Why You Should Add This to Your Queenstown Plans - Bike Tour
Updated: Jan 13, 2023
Queenstown is the perfect place for a bike tour for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is incredibly picturesque, with stunning lakeside and mountain views. Secondly, it is relatively small, so you can easily see a lot of the town in a short space of time. And thirdly, there are plenty of places to stop and take a break, whether you want to grab a coffee or explore a little more. On a bike tour of Queenstown, you'll be able to see all the key sights, such as the Lake Wakatipu, the Queenstown Gardens, and the Skyline Gondola. But you'll also get a real sense of the town, its people, and its unique atmosphere. This is a great way to really get under the skin of the place, and to make some great memories. So why not give it a try? A bike tour of Queenstown is the ultimate way to see the sights.
The Bike the Bridges - Arrowtown to Gibbston Supported Tour was an honest pleasant surprise for us. The videos online looked cool, but mostly we got to experience so much that I don't think we would have seen. I would have never made a special trip to Arrowtown or Gibbston just based on the research I did, but what a beautiful way to view this beautiful country!
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VISIT: end of February 2020
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Book this Tour || Overall Rating || Meeting Spot || Assistance During the Tour || Activity Level || Navigating the Trail || Would I Do It Again || Other Tours
Overall Rating
5 out of 5 stars Overall
5/5 for the views from the tour
5/5 for the help received from the tour guide
5/5 ease of booking
4/5 for being suitable for ALL endurance levels (see more below)
Meeting Spot
You meet at their meeting spot in Queenstown where the tour guide will drive you to your starting point. The spot is close to Fergburger and Fergbaker, making it easy to grab lunch before! Although note the line for Fergburger is LONG so you will have to plan accordingly.
We arrived a few minutes early and there wasn't really a spot to wait inside of the building. Luckily there is a neat outdoor seating area by Vertigo Bikes off Brecon and Duke street where you can see Around the Basin.
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links (this is at no extra cost to you). This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
Assistance During the Tour
The tour guide stayed with everyone until they were comfortable on which path they were following and made sure that bikes and helmets were all sized appropriately. We had newbies to advanced bike riders and everyone was set on their perspective paths. Our tour guide even gave special care to someone in our group that didn't speak English. You can leave items in the van, if you'd like, and the tour guide and van is available during regular stops on the trip. I still recommend packing most things in your backpack as it is a 2-hour tour
After that you are pretty much on your own with the bike tour, which was refreshing that you could go at your own pace. You see your tour guide at regular intervals along your track and that's always refreshing, in case you get tired you can always hop in the van - which one of the ladies with us did. Along the way, you ride by the AJ Hackett bungee jumpers which was a nice stop to watch and use the restrooms and grab snacks, if you need. NOTE: this is the only area to use the restrooms on the tour. Then our tour ended at the Gibbston Winery which was just a nice treat after a good workout.
Activity Level
One of my biggest tenets is that the company dubs the Bike the Bridges tour a relatively easy ride and although it was, I was personally surprised at how much of a workout was. There was a good amount of inclines/declines and I workout regularly and have an active job, so I was relatively surprised. No, I am not an avid biker. However, I realized after being in New Zealand that many of their residents are so active that I'm sure this would be an easy ride. For those on the fence, they do have electric bikes for rent, so that might be the way to go. But also note that your tour guide will be available with the van to pick you up and you can sit in the van for the remainder of the time.
Navigating the Trail
The navigation is very easy and the trails are clearly marked. As mentioned above, your tour guide also makes sure he's waiting at regular intervals along your trail, so I wouldn't let that deter you
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links (this is at no extra cost to you). This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
Would I Do it Again?
I WOULD 100% DO THIS AGAIN: I am not a typical tourist that would return to do things again, but I cannot begin to explain how magical this was. Plus the tour was a half day, so we actually booked this the afternoon of our first full day in New Zealand to give us time to adjust to jet lag and the long tour the day before
The Tour We Did versus Other Tours
They have several tours ranging from full-day to half-day and different destinations within Queenstown. Find more here
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links. This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
What Else To Do in Queenstown
Every activity is HIGHLY recommended. For more detailed info checkout our Queenstown Travel Guide here. We originally planned to spent less time in Queenstown, but I'm SOO glad my friend recommended more time in Queenstown over Auckland. We did:
NOTE: Most links on our website are affiliate links, which means that The Bouj Crew collects a little bit of money or points when you click on certain links. This is to help us with the upkeep and fees associated with running a website, offering products, etc!
Save Money on This Trip
When planning for trips I always use SEVERAL resources. #1 is using perks from credit cards - our fave and most used are all listed on our discounts page.
HOTELS: We used IHG points through my IHG credit card bonus to score our entire day for FREE. However, we most frequently use our Chase, Marriott and Hilton cards to help us get hotel stays for free
FLIGHTS: I use Scott's Cheap Flights and other Airline Credit Card programs to monitor sales on flights along with Chase Ultimate Rewards
ACTIVITIES: I use Chase Ultimate Rewards, Viator (Tripadvisor) and Get Your Guide to search