hours with minimal effort thanks to the e-MTB. I stopped for lunch at Gantley’s Tavern in Arthurs Point, which had great food and a relaxed beer garden atmosphere, with mountain bikers everywhere, excitedly talking about their morning’s adventures. I finished with plenty of time before my flight, although in hindsight I would have liked to attempt the longer Arrowtown loop. Battery range was the only limiting factor—charging options at lunch stops would make longer rides even more appealing. Overall, a fantastic experience. I will definitely be back for a multi-day ride and would not hesitate to book again with Queenstown Bike Hire.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Christy Hunter H187 days agoVerified
Great service for amazing ride Two friends and I rented bikes from Queenstown Bike Hire and paid to be shuttled to the Lake Dunstan Bike Trail. The bikes (Cannondale e-bikes) were in excellent condition and the driver (Rob) went above and beyond to accommodate us. Regarding the trail: We are in our 70s but experienced riders. The first part of the trail (from Smith's Way) was leisurely but it grew progressively windier and hillier with sharp curves and deep drop-offs. E-bikes are a must. The views were amazing and it was an unforgettable adventure but I wouldn't recommend this trip for someone inexperienced or with a fear of heights.Posted on Trustindex![]()
Brinker203 days agoTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Trustindex.
Great bikes- Path directly across the street! Our electric bikes were perfect for us. We would recommend this place absolutely! Very nice people. Even though a 15 minute walk from town the beginning of the path to Arrowtown and also to the wineries was just across the street, which made it so easy compared to trying to navigate out of town thru traffic/people etc from other rentals near our hotel. They were so nice to come get us at a winery. The 45 mile ride was GORGEOUS… we stopped more than we thought for pics and beauty thus no energy or desire to go back that far, especially after wine. So, they were very accommodating. We would def recommend and use them if we are ever to return to beautiful NZ.Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
CJKing1214 days agoVerified
Great trip thanks to Around the mountains cycle Co We spent a couple of days riding in the Queenstown area before doing the 4 day around the mountains cycle. The ATM cycle company provided good bikes, transport that was on time and drivers who were friendly, helpful and when one of us experienced a slight issue with our bike there was no hesitation in offering a replacement. All together good service. Be aware that the cycle up Von Hill is relentless and I wished I’d had an e-bike for that day!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Wanderer47443144817234 days agoVerified
Queenstown to Arrowtown gravel trails Great place to hire 2 e bikes and cycle the trails from Queenstown to Arrowtown. Nearly all off road and lots of interesting trails by the river and into the hillsPosted on Tripadvisor![]()
Lauren Pardee R249 days agoVerified
family bike trip around the peninsula Great customer service! Thank you!Posted on Tripadvisor![]()
Traveler688456250 days agoVerified
Great Ebike experience with Bike Hire Queenstown We had a great time on our self-guided Ebike tour thanks such much to Bike Hire Queenstown. Jake made everything so easy for us. We were able to just show up, get on our bikes and be in our way. They took care of helmets, painiers, toolkit, maps, etc. The bikes were in great condition and very comfortable. I would highly recommend them for if you’re interested in either guided or self-guided Ebike needs in Queenstown.Verified by TrustindexTrustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more
All our packages
- 22-30km
- 2-3hrs
- 47-58km
- Full Day - 4-5hrs
- 42km
- Full Day - 3.5-4hrs